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Jonathan Neale writes: I have spent the last year working on a book called Fight the Fire – Green New Deals and Global Climate Jobs. Most of it is about both the politics and the engineering of any possible transition that can avert catastrophic climate breakdown. One thing I had to think about long and hard was lithium and car batteries.
[This article was first published by Climate and Capitalism on 11 Feb 2021.]
I often hear people say that we can’t cover the world with electric vehicles, because there simply is not enough lithium for batteries. In any case, they add, lithium production is toxic, and the only supplies are in the Global South. Moreover, so the story goes, there are not enough rare earth metals for wind turbines and all the other hardware we will need for renewable energy.
People often smile after they say those things, which is hard for me to understand, because it means eight billion people will go to hell.
So I went and found out about lithium batteries and the uses of rare earth. What I found out is that the transition will be possible, but neither the politics nor the engineering is simple. This article explains why. I start by describing the situation simply, and then add in some of the complexity.
[This post is an excerpt from Fight the Fire – Green New Deals and Global Climate Jobs, which can be downloaded as a FREE pdf or a FREE e-book here. It can be ordered as a paperback for £15 here .]
Lithium is a metal used in almost all electric vehicle batteries today. About half of global production of lithium currently goes to electric vehicles. And in future we will need to increase the production of electric vehicles from hundreds or thousands to hundreds of millions. That will require vast amounts of lithium.
There are three ways to mine lithium. It can be extracted from rock. It can be extracted from the brine that is left over when sea water passes through a desalination plant. Or it can be extracted from those brine deposits which are particularly rich in lithium. These brine deposits are the common way of mining lithium currently, because it is by far the cheapest. Most of the known deposits of lithium rich brine are in the arid highlands where Bolivia, Chile and Argentina come together.
Lithium mining is well established in Chile and Argentina. In both countries the local indigenous people have organised against the mining, but so far been unable to stop it. The mining is toxic, because large amounts of acid are used in the processing. But the mining also uses large amounts of water in places that already has little enough moisture. The result is that ancestral homelands become unlivable.
Bolivia may have even richer deposits of lithium than Argentina and Chile, but mining has not begun there. The Bolivian government had been led by the indigenous socialist Evo Morales from 2006 to 2019. Morales had been propelled to power by a mass movement committed to taking back control of Bolivia’s water, gas and oil resources from multinational corporations. Morales was unable to nationalize the corporations, but he did insist on the government getting a much larger share of the oil and gas revenue.
His government planned to go even further with lithium. Morales wanted to mine the lithium in Bolivia, but he wanted to build factories alongside the mines to make batteries. In a world increasingly hungry for batteries, that could have turned Bolivia into an industrial nation, not just a place to exploit resources.
The Morales government, however, was unable to raise the necessary investment funds. Global capital, Tesla, the big banks and the World Bank had no intention of supporting such a project. And if they had, they would not have done so in conjunction with a socialist like Morales. Then, in 2019, a coup led by Bolivian capitalists, and supported by the United States, removed Morales. Widespread popular unrest forced a new election in October. Morales’ party, the Movement for Socialism won, though Morales himself was out of the running. It is unclear what will happen to the lithium.
That’s one level of complexity. The local indigenous people did not want the lithium mined. The socialist government did not want extractavism, but they did want industrial development.
Those are not the only choices.
For one thing, there are other, more expensive ways of mining lithium. It can be mined from hard rock in China or the United States. More important, batteries do not have to be made out of lithium. Cars had used batteries for almost a century before Sony developed a commercial lithium-ion battery in 1991. Engineers in many universities are experimenting with a range of other materials for building batteries. But even without looking to the future, it would be possible to build batteries in the ways they used to be built. Indeed, in January 2020, the US Geological Service listed the metals that could be substituted for lithium in battery anodes as calcium, magnesium, mercury and zinc.
The reason all manufacturers currently use lithium is that it provides a lighter battery that lasts longer. That gives the car greater range without recharging, and it make possible a much lighter car. In other words, lithium batteries are cheaper.
Rare Earth Metals
Similar arguments apply to rare earth metals. There are several different kinds of rare earth metals, each with different properties. They are widely used, in small amounts, in wind turbines, car batteries and much other technology necessary for climate change. It is often said that this rarity is an obstacle to decarbonizing the world.
This is not quite right. First, rare earth metals are not rare because they are found in only a few places in the world. They are found in many places, all over the world. The word rare in this context means that they are found in very, very small concentrations in the ore where they are mined. This makes them expensive. It also requires mining a vast amount of ore and then processing it with acids. If unregulated, the pollution is intense. In other words, this is more extractavism.
Right now most rare earth metals are mined in China. There is nothing special about the geology of China. Most of them could be mined in the United States, or a range of other countries. Coltan is a good example. It is used in small, hand-held electronic devices. At one point in the civil war in the Congo, the coltan mines were cut off by fighting and for a few weeks there was a global shortage of smart phones, and a delay in the supply of play station. By 2009, many sources were repeating that 80% of coltan reserves were in Africa. Reserves are hard to estimate, but in 2009 about 30% of coltan was being mined in Congo DR. That was because the largest coltan mine in the world, Wodginga in Australia, had closed at the end of 2008. At that point Wodginga had been supplying 30% of the global markets for coltan, but found production uneconomic. Wodginga opened again in 2011, closed in 2017, and is now a lithium mine. There is almost always an alternative place to mine.
China has two “advantages.” One is that the government can deal brutally with local protestors against pollution. The other advantage is that the Chinese government decided that they would move their economy towards high-tech, high-value industry, and that to do this they need a reliable supply of rare earth metals.
The Chinese government has also made a decision to open mines for a wide range of rare earth metals. This makes China dominant in the market, because it is not possible now to tell what metals will be needed for which industries in ten years’ time. What China can do, and the United States or Australia so far cannot, is decide on public investment in advance of knowing exactly what will be needed.
But as with lithium, there are always alternatives. The main use of rare earth metals now is for screens, smart phones, games consoles, electronics and laptop computers. You can have a phone, a computer or a screen without rare earth metals. But a pinch of the metal gives the screen better resolution, and it allows the device to be made much smaller. Steve Jobs knew what he wanted to do with phones long before he made the I-phone. But Jobs had to wait for the necessary rare metals to come onstream.
All this means that when climate jobs programs need rare earth metals, they can always go back to an older technology. A shortage of rare metals does not mean renewable energy won’t work.
We have established that batteries do not have to be made out of lithium. Other materials are available. We have established that shortages of lithium do not mean we have to give up on the prospect of all vehicles being electric. Other kinds of batteries can be used. Lithium can be mined from other parts of the world.
In another chapter in my book, I explain why hydrogen from electrolysis with renewable electricity can be used instead in cars instead of batteries. There are serious technical problems, and again, it’s more expensive.
So we don’t have to use lithium in electric batteries. We need not poison the homelands of indigenous people. Moreover, much of the poisoning takes place because mining is unregulated. Regulation could solve that problem.
Which sounds all well and good. But this is to ignore the relations of power that enable destructive extraction in poor countries all over the world. Is it naïve to think we can do anything about that?
Well, as things stand it is difficult for local people, or indigenous people, to defend themselves. This is true in Papua New Guinea, but also in Argentina, China and indeed with mountain-top removal in West Virginia. In many parts of the world, international NGOs do encourage local people to campaign against pollution in the media, and to take out court cases, in countries far away. Sometimes this works, but the record is not good, and it takes years. Moreover, local people lose control of their campaign, which means the foreign NGO and lawyers can settle whenever they decide to, on whatever terms they accept.
Agitation and organization inside the country can have a larger effect. In 2020, a court ruling in Chile in support of the indigenous communities brought lithium mining there to a halt, and may stop it altogether.
All this is worth fighting for. But most of my book is about how we can fight for and establish a public sector climate jobs service in each country. And if we win that – a big if – the problem is simpler. Then it would become possible to challenge the destructive power of extractive industries. The people whose lives and lands are polluted or drowned, in Bolivia for instance, could appeal for solidarity from the people who work in the new climate service, in France for example.
The balance of forces would be quite different from the way it is now when NGOs attempt to lobby and shame great corporations. The workers in the climate service in France would be unionized.
Union organization is never automatic. But if people cannot organize a union in a public sector service of a million people, and moreover a service that has been won in the teeth of established power by a mass movement of millions, a mass movement in which the unions have been central, a mass movement where everyone knows they are part of a global movement to save the Earth – then, frankly, you cannot organize a union anywhere. Moreover, if we succeed in climate jobs, we will have workforces with a deep pride in their mission to save the Earth.
All of this presumes that the workers in the climate service have job security, and government jobs. As we have seen, there are many other reasons why we need those protections anyway. But in that situation, with those feelings and forces in play, an appeal for solidarity from indigenous people in a river valley somewhere could easily lead workers 8,000 miles away to tell their management: “We will use lithium from somewhere else. Or another material. Or hydrogen fuel cells. We are not working with lithium that has blood on it.”
Similar arguments apply to almost all other cases of extractive industry. Workers who offer each other solidarity can turn a race to the bottom into a race to the top. And if that feels unlikely to you, it is because you live now, here, on this Earth. If we can do it, the process of saving that Earth will change what people can do and imagine.
In sum, the energy transition right now is powered, in many places, by appalling destruction and poisoning in the extraction of raw materials. It does not have to be that way.
This is an excerpt from Jonathan Neale’s new book, Fight the Fire: Green New Deals and Global Climate Jobs, published on Feb. 4 by Resistance Books and the Alternative Information and Development Centre, and available as a free pdf and ebook at The Ecologist magazine. You can contact Jonathan at lindisfarne [dot] neale [at] gmail.com.
Jeffrey Webber, 2017, The Last Day of Oppression, and the First Day of the Same: The Politics and Economics of the New Latin American Left, London: Pluto; and Mike Gonzalez, 2019, The Ebb of the Pink Tide: The Decline of the Left in Latin America, both provide good guides to the complexity and contradictions of the Morales’ government, which was the product of a great mass movement and deeply constrained by neoliberalism. But politics is changing again in Latin America, and good up to the minute analysis is Pablo Solon, 2020, “Why Lucho and David won the Bolivian elections,” Systematical Alternatives, Oct. 19.
“Lithium,” US Geological Service, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January, 2020.
David Abraham, 2015, The Elements of Power: Gadgets, Guns and the Struggle for a Sustainable Future in the Rare Metal Age, New Haven: Yale University Press, is brilliant.
Michael Nest, 2011, Coltan, Cambridge: Polity, 16.
Stuart Kirsch, Mining Capitalism, Berkeley: University of California Press, chapter 2 is very good on this. | <urn:uuid:6b9c27b5-7475-42ac-a3a2-1fad9cd7eea0> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://annebonnypirate.org/2021/02/16/lithium-batteries-and-climate-change/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296949107.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20230330070451-20230330100451-00315.warc.gz | en | 0.959546 | 2,938 | 2.625 | 3 | The extract scores 4 points because it provides a comprehensive discussion of complex scenarios requiring sophisticated communication, strategic thinking, and advanced problem-solving across multiple contexts, including environmental sustainability, economic development, and social justice. The author presents nuanced interactions and complex problem-solving opportunities, incorporating cultural awareness, digital literacy, and practical applications. However, it falls short of a perfect score as it does not seamlessly integrate advanced communication, leadership, and problem-solving scenarios that mirror real-world complexity in every element.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 113,749 | 1 |
By Dr. Adam Horn
You may have seen the infographic below, it is circulating around the Internet. I decided to take the fact check challenge to see if this information is true. The infographic states that 19 justices were nominated and confirmed in an “election” year. This part is true. In most cases, it was an “election” year. What the infographic does not say is they were nominated and confirmed in a “presidential election” year. Add the word “presidential” and the infographic is incorrect.
This infographic was likely created to imply that Senators Cruz and Rubio’s facts were wrong in Saturday’s Republican debate. Both stated that a supreme court justice has not been nominated and confirmed in an election year in 80 years (actually it was 1940, which is 76 years). “Technically” they were wrong when they said an “election year” and not “presidential election” year. Do you see the semantic difference here? Every year is an election year somewhere in the United States. In the spirit of their argument, most reasonable thinking people probably assumed both men meant presidential election year because Justice Antonin Scalia died Saturday and we are in the midst of a presidential election year.
The fact is only three justices have been nominated and confirmed in a presidential election year since 1900: Frank Murphy (1940), Benjamin Cardozo (1932), Louis Brandeis (1916).
Here’s the proof (see below). Check it out for yourself. This took me about 15 minutes of research. For the record, the infographic is technically right. However, due to its timing, it is misleading because the implication is that Senators Cruz and Rubio were wrong about their facts in Saturday’s debate.
Had Senators Cruz and Rubio said a supreme court justice has not been nominated and confirmed, in a “presidential election” year, in nearly 80 years, they both would have been right. But, because both senators simply said “election” year and not “presidential election” year, this is what makes the infographic correct – though it is misleading in its intent.
The Lesson For Communicators
In the original post that accompanied this infographic it stated that Cruz and Rubio need to check their facts. That’s true. Reality is, we all need to check the facts before posting or stating what we “think” is true because we saw a post that we “liked,” did not check the facts, and believed it to be holistically true. The infographic is correct with the words “election” year. It is incorrect if you add the words “presidential election” year.
Supreme Court Justices mentioned: Kagan (2010), Alito (2006), Breyer (1994), Souter (1990), Scalia (1986), Rehnquist (1986), Blackmun (1970), Goldberg (1962), White (1962), Warren (1953), Clark (1949), Vinson (1946), Murphy (1940), Reed (1938), Cardozo (1932), Roberts (1930), Hughes (1930), Sutherland (1922), Brandeis (1916).
Presidential election years: 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016.
I did not do this to defend Cruz or Rubio. They are grown men. They can defend themselves. Also, I did not do this to share or persuade you with any particular political ideology. I did this because people do not take the time to check their facts anymore. We tend to believe the first thing we agree with (see or hear) on TV, or in this case, Facebook.
In this presidential election year, regardless if you are a Democrat or a Republican, please take the time to educate yourself with actual facts before believing everything you read. You don’t have to agree with everything you read, but at least make sure it tells the whole story and that parts of it are not intentionally misleading – much like the infographic. | <urn:uuid:99c24bff-628c-479f-bc0d-a2879bcc0eb9> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://ucmprprogram.com/2016/02/15/check-the-facts/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585371700247.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20200407085717-20200407120217-00090.warc.gz | en | 0.957564 | 890 | 3.078125 | 3 | The extract earns a score of 4 due to its comprehensive discussion of critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and nuanced communication. It presents a complex scenario requiring strategic thinking and advanced problem-solving, while emphasizing the importance of fact-checking and media literacy. The author demonstrates intercultural fluency by encouraging readers to look beyond political ideologies and focus on verifying information.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 985,109 | 1 |
Teaching for Justice & Belonging A Journey for Educators and Parents, by Starker Glass, Tehia; Carter Berry, Lucretia
- ISBN: 9781119834328 | 1119834325
- Cover: Paperback
- Copyright: 8/23/2022
Create a classroom with a culture of true belonging, liberation, and justice for all
Teaching for Justice and Belonging: A Journey for Educators & Parents provides a practical and powerful blueprint to unrooting racism in the educational setting. The book is an easy-to-understand guide designed to cultivate an educational experience that inspires a culture of true belonging, liberation, and justice for all.
Relying on case studies, thorough research, and deeply personal and enlightening experiences drawn from the lives of the authors themselves, Teaching for Justice and Belonging also offers:
- Demonstrations of how to explore personal and collective racial identity to learn more about oneself and others
- Support for making systemic change within the spheres of influence of educators and parents
- Real testimonials and stories to guide readers on their own healthy anti-racism journeys
A central piece of any anti-racism roadmap, this book is perfect for K-12 educators, administrators, and teacher leaders. It will also earn a place in the bookshelves of pre-service teachers and parents interested in unlearning racism and encouraging diverse voices in the education system. | <urn:uuid:62283830-c9bb-400c-bbc9-e89ecbbc33e2> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://www.biggerbooks.com/teaching-justice-belonging-journey/bk/9781119834328 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296943589.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20230321002050-20230321032050-00438.warc.gz | en | 0.90627 | 296 | 2.53125 | 3 | This extract scores high for its focus on creating a culture of belonging, justice, and liberation, which inherently requires advanced communication, empathy, and leadership skills. It promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and intercultural fluency through case studies, research, and personal experiences, offering a comprehensive approach to professional development.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 186,625 | 1 |
Open Sources 2.0/Open Source: Competition and Evolution/Why Open Source Needs Copyright Politics
From Programmer 97-things
Some programmers and businesspeople draw a distinction between "Free Software" and "open source." Free Software is political, they say, and open source is pragmatic. Free Software developers want to recode the world; open sourcers just want to write good code. This distinction is, of course, exaggerated. Many people adopt these labels for their own reasons; some switch between them depending on audience or context. But even the most apolitical of open source developers and users should be concerned by the copyright battles waged right now. The copyright law being made and enforced today will impact the software we can develop and use for decades, and its impact reaches far beyond commercial media.
Imagine, for example, that you'd like to build an open source home multimedia server. Nothing fancy yet, just a place to play music, watch the occasional DVD, and record television programs—one machine to replace the menagerie of devices nesting in your media center. Easier developed than cleared legally. Technically, you (or others willing to share with you) will be able to meet the challenges with Moore's Law-fast processors, ever-cheaper massive storage capacities, and clever user interfaces. The legal obstacles are harder to hack. Start with the music. If you have standard CDs, you're all set: plenty of Free programs let you play them from the CD drive, rip them to Ogg, FLAC, or MP3 (with a nod, perhaps, to the patent licensors at Fraunhoffer). Try to connect to a streaming service or purchase music online, and things get tricky. Apple's iTunes, the "new Napster," and Rhapsody all lack open source clients, and none would be happy with reverse engineering to write one that plays the music they sell encrypted or by subscription.
Yet music is the easy part. Want to write a player for DVDs you've purchased or Netflixed? Because only closed source implementations have been licensed to decrypt the DVD's files, any DVD player you write is liable to be deemed a "circumvention" by the movie studios and courts, even if the only features you write match those of WinDVD or the standalone player under the TV. Television, then; recording over-the-air broadcasts shouldn't be too hard, since those are unencrypted. Watch out for the digital television transition and the broadcast flag, though. Unless public interest groups' challenge succeeds, the FCC's broadcast flag rule will ban open digital TV tuners that can be used with open source software. The only ones who will be able to play will be those making closed hardware or proprietary software decoders. You'll encounter these obstacles before you even try to take any of your media off the server to exchange with friends or family.
OK, but say for a moment that you have no interest in multimedia. Leave that minefield for another day and move on to business networks or productivity software. Even there, copyright law intrudes. Your security analysis of a system's encryption might be limited by what media companies have preemptively claimed as "technological protection measures;" your selection of replacement parts or add-on modules could be dictated by copyright-based tying more than fitness for use; your ability to interoperate depends on whether reasonable interpretations of the law prevail over some vendors' extreme copyright claims.
Like a group of once-healthy cells grown out of control, copyright law has metastasized to threaten the system of creativity it was once helping to support. No longer a "limited monopoly" to encourage creativity and dissemination of creative works to the public, copyright has become a blunt tool of exclusion, chilling development of software, among other creative endeavors. And so the fight to restore balance to copyright law cannot be dismissed as mere politics. Unless users and developers of open source software join the copyfight, they will find the new reality of copyright law restricting not just their freedom to play blockbuster movies, but also their core freedoms to write and run independent and interoperable software.
From Movable Type to MovableType
A balanced copyright law is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution: "to promote the progress of science and useful arts," Congress was empowered to grant authors exclusive rights "for limited times." The monopoly created was limited in time and scope. The first copyright law gave authors a 14-year term, renewable once, to publish and vend maps, charts, and books. Copyright protected original expression for a short time, while leaving others free to build around that expression (translations and dramatizations, for example), and then to recycle works entirely from the public domain once copyright expired.
Copyright law has changed with the introduction of new technologies. New means of reproduction often first challenge the copyright framework, then establish themselves as new creative tools for authors and their public audiences alike. At the turn of the last century, printers bought single copies of sheet music and punched holes into rolled paper to program "piano rolls" for then-new player pianos. Composers and music publishers sued, seeking to rein in this appropriation. When the courts held that punched paper didn't "copy" inked notes, Congress updated the law with a compromise—not to ban player pianos or mechanical reproduction, but to permit anyone to produce piano rolls if they paid a "mechanical license" royalty for every roll sold. As the player piano market grew, more music reached more people, and more composers got paid for creating it.
The pattern has repeated itself many times since. Songwriters and performers denounced radio until both found that it could promote sales. Movie studios deplored the videocassette recorder, saying Sony's Betamax would be the "Boston Strangler" to their industry. When they failed to shut Sony down, however, the industry converted its peril into a profit center, finding that viewers with home recorders were potential customers for rentals and sales of appropriately priced videotapes. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court's ruling that technology makers would not be liable for users' copyright infringements so long as their devices were "capable of substantial noninfringing use" fueled a technology boom. The public and the creators shared the benefits of new technology—the public could record movies from television to videotape; studios could sell or rent videocassettes more easily than reel-to-reel.
Despite making it through these earlier transitions, the entertainment companies haven't stopped fighting technological change and the competitive threats it represents. The MP3 player is a slightly more convenient cassette deck, and the weblog is just the next step forward from the typewriter and mimeograph. This time, however, the entertainment industry has swayed many in Congress and the courts to the view that "digital is different," and induced them to change the law in ways that are different and dangerous.
This expansion of copyright's control interferes with open source development. The changes manifest themselves in layers, most notably overassertion of protection for code itself; excessive protection of other copyrighted content that code is dealing with; and misuse of copyright to control markets and maintain cartels in technologies of distribution or manipulation of code and content. Together, the copyright layers build a shell around not only proprietary code, but also around culture and innovation.
Copyright in Code
Copyright protects original expression in code, as it protects any other "original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression." Some developers use that protection to enforce the openness of their code, as with the GNU General Public License (GPL); others use it to reinforce a proprietary distribution model. But while copyright protects code's creative expression, it does not protect the functions, methods, or procedures that expression implements. Thus, even for closed code, a programmer remains free to study interfaces and functionality, free to interoperate or replace that code with his own.
Situated as it is in an environment filled with proprietary software and poorly documented interfaces, open source development frequently relies on reverse engineering to fit in. Anyone who has used Samba to bridge Windows and non-Windows networks has benefited from Andrew Tridgell's reverse engineering of the Windows protocols for network services; anyone who exchanges files to read and write them in OpenOffice.org rather than Microsoft Word appreciates the reverse-engineering-derived ability to edit files in Microsoft Word format.
Courts have long held that reverse engineering, the practice of examining something and taking it apart to figure out how it works, is a fair use, not an infringement of copyright. Even when programs are released only as closed, binary code, programmers can often discover a great deal about them by watching their operation or the file formats they use, or by disassembly. Reimplementing those discoveries in new code comports with copyright too. So, companies have been protected in taking apart a video game console to build a console emulator (Sony v. Connectix) or disassembling a game to build a new one compatible with the console (Sega v. Accolade). If someone builds a better mousetrap after examining those that exist, copyright law will not stop her from deploying it.
At least that's the black-letter law. In practice, though, many copyright holders try to extend copyright's limited monopoly to block reverse engineering, through a combination of copyright, contract, and anticircumvention. For example, Blizzard, maker of the popular Starcraft and Warcraft video games, claims that all players have "agreed," through click-wrap licenses they encounter before the programs run, to a contract that prohibits reverse engineering the Blizzard games. This contract plus copyright, Blizzard asserts, prevents anyone from interoperating without permission.
The bnetd project began when a group of programmers became frustrated by the poor performance of Blizzard's battle.net server for multiuser play of the games they had bought. Instead of putting up with the frequent downtime and rampant cheating on Blizzard's server, they started work on their own open source game server. By watching the communications between game and server, the bnetd programmers were able to reverse engineer their own compatible server, which they set up to give owners of Blizzard games an alternate place to meet, and made the source available for others to join the effort. The public got another option for playing Starcraft, and another reason to buy Blizzard games.
Blizzard rewarded the bnetd team's creativity with a lawsuit claiming, among other things, copyright infringement and breach of the click-wrap contract. The team had not seen any of Blizzard's source code, much less copied it, as they reimplemented uncopyrightable functionality, but that didn't stop Blizzard from pulling out the copyright sword. Copyright's lack of protection for functionality is deliberate and sound innovation policy—the public benefits from being able to choose among competing implementations of functionality, be they game servers or network services—yet Blizzard follows in the steps of many trying to get around copyright's limits with contract claims.
Blizzard was trying to limit the code others could produce, to extend the copyright protection on its own code. But many of those pulling out copyright's swords aren't trying to protect code, but other copyrighted content touched by—or that they're afraid will be touched by—code. These efforts, assertions of secondary liability, anticircumvention regimes, and attempts to impose technology mandates, all limit open source developers' ability to produce new code, to learn from old code, and to compete in the market with proprietary code.
Copyright law has not been strictly limited to the direct infringers, but may be extended to those who "contribute" to the infringement in an ongoing relationship with the infringer, or with special-purpose equipment suited only for infringement. Thus, the proprietor of a hall, who looks the other way while paying guests listen to unlicensed music, can be held vicariously liable for the infringing public performance, and the seller of tapes of a length precisely timed for copying particular copyrighted albums could be held contributorily liable for the subsequent infringing use. Extended too far, however, secondary liability chokes off innovation.
Twenty years ago, the Supreme Court rejected Universal and Disney's "unprecedented attempt to impose copyright liability upon the distributors of copying equipment" with the ruling that manufacturers of devices "capable of substantial non-infringing use" could not be held secondarily liable. The MGM v. Grokster lawsuit, an attack by all the major record labels and movie studios against Grokster and Streamcast, maker of the Morpheus filesharing software, is nothing short of an all-out assault on the Sony standard.
The studios argue that Grokster and Streamcast should be liable because many users of the peer-to-peer software infringe copyrights—notwithstanding that many others transfer public domain works from Project Gutenberg or the Internet Archive; freely licensed works including open source software and Creative Commons-licensed media; or government works. They argue that the producers of software should be held liable for its "predominant" or "principal" use. Their standard is unworkable both to an entrepreneur financing an untested product and to an open source developer releasing software, any of whose users could adapt it to an unintended, infringing purpose.
Under the Betamax standard, makers of multiuse devices such as the VCR could thus offer them to the public without fearing that they might be held liable if customers misused them to infringe copyrights. With this assurance, hardware makers built components with open interfaces, including CD and DVD burners and massive hard drives, without fearing that someone might put the Plextor on the copyright hook by using that CD burner for large-scale copyright infringement. They built copying devices to transfer content. Software makers, too, have safely offered highly configurable and open source software with relative confidence that their users' configurations won't land them in hot water. The studios' proposed redefinition threatens that freedom to innovate.
Grokster is thus much bigger than peer-to-peer. An expansion of copyright liability, with a "predominant use" test, would make it safer to produce limited-purpose, non-user-modifiable devices and software than open hardware and open source software, regardless of the intent of the developer.
If secondary liability for those who "contribute" to infringement in some ill-defined way weren't enough, the entertainment industry is likely to return to Congress with pleas of renewed urgency to pass the INDUCE Act, which stalled last term. That proposed bill would add yet another level of indirect liability: "inducing" infringement of copyright would extend beyond those who made the tools, to those who explained how to make them work. Watch out that your documentation isn't too thorough!
The next stage of copyright expansion beyond direct infringement is the anticircumvention and antitools provisions of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA). In the real world, these provisions do little to stop hard-core piracy, but they present a serious barrier to open source compatibility.
Section 1201 of the DMCA prohibits "circumvention" of technological protection measures controlling access to copyrighted works, and it bans manufacture, distribution, and trafficking in devices, products, components, or services that are promoted for, primarily useful for, or designed for circumvention of technological protection measures. Now, a copyright holder who employs a technological lock, such as simple encryption of content, gains the ability to control who and what programs or devices can unlock it, as part of the new right to control "access" to a protected work.
This is an important functional change from the world of printed books or even CDs, where anyone who purchased or borrowed the physical item had the right to use it as she chose—read the last chapter first or play the CD in the car or the computer. Someone who wants to develop a new shuffle mode for CD playback, or a new ripper with better compression for transfer to a portable music player, can do so without seeking permission from the recording companies. It's the misuse of those tools—say, to copy CDs and sell the copies without authorization, that can be pursued as an infringement of traditional copyright.
Under the new anticircumvention regime, however, those who control copyrights can take their control much further. Thus, copyright holders say, and courts have agreed, anyone who develops a decoder for an encrypted format without a license is producing circumvention tools in violation of the DMCA. So, groups of copyright holders, who couldn't individually control markets, join together in licensing cartels backed by the magic of the DMCA, by which they control not only copyrights but also the surrounding player technologies.
And so it is with digital video discs. Movie studios and consumer electronics and technology companies developed the content scrambling system, a.k.a. CSS, applied it to DVDs, and declared it to be a technological protection measure. By forming the DVD Copy Control Association to license the CSS specification as a trade secret on restrictive terms, they sealed themselves a nice cartel, simultaneously protecting themselves against disruptive innovation in video players from outside of the establishment and walling off their copyrighted works against fair use copying.
The CSS encryption was trivially easy to break, once Jon Johansen and some German programmers set their minds to it. But that's beside the point, since the law protects even weak technological protection measures with the full panoply of anticircumvention and antidevice prohibitions. Even weak measures set up the law's sharp division between licensed access and unlicensed circumvention. Thus, with DeCSS and its successor code, anyone can play or rip a DVD on any platform, but with DMCA, no one can lawfully do so in the United States, or even develop code for DVD playback, without a license from the DVD-CCA.
Kaleidescape is a small company with a rich clientèle—owners of hundreds of DVDs willing to pay nearly $30,000 for a DVD jukebox to organize and store them all. Kaleidescape built this machine—a computer filled with massive hard drives onto which customers could rip their DVD movie collections. For its efforts to help the movie industry's best customers get more out of their purchases, Kaleidescape earned itself a lawsuit from the DVD-CCA, claiming Kaleidescape had breached its contract licensing the not-so-secret DVD trade secrets.
Kaleidescape's system, which allows the creation of persistent digital copies of the content of DVDs and allows copying of the CSS copy protection data, is not designed in a manner and does not include features clearly designed to effectively frustrate efforts to defeat the copy protection functions....For these reasons, Kaleidescape has breached the CSS license.
Without that license, even if similar information could be derived from reverse engineering and publicly available information, using it to enable DVD "access" and playback would be labeled circumvention.
As the movie studios have done with DVDs, record labels and software companies have done with multiple incompatible formats for streaming and downloadable music: Windows Media, Janus, Apple's FairPlay. Many of these have succumbed to reverse engineering of varying degrees of sophistication, from "burn it to CD and rerip," to "run it through a simulated sound-card driver," through cryptanalysis (much of it from Jon Johansen, again).
Yet, like CSS, none of the music protection measures is licensed on terms that permit open source development, nor could they be. Open source is incompatible with both their stated aim, to prevent "piracy" of content, and the unstated underlying goal of technology control. Since the essence of open source is user modification, users could easily modify in or out any particular features—and the first to go would likely be the restrictions of digital rights management (DRM) and barriers to interoperability. Even if open source version 1.0 incorporated all the restrictions of proprietary clients, numerous versions 1.0.1 would likely disable them. Thus, anticircumvention regimes lock open source out of mainstream development of entire classes of applications to interact with these copyright cartels' media.
Of course, it's not just open source developers who need reverse engineering. Consider RealNetworks' attempt to sell music that would play on the popular iPod. Real could have transcoded downloads into standard MP3, which play on the iPod, but Real (or its record-label-relations department) wanted to include DRM on the files. So, it reverse engineered Apple's FairPlay format, in a move Real called Harmony, to encode Real files for the iPod. Apple fought back with legal and technical threats. Along with intimations that it might use the DMCA, Apple issued a statement that said, "We strongly caution Real and their customers that when we update our iPod software from time to time it is highly likely that Real's Harmony technology will cease to work with current and future iPods." Real wasn't threatening to infringe copyrights, but to give customers a way to interchange their iPods for other devices. Once again, DRM is market protection, not copy protection.
The Threat to Research
Again in the DMCA, copyright bleeds beyond entertainment media and content. Here, it also chills research into encryption that may be used to secure copyrighted works, regardless of whether that research touches entertainment content directly.
When the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) invited programmers to "attack" security technologies they were promoting to control digital music, Princeton computer science professor Ed Felten and his team stepped up to the challenge. They broke the security and prepared a scientific paper analyzing the weaknesses of digital audio watermarking. By scrutinizing these implementations, they could help the public, and particularly those considering watermarks to protect their own materials, to evaluate the security of watermark technologies.
But when the Felten paper was accepted for presentation at a computer security conference, its authors were threatened with a lawsuit from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and SDMI's technology providers. RIAA and the technology companies claimed that even the scientific analysis of flaws in security technology "would subject [the] research team to enforcement actions under the DMCA and possibly other federal laws." The RIAA suggested that the paper and conference presentation fell under the DMCA's antidevice prohibition, which bans offering to the public "any technology, product, service, device, component, or part thereof," designed or marketed for circumvention or having only limited commercially significant other purposes. Facing legal pressure on conference organizers and researchers, the team withdrew the paper.
While Professor Felten and his team ultimately published a version of the paper, "Reading Between the Lines: Lessons from the SDMI Challenge," they were forced to strip out technical detail. With the vague anticircumvention threat hanging, the authors felt they had to omit code samples that could be construed as aiding circumvention—even though that code would have helped other researchers and developers to understand the watermarks' weaknesses better and to learn from SDMI's errors in building their own security systems.
The work of the Felten team never infringed copyright. The researchers did not copy a single piece of music without authorization, nor even produce tools that enabled others to do so directly. And yet, they were caught up by the DMCA's vagaries because their paper—intended to educate other researchers and developers of security systems—might also have provided "part" of a tool for circumventing a copyright control. Will the same hurdles rise before someone who builds a tool to strip accidental copy protection from fonts he himself has created; security researchers who find vulnerabilities in network software they analyze; someone describing hardware modifications to make the Xbox a more general-purpose device? So far, the answer has been "yes" for Tom Murphy, SNOsoft, and Bunnie Hwang.
For those who are attracted to open source development because of its opportunities to learn from and share with others, this antiresearch aspect of the DMCA should be particularly troubling: research is being chilled precisely because it teaches too much, because its teaching might be misused. Of course, closing systems doesn't stop them from having security flaws, or even prevent those flaws from being discovered, and it does block some of the most effective information sharing around better security. Both the teaching that open source developers depend on to improve their programs and the teaching of open source code itself are at risk.
Further, the DMCA has been used in attempts to block competitive interoperability of devices including printer toner cartridges and remote control garage door openers, as manufacturers add little scraps of code to devices and hope to leverage its "protection" into market control. Though those arguments have been rejected so far, it's unlikely we've seen the last of them.
The final layer of copyright's expansion, so far, is to technology mandates, where an entire technology is redesigned by government fiat in the name of copyright protection. Senator Ernest "Fritz" Hollings proposed one of these in 2002 that would have required every "digital media device," including the personal computer, to be redesigned to protect copyrighted content. While the "Fritz chip" never came to be, a smaller version has been foisted upon us in the form of the Broadcast Flag, an FCC rule set to take effect July 1, 2005.
With the government eager to get broadcasters off the valuable analog spectrum and onto digital transmissions, movies studios threatened that they wouldn't allow their content to be broadcast digitally in the clear, and warned that there would be no transition without their "high-value" content. The FCC didn't want to abandon the notion of unencrypted over-the-air television broadcasts, but it did want to give the studios their "protection," so it put the restrictions into the hardware. At the studios' recommendation, the FCC adopted a rule that adds a "flag" to these unencrypted broadcasts and then requires every receiver to watch for the flag and output flagged content only to "compliant" devices or in low resolution. Only devices that can implement DRM in a manner "robust against user modification" will be deemed compliant.
The Broadcast Flag rule enforces copyright on communications through the devices that receive them:
We conclude that in order for a flag-based content protection system to be effective, demodulators integrated within, or produced for use in, DTV reception devices ("Demodulator Products") must recognize and give effect to the ATSC flag pursuant to the compliance and robustness rules....This necessarily includes PC and IT products that are used for off-air DTV reception.
Instead of focusing on infringing uses of TV broadcasts (taping a show and selling copies, for example), this new kind of regulation puts the government in the business of redesigning products that might be used to infringe. In the process, it locks out many noninfringing uses, innovative technologies, competitive products, and open source developers. Building a device for time-shifting, pausing live TV, remotely scheduling recordings, and watching shows at double speed doesn't infringe copyright, but because the hardware/software to enable those capabilities isn't "robust," it is sacrificed to illusory copyright protection. Because these collateral harms are unavoidable, technology mandates should be a last resort, not a predictive strike against hypothetical danger.
The result of this rule is restriction on open source even greater than encryption would have been. Open source can implement encryption, but it can't offer "robust[ness] against user modification." Pre-flag, you could get an HDTV tuner card for a PC, pair it with open source software such as MythTV, and build your own digital video recorder to compete with TiVo. Post-flag, TiVo must use government-approved "robust" technologies to lock down its hardware and software, and open source will be shut out from access to the high-definition signals entirely.
Under the Broadcast Flag regime, market participants, bound up in the welter of licensing and preapproval requirements, can't offer the products users want. Where the market fails to provide fair-use-enabling technologies, the robustness rules prevent end users from correcting the problem. Absent technology mandates, users dissatisfied with commercial options can and do write their own software alternatives and often share them in open source. In a world of restricted, robust hardware, users are limited to the options the commercial market provides: the fully capable hardware HD tuner card can't be manufactured. Consumer-driven innovation is cut off when users can't tinker with existing technologies or develop new ones that challenge market leaders.
What About That Media Server?
Copyright in its historical form benefits open source developers. Along with the general public, they benefit from the incentive to creativity and the support copyright gives to open source distribution models. Copyright as special-interest law, however, hurts open source development, because the special interests are those of closed markets and closed content. DRM can't stop piracy, but it can prevent anyone from Betamaxing another industry, commercializing disruptive technology development without content-industry sanction. Where the entertainment industry can't stop infringement, it attacks openness instead, and the "honest person" loses.
Whether you want to build a media server or an embedded network device, you'll likely run across the snares of copyright law. It's time to peel back the layers of copyright protectionism and return copyright to its original purpose: "to promote the progress of science and useful arts." | <urn:uuid:fa1ebbb3-e245-4e54-aa60-6df5be2f04dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://programmer.97things.oreilly.com/wiki/index.php/Open_Sources_2.0/Open_Source:_Competition_and_Evolution/Why_Open_Source_Needs_Copyright_Politics | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709224828/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516130024-00079-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944222 | 6,009 | 2.671875 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive discussion on the impact of copyright law on open source development, highlighting the complexities and challenges faced by developers. It delves into the history of copyright law, its evolution, and how it has been influenced by special interests. The text features realistic scenarios, integrating emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities, making it a valuable resource for professional development. However, it lacks nuanced interaction or complex problem-solving opportunities, and its focus is more on theoretical knowledge and awareness of the issues rather than practical application.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 147,550 | 0 |
Why Do We Value Privacy?
We’ve seen how we use privacy as a commodity, and we’ve talked a bit about how we dispense it, but we haven’t talked about the second question that was proposed at the beginning of the Module. Clearly we all place some value on privacy, but why? If we use our privacy as a commodity, then we ought to think about how much we should ask for in return for our privacy. In setting that price, it would be a good idea to think about what sort of value our privacy has.
One answer is that we all have a different preference for privacy, and so we should all set whatever price we like. Some of us are perfectly happy for our lives to be an open book. If we can give out some of our private information and receive a bargain at the store then we call that a fair trade. Some of us are more concerned with our privacy, and we give our information out in smaller parcels and more selectively. It takes more than saving a few cents on cheese to get our info, but we are concerned with the safety of our neighborhoods so we acquiesce to having video cameras that record people’s actions and hopefully limit crime. This personal valuation of privacy is perhaps too loose, though. Johnson suggests placing a higher value on privacy because it is a special sort of good.
In her paper, Johnson distinguishes between two kinds of value: intrinsic, and instrumental. Instrumental value means more or less what it sounds like. A thing with instrumental value is valuable because it is instrumental in gaining something else. Money is instrumentally valuable. It’s not good for much all by itself, but it is an instrument that we can use to get other things that we want. Most of the things we value are like this. I value a hamburger because I don’t want to be hungry anymore, and I like the way they taste. The burger is instrumental to my goals. If we say that something has intrinsic value, then we mean that it is valuable in and of itself. It isn’t valuable for something, it just is valuable. This is a difficult argument to make, as we usually think of “value” in the instrumental fashion. A thing is valuable to or for something. Thinking of something being valuable all by itself is a bit odd for us. An example might be something like love or friendship or pleasure. Those things might just be valuable regardless of anything that they might bring along with them. We just do value them.
It’s not clear how we can make an argument that privacy is intrinsically valuable, but it certainly seems instrumentally valuable. We can use privacy to delineate our relationships with other people and we can make use of our private information in order to get those things that we want and need.
This isn’t enough to explain why privacy is valuable, though. As Johnson points out, when think of how much privacy it is appropriate to give up, the question is addressed by trying to balance the needs of business or government against people’s preference to have parts of their lives remain private. When we balance it this way, we are balancing all of the benefits of others having our information against some vague preference people have for remaining anonymous or private.
This way of framing the discussion is biased in favor of the info-gatherers and against the private citizen. She suggests that this framing is the wrong one. There is more at stake here than our preference to maintain sole control of our information. Privacy also serves as a social good.
A social good is one which is enjoyed by everyone in a society. Police protection and clean air and military defense are all social goods because having them benefits everyone without excluding anyone. These goods are more important than mere personal goods because they benefit the whole and not merely the individual. They each have costs as well, but we have decided that the costs are worthwhile.
Johnson makes the argument that privacy is this kind of good. One of the things that we have come to see as a social good is democracy. The things that would be necessary for democracy to function are instrumental goods and privacy, Johnson argues, is necessary for democracy.
The argument draws on the concept that people who are being watched will behave differently than people who aren’t being watched. If you’re pretty certain that you are in private you might be tempted to do things like belch out loud or pick your nose or sing or dance along to your favorite song. You might even steal if you think you can get away with it. We don’t do these things when we think it’s possible that someone is watching. Security cameras serve this function even when they aren’t being monitored because the possibility of being watched is often enough to alter our behavior. Jeremy Bentham (who you might remember from Module 1’s section about Utilitarianism) designed a prison called the Panopticon which operated on this principle. In the Panopticon the prisoner’s cells are transparent on at least one side so that a guard in a central location could be watching any prisoner’s activities at any time. This possibility of being watched keeps prisoners from doing things that might get them in trouble.
If this argument is right, then Democracy is a social good, and privacy is instrumental to that social good. This puts it in a different category from mere preferences and such.
Now, it might seem like our loss of privacy in the USA is pretty minor. Millions of bits of information about each of us circulates through the internet, but our freedom and democracy doesn’t seem to have been substantially impacted. We feel free to do as we please. What if the situation were more dire? | <urn:uuid:51f855cc-3a2f-4227-ad57-5d799a1cdc04> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://philosophia.uncg.edu/phi361-matteson/module-6-privacy-property-and-technology/why-do-we-value-privacy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370493120.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20200328194743-20200328224743-00349.warc.gz | en | 0.966118 | 1,179 | 2.5625 | 3 | The extract scores 3 points because it discusses the value of privacy, a concept that integrates emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities. The text features realistic scenarios, such as the trade-off between privacy and convenience, and explores the idea of privacy as a social good, which is essential for democracy. However, the extract lacks complex scenarios requiring sophisticated communication, strategic thinking, and advanced problem-solving across multiple contexts, which would warrant a higher score.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 960,742 | 0 |
Great Economic and Social Depression in Israel of Old
According to Bible in the days of the Judges, the children of Israel had done evil in the sight of the LORD and He delivered them into the hands of the Midianites for seven years. It was so bad that they had to hide in dens, caves and strongholds from the oppression of the Midianites and Amalekites. No one could speak up, nor raise their heads. Totally subdued. Even their produce was often confiscated and destroyed by the ruling powers, the Midianites.
Israel came under great socio-economic depression and oppression. They became greatly impoverished by the activities of the Midianites. There was no more justice in the land. It was a great day of doom.
See excerpts of the account in the Book of Judges, chapter 6, verse 1 to 6:
“Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years, and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains. So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. Then they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, coming in as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels were without number; and they would enter the land to destroy it. So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites“
And Israel cried unto the Lord. They cried out of anguish of their souls unto the Lord to deliver them. And the Lord heard and chose a man by the name Gideon – the seemingly insignificant personality, the least and the weakest. Gideon, like some of us, has been so beaten down by the circumstances of life that he has lost confidence in himself. He has become fearful. The situation around him has instilled fear and hopelessness into him. The giant in him had died until the Lord showed up. And the Lord understood that.
As you will know later, the Lord guided Him all the way through the pre-war phase and during the war. Imagine God (while) telling him to go down and strike the enemy in the valley and He (God) quickly added an option, saying in Judges 7:10-11 “But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant, and you shall hear what they say.” On a lighter note: who would not be afraid? Have you read the description of the army he was going to face? Bible says the Midianite and Amalekite armies were as numerous as locust; camels without number like sand by seashore!
The Lord knows our frailties and fears, yet He helps our infirmities. He strengthens our faith in the face of adversity. He searches our heart and helps us.
Bring Down Everything Exalting Itself Against God
Gideon proceeded in this unction to execute the first action. He pulled down the foreign idol that had been erected and sacrificed unto by his people. He destroyed all the worship places of Baal.
For you and I, the questions are: Are you the Gideon of God called to bring deliverance to your people? To your community or to the nation? First of all, in order to execute this divine task, you need to pull down in your life everything and anything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, be it in your heart or in your life or in your working place. Pull down that selfish ambition that does not point you to God. That ambition that will make you tread upon the people of God.
Remember, the fall of Lucifer (Satan) the son of morning emanated from ungodly ambition in his heart, for he said, “I will ascend to heaven and exalt my throne above the stars of God and sit upon the mount of the congregation. I ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High.” Isaiah 14:12 – 14. By this God pulled him down from heaven.
The Lord Chooses By Himself
Let’s go back to Gideon’s story. After destroying the altars of Baal, the Spirit of God came upon Gideon and he gathered as many children of Israel as he could to prepare for war against the Midian and Amalek. Maybe out of fear, he gathered 32,000 men that God had to correct him.
“And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.” Judges 7:2.
By strength shall no man prevail (1 Samuel 2:9). The LORD by Himself chose those that are called for the battle. He tested and pruned down the 32,000 men to just 300 men. The Lord God chooses His battle axes Himself.
With these men, God delivered the Midianite and Amalekite armies into the hands of Gideon. The Lord caused the enemies to destroy themselves; “…the Lord set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp.” Judges 7:22.
Lord, our prayers are that:
You will choose your Gideon that will set us free from oppression. Raise Gideons. Men that you have empowered by Your Spirit. Raise men and women who have pulled down haughty imaginations in their hearts and their ways. Those that you have endured with your Spirit. Those that you will work with, having minimal human interference. Those that You will use to bring Your Miraculous Deliverance to Your People, to a nation, Oh God!
Raise men and women that though small in their eyes yet mighty by the Hands of God! Men and women who have not defiled themselves with the king’s dainties. Men and women that speak uprightly. That seek not their own things but lean on the Most High God. Lord, raise us Gideons and deliver Your People from oppression and calamity. Set fire in the midst of the enemies. Pull down their strongholds. Recompense upon them with Your Great Hands. Deliver the oppressed and set the captives free in the mighty name of Jesus.
Thank you Father! | <urn:uuid:ae137742-cfca-41d2-9fb1-04e6c9823345> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | https://changemylife365.wordpress.com/2017/03/15/arise-lord/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128322873.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20170628065139-20170628085139-00260.warc.gz | en | 0.975269 | 1,382 | 2.703125 | 3 | The extract lacks direct discussion of soft skills, focusing on biblical narrative and spiritual guidance. However, it touches on emotional intelligence, leadership, and confidence building through Gideon's story, demonstrating how faith and divine guidance can overcome fear and adversity. The narrative encourages self-reflection and personal growth, promoting a strong professional attitude and work ethic.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 199,781 | 0 |
TREATMENT AND CARE
As a comprehensive health center, we often work with people from different cultural backgrounds. These cultural backgrounds include areas of heritage, community, spirituality, family and individual identity, and geography. We work with these individuals to develop a cultural assessment for the purposes of improving their healing from addiction, mental health struggles, and overall healthcare.
Recovery is highly contingent on the presence of good therapeutic relationships, and many people of different cultural backgrounds often struggle with feeling supported and understood in healthcare. There may be language barriers or cultural insensitivity involved, leading to limited treatment compliance, awareness and trust. Taking the time to do a good cultural assessment can help build the foundation for good care. It also can give clinicians highly useful information such that we can make better recommendations.
What are some of the important factors present in this cultural assessment? This article describes some of the themes we have noticed in treatment and the importance of attending to such cultural health dimensions.
A cultural assessment is fundamentally open-ended in that it encourages the patient to express his or her views about heritage and lifestyle. We have many people who are part of a specific ethnic group who may or may not participate in common cultural practices of that group. Our job is to help the person describe their beliefs and lifestyle such that we can effectively blend themes of recovery and health with that person.
A good example of this involves immigrants, especially those who grew up in a primarily non-English speaking family. Our healing path fundamentally involves communication, hence paying particular attention to language is a good place to start in our cultural assessment. Some of the useful questions we might ask include:
- What language do you currently speak at home? Do you speak more than one language at home? How strongly do you feel with each language you speak?
- What language was spoken when you were growing up?
- If you have children or parents living with you, what languages do they speak?
- How have you experienced the healthcare system in the areas of language and communication? Have there been times in which an interpreter was involved in your healthcare? How did it go?
- Do you know of any local peer support groups, such as Alcoholic’s Anonymous, where your primary language is spoken?
Country of Origin and Citizenship
For immigrants, we may ask more detailed questions about their country of origin and citizenship. This is important for us to understand the person’s network of peers, potential anxiety and access to healthcare. This is also important for us in the screening of trauma, as refugee immigrants may have been victims of highly severe trauma prior to entering the United States. Cultural questions in this topic area may include:
- Where are you a citizen? Are you currently working through a citizenship process in the United States? Are there special actions you need to take regarding your immigrant status in the United States? Do you have any strong emotions or anxiety around this process?
- Do you associate with a community of people who have also immigrated from your homeland?
- How often (if ever) do you travel back and forth to your country of origin?
- Are there other people in your community of heritage who are in recovery from drugs or alcohol? Can you tell us what peer support means to you in this area?
- Did you enter the United States as a refugee? Were there traumatic or other threatening experiences you’d like to talk about as part of your treatment at CeDAR?
Healthcare Patterns and Beliefs
Additional general cultural questions are necessary for all people, regardless of being an immigrant or born in the United States. These address some very basic lifestyle themes including areas of dietary preferences, living situation within the home, family bonds and spiritual/faith beliefs. We also focus closely on beliefs and possibly negative experiences working with people in healthcare. Specific examples of questions might include:
- Do you have a primary care doctor or specialist doctor you see for your healthcare needs?
- Have you felt that healthcare providers have been sensitive to your cultural background in the past?
- Do you feel that taking medications would be an option for you in terms of your recovery?
- Do you take any other herbal remedies, vitamins or supplements for areas of your wellness?
- Are there certain cultural beliefs used to describe the cause of your illness or health problem?
Regional Factors and Geography
As we have reviewed in other articles, one of our most important goals of clinical work at CeDAR is to help someone embrace a continuum of care so they can maintain stable recovery over upcoming years. This trajectory is very much based on access to services. For patients who come from different cultural backgrounds, sometimes there are unique avenues for available care.
We have treated many patients over the years from American Indian heritage, including those who live on reservations in the State of Colorado or surrounding states. Just as with any patient, we need to understand what is available in terms of healthcare and peer support for these individuals. This is especially true for patients who receive advanced medication protocols like buprenorphine maintenance. The scarcity of physicians licensed to prescribed these meds across the state can influence how we might make medical choices for someone in treatment at CeDAR. An intervention that is highly difficult to follow once someone discharges from care will not be a sustainable, nor worthwhile approach.
The same applies for access to such services as Intensive Outpatient (IOP). Because an IOP approach lasts 3 months, a good referral would be something within reasonable proximity for the patient. If we link a patient to an IOP that may be a 60-minute drive for that individual, what are the chances the person drops out of the program? All of these factors are important in our continuing care recommendations process.
Finally, there are many people who fall into more than one cultural group. A person could be both an immigrant and part of the LGBT community. For these people, we seek to understand how they identify and to what core communities they belong. They may more actively embrace cultural themes from part of their background instead of other areas, or they may concurrently identify with all areas of their heritage.
It is also important for us to acknowledge that some people may be from a cultural background and not necessarily practice its beliefs and patterns. Someone could be of an American Indian heritage and be highly active in tribal practices or somewhat removed from such events. We learn through asking and showing curiosity in the diversity of those we treat at CeDAR.
Our efforts in conducting a cultural assessment are part of our greater healthcare initiative of delivering patient-centered care. What are the unique layers of someone’s life? We need to know how best to help anyone under our care, and this includes an awareness of cultural factors. The above examples illustrate some of the key areas we might consider in this process. | <urn:uuid:aeeeb464-2b1c-4175-963a-9ee0c21f57ce> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://www.cedarcolorado.org/articles/treatment-and-care/cultural-assessment/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296943637.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20230321064400-20230321094400-00263.warc.gz | en | 0.960476 | 1,400 | 2.734375 | 3 | The extract demonstrates a deep understanding of cultural awareness and its significance in healthcare, particularly in treatment and recovery. It highlights the importance of cultural assessment, emotional intelligence, and empathy in building therapeutic relationships. The text provides realistic scenarios, practical applications, and nuanced discussions on cultural dimensions, including language, heritage, and identity. It also acknowledges the complexity of individual identities and the need for tailored approaches.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 425,594 | 1 |
There are many outstanding Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who come to mind throughout Islamic history. Some are huge in stature, and others are humble, yet highly respectable or brilliant in some way. Julaybib was a beloved companion of Prophet Muhammad however, not a likely figure to make it in the ranks of celebrated heroes of Islam.
His life and deeds were not sung nor recounted with reverence as they should be but with the meager facts available one sees hope for humble souls through his life.
Julaybib was not tall, or handsome, he was not known to be a gallant warrior on the battlefield before the advent of Islam. His personal attributes appeared so contrary to the normal heroes of old.
Julaybib was an orphan, deformed and extremely short. He was brutally rejected by society because the people were more concerned with his physical appearance and status than integrity.
His story is significant and many lessons can be learnt from it. It shows us a lot about how a human being can be devalued based on superficial things. His life is an example and hope for souls filled with despondency because they do not measure up to the norms set by society. His story touches the hearts of many even today.
Julaybib was an orphan from Madinah and acquired his name before embracing Islam. His name means "small grown" in Arabic which denoted his physical appearance. He was extremely short and could be compared to a dwarf when considering today's definition. It is also noted that he was even described as "damim" in Arabic which means deformed, unattractive or of repulsive appearance. In addition to his physical appearance, another important factor in his mistreatment had to do with his lineage. Lineage was an essential part in the Arab society he lived in, just as it is still important today in many cases. One's lineage determined his or her status in the society. His physical appearance, and unknown lineage, made people shun and spurn him. He was an outcast which caused him much public humiliation and disgrace.
Facing such disdainful treatment, Julaybib was apparently a lonely soul yearning for love and compassion. As he was carrying the burden of prejudice on his shoulder from the time he was born, companionship, love and compassion became alien to him.
There were often times, a question as to whether this man would even taste any compassion or respect in his life. The question cleared with his acceptance of the Prophet Muhammad's message of Islam.
He became a devoted servant of Almighty Allah and beloved companion of Prophet Muhammad. He gained respect and affection from Prophet Muhammad, for his sincerity, integrity and strong Islamic belief. Julaybib earned the honor he yearned and became one of the most valued companions of the Prophet. Prophet Muhammad cared deeply for this soul. He was sensitive of Julaybib's needs, and this is evident from the hadith where the Prophet approached a man from the Ansar (Madinah Muslims who helped the Makkans when they emigrated to Madinah), seeking the hand of his beautiful daughter in marriage on behalf of Julaybib. The Islamic scholar, Imam Ahmad, has recorded this incidents in Julaybib life as follows:
The Prophet went to a man of the Ansar and said:"Give me your daughter for marriage."The man answered excitedly, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah , it would be an honor and a blessing."For which the Prophet said, "I do not want her for myself."The Ansari man asked, "Then for whom, O Messenger of Allah?"And the Prophet answered, "For Julaybib."When the Ansari man heard this, he was shocked and said, "O Messenger of Allah, let me consult her mother." So he went to the girl's mother (his wife) and told her, "The Messenger of Allah is proposing marriage for your daughter."The wife of the Ansari seemed overjoyed and said, "Yes, it would be a pleasure."The Ansari explained to his wife that the Prophet was not proposing to marry their daughter for himself but he is proposing on behalf of Julaybib.His wife was almost shaken and immediately responded, "What! Julaybib? No, by Allah, we will not marry her to him."
When the Ansari prepared to leave to meet the Messenger of Allah and mentioned to him his mother's disapproval, his daughter, a pious Muslim, asked her father, "Who is asking for my hand?"
Her mother told her that the Prophet was asking her hand on behalf Julaybib.
Their daughter instantly asked them, "Are you refusing to follow the command of the Messenger of Allah? Follow his command, for I will not come to any harm."
The following is illustrated in the book Companions of the Prophet by Abdul Wahid Hamid:
Hearing her daughter's word, the Mother's heart being filled with remorse said: "Stop my daughter, don't say another word indeed I have erred I repent and I repent a thousand times over for as of this moment their is no one who I would prefer for you than Julaybib."
The following day the marriage was in place, Uthman and Ali, two of the Prophet's Companions, presented Julaybib a gift of money to help arrange the wedding reception, and to purchase necessary accommodation.
So the Prophet married the beautiful daughter of the Ansari to Julaybib who was once rejected by the whole society. The attitude of the daughter of the Ansari was that of a true believer.
The daughter's attitude shows her confidence of a Muslim woman who could not be influenced by the whims of the society. Unlike the parent's of today's world who are more concerned about status and money, her parents' reaction to her approval explains how Islam does not pressure a woman nor does it disregard her right to choose her husband.
Islam gave the happiness Julaybib deserved and he lived happily together with his beautiful wife until he was martyred.
The following hadith is another proof that Julaybib was indeed dearly loved and valued by Prophet Muhammad:
...After a battle, the Prophet asked his Companions:
"Is anyone missing amongst you?"
They said: "So and so and so."
He asked them again: "Is there anyone missing amongst you?"
They answered: "So and so and so."
He asked them for the third time: "Is there anyone missing amongst you?"
They said: "No."
Thereupon the Prophet said:
"But I see that Julaybib is missing."
The Companions searched for him amongst those who had been killed and found him by the side of seven enemies whom he had killed. He had been killed. The Prophet came there and stood by his body and said:
"He killed seven people. Then his opponents killed him. He is mine and I am his."
He then placed him upon his hands and there was none else to lift him but the Prophet Muhammad. Then the grave was dug for him and he was placed in it. ( SahihMuslim)
The man whose life was filled with despair and struggles won the hearts and admiration of many through his pure intentions, traits, and love for Islam and the Prophet. It is really amazing to note how this man of small stature managed to hold a sword and kill his opponent. He was able to accomplish much chivalry through the Prophet's encouragement.
There are so many lessons to be learnt from Julaybib's life. His story is a reflection of Islam. Islam ended his desolate world of disparagement. | <urn:uuid:0c396673-aff6-45d1-b50b-5107685a3e04> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://writerinislam.blogspot.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704134547/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113534-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987981 | 1,583 | 2.859375 | 3 | The extract scores high for its discussion of empathy, leadership, and critical thinking. It promotes cultural awareness, highlighting the importance of looking beyond physical appearance and societal status. The story of Julaybib encourages readers to develop a professional attitude, embracing diversity and inclusivity. The narrative also showcases the value of confidence building, as Julaybib earns respect despite initial rejection.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 144,077 | 1 |
No copy-editing has occured to provide this post some clarity. APA is almost ignored. But, the general curiosity remains. I have always been interested in identity and how we define ourselves throughout our lives and careers. The following was a brief paper and pilot “study” completed with a group of principals in 2006.
Very Brief Background
Q-factor analysis originated soon after Charles Spearman invented factor analysis at the start of the twentieth-century. Factor analysis, according to Steven R. Brown (1980), has been historically “used as a procedure for studying traits”. In this role, factor analysis has been popularized by social and political science. However, Brown explains that factor analysis can be used to factor persons, thereby creating what William Stephenson (1953) terms “person-prototypes”. This, Brown asserts, would require a separate methodology. This methodology, entitled Q, is described by Hair (1998) as “a method of combining or condensing large numbers of people into distinctly different groups within a larger population.”
Although G.H. Thompson was the first researcher to work with Q-factor analysis, he was not positive about its future (Brown, 1980). He believed that it had serious deficiencies, which I will discuss further in a moment. However, one researcher named William Stephenson was more excited about the possibilities of Q. Since its discovery, Q-factor analysis has been used widely in the social and behavioral sciences.
The main structural difference between Q and R analysis is summed up by Raymond Cattell’s description of the “data box” (1988). Cattell names three main components of a factor analysis: persons or cases, items, and occasions. He said that how we organize these components would structurally change the procedure. For example, in R-factor analysis the items signify columns on a matrix, while the persons completing the items represent rows. In this picture, one can see that the items would be grouped to create less factors, thereby creating types of items. Inversely, in Q-factor analysis, one can place the persons in the columns and the items in the rows. This process would create person-prototypes as previously mentioned.
The person-prototype idea is one that has revolutionized the social sciences. Researchers are able to make a case for a certain person type linked to various areas of behavioral disorders. One such study, conducted by Porcerelli, Cogan and Hibbard (2004), was created to better understand what personality traits men possessed who were violent towards their partners. The Q-sort was very large, 200 items long, and was completed by several psychologists and social workers very familiar with the many cases of domestic abuse. The end result supported the notion that these men were “antisocial and emotionally dysregulated.” Thus, it may be argued that these violent men have some things in common that make them stand out from others, person-prototypes.
Q-methodology has been employed by other fields of inquiry recently, as well. In Woosley, Hyman and Graunke’s work with student affairs problems on college campuses using a population of only three, the researchers wanted to explore whether Q would be a promising evaluation tool for the student experience (2004). They found, when asking these participants to sort ideas concerning their jobs on campus, that the students were excited about the process. During a post-sort interview, they all expressed enthusiasm for the activity and the results.
Even with positive stories of Q like these, there are a few reasons why some researchers refuse to use this methodology or see any potential for its use. For example, one could easily discern from the discussion of the data box that a researcher could just take a set of data gathered for an R-factor analysis and apply it to the Q-structure, thereby completing another full analysis of the same information. Cyril Burt championed this form of usage in the Thirties (Stephenson, 1953). This is one point of contention for Stephenson. Stephenson explained that the procedure for collecting the data was part of the methodology. He stated that the Q-sort, the activity of participants physically sorting items in a prescribed pattern under certain conditions, was part of the overall methodology. One could not collect the data for the specific purpose of running an R-factor analysis and simply rearrange the data in a way appropriate for Q-analysis.
Many researchers disregard Q-factor analysis due to its lack of generalizability. They may claim that such a small sample could never be applied to a much larger population. In this respect, they may be correct. A Q-analysis is meant to really be something like a case study. It may be applied in some fashion to another situation, but the data collection is of a moment in time, or an occasion.
One of the main reservations I have with the Q-methodology is the focus on researcher-designated language. The language or items that are selected for the sort are done so by the researcher, not the participants. Thus, there may be some error in communication.
Sample Q-Sort Methodology
The particular focus of my sample Q-sort was a group of principals that are currently participating in the North East Florida Educational Consortium Principal Leadership Academy (PLA). The academy is only a year old, and the current version is a pilot run of the program that has been designed for principals who are undergoing some preliminary training to facilitate a school-wide action research project. The academy is comprised of twenty-four participants, principals with little experience or early-career principals to principals with a great deal of experience or seated principals. Because the leadership experience was quite varied among the group members, my hypothesis was these principals could be arranged in groups by experience and/or leadership style.
The items I decided to use in the Q-sort were the behaviors that the state recommended to the districts might be associated with the ten newly-adopted Florida Principal Leadership Standards (April, 2005). Of course, these behaviors were all optimal based on the standards. Thus, if a sort was using these written behaviors, there would be no “wrong” answers. This was important in establishing trust amongst the participants and me. This was no competition or evaluation of how they relate to and sort these behaviors. If they were aware at the outset, that there was no “correct” way to sort these items and there was no evaluative component to the sort, they may be more honest in the sorting process.
Another possible dimension that could be added to the sort that would possibly yield richer results would be the grouping of leadership behaviors into two categories, transactional leadership behaviors and transformational leadership behaviors. Due to the fact that these behaviors were never verified to actually represent either form of leadership, the Q-sort would have to be labeled an unstructured sort. (Appendix A).
After deciding which behaviors I would use as my items (16 sentence strips), I turned my attention to the actual Q-sort process.
Consulting Fred Kerlinger’s Foundations of Behavioral Research (1973), I was able to formulate a methodological plan. Kerlinger clearly maps out the process of setting up a practice Q-sort activity, or what he calls a “miniature Q-sort”. He writes that the participants may only sort a few items, as little as ten. This would not be optimal, he goes on to explain. Kerlinger insists the more items that one has available for the participants to sort, the better the results. Another piece of useful information was the discussion of the sort design. Kerlinger describes the physical act of sorting the items. He sets up a wonderful method of manipulating the items into a quasi-normal distribution, a Likert-type scale (with seven points) where the participant may choose whether the item is most like them or least like them. The participants are limited with the amount of items they can place at a given point. With this method of distribution, the sort resembles a normal curve. I used this example to help plan the sort activity with the principals in the PLA.
With the example below, the top line is the number of items that may be placed at each point on the Likert-type scale, and the bottom line is the scale itself. In this example, 7= items most like me, and 1= items least like me.
1 2 3 4 3 2 1
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The sixteen items could be sorted in this quasi-distribution very easily by the participants. Each behavior strip contained a number, so that the participants could easily record the placement on the data sheet provided (Appendix B). I created ten identical envelopes containing the sixteen principal behavior strips. Then, I created a large poster displaying the procedures of the sort and the limitations for each placement. I would let the principals sort the behaviors after an already scheduled PLA meeting. They would be separated, mostly for the purpose of providing space for each participant.
On November 2, 2005, the participants completed the sort and carefully filled out the corresponding data sheet as I monitored. The purpose for monitoring was the successful completion of the stated procedures. This was explained to the participants. Once I collected all of the data, I began entering into SPSS 13 to start the analysis. The SPSS software is really set up with R factor analysis in mind, the columns are used for mostly organizing items (refer back to the discussion of Cattell’s idea of the Data Box). However, it is important to note that one may enter the participants in the columns as nominal data. Then, one could easily enter the numbers of the sorted behaviors as the rows. Then, the factor analysis procedure is the same from this point on.
Analysis and Interpretation
In this discussion of the results of this particular practice Q-analysis, I will be addressing the interpretation of the results yielded in Q-analysis in general. I will also be referring to Figures 1-7, yielded by the SPSS software during this practice analysis.
Figure 1 displays the correlations between the individuals based on how they sorted the leadership behaviors. We started with ten factors (individuals), and we are given ten separate factors in this table. This matrix enables the researcher to make some general statements about how each participant correlated with another. Remember, a 1.0 is a perfect correlation, so those are usually the person correlated with themselves. If one consults Hair’s opinion on the cut-off point for correlations, the cut-off for looking at correlations is anything under .450. This makes sense, because the researcher is really looking for correlations that are nearer to 1.0, as stated above. For example, one can see that there exists a strong correlation between LF and LB (.625). Thus, we could state that they may have sorted somewhat similarly. Inversely, M is not correlated to LB very well at all (.050), leaving us to assume that these two individuals may have sorted the behaviors very differently. However, this is all that we can ascertain at this point.
In Figure 2, the researcher is focused on communalities, or how much of the original participant/factor was extracted/recreated in the analysis. The glaring observation that should be seen at the fore is N (.557) shows the least in common with the group as a whole. At this point, it would help the reader to know that N was the only non-principal participant in the sort. I offered her the chance to take part in the sort to have an even number of ten participants in the activity. N has never worked in an educational administration position.
Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.
The next step in the analysis is to look at the Eigenvalues and percent of variance that may be explained by the factor analysis (Table 3). When the data was entered, I wanted to isolate the factors that had Eigenvalues of 1.0 or greater. This would present four factors or, in the case of the SPSS output, components. These factors/components are the “person proto-types” discussed earlier. With this table, one can discern that almost 81% of the variance is explained in the analysis. This is very positive for two reasons: first, I now can see that four factors or person proto-types was a good number to represent most of the variance and, secondly, the low number of four factors is a good reduction from the original ten.
A scree plot of the factors will confirm that four factors/components is a good representation of the whole. To read the scree plot in Figure 1, one must look for the area at which the downward motion of the line comes to a plateau or a leveling off. It is apparent to me that the original interpretation of the number of factors was a wise decision. The plateau of the scree appears after the fourth factor. One may argue that this point actually does not level off as much as it jets upward slightly. However, being aware that this point represents the odd-man out, N (the participant with no experience in an educational leadership role), I believe that four factors truly does represent the whole in the best way. After reviewing this output originally, I ran the analysis again isolating only three factors. However, there ended up being a few of the original participants/factors left out of the whole. Thus, I opted for the four-factor analysis model.
In the next step of the analysis, the researcher begins to examine the extent to which each original factor is represented by the four composite factors or proto-types. The first matrix (Table 4) shows the extent to which each of the original components is represented by the four factors created before the rotation and the variance is distributed more evenly amongst the factors. In other words, we can see which of the person-prototypes each individual fits in the best. For example, M is definitely more associated with the first extracted factor. With this matrix, we can only begin to see how the participants might relate to the person proto-types created. To gain a clearer picture of the relationship between the participants and the composite factors, one needs to consult the rotated component matrix.
In Table 5, the output from the rotation (using the varimax criterion) is more accurate in describing how the well the components is represented by each of the factors. With the background knowledge of all the participants, I could easily see justification for each of the participant’s placement in the matrix. I set the analysis in SPSS to create an output that would arrange according to size. Thus, looking at the matrix, the researcher can see the participants that share the most in common grouped together. In the first column, the first three participants are strongly correlated at .917, .868, and .659 respectively. It is interesting to note that these three principals represented by the first factor are the three most experienced of the participants. Additionally, these three administrators started a statewide reading reform together, meeting monthly for the last five years to discuss and share ideas with reference to the reform.
In the next factor, F (-.915) and K (.904) are represented. F, it appears, is very negatively correlated to K. K has been a principal for one year and has worked as an assistant principal to one of the participants represented in the first factor. F was the principal of a failing school last year, and now is a new principal at a K-22 special needs school. They actually appear to have sorted the behavior strips almost the exact opposite of each other.
The third factor has LB (.928), LF (.716), and N (.714) correlated to each other. LB and LF are both first year principals. N is the non-principal among the group as stated previously. It makes sense to me that they may have sorted the behaviors similarly.
The final factor includes BA (.790) and R (.560). R does not appear to correlate highly with any of the four factors. This grouping is the only one that seems to contain two individuals that have very little in common in their backgrounds. When I forced the analysis to create only three factors/components, BA was left out of the final grouping of factors.
Before leaving the analysis, it is important to speak to one last piece, the variables/behavior strips and their value to each of the factors (Table 6). These values are in the form of Z-scores, making it easier to see how each person- prototype sorted each behavior (interpreted by columns) and how each behavior strip was comparatively sorted in each person- prototype (interpreting by rows). Daniel (1990) explains that these values or standardized regression factor scores are “utilized to determine which items contributed to the emergence of each of the person factors.” Remembering that the first eight strips were designated as transformational leadership behaviors and the second eight were designated as transactional leadership behaviors, one can now find some patterns in how the prototypes sorted. It could be argued that the first group organized the transformational leadership behaviors as more like them than the transactional leadership behaviors. For example, behavior strips # 1, 2, and 4 all score very highly in the matrix for the first group. In contrast, the third group scored behavior #1 negatively, less like them. However, the third group also scored transformational behavior strips # 2 and 4 highly.
Taking into account that the scores did not really follow a trend that established any of the groups as definitively transformational or transactional, it is probably safe to say that the participants were grouped according to another criterion. We can say that the participants were grouped with others who sorted a set of behaviors similarly on that day at that time.
There are two facets of the Q-sort and analysis that I would change if I were to conduct a similar study in the future. To begin, it would be more structurally sound to use many more behaviors in the sort. The added information that they could rate may yield different results in the analysis. Additionally, I would not group the Florida Principal Leadership Behaviors into the two leadership styles, transformational and transactional. This created an unstructured sort, or one based on items that were not used previously in this manner. There has been no research linking these particular items with the labels transformational and transactional.
This practice Q-sort and analysis is narrow in scope. Judgments concerning the principals’ sorts are not applicable. The purpose of this study was to simply find out if the principals could be placed into groups or factors that seemed to make sense. Knowing the backgrounds of the participants allowed me a different lens at which to look at the analysis that many researchers may not get when conducting a Q-sort. It allowed me to understand why I think the participants grouped the way they did.
Brown, S. R. (n.d.) The history and principals of q social sciences methodology in psychology and the social sciences. Retrieved Nov 2, 2005, from http://facstaff.uww.edu/cottlec/QArchive/B.
Brown, S.R. (1980). Political subjectivity: applications of q methodology in political science. London: Yale University Press.
Daniel, L. G. (1990). Operationalization of a frame of reference for studying
organizational culture in middle schools (Doctoral dissertation, University of New Orleans, 1989). Dissertation Abstracts International, 50, 2320A.
(UMI No. 9002883)
Hair, J., Tatham, R., Anderson, R., & Black, W. (1998). Multivariate data analysis. 5th ed. New York: Prentice Hall.
Kerlinger, F. (1973). Foundations of behavioral research. 2nd ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.
Nesselroade, J., & Cattell, R. (1988). Handbook of multivariate experimental psychology. 2nd ed. New York: Plenum Press.
Porcerelli, J. H., Cogan, R., & Hibbard,S. (2004). Personality characteristics of partner violent men: a q-sort approach. Journal of Personality Disorders, 18(2), pg. 151-162.
Stephenson, W. (1953). The study of behavior. 2nd ed. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Woosley, S. A., Hyman, R. E., & Graunke S. S. (2004). Q sort and student affairs: a viable partnership?. Journal of College Student Development, 45(2), p.231-242. | <urn:uuid:7749ff63-c563-4df0-aff6-00bd670f2449> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://temporarytranslation.com/tag/reflection/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886104631.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20170818082911-20170818102911-00211.warc.gz | en | 0.95221 | 4,252 | 2.875 | 3 | The extract provides a detailed discussion of Q-factor analysis, its methodology, and application in a study of principals' leadership behaviors. While it demonstrates a high level of technical expertise and research knowledge, its focus is primarily on the research methodology and statistical analysis, with limited discussion of soft skills such as communication, teamwork, or leadership in a practical sense. The extract does, however, touch on aspects of professional development, critical thinking, and problem-solving, particularly in the context of research design and data analysis.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 712,136 | 0 |
THE Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers’ (ICANN’s) meetings in Kuala Lumpur last week were the first ever to incorporate discussions on Internationalised Domain Names. Friendly contention on related issues were apparent between parties with different ideas on how to approach the issue.
Since its inception about 30 years ago, the Internet has primarily been based on the Latin (or Roman) alphabet, Arabic numerals and punctuation marks, all encoded according to the 8-bit American Standard Code of Information Interchange (Ascii) which serves well in the English-literate world or in countries like Malaysia where the national language is written in the Latin script.
The term “Internationalised Domain Names” (IDNs) refers to domain names partially or totally written in non-Latin script like Urdu, Arabic, Tamil or Chinese using unique character codes rather than Ascii.
The contention at ICANN revolved around technical concerns about the Internet’s core infrastructure, especially about its root servers being able to handle these new domain names and scripts, thus compromising the stability of the Internet’s infrastructure and seamless exchange of information across it.
Other concerns involved not having enough code tables or codes to accurately represent all available letters, characters and accents in different scripts and languages; problems like having five different Chinese characters with similar sounds and meanings which make it difficult to register domain names in Chinese due to confusion; or the confusion caused by the Tamil script which uses the exact same symbol for the number 1 and character “ka.”
This problem exists even in Ascii where the numeral “5” and upper case letter “O” can be used together to write “5O” which readers will see as the number “50” – substituting an upper case “O” for a zero in a web or e-mail address will result in an error.
While the 16-bit Unicode from the industry consortium Unicode Inc (www.unicode.org) enables encoding of up to 65,535 different script symbols, people complain they’re still not enough and that the administration is too rigid to adjust to different script and language group requirements.
Norbert Klein, an advisor to the Open Forum of Cambodia (www.forum.org.kh), complained that without alerting the Cambodian authorities to seek their participation, the Unicode Consortium went ahead and developed its own Khmer script code table with some characters which shouldn’t have been there. In addition, the consortium left out a number of characters and symbols, thus rendering the script unusable.
The Open Forum is a Cambodian non-governmental organisation committed to the advancement of technical understanding, information distribution, development and policy issues in Cambodia.
“I was part of the negotiation team, along with Cambodian officials, which brought this matter up with Unicode and the ISO (International Standards Organisation) but Unicode said whatever was published remains, even if it’s wrong. They said the best they could do was to add footnotes to the code table telling people not to use it. Fortunately, Unicode was prepared to accept over 20 letters it had left out,” said Klein.
The Cambodian authorities got round the problem in 2002 by localising Microsoft software to support Khmer script.
“However, buying a Windows-based system with the Microsoft Office suite is simply beyond the reach of most Cambodians with it costing the equivalent of several years of a Cambodian teacher’s US$35 (RM133) monthly salary,” said Klein.
His NGO initiated a three-year project to develop open source, Unicode-based software which they expect will meet 80% of the needs of all users.
“We hope no other language group will suffer the same fate the Khmer script did and we hope there will be international sensitivity to assist language standardisation,” said Klein.
“If we don’t multilingualise the Internet, non-English speakers or about 80% of the world’s population will continue to be excluded from using the so-called ‘global Internet,’ “ Multilingual Internet Names Consortium (MINC, www.minc.org) chairman and chief executive officer Khaled Fattal told the event’s IDN workshop.
“The existing Internet is a series of language-based Internets with the English language or the Ascii code being dominant, and this is what we call the ‘global Internet’ today.”
Two options for creating a truly global Internet are to either teach English to the 4.5 billion non-English speakers worldwide, or to “multilingualise” the Internet by fully incorporating the languages of non-English speakers into the Internet infrastructure. This can be done by getting local experts and users to participate in creating their own language tables for use on the Internet.
“Our ultimate vision for the Internet is for people to write their message in one language and have it automatically translated into the recipient’s language for him to read,” said Khaled.
MINC was founded in Singapore in 1988 based on a bottom-up approach of encouraging communities to get involved in developing their own language group scripts, which will be placed in ICANN’s root servers around the world.
“In 2000, we helped develop language sets in Chinese, Tamil, Urdu, Arabic and other languages in 20 countries,” said i-DNS.net International Inc chairman S. Subbiah, a Singaporean who co-founded MINC in 1998 with National University of Singapore professor Tan Wee Tin.
MINC’s philosophy is based on the “Multilingual dot Multilingual” (or “ML.ML”) concept where the whole web address is written in the same script throughout, whether from left to right or right to left, instead of mixing non-Latin and Latin scripts.
In such a case, the Latin script may not be understood by the user, and this might pose practical problems, with dual Latin/non-Latin keyboards being required.
However, ICANN chairman Dr Vint Cerf and Internet Engineering Task Force liaison to the Board Dr John C. Klensin are concerned about the technical implications, especially of non-standard characters being used in the root server; and the possibility of right-to-left written characters confusing the Internet infrastructure at its core.
“The Internet’s underlying protocols depend on Ascii, and now there are lots of applications using Unicode that can be presented in XML (eXtensible Markup Language) and HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) which can support multiple language groups and scripts,” Cerf told In.Tech.
“If the Internet were a wheel, its current development has reached the level of an ox cart. If people want it to support the things they say they want it to do, the Internet will have to be a rocket ship, so the community should work together to provide it with a rocket engine in terms of the underlying technology within its infrastructure,” he added.
MINC’s Khaled believes Cerf’s and Klensin’s technical concerns can be addressed by extensive testing of the scripts for interoperability to ensure they pose no problems before they’re placed in the root server.
Both Klensin and Cerf are also very concerned that MINC’s ML.ML approach to multilingual IDNs will result in the Internet fragmenting into islands of user groups communicating in their own language, thus defeating the global spirit of the Internet.
“The easy answers for internationalisation are really good if you’ve got an isolated, homogeneous population which knows by talking with each other that they’re all speaking the same language, using the same scripts and the same codings. That’s a very simple problem,” Klensin told the IDN workshop.
“The ability to make that work does not imply a solution to the internationalisation problem, because the easy way of making that work is to let those people communicate with each other, while they don’t communicate with anyone else and nobody else communicates with them.
“All the global solutions involve policy tradeoffs in which those two sets of issues are balanced against each other in an intelligent way and while I don’t have the answers, we may start working on them this afternoon,” he added.
Despite that, Cerf summed up the day by saying: “As the community works towards the introduction of IDNs, there will be much technical and policy work to be done to make this valuable extension of the Domain Name system useful.” | <urn:uuid:47a4f538-b0ee-4354-a9f2-72b206d53ace> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://softwareportal.com/news/Finding-a-way-to-make-the-Net-truly-global | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579251801423.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20200129164403-20200129193403-00470.warc.gz | en | 0.92364 | 1,810 | 2.78125 | 3 | The extract scores 4 points due to its comprehensive discussion of complex technical and policy issues related to Internationalised Domain Names, requiring sophisticated communication, strategic thinking, and advanced problem-solving. It highlights the need for intercultural fluency, technological adaptation, and collaboration among stakeholders to address the challenges of creating a multilingual Internet.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 62,437 | 1 |
Paper Sketches, due Thursday 1/25
Fast concept presentation, due in class Tuesday 1/30
Web Pages, due Thursday 2/1
Part 1: Sketches
Your first project is to generate conceptual designs for three toys. Each toy should be based on a fundamental physical concept. Examples of existing toys like this would be slinkys, rockets with baking soda/vinegar fuel, and tinker toys. Your toys can all use the same physical principle or they can each be based on a different one. Your toys to not have to be original inventions; they can be variations on existing toys. Your toys should
- attract a child’s attention,
- be interactive and fun,
- be self explanatory,
- be durable and safe,
- ideally allow for cooperative play with groups of children, and
- ideally engage several of a child’s senses.
Bring your three hand sketches (not computer-generated drawings) to class on Thursday with a description of how the toy works and an explanation of how/what a child would learn by playing with it.
Part 2: Presentation
Next Tuesday, you should be ready to present one of your sketches in class. We will use a document camera to project the sketches, so you just need to have your sketch on a flat surface.
Your presentation should cover:
- What is the physical principle underlying the toy?
- What age group is the toy designed for?
- How does the toy work/how does the child(ren) play with the toy?
- Where did the idea for your toy come from?
Your presentation should take only a minute or two so everyone can present within one class period.
Part 3: Web pages
For each toy concept, create a WordPress document that includes the following information:
- the principle your toy is based on,
- a sketch of the toy (the idea should be clear, but the drawing doesn’t have to be art),
- a description of how the child (or children) will interact with the toy, and
- a brief discussion of construction materials, durability and safety.
I will give you information during the lab on Thursday about how to put your web pages into the class web site. | <urn:uuid:c8f1e229-3689-4d29-b96e-4dbd53f54618> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://courses.ideate.cmu.edu/39-245/s2018/project-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296944606.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20230323003026-20230323033026-00368.warc.gz | en | 0.923819 | 469 | 3.59375 | 4 | The extract provides a project outline that promotes creative problem-solving, presentation, and digital literacy skills. It encourages students to design and present toy concepts, fostering critical thinking, communication, and teamwork. However, the extract lacks explicit discussion of soft skills, emotional intelligence, and intercultural fluency.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 139,834 | 0 |
“Our house is on fire. I am here to say, our house is on fire.” – Greta Thunberg (Davos, Sweden – World Economic Forum 2019).
The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) reported that we have less than 12 years before the damage we have inflicted on the planet becomes irreversible. In order to even stand a chance at reversing said damage, we would have to see drastic changes being made throughout all aspects of society. Solving the climate crisis will be by far the most complex challenge we will ever take on. However, the main solution is very simple. We need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Leading the fight against the climate crisis is 16-year old Swedish climate activist, Greta Thunberg.
The story of this determined teen began just last year after a record heatwave in northern Europe and forest fires that ravaged large amounts of Swedish land. On August 20th, Greta started her school strike just outside of the Swedish parliament. Armed with just a hand painted sign reading, “Skolstrejk för klimatet” (school strike for climate) and flyers with important facts, Greta promised to strike every day until the Swedish national elections. Although she spearheaded the school strike for climate alone, Thunberg is anything but alone now as more and more people continue to join her in the fight against climate change.
“Adults keep saying: “We owe it to the young people to give them hope.” But I don’t want your hope. I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act,” said Thunberg in her speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Sweden earlier this year. Greta has used this as a way to push world leaders and billionaire entrepreneurs into action. While many people have joined her in reversing the damage that has been done to the planet, there are still many naysayers that continue to try to discredit her and the cause that she stands for. However, you can’t argue with cold, hard science. Many of these naysayers are political leaders and big corporations who are too concerned with making money and economic growth to acknowledge that climate change should be everyone’s top priority.
Ice caps are melting, sea levels are rising, and forests are being set ablaze. Evidence of climate change is all around us and the school strike for climate is a call to action. “This is all wrong. I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you! You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I’m one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!” Greta said in her speech at the U.N.’s Climate Action Summit in New York City.
Global leaders like to look at the youth as a beacon of hope for the future, but seem to be either unaware or indifferent to the fact that climate change is very much real, more serious than they can even begin to fathom. Climate change can rob us of the future that we envision for ourselves and society. If we continue to ignore the warnings that our planet is giving us, we will soon not have a planet to call home anymore.
Thunberg is absolutely right. We should be panicking and we should be afraid. The planet that we call home is dying by our own hands. If that fact alone doesn’t make you want to take action, then I don’t know what will. If the house you live in is on fire, would you just stand by and watch as it burns to the ground? Or would you do everything in your power to put out the fire? I’m asking because as Greta Thunberg said, our house (a.k.a. Earth) is on fire now, but it’s not too late to put out the flames. It’s not too late to reverse the damage that we have inflicted on the planet. There is still hope if we all act now. There is still hope for our planet. | <urn:uuid:308a9606-deec-4168-8118-b21cee3bc960> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://homeplanetearth.org/there-is-still-hope/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875145538.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20200221203000-20200221233000-00426.warc.gz | en | 0.968186 | 934 | 2.53125 | 3 | The extract scores 4 points as it discusses leadership, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence through Greta Thunberg's climate activism, presenting a complex scenario that requires strategic thinking and problem-solving. It also incorporates cultural awareness, digital literacy, and intercultural fluency, with a strong emphasis on taking action against climate change.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 628,096 | 1 |
Lost in a thunderstorm over southeastern Australia, Captain R.D. Parmentier and his crew were desperately trying to find a place to land the big DC2 airliner. They were just a few hundred miles from the finish of an epic 11,300-mile race from London to Melbourne and the storm had rendered their communications equipment useless.
While radio operators on the ground tried in vain to reach the aircraft, a mayor in a small town had an idea as bright as the lightning flashing in the sky. He dialed up the city's engineer and asked him to toggle the city's lights in morse code to spell out a message: A-L-B-U-R-Y. The town's name.
It was the plane's only hope.
Melbourne was ready to celebrate 100 years of existence in 1934 and wanted a gesture grand enough to mark the city's existence. Taking advantage of the sudden leap in aviation technology, they decided on an air race from the old center of power in London to Australia's biggest city. As a prize, the chocolate magnate Macpherson Robertson put up $75,000 ($1.3 million inflation adjusted) from his candy company and the MacRobertson Air Race was announced.
The significance was not only the great distance, but also the transformation of Australia as more than "the vast land over the edge of beyond" as one newspaper put it.
Planes would all take off at the same time and have to stop at five designated points along the way (Baghdad, Iraq; Allahabad, India; Singapore; and Darwin and Charleville, Australia). There were no rules about the size or type of plane, only a requirement that the pilots fly the whole race from beginning to end and that the planes meet certain safety standards.
Despite the safety equipment, Lloyd's of London gave the pilots a 1-in-12 chance of dying.
Around 64 teams planned to enter, but just 20 planes made it to the start line on October 20th, 1934. The favorites were a pair of De Havilland DH.88 Comets — sleek twin-engined planes designed especially for the race. The plane's narrow cockpit held just two pilots in tandem.
At the other end of the flying spectrum were a pair of passenger airliners. Two American pilots would be flying a Boeing 247-D and a crew of four from Dutch Airliner KLM would be in the even larger Douglas DC-2. To make things more interesting, the KLM plane would be delivering mail and carrying passengers on their trip!
Sir MacPherson Robertson's Message on ABC "Dear friends early yesterday morning before the sun had peaked over the horizon to disperse the mists enshrouding the Mildenhall Aerodrome in Suffolk; the competitors of the MacRobertson International Air Race were awaiting the signal to start on the epic flight of 11,323 miles. Never in the history of aviation has there been such a line up of aviators and never in the history of the world has there been such an aerial contest."
Under guidance from Captain Parmentier, the KLM DC-2 — nicknamed Uiver (Dutch for "Stork") quickly became a frontrunner. It battled with the British Comet of Captains Scott and Campbell-Black all along the way, using its superior reliability and comfort to keep up with the faster (and not passenger-laden) aircraft. Other competitors crashed (two died) or experienced equipment failure, but the big metal aircraft kept on going.
On October 23rd at 3:33 pm the Comet managed to take the crown in the overall "Speed" category, leaving the Uiver and it's crew the chance to win in the "Handicapped" category, which took into account the size of the aircraft using a formula.
All the Uiver crew had to do was cross the relatively short distance from Charleville to Melbourne and keep the other competitors behind them. But bad luck struck in the form of a thunderstorm just 200 miles from the finish line. It was night and, lacking visibility and functioning communications equipment, the plane drifted hopelessly off course.
Signalers for the Royal Australian Air Force desperately tired to contact them, but nothing was working. Calls went out over the radio for help and railway stations turned on all their signal lamps. Navy ships turned on their spotlights, probably to let the aircraft know if it had drifted too close to the ocean.
The citizens in the small hamlet of Albury heard the planes engines overhead and assumed it was en route to Melbourne. But the plane didn't leave. It kept circling the area.
Aware of the danger various local authorities and radio announcers hatched a plan. The city's Chief electrical engineer Lyle Ferris was sent to flash the city's lights in morse code. An Alderman asked anyone with a car to come to the race course to create a circle of headlamps. Despite the rain everyone who could help turned out.
It was a world-wide event as wireless radio communication meant that listeners between Australian and Holland could follow along as the town made its desperate rescue attempt.
Amazingly, the crew saw the flickering lights and realized it was morse code. Because of the weather they couldn't read the message but they saw the circle of lights at the race track and, with a lot of skill, were able to land the aircraft. The same rainstorm that kept them from finding Melbourne helped muddy the ground enough to allow the pilot put the plane down without going off the short race track.
When the door to the plane finally opened one of the crewman came out and asked Is this Melbourne?.
One can imagine the relief of everyone involved and the laughter that ensued when the question was asked.
At sunup the plane seemed hopelessly stuck but everyone was alive. Not content to let their guests down, the City of Albury once again rallied and plans were brought in to help unstick the big metal aircraft. Everything in the plane that didn't need to go (including passengers) was stripped from the craft and Captain Parmentier and the plane's First Officer took off for Melbourne.
Even with the delay the plane took second place in the speed round and won the handicapped section outright. It was a great victory for the airline, country, and the a small Australian town.
Upon landing the Captain spoke to ABC saying
The first thing I want to tell you is that I am very grateful for all the things that the national broadcasting commission has done to make our landing last night possible at the racecourse in Albury. I also must express my thanks for the help I had from the Mayor of Albury and the population who were very helpful this morning to get our plane out of the mud and to make it possible for us to take off."
The Mayor, Alfred Waugh, would eventually be awarded the Order of the Orange Nassau — a great honor — by Queen Wilhemina. Both the pilot and first officer were knighted.
A relationship between the European country and Albury was formed and, when the Uiver crashed two months later killing all on board, a memorial was erected in Holland that was partially paid for by subscriptions taken up in Albury.
Today, a restored DC-2 sits in Albury, made up to look like the Uiver and re-christened as the "Uiver-2" memorial aircraft. The plane was put up for sale, though locals attempted to block the sale so it can be retained in Albury as a piece of history.(Hat tip to Baber Khan!) | <urn:uuid:48c9068f-aac7-4547-9363-6dc6fce4e64c> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://jalopnik.com/5906006/how-one-australian-town-helped-a-doomed-plane-win-historys-greatest-air-race?tag=History | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549424090.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20170722182647-20170722202647-00670.warc.gz | en | 0.973885 | 1,555 | 3.140625 | 3 | The extract scores 3 points for its discussion of soft skills, including teamwork, communication, and problem-solving, in a realistic scenario. The story highlights the collaboration between the townspeople, authorities, and the aircraft crew to rescue the plane, demonstrating emotional intelligence, leadership, and critical thinking. However, the extract lacks complex scenarios requiring sophisticated communication, strategic thinking, and advanced problem-solving across multiple contexts.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 363,402 | 0 |
The word “compiling” intimidates a lot of novice or even intermediate users of Linux. In reality, compiling software packages on Ubuntu is not that difficult. In this post, we will explain what you need to know about compiling packages from source on Ubuntu. Some of the guides on htpcBeginner (installing CrystalHD, XBMC, etc.) talk about compiling packages from source on Ubuntu. We have more guides on the way that would require compiling packages as well. Therefore, we thought it is time to provide the new Linux users a very basic introduction to compiling packages from source on Ubuntu. So here it goes.
Why Do You Need to Compile Packages?
Compilation is the process of processing the source code (programming codes), customizing them to your environment (system/OS), and converting them to installable files. The packages available on Ubuntu repositories or the
.deb files are pre-compiled packages that you can install with a quick command. But many times some of the software packages available on the repository are older versions. Furthermore, some of the packages are not even available in the repositories. So if you want the latest and the greatest, you can download the latest source code, compile, and install it. While the process is longer than installing from the repositories, compilation makes that software the most responsive it can be for your system/environment. Once you know how to do it, it is an extremely easy process as, in most cases, all you have to do is issue a sequence of few commands.
Prerequisites for Compiling Packages from Source on Ubuntu
A typical user does not compile packages, therefore Ubuntu decided not to include the prerequisites for compiling packages into the distribution. The following command installs all the packages necessary for compiling packages on from Source on Ubuntu:
sudo apt-get install autoconf g++ subversion linux-source linux-headers-`uname -r` build-essential tofrodos git-core subversion dos2unix make gcc automake cmake checkinstall git-core dpkg-dev fakeroot pbuilder dh-make debhelper devscripts patchutils quilt git-buildpackage pristine-tar git yasm checkinstall cvs mercurial
This covers most common packages required for compiling downloaded packages, including those from SVN and Git.
Many of the source codes are downloaded as compressed
tar files. These can be extracted using the following commands:
tar -xzvf tarballname.tar.gz
tar -xjvf tarballname.tar.bz2
If the source code is from SVN or Git, the developers will provide instructions on how to get them. Typically for Git, the
git clone command is used. In our guides, we clearly specify the instructions on how to download from SVN or Git.
Compiling Packages from Source on Ubuntu
Compilation processes involves only 3 steps: configure, make, and install. The first step is
configure. Most downloaded sources (
tar files) will already have a
configure. To configure the compilation files issue the following command:
Some source codes downloaded from Git or SVN may not have the
configure. These will normally include a
autogen script which relies on
autoconf programs and will automatically build the configuration files and run the
The next step is to
make the installation files by compiling the source code, using the following command:
Depending on the size of the source code this step can take minutes to hours. If you have a multi-core process this can be done quicker by utilizing multiple cores. For example, if you have a quad-core processor you can use the following command instead: | <urn:uuid:f2b13be4-bd75-4e07-9cb7-7c43ca931518> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | https://www.htpcbeginner.com/compiling-packages-from-source-on-ubuntu/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320545.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20170625170634-20170625190634-00280.warc.gz | en | 0.839385 | 769 | 2.84375 | 3 | The extract provides a basic introduction to compiling packages from source on Ubuntu, covering prerequisites, steps, and commands. It lacks discussion of soft skills, emotional intelligence, leadership, and complex problem-solving, focusing solely on technical aspects. The content is informative but limited in scope and depth.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 244,550 | 0 |
(29:25) “And it was in the morning, that behold it was Leah!”
Rashi, quoting the Talmud in tractates Megilah and Bava Basra
explained, “How is it possible that Yakov did not know that the woman he
had married was Leah and not Rachel? Yakov (anticipating Lavan’s
treachery) arranged with Rachel secret signs for the purpose of knowing
whether or not the woman behind the veil was truly Rachel. How then was he
fooled? The Medresh answers, “When Rachel saw that Lavan was taking Leah
to the Chupah instead of her, she said to herself, ‘My sister will be
embarrassed!’ Rachel immediately gave Leah the secret signs so that she
would not be shamed.”
Now for the rest of the story…
(Introduction to Medresh Eicha: A brief background)
At the time of the destruction of the first Bais Hamikdash, the Medresh
details G-d’s conversations with Yirmiyahu (Jerimiah), Avraham, Yitzchak,
Yakov, Moshe, and Rachel. The setting for those conversations was their
attempts at changing G-d’s decision to keep the Jews in exile after having
destroyed the Bais Hamikdash. Yirmiyahu, the Navi (prophet) at the time of
the Churban (destruction of the 1st Temple), was told to summon the Avos
and Moshe so that their tears might move Hashem (G-d) to be forgiving.
Yirmiyahu did as he was told and Avraham, Yitzchak, Yakov, and Moshe
presented their arguments on behalf of their wayward children.
Avraham argued that mercy was due because of the merits of his readiness
to bring Yitzchak as a Korban (sacrifice). Yitzchak argued that mercy was
due because of the merits of his willingness to submit to the Akeidah
(binding). Yakov argued that mercy was due because of the merits of his
lifetime of trial and tribulation in protecting and raising his children
to become the Jewish nation.
Moshe argued that mercy was due because of the merits of his tireless
commitment and devotion to the Jewish people in shepherding them through
40 years of challenge and rebellion.
Their common theme was, “There are personal merits on record that You (G-
d) are not taking into account in making Your decision. If You would take
those merits into account You would be merciful and bring the Jews home.
In each instance, Hashem listened to their pleas but did not respond. G-d
did not counter their arguments, nor did He offer any explanations. He
simply did not respond.
In the middle of Moshe’s presentation the Medresh records that Rachel
interrupted Moshe to make her plea. Let us pick up the conversation at
“Master of the Universe,You know that Your servant Yakov truly loved me
and worked seven years for my father in order to marry me. At the
conclusion of those seven years, when it was time for me to marry my
husband, my father wanted to switch my sister for me allowing Leah to
marry Yakov. I found out my father’s intentions and was very pained and
bothered. I shared my father’s intentions with Yakov and gave him secret
signs so that he would know if the person he was to marry was me or
someone else. Later I regretted giving Yakov the secret signs. I decided
to overcome my personal desires and hopes for marrying Yakov and have
mercy on my sister. I gave her the secret signs so that she would not be
shamed when it was discovered that she was Leah and not me. More so than
that, I secreted myself beneath the conjugal bed so that I could answer
any question Yakov may have posed during the night ensuring that the
differences in our voices would not give Leah away. In the end, I was
merciful and kind to my sister and I was not jealous of her.
Master of the Universe, if I, a mere mortal of flesh and blood, was not
jealous of my sister and did not allow her to be shamed and embarrassed,
how much more so should it be with You! As the Almighty and Eternal Master
of the Universe You should not be jealous of idols just as I was not
jealous of Leah! Why did You allow the Bais Hamikdash to be destroyed, my
children to be exiled, and the enemy to do with them whatever they wished!
Why would You do such a thing?”
Immediately, G-d’s mercy was aroused and He said to Rachel, ‘Because of
you I will return the Jews to their rightful place.’ As the verses in
Yirmiyah 31:14-15 state, “So did G-d proclaim, ‘A voice on high was heard…
Rachel cries for her children and refuses to be consoled…Therefore G-d
said, stop your cries and dry your tears… your children will return to
Why did G-d respond to Rachel’s argument? Why did He not respond to
Avraham, Yitzchak, Yakov, and Moshe?
On Tisha B’ Av (9th of Av) I proposed the following answer. After Moshe
accepted to be the Redeemer, he and Aharon confronted Pharaoh. The outcome
of that confrontation was disastrous. Instead of granting freedom to the
enslaved Jews, Pharaoh made their labor more difficult. Moshe turned to
Hashem with the complaint, “Why did You make it worse for the nation, why
did You send me?” G-d’s response to Moshe contrasted Moshe with the
Avos. “How I miss the Avos! They never questioned my actions. They
accepted my decrees without reservation or challenge. You on the other
hand question my judiciousness and My actions!”
That conversation underscores the unique nature of the Avos (forefathers)
and their relationship with G-d. “They never questioned the character and
actions of G-d”. They always trusted that regardless of their own thoughts
and feelings G-d was in charge. Anything He did was by definition for the
benefit of the Jews and the universe. Essentially, the Avos never
challenged G-d’s judiciousness; instead, they trusted Him and attempted to
emulate Him in every possible way.
In attempting to evoke G-d’s mercy, Avraham, Yitzchak, Yakov, and Moshe
challenged His judiciousness. In presenting their reasons as why G-d
should be merciful, they argued that there were merits that Hashem had
possibly not taken into account. Because G-d is the “Truthful Judge,”
because Hashem is “All Knowing,” it is impossible for G-d to have not
taken all things into account; therefore, G-d did not respond to their
arguments. Simply put, it was obvious that everything had been taken into
account and therefore there were no new findings that could have swayed G-
d’s decision. There was no reason for G-d to respond to their arguments.
A note about arguing with G-d.
Humans cannot argue with G-d. G-d does not change His mind; in fact, has
never changed His mind. G-d knows all that was is and will be and does not
make mistakes. All things are considered and the magnitude of the divine,
judicial, processing is beyond human ability and comprehension. All we can
do is marvel at His power and accept the limitations of our intellect.
The Torah’s presentations of mortals arguing with G-d, for example,
Avraham regarding Sodom, Moshe at the Burning Bush, and Moshe defending
the nation in the aftermath of the Golden Calf, were to teach us the
limits of our own comprehension and provide insight into G-d’s
Avraham defending Sodom is a good example of this. G-d knew from the start
that He would destroy Sodom; yet, He insisted on first informing Avraham
and allowing him to argue in their defense. In the end, G-d did exactly as
He originally intended. He saved Lot and his two daughters and He
destroyed the rest of Sodom. However, in the course of Avraham’s argument
it became clear that eradicating evil is ethical, moral, and judicious
when there is no hope for rehabilitation.
Moshe’s reluctance to assume the position of Redeemer and G-d’s response
to him advanced Moshe’s natural humility to the level of “the most humble
of all men.” In the process, Moshe was given to understand why the Jews
had been enslaved and why they deserved to be redeemed.
Moshe’s defense of the Jewish people in the aftermath of the Golden Calf
taught us to understand the concept of Teshuvah without which no human can
sustain a relationship with G-d.
Regarding the arguments of the Avos, Moshe, and Rachel in the aftermath of
the destruction of the first Bais Hamikdash (Temple in Jerusalem), the
same is true. The Medresh intentionally challenges our understanding of
the Avos so that by contrast we can better appreciate Rachel’s argument
and why it was effective.
Contrasting Rachel’s’ argument with the others reveals a significant
difference. Avraham, Yitzchak, Yakov, and Moshe were challenged by design
and circumstance to accept or not accept G-d’s tests. Theoretically, they
could have either listened to G-d or not listened to G-d. Avraham could
have decided not to sacrifice Yitzchak. Yitzchak could have decided not to
allow his father to bind him and offer him as a sacrifice. Yakov could
have allowed circumstances to dictate his fate and not take-on Eisav or
Lavan. The circumstances of the tests were not of their own making or
choice. They either accepted the challenge or not.
Rachel situation was different. Rachel could easily have justified not
giving the secret signs to Leah and allowing Leah to be shamed and
embarrassed. She could have argued that it was divinely ordained that she
marry Yakov and that Leah marry Eisav. She could have argued that Lavan’s
intent to switch Leah was Leah’s challenge and not her own. Maybe Leah was
destined to marry Eisav no different than Milkah (daughter of Haran,
sister of Sarah and Lot) had been destined to marry Nachor (Avraham’s evil
brother). Granted, the shiduch was not pleasing to Milkah but how else
would the likes of Rivkah (her granddaughter) and Rachel and Leah (her
great-grand- daughters) be born? The same may have been with Leah and
Eisav. As evil as Eisav was he was still a son of Rivkah and Yitzchak.
There may have been components of Eisav that were necessary to make
their way back into the body of the Jewish nation. Through joining with
Leah those components of Eisav would be refined enough to eventually be
acceptable. Rachel did not have to reveal the secret signs. Let destiny
take its course and let Leah be shamed. Let destiny take its course and
Yakov would marry Rachel while Eisav would marry Leah!
Instead, Rachel deliberately created the circumstances that would force
her to sacrifice her own potential destiny. By revealing to Leah the
secret signs, something she could have easily justified not doing, she
guaranteed that Yakov would marry Leah, without any guarantee that she too
would end up marrying him.
Rachel’s argument to Hashem was that she had not questioned His ways of
doing things. She had not questioned His character and judiciousness. In
fact she had done the very opposite. Rather than question G-d’s actions
and decrees Rachel emulated His actions and character. Just as G-d is
always merciful so too Rachel was merciful. Just as G-d has no reason to
ever be jealous of idols so too she would not be jealous of her sister.
Therefore, Rachel argued that Hashem had no choice but to be consistent
and be merciful.
Rachel understood that the job of the Jews, the job of humanity, and her
job was to study G-d’s manifest actions and emulate them to the best of
her comprehension and ability. In doing so she expressed her absolute
faith in G-d that “make G-d’s will your own so that G-d will make your
will His.” So long as we do as Hashem wants Hashem does as we want. The
reality is that if we make His will our own then automatically we are in
concert with G-d’s will. The only thing we should want is what Hashem
wants. There is no conflict or contradiction between our wants and desires
and G-d’s wishes and commands.
Rachel argued that her deliberate decision to emulate G-d and be merciful
with Leah demanded that G-d do the same, be merciful on her children and
bring them home – and G-d agreed. “So did G-d proclaim, Stop your cries
and dry your tears… your children will return to their boundaries.”
Text Copyright © 2005 by Rabbi Aron Tendler and Torah.org
The author is the Rabbi of Shaarey Zedek Congregation, Valley
Village, CA, and Assistant Principal of YULA. | <urn:uuid:b0c5a333-8520-46fd-96a8-cf477fdb6bce> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.torah.org/learning/rabbis-notebook/5766/vayeitzei.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394020986799/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305120306-00060-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967032 | 3,030 | 2.640625 | 3 | The extract scores 3 points as it includes discussion of soft skills such as empathy, selflessness, and emotional intelligence through Rachel's story. It features realistic scenarios that integrate leadership challenges and critical thinking opportunities, with a focus on cultural awareness and moral values. However, it lacks complex, real-world problem-solving scenarios and nuanced interaction, limiting its depth and practical application.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 807,650 | 0 |
Creation myths reveal the original culture of a people. Oh, we shift and grow and turn to the left and the right over thousands of years, but still our view of this life is colored with how our ancestors explained their existence on this earth.
In The Long Journey Home series, between narrow escapes and the killing of those that need killing, Jeremiah and Montego spend time chewing the fat around a campfire. Part of the fun of writing these novels is the conversations these two men have while sitting under the stars.
Jeremiah, a haunted confederate soldier in the 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment, is an educated, well-read man. Montego, an Osage who also knows the burden of fighting hard and losing a war, was educated by Jesuits. Both men learned much of what they know of the world in battle.
So, sitting around a fire under the stars, gnawing on a burnt rabbit thigh or a deer haunch, these two eventually come around to exchanging ideas about creation. The Osage creation myth tells how the ancestors lived in the sky. After many seasons, and with the blessings of Father Sun and Mother Moon, the people fell from the stars. They floated in the air but found no land, only a vast, salty sea. The ancestors called out for help and finally Elk, one of the animals floating down to earth with the people, saved them by falling into the water. As Elk sank he called out to the four winds to blow away the water. The mist cleared and revealed a thick mud. Elk rolled in the mud and his loose hairs grew into trees and grass. The people landed on these patches of land and continued their journey to Middle World.
As for Jeremiah’s understanding of creation, well as the son of a pastor, he’s been supporting himself since the war as a saddle preacher. Though he battles God daily, he has a solid understanding of the book of Genesis. But Jeremiah is also an extremely well-read man. Darwin’s On the Origin of the Species was published in 1855. Knowledge of the theory of evolution is prevalent in 1871 when our story takes place. Surely Jeremiah is aware of this book.
How much is Montego influenced by the Jesuits who educated him in the ways and language of the white man? How literally does Jeremiah, a man who repeatedly rejects God’s grace, take the book of Genesis and does his understanding of evolution color his beliefs of creation? These are the questions being answered right now as I put fingers to keyboard and listen to these two fascinating characters.
I’m going to give you a brief excerpt for Ridgeline, the first book in The Journey Home series, but if you’re a writer, I’d love for you to share some of the conversations your characters have showed you over the years. If you’re a reader, could you share with me what conversations you’d like to hear between Jeremiah and Montego?
Okay, here’s the promised excerpt from Ridgeline:
The Osage squatted beside him, held a shallow chipped bowl to his mouth. “Drink. It eases pain. Your woman is safe. It is my sister, Niabi, whose screams you hear.”
“Where are the rest of your tribe?”
The Indian returned to his place on the other side of the fire, lowered himself again into a pose of such stillness that Jeremiah blinked to convince himself he gazed not at cold stone, but at a living being.
“I am Montego. My people are gone. The buffalo killed. The fire that burns the spirit and marks the body with the deep bites of death took many. Bluecoats killed others.”
Long, piercing screams sliced the night, sent shivers dancing along Jeremiah’s spine. Montego raised his eyes, stared toward the edge of the clearing. Sparks from the fire winked between the men for an instant, then disappeared into the black night.
“Niabi will not live.” The Indian’s words fell like sharp stones. “She is weak from hiding in these woods, moving always to avoid the soldiers. The child will go with her into the spirit world.”
A centuries-old lament rose unbidden from Jeremiah’s mouth. “A voice is heard in Raman, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.”
Montego lifted his gaze from the fire, stared directly into Jeremiah’s face. “And your people, who also fought the bluecoats? Where are they?”
“Gone. All. Gone.” Jeremiah concentrated on the pounding pain in his leg, hoping to drive from his mind the slow-motion fall of Maggie, sinking to the planks of the porch, that twinkle of blue still clutched in her soft hand. He shut that mental door firmly, forced himself to meet the eyes of the Indian. | <urn:uuid:03341031-4ab7-46bd-9121-1df1c04013c5> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | https://pamelafosterspeakerwriter.wordpress.com/2014/06/19/conversation-around-a-camp-fire/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128323711.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20170628153051-20170628173051-00615.warc.gz | en | 0.968504 | 1,052 | 2.890625 | 3 | The extract scores high for its thoughtful exploration of cultural awareness, emotional intelligence, and nuanced communication. It delves into the creation myths of different cultures, showcasing the author's attempt to integrate complex cultural contexts. The conversations between Jeremiah and Montego demonstrate sophisticated communication, empathy, and critical thinking.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 177,799 | 1 |
Miriam Leitao - A specter is haunting Brazil: the internationalization of the Amazon. The deepest nationalist feelings emerge whenever any non-Brazilian authority suggests the idea that the stewardship of the Amazon should be shared, in some way, with the international community. Is this a myth or a real threat?
Pascal Lamy, general secretary of WTO, recently raised this issue, arguing that rainforests should be considered global public goods that the world could help to manage. Though he claims his most recent comments were misunderstood, Lamy has made this argument for a while now. In 2001, in Madrid, he declared: "The forests of the Amazon are a strategic environmental asset not just for the countries belonging to the Amazon Treaty Organization but for the whole planet".
Lamy's words have raised hackles -- and suspicions -- throughout Brazil, feeding the long-standing conspiracy theory that foreigners are out to seize Brazilian riches. Recently three ministers of the Environment, Foreign Affairs and Science and Technology teamed up to publish an article in the Brazilian and foreign press assuring the world that government has made great strides in "taking care of the Amazon".
Are they right? Well, Lula's government has succeeded in reducing the level of annual deforestation from 26 thousand square kilometers a year to 13 thousand km a year since 2003. But nobody can guarantee this will be sustainable. There are plenty of laws to preserve the forest, but enforcement of those laws is another story.
On the other hand, the average Brazilian suspects that the developed world of having destroyed its own woodlands, and is turning to the Amazon to exploit the rainforest's storied biological wealth and biodiversity. Some Brazilians say that they have been doing a fine job protecting the wilderness heritage. In this country's five hundred year history, only 20% of the forest has been cleared, while some 3.3 million square kilometers remain unspoiled, an area almost six times the size of France.
This is an issue of Amazonian proportions. Scientists and environmentalists warn that the modest sounding 20% of the rainforest that has fallen to date is already enough to undermine the health of the Amazonian ecosystem. Worse still, the pace of logging has accelerated dangerously in the last decade. Above all, climate change is a global risk with no national boundaries.
The dilemma for a Brazilian is how to enlist international help to protect this threatened natural heritage without forfeiting national sovereignty over an expanse of land that represents almost half of its territory? How should Brazil protect such a vast area of land with scarce financial resources? It's a quandary Brazil shares with Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname, which together house the 37% of the Amazon not owned by Brazil. And why should the rest of the world pay the Amazonian countries to protect such treasured forests without setting targets and terms of conditionality? How do you think we should solve the sovereignty dilemma, on the one hand, while ensuring credible protection for the Amazon on the other?
Please e-mail PostGlobal if you'd like to receive an email notification when PostGlobal sends out a new question. | <urn:uuid:c695c029-bdf4-45f5-a34b-aeb180985b82> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/needtoknow/2007/01/an_amazonian_dilemma.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386163052810/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204131732-00032-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935013 | 644 | 2.59375 | 3 | The extract touches on complex global issues, requiring nuanced communication, strategic thinking, and problem-solving. It presents a real-world scenario, integrating emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities, particularly in the context of intercultural fluency and environmental sustainability. However, it lacks comprehensive professional development opportunities and sophisticated digital literacy skills.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 614,170 | 0 |
Historically, higher education is a foreign entity for Black students, according to Lez’li Waller, a senior at UC Berkeley.
She likened the entry experience to an incarcerated person, following a decadelong sentence behind bars, being released and told education is their ticket to the next level of life. With no guidance, they are left astray, and often, they will fail, Waller said.
Growing out of American soil laced with racism, universities innately perpetuate the marginalization experienced across the nation; colleges are microcosms of the world around them, Waller noted. At a predominantly Asian and white institution such as UC Berkeley, the scarcity of Black students compounds existing pressures faced by the community and leads to various mental health struggles.
“While UC Berkeley certainly has a history of strengths related to various social justice movements, it’s also important to acknowledge and be aware of the history of UC Berkeley that has been oppressive to marginalized communities,” said Dr. Adisa Anderson, a licensed psychologist working in University Health Services, or UHS, on the Counseling and Psychological Services, or CAPS, staff.
From history — applying to universities once barred to Black students to the history class itself — learning about individuals who may have at one point owned enslaved individuals, college life can be very heavy. Helping Black students feel comfortable in their own skin rests on having a robust mental health system, Waller said.
Reflecting the COVID-19 pandemic’s cultural climate, universities have become fertile grounds for racial trauma and anxiety.
As oppressive encounters in the nation continue to unfold, the demand for psychological services is increasing, and the need to improve Black student recruitment and retention is becoming more dire, according to Anderson.
“The larger university environment has to be one that promotes multiculturalism and values diversity not only symbolically but in terms of creating policies, procedures and practices that consider issues of diversity, equity and inclusion,” Anderson said. “Decisions that will essentially more effectively support and affirm the needs of African American students at UC Berkeley.”
“Look in your own backyard”: Recruitment
For those who choose and are able to, applying to colleges is the culmination of their entire lifetime of education; higher education is the pinnacle of traditional academia.
While the world awaits Supreme Court cases on affirmative action bound to send tremors near and far, Anderson underscored the importance of having admissions counselors who truly understand the experiences of Black students.
“They’re able to see the resiliency and restraints of Black-identified students when they consider their college applications,” Anderson said.
A ban on affirmative action in California schools was first approved in 1996 through Proposition 209, which took effect in fall 1998. That year marked a seismic shift in UC Berkeley’s admission of Black students as the rate dropped from 50% in 1997 to 20% the following year.
In 2021, more than two decades later, 5.2% of UC Berkeley’s admitted freshmen identified as Black, and only 3.7% enrolled in the school.
Black student organizations shoulder much of the responsibility of recruitment, Waller said, who is also the operational manager for the Black Recruitment and Retention Center, or BRRC. Funded by several campus grants, BRRC must allocate part of its money toward recruitment, which it uses in part to fly in Black students from across the state to visit UC Berkeley and live in the breadcrumbs of their potential future.
While Waller noted BRRC is very active in its work to provide resources about UC Berkeley to students of color, she alleged that campus places the onus on BRRC without doing the work itself. BRRC should be a support to campus, not the vanguard, she added.
UC Berkeley should focus its recruitment efforts in local areas around Berkeley that have significant Black populations, Waller noted.
“If you can’t look in your own backyard and find talent within the different demographics that you’re serving as an institution, something’s wrong,” Waller said.
Until UC Berkeley restores the number of Black students on campus to what it was before the sweeping ban on affirmative action, none of the diversity wins it touts about Black admissions are worth celebrating, Waller said.
Diversity is not reflected by having an African American studies department on campus — it means being a student in any major and being taught and led by Black professors and administrators, Waller said.
Recruitment is inextricably linked to diversity, Waller added, because Black students will not feel supported until they can walk into a class and be greeted by one or two classmates who look like them.
“Universities have to look at what they do as an institution to support students, not what are you asking the students to do to support themselves,” Waller said. “That is a great way to start addressing how to help Black students in their mental health in higher education.”
Amid societal pressures of educational attainment and excellence is a clashing history of systemic policies meant to exclude Black people from education.
Generation upon generation of people of color experience this racism, which has rippling effects on mental health, one of which is trauma, according to Allison Briscoe-Smith, child clinical psychologist and senior fellow of campus’s Greater Good Science Center, or GGSC.
Understood as an experience or event that outpaces people’s typical means of coping, trauma can not only alter people’s relationships with others but also with themselves. Trauma can lead to depression, anxiety and substance abuse, among other problems, she said.
“Despite all of that, we as a population demonstrate incredible resilience and connection and growth and capacity,” Briscoe-Smith said.
Over time, the daily slights and insults — compounded by microaggressions and jabbing judgments experienced by marginalized groups — gnaw away at people’s sense of selves, said GGSC Associate Education Director Amy Eva.
Upon crossing Sather Gate for the first time and exploring unknown campus crevices, there’s a psychological adjustment that occurs where individuals question their abilities and have to reconcile self-doubt. Known as impostor syndrome, Black students grapple with feeling truly affirmed in their Black identity, Anderson said.
When people feel like they don’t belong, they often seek to self-protect and search for coping mechanisms, which contribute to the outmigration from STEM fields and greater dropout rates among marginalized groups, according to campus psychology professor Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton.
“You’re going to disengage from the noxious environment and find a place where you do feel belonging,” Mendoza-Denton said.
Beyond the psyche, anxiety and stress can penetrate the body.
As marginalized groups battered by discrimination age over time, they are much more likely to suffer from heart attacks and develop cardiovascular diseases or diabetes due to stress reactivity compared to nonstigmatized groups, according to Mendoza-Denton.
Even when Black students have the proper mental health support and are able to make the transition to university, they are bound to deal with stereotype threat, Anderson said. This occurs when people from marginalized communities perform lower than their actual competence and knowledge levels.
In other words, a Black student may walk into an exam room and underperform because of the negative stereotypes that have been associated with their identity and the psychological toll of being in spaces that feel oppressive, Anderson explained.
Having invalidating or oppressive professors can enhance the impacts of stereotype threat, Anderson added. Instructors are constantly evaluating the work of minority students more critically than that of majority students, despite it being of the same caliber, Mendoza-Denton alleged.
“It’s so important for there to be instructors and faculty members that have an understanding of the importance of multicultural sensitivity and culturally relevant curriculums in the classroom,” Anderson said.
With so few Black students on campus, there’s more pressure on Black students to excel because they may feel like they have to represent their entire community, Anderson said.
At the same time, the lack of social support leads to feelings of ostracism and self-consciousness about participating in the classroom for fear of being misperceived.
“Black-identified students that successfully matriculate through the campus are some of the brightest students nationally,” Anderson said. “It really requires a resilient student to navigate through the barriers and complexities of being a student at UC Berkeley.”
Cemented in the brain
Humans are wired to be biased.
Behind the curtain of daily life, the brain is constantly engaging in quick cognitive shortcuts to make sense of its environment, which helps explain subconsciously why “we are all racist,” according to Eva. Once people acknowledge their implicit bias, they can begin to question themselves and take action in support of racial justice, but it can’t all occur introspectively.
“There’s no way we’re going to see all of this in ourselves,” Eva said. “It’s not going to happen unless we explicitly seek it out. Not just questioning ourselves but with kind and supportive friends who are willing to call us out.”
Practicing mindfulness is crucial to building a greater self-awareness around structural racism because it allows people to sit with their thoughts, giving them moments in time where they can just be and not judge themselves, Eva noted. For students at a high-caliber school such as UC Berkeley who put inordinate amounts of pressure on themselves, it allows them to hold their experiences in balanced awareness rather than suppress or exaggerate pain.
In the classroom, mindfulness practices can help connect students and nurture a sense of belonging by having students acknowledge each other, Eva said. She added that, at the very least, professors and people in power should take it upon themselves to create open lines of communication with others.
“I tell my students all the time, ‘Please, any time I say anything in class that makes you feel alienated, suggests some sort of prejudice … call me out on it,’ ” Eva said.
Despite social cognitive theory positing that people learn through vicarious experience and by observing the behavior of others, there’s a vacuum of role models for marginalized people in sectors such as education. From as early as elementary school, most students of color are taught by white instructors, fueling isolation among Black students as they may question, “Where are my people?” Eva said.
To help retain Black students in higher education, Anderson echoed Eva’s sentiment that there must be greater representation in academia. Seeing themselves reflected in the university environment can help Black students affirm their intersectional identities while increasing the number of staff and faculty who have a shared understanding of their struggles and needs.
Reflecting on the progress that has been made for Black people, Waller said she sees history repeating itself. At times when she feels like there have been a couple of steps forward, something else will often happen to reveal that, on the whole, the strides have been quite short.
The layered mental suffering among Black people is not just a university problem, she said, but rather a national one. However, for the handful of years Black students are at UC Berkeley, there needs to be more resources and measures in place so students have the chance to escape the hardships of the world.
“Black people have been in this country and have contributed to this country for centuries now, but it seems like when it comes to our struggles or our needs, it’s so foreign to everyone,” Waller said. “How is it that our struggle and our needs seem like a new adventure every 10 years or so?”
“Black people don’t do therapy”
The looming COVID-19 pandemic and harrowing racial violence that have transpired have brought a surge of mental suffering.
The impact looks different to many. For Briscoe-Smith, this means there’s not a vacant therapy room among her colleagues.
“Number one: There are not enough mental health services for college campuses,” Briscoe-Smith said. “Number two: There are not enough mental health and other supportive services anywhere, and that’s only been heightened in the context of the pandemic.”
Given the relative shortage of Black therapists, there are particular barriers for Black students who prefer to connect with a counselor of the same race, Briscoe-Smith said. While she noted the research on race-matching in counseling is at times controversial, being represented might facilitate people stepping into therapy.
Having shared experiences tied to racial-ethnic identity can certainly benefit the therapeutic outcome, but all counselors should be trained to provide effective services to marginalized students to meet the growing demand in mental health, Anderson said.
Black students who request to meet with a Black-identified counselor on campus can face longer wait times given the scarcity of Black therapists, according to UHS spokesperson Tami Cate.
Currently, there are nine Black-identified counselors in UHS, all of whom do not exclusively serve Black students, according to Cate. Approximately 6% of CAPS users identify as Black, with Black students representing 4% of the student population.
“We have been intentional in our hiring to increase the diversity of our staff and to have our staff be representative of the intersecting identities of our students,” Cate said in an email. “Even though CAPS is seeing Black students in numbers greater than their representation on campus, we know there is more we can do to support our Black students who experience marginalization and isolation.”
Mirroring national trends, CAPS has seen an increase in the use of its services and continues to offer both in-person and virtual mental health care, according to Cate. Students are also able to see a counselor outside of CAPS for free through the added platform “humanest,” which provides services with Black-identified counselors.
Amid an era of Zoom domination, Briscoe-Smith said she’s most worried about the ways kids of color may not be seen during this time. Children could be crumbling under stress as they help support their family, but their absence from school veils their struggles.
If mental health resources aren’t available in primary schools, asking for help and getting support won’t become normalized, Briscoe-Smith said.
“Then we fall into that trap of the stigma, which is Black people don’t do therapy,” she said.
Elementary, middle and high schools can help mediate mental health problems by providing early support to assist children with mental health concerns, such as depression and bipolar disorder.
The opportunity for intervention is “ripe” during childhood, Briscoe-Smith said, which is one of the main reasons she chose to become a child psychologist.
“We need a radical reorganization of our services and our priorities and to center the experiences of those disproportionately impacted by large system failures like racism,” Briscoe-Smith said. “What do Black students need? Let’s ask them, and let’s try to meet it.” | <urn:uuid:1966d5e5-f16f-4a23-82a3-29c91e76d962> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://dailycal.org/2022/02/23/we-are-all-racist-black-students-face-mental-health-trials-tribulations-in-higher-education | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224643462.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20230528015553-20230528045553-00474.warc.gz | en | 0.960194 | 3,204 | 2.640625 | 3 | The extract discusses the challenges faced by Black students in higher education, particularly at UC Berkeley, and the need for improved mental health support, recruitment, and retention strategies. It highlights the importance of multicultural sensitivity, culturally relevant curriculums, and representation in academia. The extract also touches on the impact of systemic racism, implicit bias, and stereotype threat on Black students' mental health and academic performance. The discussion is nuanced and integrates emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities, warranting a high score.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 703,220 | 1 |
It's that time of year again. The back to school ads have started popping up all around us. And, while students are likely ignoring the signs that the school year is quickly approaching, most parents are counting down the days until the bell rings once again.
Back to school means another year of learning, growing, and expanding of young minds. New research suggests, however, that this learning can be significantly stunted for female students when they are aware of stereotypes impugning the intelligence or ability of their gender.
Psychologists have known for some time that when people are aware of negative stereotypes about the racial or gender groups to which they belong (e.g., "African Americans are not very intelligent" or "girls can't do math"), their performance on important tests can suffer. This phenomenon, known as stereotype threat, may help explain racial and gender gaps on standardized tests ranging from the SAT to AP Calculus tests. Now research shows that these negative stereotypes don't just jeopardize performance on tests, they actually shut down learning in the classroom.
In a study published late last month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Robert Rydell and his Indiana University colleagues asked a group of college-age women to perform a visual perception task. Before the task, some women were reminded of well-known stereotypes about women's subpar math and visual processing abilities (i.e., they were put in a stereotype threat situation). Other women were told nothing at all.
The task involved visually searching for a specific Chinese character in the middle of other distracting Chinese characters. Women were first shown the Chinese character they would be looking for (i.e., the target). Then, a display of several characters appeared. The goal was to indicate - as quickly as possible - whether the target was indeed in the display (which occurred about half the time).
Usually, as people learn this visual perception task, their ability to detect the presence of the target gets better and better. Eventually, people no longer need to search effortfully through the display. The target just "pops out" at them. Sure enough, this popout happened for women who were not reminded of negative stereotypes regarding their math and perceptual abilities. In contrast, women faced with the stereotype didn't really learn how to do the task at all.
One might wonder whether women under stereotype threat did learn, but just didn't show it. To test this, the researchers did something rather clever. Following the visual perception task, all of the women were shown two colored patches and asked to choose the patch with the greater color saturation. Superimposed on the patches was the target Chinese character the women had previously learned to search for. If people have learned to recognize these target characters, then superimposing them on the colored patches should slow down decisions about the patches' color saturation. This is because when you have spent a lot of time learning to recognize characters, objects, whatever, they pop out at you, even if you are not looking for them. Only women who were not reminded of negative gender stereotypes showed this slowing.
Dr. Rydell has work forthcoming showing impaired learning in math as a function of awareness of negative gender stereotypes as well. As it happens, women reminded that "girls can't do math" learn less in math lessons. These women have difficulty memorizing math rules and thus learn fewer mathematical facts and procedures than women who are not faced with the gender stereotype.
Although the above mentioned work was conducted with college students, it's easy to imagine how stereotype awareness in the early grades could put some girls on a slower learning path for good. A few months ago, my colleagues and I found that even as early as 1st and 2nd grade, students often endorse the stereotype that "boys are good at math and girls are good at reading." Importantly, when girls endorsed this stereotype, they showed less math learning across the school year.
Where do these stereotypes come from? We found that one source was the girls' female teachers. The more anxious a teacher was about her own math ability, the more likely girls in her class endorsed the stereotype that "boys are good at math and girls are good at reading." And, when girls endorsed this stereotype, they showed less math achievement by school year's end.
So, as we think about the start of another school year, it is worth recognizing some of the factors that might slow down students' learning in the classroom. Interestingly, it has been shown that teaching girls that stereotypes about gender and math are not true and providing them with facts to back up this assertion, helps to curb the impact of negative stereotypes on performance. Of course, this tactic may not be very effective if female teachers, through their own math anxieties, are modeling commonly held gender stereotypes to their students.
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Check out my forthcoming book Choke | <urn:uuid:ce83ed84-04c1-4b63-a40a-2274da04c363> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/choke/201008/when-negative-gender-stereotypes-hang-heavy-in-the-classroom-girls-learn-less | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394010721184/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305091201-00062-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977033 | 986 | 3.5 | 4 | The extract discusses the impact of stereotypes on learning, specifically how awareness of negative gender stereotypes can hinder female students' performance and learning in math and other subjects. It provides research-based examples and scenarios, highlighting the importance of addressing these stereotypes to promote equal learning opportunities. The content touches on emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and cultural awareness, but lacks practical application and nuanced interaction.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 975,009 | 0 |
This Monday (February 29th) is Rare Disease Day, a day dedicated to raise awareness about rare diseases and their impact on patients’ lives. The theme for 2016 is all about you, individuals and families living with a rare disease and the importance of making your voice heard.
What is a Rare Disease? Each country has a slightly different definition on what qualifies as a rare disease. In the US, a disease or disorder is defined as rare when it affects less than 200,000 Americans at any given time. Looking for a list? You can find one here, thanks to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD).
Many of the medical foods that we make here at Nutricia – like Neocate products - are used by individuals with a rare disease. Our goal is simply to improve their lives through medical nutrition. Rare diseases include some food allergy conditions, like food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) and eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE).
Why your voice is important. It is important to speak out and educate others in the medical and legislative community on the impact your rare disease has on your everyday life and what you need to make a difference in your quality of life. Now I know what you might be thinking. You are not the right person to speak to legislators or medical professionals and make a difference, and you would be wrong. Not only are you the expert on yourself and what you need to improve your quality of life, but because you belong to a unique and small community, you are also an expert on your disease.
Personal stories on what you are experiencing and what would help either through medical research or legislation is vital to instigate change. It is necessary to ensure that legislators and medical professionals remember that rare diseases and disorders are a public health priority.
Why today? Rare Disease day is always the last day in February. It’s especially “rare” this year because it’s February 29th, which only happens every four years!
Power in numbers. When a large community speaks out together, such as on a day like Rare Disease Day 2016, there is power in numbers. This day is celebrated by not only patients, but also family members, patient organizations, researchers, industry, medical professionals, and legislators all around the globe to amplify your voice to be heard across the world.
Tips for success: You may not realize that you advocate for yourself and your loved ones regularly and likely with great success. Educating family members, school classmates or faculty, coworkers, and your community members on your needs in relation to your diet and rare disease is advocating for yourself. But let’s take a moment to go over some tips to help you be a better self-advocate.
1) Know your “Ask”. Advocacy should be a call to action, so what action would you like the person or organization to take on your behalf? It is important to keep the action you are seeking or your “ask” in mind and make sure to state it at the beginning and end of the conversation so everyone is clear on how they can best help you. It can be something specific like support for a piece of legislation, or something broad like funding for research or medical coverage. Even if you are asking for something on a local level such as your school or community, make sure you are clear on what actions they can take to support you when living with a rare disease.
2) Tell Your story. There is nothing more powerful or more helpful for key people than your personal story. When key decision makers know your story and how your request will benefit you and others in your community that is the best motivation for them to help you, and motivate others to join them and get something accomplished on your behalf.
3) Maintain Communication. Once you create that relationship, make sure to keep up communication so you can encourage progress. Communication when things are going well and when a change is desired is important. Relationships with key people are important, but relationships with their staff are equally or sometimes even more important.
Check out these pages or more information on Rare Disease Day events near you, or how to get involved. Now go and tell your story!! You can share your story or read stories others have shared with the rare disease community here on the 2016 Rare Disease Day website.
In fact, the Neocate team here at Nutricia would love to hear your story and learn how our products have helped you live with your rare disease. So tell us: What’s your rare disease story?
-Kristin Crosby, MS, RDN | <urn:uuid:f2bb52ca-9073-415f-b0c2-f00de535ce0e> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://www.neocate.com/blog/rare-disease-day-2016-making-your-voice-heard/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886106367.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20170820092918-20170820112918-00681.warc.gz | en | 0.961689 | 946 | 2.859375 | 3 | The extract scores high for its discussion of soft skills, particularly in self-advocacy, communication, and storytelling. It provides practical tips and encourages individuals to share their personal stories to create change. The content also promotes emotional intelligence, empathy, and community building, while highlighting the importance of raising awareness about rare diseases.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 787,484 | 1 |
The Development of Our Sense of Self
Lecture no. 8 from the course: Effective Communication Skills
Taught by Professor Dalton Kehoe | 30 min | Categories: The Great Courses Plus Online Professional Development Courses
How does your sense of self emerge and shape your relationships to others? What are the factors that differentiate one personality from another? Examine one model—the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator—and gain invaluable tips on how different personality types can communicate successfully with each other. | <urn:uuid:16e084b9-8901-406b-9b31-1271d2d9adf5> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/effective-communication-skills/the-development-of-our-sense-of-self | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886133032.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20170824043524-20170824063524-00445.warc.gz | en | 0.905502 | 102 | 2.625 | 3 | This extract scores 3 points as it discusses soft skills, specifically communication and self-awareness, and features a realistic scenario integrating emotional intelligence and critical thinking. The inclusion of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator model provides a practical application with meaningful context, and the focus on effective communication between different personality types demonstrates cultural awareness and digital literacy.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 909,469 | 0 |
Going to university may be only one of many stages in life, but it is the best time students can decide the right career path. That is, university is the one place you could take advantage of to socialize with and benefit from a variety of calibres, university professors, etc.
College students are diamonds in the rough. Each has their own history, story, and perspective built on that. But many of them enter the university of their choosing feeling lost or stressed. (See our previous article “4 Ways a Perfect Assessment Boosts Higher Education Development“.)
Moreover, higher education students may have many concerns regarding whether they have indeed chosen the right faculty, if they should change it now before they regret it, or what specialty they should to select afterwards.
Since university professors are more experienced in life and are more connected to the labour market, they are the best to help students. This is why university professors and educators believe that teaching students is not their only role.
They see that their job also includes understanding, listening to, and supporting students. So, here are some useful ways to follow in helping students find the right career path.
1. Find the Right Career Path: Strengths-Colored Glasses
1.1. To Professors
Encourage students to view the world and themselves through ‘strength-colored glasses.’ The term ”strength-colored glasses’ was much talked about by Chip Anderson, a leading researcher in education and psychology.
As an alternative strategy, Chip once entered a conference room in his faculty and handed all the attending professors colorful plastic glasses. Then he challenged them to imagine seeing only their students’ ‘strengths’ through them.
This is pure neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). No one will truly see strength, but this is a way for them to focus on it. If they focus only on students’ strengths they will not see their weaknesses. Consequently, they will be able to connect more with the students and help them.
Surprisingly, his strategy worked. Years later, many of those professors came to Chip’s funeral holding colorful plastic glasses in appreciation to his life-changing perspective.
Wondering what’s next in the assessment tech? Check out Qorrect assessment system Youtube channel now!
1.2. To Students
If applied to students, this strategy would be a way for them to break the barriers that are stopping them from identifying themselves in their fullest potential. This may open up many opportunities for them.
For example, a student successfully used this strategy and considered it a life changer for him. Since he was young, he loved talking a lot. Unfortunately, he always considered himself a chatterbox. After applying this strategy, he found that he can use this quality to brainstorm new ideas by telling expressive, vivid stories.
Once students begin to view themselves differently, they will also start viewing their future differently. Hazel Markus, a psychologist at Stanford University, speaks about the concept of “possible selves.” They are ideas and images of ‘what you might become in the future.’ She theorizes that “this vision of what one can become motivates students to set and achieve goals.”
2. CliftonStrengths Assessment and the Labour Market
Many worldwide schools, universities, and even work institutions support conducting career assessments. Career assessments are done to help a person choose the right job or college specialty; some are free.
There are a variety of career assessments, but they mainly last for 20-40 minutes. Career assessments assess your weaknesses and strengths and offer students the right jobs for them.
Source: Ant Moran–Crystal Echo Director
However, CliftonStrengths assessment is only about positive psychology. It focuses on the points of strengths in students. When they can recognize their strengths, they will be able to identify themselves, select the best strengths suitable for the labour market and work on them.
Many people think they have only one strength to use. Sometimes, weaknesses cloud their view of their own strengths. And many times this mistake is the reason students feel lost.
That’s why the assessment designers believed that focusing on strengths rather than developing weakness is the best way to excel and succeed in your career.
Further, they saw that everyone is born with a set of talents. These talents, when developed correctly, are then shaped to be strengths that are to be recognized and used to shape your future.
“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” Confucius.
The assessment has 34 strengths branching from 4 domains: executing, influencing, relationship building, and strategic building. 21 million has taken the assessment.
I have taken the assessment myself, and in my results were 5 themes. The test was very accurate for me and my only regret is not taking it when I was in college. It explained many things I unconsciously did and did not know the reason and how to take maximum advantage of—An editorial assistant explained.
3. Qorrect: Choosing the Right Career
One of the best ways advanced technology has reached showing the right career paths for students is Qorrect. So what is Qorrect? And how can it lead students to the right career paths or specialties?
Qorrect is a smart assessment system that works in three steps (at least). First, it helps you create a balanced exam. Second, it delivers it to examinees through multiple platforms (computers, tablets, smartphones, or even printed papers). Third, it analyzes the results in a few simple steps.
3.1. Qorrect’s Features and How They Help Students
The computerized examination program has many features. However, one of its most unique features is that it stores, monitors, and tracks each student’s academic level, record, and information.
These features could be extremely useful in identifying the right career paths or specialties for students. Having all this data will assist college professors and educators in their helping their students.
Furthermore, Qorrect allows you to create exams based on the curriculum covered and the learning objective. It assesses exam items via wide variety of reporting and analytical tools and, then, offers item enhancement options. And it also connects cognitive and skills levels of the students with the exams.
Having these options will help students determine their priorities and what they want to become. It will save a lot of time for the examiners and the examinees. (Read “Cheating in Exams: Psychology behind It and How to Stop It?“)
Qorrect is now used in many faculties in Egypt. Recently, the Assessment and Evaluation Center in Tanta University agreed to implement Qorrect in 5 faculties: Medicine, Education, Law, and Literature.
Check out our blog regularly to follow the best practices and the latest technological advancements in assessments. You can also check out our website to learn more about Qorrect Assess.
- StrengthsQuest: Discover and Develop Your Strengths in Academics, Career, and Beyond, Donald O. Clifton, Edward “Chip” Anderson, and Laurie A. Schreiner, Gallup Press, NY.
- Positive Psychology in a Nutshell: The Science of Happiness, Ilona Boniwell. | <urn:uuid:1c56fa05-7c0d-4580-9e90-a6bd63225b21> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://blog.qorrectassess.com/how-to-help-students-choose-the-right-career-path/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224648635.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20230602104352-20230602134352-00060.warc.gz | en | 0.960534 | 1,515 | 2.703125 | 3 | The extract discusses the importance of university as a stage for students to decide their career path and provides strategies for professors to help students find the right career path. It highlights the value of focusing on students' strengths, using tools like CliftonStrengths assessment and Qorrect, a smart assessment system. The content demonstrates a good understanding of soft skills, including emotional intelligence, leadership, and critical thinking, and provides practical applications and real-world context.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 542,440 | 1 |
Induction or inductive reasoning, sometimes called inductive logic, is reasoning which takes us "beyond the confines of our current evidence or knowledge to conclusions about the unknown." The premises of an inductive argument support the conclusion but do not entail it; i.e. they do not ensure its truth. Induction is used to ascribe properties or relations to types based on an observation instance (i.e., on a number of observations or experiences); or to formulate laws based on limited observations of recurring phenomenal patterns. Induction is employed, for example, in using specific propositions such as:
This ice is cold. (or: All ice I have ever touched was cold.)
This billiard ball moves when struck with a cue. (or: Of one hundred billiard balls struck with a cue, all of them moved.)
...to infer general propositions such as:
All ice is cold.
All billiard balls move when struck with a cue.
Another example would be:
3+5=8 and eight is an even number. Therefore, an odd number added to another odd number will result in an even number.
Inductive reasoning has been attacked several times. Historically, David Hume denied its logical admissibility. Sextus Empiricus questioned how the truth of the Universals can be established by examining some of the particulars. Examining all the particulars is difficult as they are infinite in number. During the twentieth century, thinkers such as Karl Popper and David Miller have disputed the existence, necessity and validity of any inductive reasoning, including probabilistic (Bayesian) reasoning . Some say scientists still rely on induction but Popper and Miller dispute this: Scientists cannot rely on induction simply because it does not exist.
Note that mathematical induction is not a form of inductive reasoning. While mathematical induction maybe inspired by the non-base cases, the formulation of a base case firmly establishes it as a form of deductive reasoning.
All observed crows are black.
All crows are black.
This exemplifies the nature of induction: inducing the universal from the particular. However, the conclusion is not certain. Unless we can systematically falsify the possibility of crows of another colour, the statement (conclusion) may actually be false.
For example, one could examine the bird's genome and learn whether it's capable of producing a differently coloured bird. In doing so, we could discover that albinism is possible, resulting in light-coloured crows. Even if you change the definition of "crow" to require blackness, the original question of the colour possibilities for a bird of that species would stand, only semantically hidden.
A strong induction is thus an argument in which the truth of the premises would make the truth of the conclusion probable, but not necessary.
I always hang pictures on nails.
All pictures hang from nails.
Assuming the first statement to be true, this example is built on the certainty that "I always hang pictures on nails" leading to the generalisation that "All pictures hang from nails". However, the link between the premise and the inductive conclusion is weak. No reason exists to believe that just because one person hangs pictures on nails that there are no other ways for pictures to be hung, or that other people cannot do other things with pictures. Indeed, not all pictures are hung from nails; moreover, not all pictures are hung. The conclusion cannot be strongly inductively made from the premise. Using other knowledge we can easily see that this example of induction would lead us to a clearly false conclusion. Conclusions drawn in this manner are usually overgeneralisations.
Many speeding tickets are given to teenagers.
All teenagers drive fast.
In this example, the premise is built upon a certainty; however, it is not one that leads to the conclusion. Not every teenager observed has been given a speeding ticket. In other words, unlike "The sun rises every morning", there are already plenty of examples of teenagers not being given speeding tickets. Therefore the conclusion drawn can easily be true or false, and the inductive logic does not give us a strong conclusion. In both of these examples of weak induction, the logical means of connecting the premise and conclusion (with the word "therefore") are faulty, and do not give us a strong inductively reasoned statement.
See main article: Problem of induction.
Formal logic, as most people learn it, is deductive rather than inductive. Some philosophers claim to have created systems of inductive logic, but it is controversial whether a logic of induction is even possible. In contrast to deductive reasoning, conclusions arrived at by inductive reasoning do not have the same degree of certainty as the initial premises. For example, a conclusion that all swans are white is false, but may have been thought true in Europe until the settlement of Australia or New Zealand, when Black Swans were discovered. Inductive arguments are never binding but they may be cogent. Inductive reasoning is deductively invalid. (An argument in formal logic is valid if and only if it is not possible for the premises of the argument to be true whilst the conclusion is false.) In induction there are always many conclusions that can reasonably be related to certain premises. Inductions are open; deductions are closed. It is however possible to derive a true statement using inductive reasoning if you know the conclusion. The only way to have an efficient argument by induction is for the known conclusion to be able to be true only if an unstated external conclusion is true, from which the initial conclusion was built and has certain criteria to be met in order to be true (separate from the stated conclusion). By substitution of one conclusion for the other, you can inductively find out what evidence you need in order for your induction to be true. For example, you have a window that opens only one way, but not the other. Assuming that you know that the only way for that to happen is that the hinges are faulty, inductively you can postulate that the only way for that window to be fixed would be to apply oil (whatever will fix the unstated conclusion). From there on you can successfully build your case. However, if your unstated conclusion is false, which can only be proven by deductive reasoning, then your whole argument by induction collapses. Thus ultimately, inductive reasoning is not reliable.
The classic philosophical treatment of the problem of induction, meaning the search for a justification for inductive reasoning, was by the Scottish philosopher David Hume. Hume highlighted the fact that our everyday reasoning depends on patterns of repeated experience rather than deductively valid arguments. For example, we believe that bread will nourish us because it has done so in the past, but this is not a guarantee that it will always do so. As Hume said, someone who insisted on sound deductive justifications for everything would starve to death.
Induction is sometimes framed as reasoning about the future from the past, but in its broadest sense it involves reaching conclusions about unobserved things on the basis of what has been observed. Inferences about the past from present evidence for instance, as in archaeology, count as induction. Induction could also be across space rather than time, for instance as in physical cosmology where conclusions about the whole universe are drawn from the limited perspective we are able to observe (see cosmic variance); or in economics, where national economic policy is derived from local economic performance.
Twentieth-century philosophy has approached induction very differently. Rather than a choice about what predictions to make about the future, induction can be seen as a choice of what concepts to fit to observations or of how to graph or represent a set of observed data. Nelson Goodman posed a "new riddle of induction" by inventing the property "grue" to which induction as a prediction about the future does not apply.
The proportion Q of the sample has attribute A.
The proportion Q of the population has attribute A.
How great the support which the premises provide for the conclusion is dependent on (a) the number of individuals in the sample group compared to the number in the population; and (b) the randomness of the sample. The hasty generalisation and biased sample are fallacies related to generalisation.
A statistical syllogism proceeds from a generalization to a conclusion about an individual.
A proportion Q of population P has attribute A.
An individual I is a member of P.
There is a probability which corresponds to Q that I has A.
Simple induction proceeds from a premise about a sample group to a conclusion about another individual.
Proportion Q of the known instances of population P has attribute A.
Individual I is another member of P.
There is a probability corresponding to Q that I has A.
This is a combination of a generalization and a statistical syllogism, where the conclusion of the generalization is also the first premise of the statistical syllogism.
I has attributes A, B, and C
J has attributes A and B
So, J has attribute C
An analogy relies on the inference that the attributes known to be shared (the similarities) imply that C is also a shared property. The support which the premises provide for the conclusion is dependent upon the relevance and number of the similarities between I and J. The fallacy related to this process is false analogy. As with other forms of inductive argument, even the best reasoning in an argument from analogy can only make the conclusion probable given the truth of the premises, not certain.
Analogical reasoning is very frequent in common sense, science, philosophy and the humanities, but sometimes it is accepted only as an auxiliary method. A refined approach is case-based reasoning. For more information on inferences by analogy, see Juthe, 2005.
A causal inference draws a conclusion about a causal connection based on the conditions of the occurrence of an effect. Premises about the correlation of two things can indicate a causal relationship between them, but additional factors must be confirmed to establish the exact form of the causal relationship.
A prediction draws a conclusion about a future individual from a past sample.
Proportion Q of observed members of group G have had attribute A.
There is a probability corresponding to Q that other members of group G will have attribute A when next observed.
Of the candidate systems for an inductive logic, the most influential is Bayesianism. This uses probability theory as the framework for induction. Given new evidence, Bayes' theorem is used to evaluate how much the strength of a belief in a hypothesis should change.
There is debate around what informs the original degree of belief. Objective Bayesians seek an objective value for the degree of probability of a hypothesis being correct and so do not avoid the philosophical criticisms of objectivism. Subjective Bayesians hold that prior probabilities represent subjective degrees of belief, but that the repeated application of Bayes' theorem leads to a high degree of agreement on the posterior probability. They therefore fail to provide an objective standard for choosing between conflicting hypotheses. The theorem can be used to produce a rational justification for a belief in some hypothesis, but at the expense of rejecting objectivism. Such a scheme cannot be used, for instance, to decide objectively between conflicting scientific paradigms.
Edwin Jaynes, an outspoken physicist and Bayesian, argued that "subjective" elements are present in all inference, for instance in choosing axioms for deductive inference; in choosing initial degrees of belief or prior probabilities; or in choosing likelihoods. He thus sought principles for assigning probabilities from qualitative knowledge. Maximum entropy a generalization of the principle of indifference and transformation groups are the two tools he produced. Both attempt to alleviate the subjectivity of probability assignment in specific situations by converting knowledge of features such as a situation's symmetry into unambiguous choices for probability distributions.
Cox's theorem, which derives probability from a set of logical constraints on a system of inductive reasoning, prompts Bayesians to call their system an inductive logic.
Based on an analysis of measurement theory (specifically the axiomatic work of Krantz-Luce-Suppes-Tversky), Henry E. Kyburg, Jr. produced a novel account of how error and predictiveness could be mediated by epistemological probability. It explains how one can adopt a rule, such as PV=nRT, even though the new universal generalization produces higher error rates on the measurement of P, V, and T. It remains the most detailed procedural account of induction, in the sense of scientific theory-formation. | <urn:uuid:0105b459-3100-4413-a9b1-3b6fa98b85a8> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://everything.explained.at/Inductive_reasoning/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394021866360/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305121746-00057-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946165 | 2,573 | 4.21875 | 4 | The extract provides a comprehensive discussion of inductive reasoning, its types, and limitations, but lacks practical application and real-world context for soft skills development. It focuses on theoretical knowledge, logical constraints, and philosophical debates, with minimal consideration for teamwork, communication, or cultural awareness.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 902,386 | 0 |
In this course you will get an overview of the major religious perspectives on death and dying; Christianity, Tibetan, Buddhism, (Sogyal rinposhe and The Dalai Lama), Islam and Hinduism, The Egyptian Book of the Dead, Rudolf Steiner, and many more. At the same time you are presented with a series of contemplative tools (guided contemplations) that you can use to help someone to move on regardless of their religious creed or beliefs.
Among the many topics we deal with is prayer vigils, ethics, the use of music, near death experiences, what happens up to the moment of death, and after death; the significance of living a noble life. Some parallels between the process of death and discoveries in modern physics are also touched.
Our culture is undergoing such an unprecedented shift in our beliefs about life and death. Just a short time ago everyone tended to follow the same religion if they were from the same country, so most people tended to have the same beliefs about life, death and religion. While now, our culture is full of diverse and very different points of view about religion, life and death.
The overriding theme of this death & dying course is Compassion, which is to open our heart, to direct our energy towards someone in need, whether it is the passing of a loved one because of old age or disease, or someone somewhere dying because of the seemingly insurmountable forces of nature, it is our compassion and desire to help that can make the difference between a lonely and painful death and a meaningful one.
At the end of the course you can choose to pass an exam and receive a certificate, or you can chose not to, and still get the full benefit of the course, without the certificate.
“Everyone dies, but no one is dead”
His holiness the Dalai Lama
We all die, and having someone to talk to while dying, and someone sending love after death can be just as important for the dead and dying, as feeling loved is for every living person. Powerlessness aggravates fear while feeling able to do something meaningful eases both the feeling of powerlessness and fear.
So this course covers death from practical, religious and esoteric angles. Then gently leads you on to concrete ways of providing support for those who find themselves caring for a dying friend or relative, and tools to meditatively help those who have passed away, regardless of how long ago.
Some of us have had the painful experience of watching the suffering of a dying friend, relative or client, which is a very testing time for all involved. This course is about making a positive difference. Death is a fact. Fortunately how we cope with it is up to us. We invite you to join us in this challenging course and learn what to do to help your loved ones, those towards whom you feel compassion and ultimately yourself.
To get started or to learn more please contact us through StudyNow's system. | <urn:uuid:3b2cf611-6a0e-4fe5-bf81-9e979f608a8b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.studynow.com.au/courses/Starbridge-Centre/Death-Dying.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708144156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124224-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958182 | 600 | 2.734375 | 3 | This extract scores high for its comprehensive coverage of soft skills, particularly empathy, compassion, and cultural awareness. It integrates realistic scenarios, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking opportunities, with a strong emphasis on intercultural fluency and practical application. The course's focus on contemplative tools, ethics, and support for the dying and bereaved demonstrates a nuanced understanding of complex communication and problem-solving.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 143,420 | 1 |
LIN8015 Introduction to Sociolinguistics
|LIN||8015||1, 2010||EXT||Introduction to Sociolinguistics||1||Toowoomba|
|Student contribution band:||1|
- Reference materials
- Student workload
- Assessment details
- Important assessment information
- Assessment notes
- Other requirements
- Production date
- PDF version
STAFFINGExaminer: Kerry Taylor-Leech
Moderator: Henriette van Rensburg
Sociolinguistics is a diverse and dynamically growing area of linguistics and its scope is highly relevant to all educational contexts. Some of the key contexts include the education of minority children and speakers of non-standard language varieties as well as all contexts of foreign language education.
Language is inextricable from the society in which it is used. This course provides students with an overview of the most relevant topics concerned with the language and society, as well as language and culture. It provides educators, applied linguists and language teachers with an understanding of the social aspects of language, including the most topical issues of language planning and policy, societal aspects of language use, attitudes towards social dialects and other language varieties. This course is useful not only for teachers and educators but also for those who take advocacy in maintaining native and community languages, including language program managers at institutional as well as national levels. NOTE: Minimum enrolment numbers apply to this offering. Should enrolments not reach the minimum number required for on-campus study, students may be transferred to the EXT or WEB offering and advised of this change before semester commences.
The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course. The assessment item(s) that may be used to assess student achievement of an objective are shown in parenthesis. On completion of this course students will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the scope of sociolinguistics and identify language related issues as part of the field; (Essay and Discussion Board Journal)
- compare different language varieties, demonstrate an understanding of societal attitudes towards them and discuss their implications for education and the society as a whole; (Presentation, Essay and Discussion Board Journal)
- discuss the factors influencing the choice of different languages used as a means of communication in various contexts; (Presentation and Discussion Board Journal)
- discuss and describe the interrelationship between language and culture and how culture affects our everyday communication; (Presentation, Discussion Board Journal and Essay)
- demonstrate cross-cultural sensitivity and the ability to apply culturally sensitive and appropriate approaches in educational practices; (Presentation and Discussion Board Journal)
- compare the gender-specific characteristics of speech and develop a sensitivity to language related stereotypes; (Presentation and Discussion Board Journal)
- identify and describe factors that contribute to language death and demonstrate the ability to critically analyse and suggest ways of language revitalisation; (Presentation, Discussion Board Journal and Essay)
- suggest ways of reversing language shift and propose ways of promoting minority languages; (Presentation, Discussion Board Journal and Essay)
- discuss language policy documents of international significance; (Presentation, Discussion Board Journal and Essay)
- critically analyse language policies and language planning in the Australian context as well as in the learners' own context and offer alternative solutions. (Presentation, Discussion Board Journal and Essay)
|1.||Introduction: Definition of sociolinguistics and the sociology of language
|2.||Language, Dialects and Varities: language varieties and dialects pidgins and creoles, and language and gender
|3.||Choosing a code: Diglossia Code switching
|4.||Language and culture: Language, culture and thought, linguistic etiquette in a cross-cultural perspective
|5.||Multilingualism and language policy: Multilingualism and multiculturalism language maintenance and shift language death - language rights, and language policy and planning
TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed
ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).
Wardhaugh, R 2006, An introduction to sociolinguistics, 6th edn, Blackwell Publishers Ltd, Oxford.
Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.
(Whether you are on, or off campus, the USQ Library is an excellent source of information http://www.usq.edu.au/library. The gateway to education resources is here ... http://www.usq.edu.au/library/help/facultyguides/education/default.htm)
Holmes, J 2008, An introduction to sociolinguistics, 3rd edn, Longman, London.
STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS
|Description||Marks out of||Wtg(%)||Due date||Notes|
|ESSAY (3000 WORDS)||40||40||21 May 2010|
|PRESENTATION||30||30||28 May 2010||(see note 1)|
|DISCUSSION BOARD JOURNAL||30||30||11 Jun 2010||(see note 2)|
- 1000 Words.
- Discussion Board entries should be submitted by due date and need to reflect a continuous engagement with the course. 1000 words.
IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION
- Attendance requirements:
There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
- Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks (Depending upon the requirements in Statement 4 below, students may not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to receive a passing grade in this course.)
- Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit assignments after the due date without (prior) approval of the examiner then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late up to ten working days at which time a mark of zero may be recorded. No assignments will be accepted after model answers have been posted.
- Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
- Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
- Examination information:
There is no examination in this course.
- Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
As there are no examinations in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations.
- University Regulations:
Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm or in the current USQ Handbook.
|1.||APA style is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use APA style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The APA style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide. http://www.usq.edu.au/library/help/referencing/default.htm|
- Students must submit both assignments and the journal/discussion board entries.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: Working with Children: State law in Queensland requires that all adults (including university students, pre-service educators, trainers, vocational teachers, industry educators) working with children under the age of 18, in the state of Queensland*, obtain approval before commencing such work. Many education courses include a practical component (professional experience, project work, research, assessment etc.) that may require engagement with children under the age of 18. It is your responsibility to ensure that you possess a current suitability card (Blue Card) before commencing any practical components of this course. DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDREN UNDER 18 UNLESS YOU POSSESS A CURRENT 'BLUE CARD'. For further information: http://www.childcomm.qld.gov.au/employment/bluecard/informationSheets.html. *If you are undertaking practical experience outside the state of Queensland, Australia you should check local requirements.
This version produced 17 May 2011. | <urn:uuid:9a6f0dd5-d3d5-4486-a23d-f67373af0029> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.usq.edu.au/course/specification/2010/LIN8015-S1-2010-EXT-TWMBA.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1393999650916/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305060730-00011-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.86331 | 1,954 | 2.859375 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive outline of a university course on sociolinguistics, including learning objectives, assessment details, and required materials. While it covers various aspects of language and society, its focus is more on theoretical knowledge and academic skills rather than soft skills development. However, some course objectives, such as demonstrating cross-cultural sensitivity and critically analyzing language policies, imply the development of soft skills like cultural awareness and critical thinking.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 899,361 | 0 |
Xavi Bou spends most weekends photographing birds. Although he appreciates their plumage and mating habits and everything else nature photographers love about the animals, he isn't especially interested such things. He's far more interested in the hypnotic patterns birds create while flying.
Bou snaps hundreds of photos of birds in flight and stitches them together in Photoshop, compressing several seconds of movement into one frame. The photos in *Ornitographies *are as stunning as they are haunting. "[It] shows the hidden beauty of nature,” Bou says.
Bou started birdwatching in the 1980s with his grandfather, who took him to the Llobregat Delta wetlands of Catalonia. He now lives in Barcelona, and often visits reserves like the Lleida drylands and the Ebro Delta. While exploring the Empordá wetlands in 2011, Bou wondered what it might look like if birds left tracks as they flew. "I started to look for a technique that helped me to freeze some seconds of flight in a single picture," he says.
He tried making long exposures showing the bird's trajectory, but found the images too blurry. Bou realized he needed to combine multiple shots, a technique that draws on the chronophotography that Étienne-Jules Marey and Eadweard Muybridge pioneered in the 19th century. It worked exactly as he envisioned.
Bou uses a variety of cameras, including a Sony F27 and Blackmagic Ursa Mini 4K, and shoots 30 to 60 frames per second. A final image might include more than 600 shots woven together into amazing patterns—the black slash of starlings, the lazy loops of storks, the frenetic lines of swifts. The shapes are as varied and beautiful as the birds that created them. | <urn:uuid:130f36d8-f25a-4095-8799-cea44b79aa98> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.wired.com/2016/08/xavi-bou-ornitographies/?mbid=social_fb | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875145818.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20200223154628-20200223184628-00426.warc.gz | en | 0.956086 | 366 | 2.5625 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on the artistic and technical aspects of Xavi Bou's bird photography. There's no coverage of communication, teamwork, leadership, or problem-solving scenarios, and cultural awareness and digital literacy are only superficially present through the mention of photography techniques and tools.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 580,343 | 0 |
Human Rights Council – Universal Periodic Review
10 February 2009 (morning)
For use of information media; not an official record
· The Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review Working Group reviewed the fulfillment of human rights obligations by Mexico this morning, during which 56 Council members and observers raised a number of issues pertaining to the human rights situation in the country.
· This morning, the Working Group also adopted, ad referendum, the report on Saudi Arabia, following the review of the country on Friday, 6 February.
· Presenting the national report of Mexico was FERNANDO GÓMEZ-MONT, Minister of the Interior of Mexico, who noted that, over the last decades, Mexico has achieved historical improvements in civil liberties and political representation which have opened the doors to plurality and political alternation at all levels of government. In this process, Mexico faced two main challenges: strengthening the rule of law, where security and justice institutions were fully capable of protecting all citizens exist; and overcoming the inequalities that characterized Mexican society, particularly through poverty reduction and the eradication of extreme poverty. Mexico has brought deep transformations in the political, legal and social institutions. These transformations have allowed a more effective enjoyment of human rights in the country. According to the Constitution, international treaties on human rights were supreme law and were above federal and local laws; therefore they can be invoked before tribunals. In addition, the Congress was considering several bills to fully embody the concept of human rights in the Constitution. While clear improvements have been achieved in issues such as justice for children and adolescents, rights of the child, gender equality and access of women to a life free of violence, additional efforts were required in combating trafficking of persons, torture prevention and prosecution, rights of indigenous peoples, prevention of discrimination and protection of equality, as well as in prevention and punishment of enforced disappearances. Mexico has developed and consolidated a large number of institutions and public policies for the protection of human rights and in 1990 established its National Human Rights Commission in accordance with the Paris Principles. It was also noted that, from 2001 to 2008, Mexico ratified almost all of the international instruments on human rights, as well as their Optional Protocols.
The Minister noted that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations established a local office in Mexico in 2002, in response to an invitation from the Government. On the basis of an agreement on the continuation of its activities, the Office has made relevant contributions, such as the "2003 Diagnosis of the human rights situation in Mexico", that identified most of the challenges of the State. The Office has also performed human rights monitoring activities and has provided advice for the elaboration of the last two National Programs. A crucial challenge for Mexico on human rights was to consolidate an efficient Rule of Law that guaranteed security to Mexicans, the Minister added. Organized crime has killed citizens, journalists, prosecutors, police officers and members of the Armed Forces. Kidnappings, blackmailing and violence were used by criminal groups, as well as corruption against institutions eroding them and violating the rights of Mexicans. Nowadays, the largest threat against human rights came from organized crime. Because of this, the struggle to ensure law and order in Mexico was essentially a fight to safeguard fundamental liberties and rights of all citizens. In Mexico, both the judiciary and the permanent oversight of the autonomous human rights institutions as well as of the media and the public opinion, played a key role in ensuring that alleged violations of human rights were investigated and prosecuted. The National Program on Human Rights included the commitment of the military forces to promote reforms in the field of prosecution and administration of justice before military tribunals in accordance with Mexico's international obligations. The Ministry of Defence has specialized units to receive and process complaints and recommendations from autonomous human rights bodies through administrative and criminal procedures, including redress procedures. Moreover, the Government of Mexico has launched an in-depth-transformation of the criminal justice system with two main goals: to end impunity and to strengthen the State capacities for crime prosecution, with full respect for human rights. In 2008 the Reform to Public Security and the Criminal Justice System was approved.
For the Mexican State, freedom of expression was an indispensable condition of democracy, the Minister stated. The Federal Executive has just introduced a Bill to Congress to consider attacks against journalists as federal crimes and to make federal authorities responsible for the investigation of these crimes. This Bill was currently being discussed by Congress. Mexico was convinced that defending freedom of expression was safeguarding a cornerstone of the democratic rule of law. The fight against torture was also a priority of the Mexican Government. From a legal point of view, the Constitution of Mexico prohibits torture, and national and federal legislation has been enacted to this effect. It was noted that Mexico had a Federal Law to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination and a National Council on this issue, which included a conciliatory system to address complaints in order to punish any discriminatory behaviour. As to the killing of women, especially in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua, the State institutions were working with civil society in order to fully address these crimes and, above all, to prevent them. Both at the national level and in the case of Ciudad Juarez, important efforts were underway for the enhancing of legislation, institution-strengthening and allocation of a budget. The Federal Government has also undertaken important steps in shifting from welfare to a rights-based approach when addressing needs of vulnerable groups instead of assistance ones. Respect for the rights of indigenous peoples was also a priority. Through the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples, different programs were implemented in order to overcome this situation. The Government of Mexico was also strongly committed to the fight and eradication of poverty and since 2002 the goal of reducing by half, before 2015, the percentage of people living on one US dollar a day has been achieved.
· During the three-hour interactive discussion delegations noted a number of positive achievements of the State under review. These included the abolition of the death penalty; accession to the core human rights instruments; extending a standing invitation to the United Nations Special Procedures; measures to combat poverty; progress achieved in the areas of health and education; the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission and other national institutions aimed at upholding human rights; the promotion of the rights of migrants; efforts to combat corruption and crime; the enactment of the National Agreement on Security, Justice and Legality; Mexico’s cooperation with the international community on human rights matters; measures taken to combat drug trafficking; the efforts to address cases of forced disappearances; and progress made in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. A number of delegations also thanked Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba of Mexico for the key role he played during the institution-building phase of the Human Rights Council in his capacity as the first President of the Council.
· Issues and questions raised by the Working Group, comprised of the 47 members of the Council, and Observers participating in the interactive discussion related to the existing legal provisions on respecting the freedom of religion; measures undertaken to strengthen the freedom of expression and of the press; the existence of a human rights code of conduct for law enforcement and security personnel; efforts to reverse the trend of threats against journalists and whether the new Bill addressed such acts; when the Mexican army will completely withdraw from public security tasks; plans to investigate acts of torture and violence committed by security forces; the State’s policy to address cases of domestic violence and violence against women; efforts to improve the implementation of the law on the protection of women from violence; specific measures taken to combat impunity for acts of violence, particularly acts committed against women; the application of the General Law on Women’s Access to a Life Free of Violence; the results of investigations into the killings of women in Ciudad Juarez; efforts to combat child labour; and the status of implementation of legislation to combat child prostitution and sexual exploitation.
Other issues and questions pertained to the efforts exerted to uphold the rights of migrant workers and people with disabilities; challenges faced in ratifying the Convention of the Rights of Migrant Workers and All Members of Their Families; measures envisaged to ensure that all children were afforded education; details of the local repatriation arrangements for migrants from neighbouring countries; measures in place to eliminate restrictions on trade union rights; the effects of the "Living Better Strategy"; the Alliance for Quality Education Programme; steps being taken to address the problem of unemployment triggered buy the recent economic and financial crisis; plans to involve civil society in the follow-up to the UPR; and how the Millennium Development Goals had been integrated into national strategies.
· A number of delegations also posed specific recommendations. These included: To ensure the full realization of the rights of migrants; to continue to promote the Convention of the Rights of Migrant Workers and All Members of Their Families; to put more efforts to address high mortality and malnutrition rates among indigenous populations; to harmonize national and local legislation to strengthen measures to combat discrimination against women and indigenous peoples; to ensure effective access to education for all children, particularly migrant and indigenous children; to continue efforts to ensure the rights of all vulnerable populations, especially the right to food; to strengthen efforts to raise awareness of indigenous rights, languages and customs by providing guidance and training to military and local levels; to improve access to justice for indigenous peoples; to increase school enrolment rates of indigenous children; to continue efforts to combat poverty; to attach particular attention to indigenous population in its efforts to combat poverty; to continue to strengthen programmes aimed at creating growth and employment and combating poverty; and to eliminate employment wage gaps.
Other recommendations included: To take effective measures to combat violence and discrimination against women, including cases of murder and disappearances; to strengthen measures to protect and provide assistance to victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking, with special emphasis on children victims; to address the problems of street children by providing them with State protection and vocational training; to take measures to ensure that children were protected from corporal punishment and other forms of violence or exploitation; to provide adequate funding for investigations and victim support programmes for women victims of violence and special training for the police to sensitize them to the problem of violence against women; to conduct a time-bound review of legislation at State level which discriminated against women; to encourage State authorities to implement the Law on Women’s Access to a Life Free of Violence; and to redouble efforts to reduce the number of maternal deaths, especially among indigenous women.
Mexico was also encouraged to take all necessary measures to effectively prevent all acts of torture; to investigate alleged cases of torture and other human rights abuses committed by police, military and security personnel; to put an end to the climate of impunity; to create the proper legal framework that gave the Special Prosecutor for Crimes Against Journalists independence to investigate and indict perpetrators; to review legislation governing radio, television and communication and follow up the Supreme Courts order to submit legislative initiative for a new legal framework permitting diversity in the media; to ensure an effective policy to combat organized crime and corruption; to endorse a definition of organized crimes consistent with the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime; to take additional measures to improve the situation in prisons and the training of prison officials; and to put an end to the Arraigo system (three-month detention without charges).
Additionally, States recommended that Mexico provide sufficient resources to the criminal justice system and prison system in an effort to reduce the sentencing backlog; take additional measures to improve prison conditions; review the Code of Military Justice with a view to extending the jurisdiction of civil cases involving violations of human rights by the military; bolster the work of the Federal Special Prosecutor so as to better investigate cases; ensure that human rights training was provided for prison, military and security staff; continue enforcing the Bill on enforced and involuntary disappearances; abolish military jurisdiction; adopt necessary measures to harmonize national legislation with international instruments ratified; and withdraw reservations to international human rights instruments to which Mexico was a party.
Other recommendations included: To increase the effectiveness of precautionary measures to protect human rights defenders; to publicly recognize the important role of human rights defenders and NGOs in the protection of human rights in Mexico; to take more effective measures to tackle violence towards journalists; to ensure journalists were able to work freely and in a safe environment; that crimes against human rights defenders and journalists and lawyers were effectively investigated and prosecuted and that those responsible were punished; and to ensure the freedom of demonstrations.
· Members States taking the floor during the interactive discussion were Brazil, Egypt, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Cuba, Ukraine, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Canada, Belgium, Germany, Chile, Nigeria, China, Italy, France, the Republic of Korea, India, Argentina, Bangladesh, Switzerland, Jordan, Japan, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.
· Observer States participating in the discussion were Algeria, Morocco, Spain, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Portugal, Bolivia, Sweden, Austria, Vietnam, Turkey, New Zealand, Tunisia, Norway, Finland, Ireland, Palestine, the Holy See, Denmark, Honduras, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Syria, Panama and Ecuador.
· The 25-person delegation of Mexico consisted of representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, the Department of Foreign Relations, the Department of National Defense, the National System for the Integral Development of the Family, the National Institute for Women, the Office of the Attorney General, the Department of Public Security, the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples and the Permanent Mission of Mexico to International Organizations in Geneva.
· The three Council members serving as rapporteurs – troika - for the review of Mexico are South Africa, Pakistan and Nicaragua.
· In accordance with its institution-building package, the three documents on which State reviews should be based are information prepared by the State concerned, which could be presented either orally or in writing; information contained in the reports of treaty bodies and Special Procedures, to be compiled in a report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); and information provided by other relevant stakeholders to the UPR including non-governmental organizations, national human rights institutions, human rights defenders, academic institutions and research institutes, regional organizations, as well as civil society representatives, also to be summarized by OHCHR in a separate document. The reports on Mexico can be found here.
· Adoption of report on Saudi Arabia: The three Council members serving as the troika for the report on Saudi Arabia are Germany, Madagascar and Qatar. Introducing the report FAISAL ABDULLA AL-HENZAB (Qatar) made some amendments to the draft report, before which he noted that Saudi Arabia was open to suggestions and recommendations posed by States and expressed its views on a number of these recommendations. Representing the State under review, ZAID AL-HUSSAIN, Vice President of the Human Rights Commission, paid tribute to the UPR process whose results positively reflected on all States. From the national point of view, drafting the report should involve the views of civil society as should the follow-up to the review. The Government attached importance to the recommendations reflected in the report and would report back on them at the 11th session of the Human Rights Council in June.
· The UPR Working Group is scheduled to adopt the report of Mexico on Friday, 13 February.
· When the UPR Working Group continues its work this afternoon at 2:30 a.m. it will review the fulfillment of human rights obligations by Mauritius after which it is scheduled to adopt the report of Senegal.
Additional information on the Universal Periodic Review mechanism can be located at the UPR webpage - http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/UPRMain.aspx. To access the webcast for the UPR session please visit http://www.un.org/webcast/unhrc/index.asp. | <urn:uuid:bcbccc2e-5231-4494-8d17-94aed2eab22f> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/Highlights10February2009am.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1393999636018/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305060716-00090-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953913 | 3,239 | 2.578125 | 3 | The extract provides a detailed account of the Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review of Mexico, including discussions, recommendations, and interactions among member states. While it demonstrates a high level of complexity and nuance in addressing human rights issues, it lacks direct application to soft skills development, such as leadership, teamwork, or communication skills. However, it indirectly promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and cultural awareness through its discussion of complex human rights scenarios and international cooperation.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 783,181 | 0 |
Pre-kindergarteners hear and understand language through conversations, stories, and songs. They also lay the groundwork for reading and writing as they explore books and other printed material.
Understand and use new words.
Use language to express a variety of ideas and needs, like telling a story, explaining, or making a request.
Understand and speak in increasingly complex ways; for example, use longer sentences, and understand and ask questions with words like who or what.
Engage in classroom conversations, and use conversational skills like taking turns speaking, and responding to what a friend has to say.
Explore sounds; for example, detect the beginning and ending sounds of familiar words and names, or listen for words that rhyme.
Pre-kindergarteners are laying the groundwork for reading and writing. Here’s how you can help.
Learn about letters of the alphabet; for example, recognize and name letters, understand that letters are associated with a sound or sounds, and name some of those sounds.
Appreciate print and understand that it carries meaning. Recognize common print, such as familiar signs and logos.
Understand the way print works: that it moves from left to right and top to bottom, and that letters are grouped to form words.
Show enthusiasm for books; for example, pretend to read a book, or listen to stories read aloud. Ask and answer questions about a story, or retell information using words, pictures, or movement.
Understand how books work; for example, how to hold a book correctly, turn the pages from front to back, and recognize features such as the title or author.
Actively engage with a wide variety of rich texts including stories, poems, plays, and informational books read aloud.
Explore writing and recognize that it’s a way of communicating. Experiment with writing tools; use scribbling, shapes, letter-like forms, or letters to represent ideas.
Copy, trace, or independently write letters. | <urn:uuid:d49c7a1a-1b44-4ce1-a11f-c7b71cc778dc> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | http://www.parenttoolkit.com/academics/benchmarks/english-language-arts/pre-k-english-language-arts-skills | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585371803248.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20200407152449-20200407182949-00464.warc.gz | en | 0.928865 | 413 | 4.71875 | 5 | The extract focuses on foundational language and literacy skills for pre-kindergarteners, covering basic communication concepts and introductory teamwork skills like conversational turn-taking. It lacks depth in complex problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and cultural awareness.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 767,088 | 0 |
Whether you’re prepping for a disaster or trying to keep your pantry stocked, there is a distinct advantage to buying long lasting supermarket foods. These foods are packaged to retain their nutrition and flavor during long-term storage. They come in handy for everyday use and for when you’re out of other groceries, such as during a winter storm. However, no food lasts forever. Even long term storage items have expiration dates and special ways they need to be stored.
Canned foods are a common choice for long term storage because they can last years and come in a wide variety of selections. Only buy shelf-safe food when purchasing canned goods for long term storage. Canned goods that require refrigeration, such as some types of canned meat, will not last a significant amount of time. Never buy or eat canned goods that are dented or rusted, as this can cause damage to the food inside. For the longest shelf life, purchase low-acid canned foods. These foods, such as corn and meat, can last anywhere from two to five years. High-acid foods, such as tomatoes and citrus, can last anywhere from 12 to 18 months. However, to determine the exact freshness date, you must check the can.
Dried goods have much of the moisture removed from the food to help with preservation. Common dried goods for long term storage include rice, pasta and beans. Rice and pasta can last up to two years when properly stored. Dried beans can last around one year in proper storage conditions. Other dried goods, such as grains and vegetables, have a shelf life that depends entirely on the exact type of food and packaging. The only way to know how long a dried good will last is to check the expiration date. Regardless of the type, it’s important to buy dried goods that are sealed in waterproof packaging, such as plastic, for long-term storage. Dried goods stored in poorly sealed containers can spoil much faster, not to mention get wet and dirty.
Freeze dried food is dehydrated food that has most of the moisture removed in a special process that prevents ice crystals. Freeze-dried foods tend to offer a better preserved flavor than dehydrated foods. However, freeze-dried foods are made to be mixed with water, whereas many dehydrated foods may be eaten plain. Freeze dried foods good for long term storage include fruits, vegetables, meats and grains. Like dehydrated foods, freeze-dried foods can last for years, depending on the exact food in question. Claims vary from company to company, with some even claiming their food lasts decades. As with all supermarket foods, you need to check the sell-by date to know the exact shelf life. Freeze dried foods have limited selections at most large-chain supermarkets, but ample selections are available at many specialty supermarkets.
All food is best stored in a dry and cool area, regardless of type. Storing food in a dry area helps prevent spoiling due to moisture. Storing it in a cool area helps prevent spoiling due to heat. For best results, store your food in an area that is cool, but constant, in temperature. Dramatic temperature changes and extreme heat or cold can affect the quality of the stored food.
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A writer since 2000, Aya Pauli has covered a variety of topics including food, fashion, beauty, health, parenting, education, decor and crafts. Her award-winning recipes have been published in food magazines such as "Taste of Home," and she is also the author of a salad cookbook. Pauli's craft projects appear in major manufacturer websites, including Dow Styrofoam. She also holds a CDA in early childhood education and works as a preschool teacher in Wyoming. | <urn:uuid:5f421ddd-ccf6-4e3b-8661-6fe28cbb7162> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://oureverydaylife.com/longest-lasting-supermarket-foods-long-term-storage-20660.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296949506.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20230330225648-20230331015648-00606.warc.gz | en | 0.953149 | 989 | 2.53125 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing solely on informative content about food storage and preservation. It provides basic information without practical application, emotional intelligence, or complex problem-solving opportunities.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 283,479 | 0 |
Louisville Native Pushes To Erect Monuments Of Women Nationwide
Three years ago, when Louisville native Asya Akca left town to attend the University of Chicago, there were no public monuments of women in the city.
Prior to moving, Akca remembered making a video with the group Louisville Girls Leadership in which she asked public officials and leaders about their favorite city monument: Thomas Jefferson and Henry Clay were popular responses.
Then, the same group was asked about their favorite city monument of a woman. The respondents were pretty quiet at that point.
And for good reason. It would be another year before Louisville saw its first public monument of a woman — a statue of Mother Catherine Spalding that was installed in 2015 outside the Cathedral of the Assumption.
Louisville isn’t alone in its lack of public monuments of women; according to a report by The Washington Post, less than eight percent of public outdoor sculptures of individuals in the United States are of women.
“It just always upset me,” Akca said. “I always believed that if young girls had role models that they could look up to — really strong female role models or individuals that they could envision — that they would be inspired to pursue similar roles.”
So, Akca decided to do something about it.
She, along with fellow University of Chicago student Shae Omonijo, founded the organization “Monumental Women,” which raises funds for public statues of historic women that can be erected on campuses and in communities.
The group is installing its first statue this week on the University of Chicago campus. It will be of Dr. Georgiana Rose Simpson, one of the first African-American women to earn a Ph.D. in the United States.
Akca hopes the mission of “Monumental Women” will inspire other college campuses and cities to make similar strides — especially as public memorials to monuments, including those of the Confederacy, become topics of national discussion and reflection.
“The conversation about replacing those [monuments] with others that share a more full picture of our history and what happened is really critical,” Akca said. “And I hope we can continue that conversation.”
Featured Image: Monumental Women co-founders Asya Aka and Shae Omonijo. | <urn:uuid:a3f22506-d4e6-4e31-b0f9-2597477d440e> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.lpm.org/news/2017-11-27/louisville-native-pushes-to-erect-monuments-of-women-nationwide | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224649293.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20230603133129-20230603163129-00109.warc.gz | en | 0.963992 | 485 | 2.796875 | 3 | The extract scores 3 points as it includes discussion of soft skills such as leadership, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking through Asya Akca's initiative to address the lack of women's monuments. The scenario integrates realistic challenges and opportunities for problem-solving, with a focus on cultural awareness and practical application. However, it lacks complex, multi-contextual scenarios and sophisticated technological adaptation.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 870,059 | 0 |
Northeastern alum wins poster competition
When Dan Shea was an undergraduate at Northeastern’s College of Science, he spent much of his time hanging out with a plant. Or parts of a plant, anyway: Cell cultures from the California poppy. The plant produces a group of molecules called BPAs, not to be confused with the polymers plaguing water bottles and microwave dinners, but rather a class of anti-cancer drugs that also has anti-microbial properties. Shea was working to increase production of the compound using techniques developed in the lab of Carolyn Lee-Parsons, whom I wrote about last week.
He focused on two approaches. First, he tried to increase BPA production by infiltrating the cell culture system with hefty loads of purified yeast extract. The California poppy makes BPA to protect itself from pathogens, Shea told me, and this yeast attack mimics pathogen impact, setting off a spike in BPA production.
He also worked with an extracting agent (cleverly named XAD-7) to pull the BPA molecules out of the cells to overcome the negative feedback effect that naturally takes place. Normally, once BPA levels reach a certain point, the cell shuts down production. By removing the chemical, cells never get the message to stop working. This work allowed him to increase BPA production 65-fold, said Shea. “These results are encouraging, as increasing BPA production using cell culture can have real world applications in industry if production can be increased enough.”
Shea’s work, which he presented at a poster presentation in the spring, earned him an award from the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering.
He’s now enrolled in graduate school at Johns Hopkins University where he was recently accepted into a research lab that uses micro-fluidic channels to study cancer metastasis. “By adjusting the characteristics of the channels, one can mimic in vivo conditions providing a physiologically relevant environment for the study of cancer metastasis,” said Shea. | <urn:uuid:a87d30db-5fa3-459f-b712-efaa2e3a2e86> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://www.northeastern.edu/insolution/other/2012/12/2182/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386163049486/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204131729-00028-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951657 | 412 | 2.625 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on a scientific achievement and research experience. While it showcases problem-solving and critical thinking, it does not explicitly address communication, teamwork, or leadership skills. The context is also limited to a specific scientific field, lacking cultural awareness and digital literacy elements.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 499,022 | 0 |
Young children are like little detectives trying to figure out their world. When you realize this, you can help them understand their lives which brings huge benefits. What do I mean by this?
First, think of a preschool class on the first day of school. The children exhibit a wide range of behaviors; some are crying, some are exploring the classroom, some are sitting quietly playing with a puzzle or coloring, and one or two are usually running around in circles. Why do they look like ants who's ant hill has been kicked apart? Because they don't understand the preschool setting and schedule yet.
If you return and look at the same group of children just a week or two later, you will see a completely different scene. The children know where to put their coats, they know what to do at circle or meeting time, they understand that snack time and outdoor playtime happen at the end of the day, just before they get picked up.
So how can this knowledge help you as a parent? Help your child understand their life in your home. Communicate their daily schedule to them. Let them know at bedtime, what tomorrow will be like. As you follow this simple ritual, you are helping your child develop trust in you and confidence in themselves
When children know what to expect they feel calm and confident, but when their lives feel chaotic, they feel stress. A stressed child is more likely to act out and be unsettled, where as a child who is calm, is better able to develop self control. And a child who hears you tell them about what to expect the next day, and then sees it come to fruition develops a sense of trust in you. This is paramount to being able to successfully parent your child. Trust is a key component to any human relationship, and building trust between you and your child is a priceless accomplishment--and will serve you well as they grow up. | <urn:uuid:26fc30cf-4f36-45ff-a7a4-ec872ea00163> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://www.splashparenting.com/2013/04/your-child-is-detective.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549424961.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20170725042318-20170725062318-00043.warc.gz | en | 0.979843 | 384 | 2.84375 | 3 | The extract discusses the importance of communication and establishing trust in parent-child relationships, promoting emotional intelligence and confidence in children. It provides a realistic scenario and practical application, but lacks nuanced interaction, complex problem-solving, and comprehensive coverage of multiple soft skills.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 458,729 | 0 |
5 Ways to Help Kids Develop Grit Because Self-Esteem is Overrated8 min read
If you’ve been concerned that your child’s low self-esteem might keep him or her from reaching their full potential, think again. Parents need to help kids develop grit.
If you completed college Psychology 101 like I did, you learned that self-esteem is measured by the amount of positive regard people have for themselves. Perhaps you, like me, walked away from that class with the impression that achieving a high amount of self-esteem is necessary for happiness, success and better life choices. This idea is due in part to the teaching of psychologist Abraham Maslow.
Maslow is best known for his “hierarchy of needs.” The needs, when mastered, enable self-actualization. Self-actualization, in Maslow’s definition, is recognition and realization of your greatest potential.
Sounds good. But, Maslow’s way of realizing your greatest potential relies on developing and mastering a positive self-esteem. Neither the Bible nor science support this notion.
Researchers from four major universities looked at the scientific literature on self-esteem, and came to the following conclusions:
• High self-esteem doesn’t improve school performance, but strong school performance boosts self-esteem.
• Self-esteem has not been shown to predict the quality or duration of relationships.
• Leadership doesn’t stem from high self-esteem.
• High self-esteem does not prevent children from smoking, drinking, taking drugs, or engaging in early sex. Children with high self-esteem appear more likely to experiment with these things.
The Bible identifies God as the source of our greatest potential. As I say, God designed you to thrive. In fulfilling His plan for us, God “is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,” (Ephesians 3:30 ESV).
Of the personal qualities we can develop, Maslow’s hierarchy is missing grit. The latest science says grit is essential to becoming all that you can be. To become all that God designed us to be, the Bible calls us to be steadfast and persevere (1 Corinthians 15:58, 2 Peter 1:5-6, James 1:2-4), and to endure (Luke 21:19)—these are synonyms for grit.
What is Grit and How Do You Get It?
Grit is defined as courage and resolve. It comes from a strong sense of who you are. It fuels the perseverance that keeps us going when the going gets rough. It helps us stand up when faced with opposition.
Angela Duckworth, a research psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, is one of the leading researchers of human grit. Duckworth recently published many of her findings in her bestselling book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Her popular TED Talk on grit has been viewed over 10 million times! Her studies have identified five traits of people who have high levels of grit. These traits can be developed in children (and adults) to help them thrive in the face of opposition and oppression.
1) Support Their Interests
Your child may not apply for, or graduate with the right major, or land the perfect job their first time out. I changed my college major twice, and have changed my career path at least four times since graduating with my bachelor’s degree. I was almost 50 when I discovered my passion for doing what I do now.
Discovering one’s calling requires exploration. Some discover the treasure early, and for others it happens later in life.
At three or four years old, most children learn the power of asking “why.” Kids at this age are naturally curious. Their interest in the world drives them to ask questions.
Around 11 to 12 years old, kids develop curiosity about different vocations that draws them toward some, and away from others. It’s unlikely they’ll settle on a career choice at this age. They need more information.
Don’t act hastily by pushing your child to make a career choice. Encourage them to explore their interests, and to be curious about vocations that might look unappealing at first glance. Some careers might look uninteresting to a person until they see it up close.
A foundation for developing grit is laid when we find an interest that we’re so passionate about, we choose to pursue it with passion. It’s unlikely to happen while your child is living at home. It’s more likely to take years.
As your child explores interests, encourage them.
2) Encourage Deliberate Practice
A notable difference between individuals who develop grit and those who don’t is how they practice what they want to master.
The average person puts in the time with little regard for what they’re learning or how they’re developing their skill. They watch the clock. The person who excels pursues their passion with intensity, looks for their weaknesses, and puts all their effort into developing strengths. They focus on themselves and their performance.
Perhaps you have noticed that children who master a musical instrument, such as the violin, are often above average in their educational and career achievements. The mastery of the instrument helped them develop grit.
The practice required for mastery of a skill requires an intensity that is above average. That’s why it’s important for a child to choose to master something they enjoy. Their passion for their interest will sustain them through hours of learning and difficult practice sessions.
The pursuit of a skill until it’s mastered teaches a child that success comes from perseverance. Tell your child that you’re impressed with their efforts to develop mastery. Help them celebrate major milestones, like winning competitions, earning diplomas or certificates, or making sales. Mastery of a skill will cultivate a sense of accomplishment that will give a child confidence in their ability to face, tackle and solve new challenges in school, work, and relationships.
3) Cultivate Purpose
Help your child develop a sense of purpose for what they choose to master. Mastery that is only self-serving is empty. To develop grit, a child’s purpose needs to be tied to something greater than self-interest.
When asked, persons with a high-caliber of grit will tell you they pursue their passion for a greater good. For example, their purpose may be tied to serving God, to serving or improving their community, or benefiting their spouse or children.
Three bricklayers were asked what they were doing. The first said, “I’m laying bricks.” He had a job. The second said, “I’m building a church.” He had a career. The third answered, “I’m building the house of God.” He’d found his purpose.
People with grit often view themselves as having a calling. The greater their sense of purpose, the higher they measure in grit.
Explore with your child how mastering their passion will make the world a better place for at least one other person. It will help if you’ve identified your own sense of purpose for what you pursue with passion, and talk about it with your child.
4) Instill Hope
People with grit explain setbacks optimistically. Rather than focus on their failures, people with grit focus on what they can learn from failure.
Help your child develop what researchers have called a “growth mindset.” The growth mindset is the belief that people can change and develop new skills that change us physically. People with a growth mindset stand in contrast to people with a “fixed mindset.” The fixed mindset is the belief that people’s capacity to learn skills is physically limited.
It was once believed intelligence was fixed over the span of a person’s life. In other words, a person’s ability to solve problems was thought to be determined by their heredity and would thus limit what they could achieve in life. Science has since demonstrated that intelligence can be improved and brain structure changed by exercising the problem-solving ares of our brain, such as by learning new math skills.
Encourage optimistic self-talk by the way you talk with your child by thrilling them you believe in their ability to learn and grow. Cheer them on when you hear them use optimistic self-talk, especially when the going gets rough. And encourage them to ask for help when they have trouble being hopeful.
5) Choose Gritty Friends
In the United States, scouting has a legacy of helping kids develop grit, preparing them to succeed as adults. Former Boy Scouts who have thrived as adults include civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., former President John F. Kennedy, and baseball legend Hank Aaron. Former Girl Scouts include who have thrived as adults include First Ladies Laura Bush and Michelle Obama, retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Conner, and tennis champion Venus Williams.
Peer pressure has a powerful influence on kids. While much has been said about the negative influences of peer pressure, positive peer pressure can help kids become better versions of themselves.
We’ve all experienced it. The norms and values of the people we spend the most time with eventually become our norms and values. We become the sum of the people we spend the most time with.
Help your child choose friends and associates that challenge them to grow. Scouting clubs, 4-H, and church youth groups are examples of organized efforts that are often designed to challenge kids with above-average norms and values.[Tweet “5 Ways to Help Kids Develop Grit Because Self-Esteem is Overrated” #parenting]
How are you helping your child develop grit? What helped you develop grit? What signs of grit do you see in yourself or your child? Tell me about it in a comment below, with a Voice Mail, Facebook Messenger or the Contact Me form.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:d506fdee-8ad3-47f5-baf1-db4c1a4ec178> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.jonbeaty.com/5-ways-to-help-kids-develop-grit-self-esteem/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875141396.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20200216182139-20200216212139-00190.warc.gz | en | 0.964745 | 2,131 | 2.921875 | 3 | The extract discusses the development of grit in children, highlighting its importance over self-esteem. It provides five ways to help kids develop grit, including supporting their interests, encouraging deliberate practice, cultivating purpose, instilling hope, and choosing gritty friends. The article integrates emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities, making it a valuable resource for professional development.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 416,780 | 1 |
Current views of sustainable development recognize the importance of accepting the Indigenous Knowledge (IK) of rural people. However, there is an increasing technological gap between Elder IK holders and the younger generation and a persistent incompatibility between IK and the values, logics and literacies embedded, and supported by ICT. Here, we present an evaluation of new technology that might bridge generations and preserve key elements of local IK in Namibia. We describe how we applied insights, generated by ethnographic, dialogical and participatory action research, in designing a structure in which users can store, organize and retrieve user-generated videos in ways that are compatible with their knowledge system. The structure embeds videos in a scenario-based 3D visualization of a rural village. It accounts for some of the ways this rural community manages information, socially, spatially and temporally and provides users with a recognizable 3D simulated environment in which to re-contextualize de-contextualized video clips. Our formative in situ evaluation of a prototype suggests the visualization is legible to community members, provokes participation in design discussions, offers opportunities for local appropriation and may facilitate knowledge sharing between IK holders and more youthful IK assimilators. Simultaneously differing interpretations of scenarios and modeled objects reveal the limitations of our modeling decisions and raises various questions regarding graphic design details and regional transferability.
Keywords: 3D visualization, indigenous knowledge, rural, Africa, design
Kasper Rodil (Department of Architecture, Design, and Media Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark)
Heike Winschiers-Theophilus (School of Information Technology, Polytechnic of Namibia, Namibia)
Nicola J Bidwell (CSIR-Meraka, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, South Africa; and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth South Africa)
Søren Eskildsen (Department of Architecture, Design, and Media Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark)
Matthias Rehm (Department of Architecture, Design, and Media Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark)
Gereon Koch Kapuire (School of Information Technology, Polytechnic of Namibia, Namibia)
For information about INTERACT2011 (where this paper was presented), please visit their website. | <urn:uuid:2a3f873a-b6c0-4aea-b7f6-c74dc71332f1> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://www.ethnosproject.org/a-new-visualization-approach-to-re-contextualize-indigenous-knowledge-in-rural-africa/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886104204.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20170818005345-20170818025345-00267.warc.gz | en | 0.873263 | 467 | 2.515625 | 3 | The extract discusses a project that aims to bridge the technological gap between Elder Indigenous Knowledge holders and the younger generation in Namibia. It showcases a 3D visualization tool designed to preserve local IK, demonstrating cultural awareness and digital literacy. The project's collaborative and participatory approach promotes teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 785,898 | 1 |
Gender and Climate Change. Overview Report
„The absence of women, particularly those from the global South, from national and international discussions and decision-making on climate change and development must change. The battle to protect the environment is not solely about technological innovation – it is also about empowering women and their communities to hold their governments accountable for results.‟
Mary Robinson and Wangari Maathai (Huffington Post 2010)
Why focus on gender and climate change?
Climate change is increasingly being recognised as a global crisis, but responses to it have so far been overly focused on scientific and economic solutions, rather than on the significant human and gender dimensions. This report highlights the need to put people at the centre of climate change responses, paying particular attention to the challenges and opportunities that climate change presents in the struggle for gender equality.
It advocates for an approach in which women and men have an equal voice in decision-making on climate change and broader governance processes and are given equal access to the resources necessary to respond to the negative effects of climate change; where both women‟s and men‟s needs and knowledge are taken into account and climate change policymaking institutions and processes at all levels are not biased towards men or women; and where the broad social constraints that limit women‟s access to strategic and practical3resources no longer exist.
The report shows that there is much to learn from innovative, gender-aware approaches to climate change that are already happening at the local level, led by non-governmental organisations, communities and individuals, which are leading to transformations in gender and social inequalities in some cases. National, regional and international initiatives are also playing a key role in promoting the need to integrate gender dimensions into all climate change policy and practice. | <urn:uuid:4bb33ef0-79af-48f3-8ebc-3fd75f361b5a> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | http://genderportal.eu/resources/gender-and-climate-change-overview-report | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224645089.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20230530032334-20230530062334-00252.warc.gz | en | 0.944372 | 356 | 3.4375 | 3 | The extract scores high for its discussion of soft skills, particularly in the context of gender equality, climate change, and decision-making. It highlights the importance of equal voice, access to resources, and consideration of needs and knowledge for both women and men. The report promotes a nuanced understanding of the human and gender dimensions of climate change, demonstrating emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 541,121 | 1 |
Lessons in online safety from Frankenstein and Jurassic Park
“The technology has become like a phantom limb, it is so much a part of them. These young people are among the first to grow up with an expectation of continuous connection: always on, and always on them. And they are among the first to grow up not necessarily thinking of simulation as second best. All of this makes them fluent with technology but brings a set of new insecurities.”
― Sherry Turkle, Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other
For years, I have loved discussing Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” with students. I enjoy the conversations around the story, how the actual tale may differ from the popular culture version they may know, and the relevance of the novel to today’s world. In particular, we talk about the tension between a society’s technical knowledge and its code of ethics. Sometimes they see a parallel between Dr. Frankenstein’s world and today’s moral quandaries, particularly in cyberspace. As with other tectonic shifts, our societal sense of right and wrong has lagged behind our technological advancements. In the first Jurassic Park movie, the scientist Dr. Malcolm states, “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
In many ways, this is the dilemma facing today’s youth as they learn how to navigate the internet in general and social media in particular. We have given them amazing tools to communicate, research, learn, and entertain themselves. They have the world at their fingertips, and there’s little they cannot do on a phone that is essentially a small computer.
In some ways, their cyber world is just an extension of their physical space. A review of writer and researcher Danah Boyd’s book “ It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens,” states, “ Teenagers’ current exploration of and struggles with identity, privacy, addiction, bullying, risk taking, literacy, inequalities, and being public (the chapters that make up the book) are similar to the processes that we witnessed before there was digital media.”
While much of what is done in a teen’s online life, though, may resemble that of an earlier generation, the difference in potential impact raises enough red flags to be considered an entirely new and different experience. For example, the breadth and depth of a posting means that the consequences are much broader and longer-lasting than something we may have told our friends when we were younger. The repercussions of an online comment can follow someone forever, and unfortunately for today’s digital natives, the margin for error is much narrower than when we were young. As a result, they lack the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them.
So how can we as parents and educators help our children learn how to live online in this brave, new world? At Keystone, we tell students repeatedly to think before they post. We have assemblies about it, we discuss it in advisory, and posted around school is a sign that asks them to consider whether something they plan to post is true, helpful, inspiring, necessary, and kind-the acronym is THINK.
Perhaps we also need to teach children one of my favorite lessons from Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln had a practice of writing a “hot letter,” that he would then put to the side. Later, when he had calmed down, he would write on the letter, “never signed, never sent.” For example, after the Battle of Gettysburg, President Lincoln wrote the victorious General George Meade an angry missive castigating him for not pursuing General Robert E. Lee more forcefully. He did not send it, and while Lincoln was frustrated with the Union army’s inaction in the aftermath of the battle, he preserved his relationship with General Meade. Our children need to practice putting something in draft, not sending it, and revisiting it later. Most likely, they will not regret the chance to revisit what they wrote in the light of a new day.
As parents, we need to educate ourselves as much as is possible so we can guide our children. To that end, on Wednesday evening, February 13th, from 6-7:30 p.m., Donna McElroy, a highly regarded San Antonio attorney, will speak in the Keystone Theater on cyber safety and creating one’s digital footprint. This presentation will be for adults. Ms. McElroy spoke to students in grades 6-12 on February 6th during the school day. Ms. McElroy has spoken to Keystone parents and students in the past, and people have found her remarks helpful.
I hope to see you on Wednesday. Regardless of how we feel about social media, it will be a component of our children’s world, and if we want them to be successful and happy, we need to teach them how to use it according to Keystone’s core values of ethical growth and responsible leadership. | <urn:uuid:b9d09134-4203-4bd5-8e55-32efad375780> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.keystoneschool.org/lessons-in-online-safety-from-frankenstein-and-jurassic-park/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224644683.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20230529042138-20230529072138-00125.warc.gz | en | 0.967239 | 1,060 | 3.34375 | 3 | The extract discusses online safety and digital literacy, incorporating soft skills like critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and responsible leadership. It provides realistic scenarios and practical applications, such as the "THINK" acronym and Lincoln's "hot letter" practice. The text also touches on cultural awareness and intercultural fluency, acknowledging the unique challenges faced by today's digital natives.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 730,117 | 1 |
(CBS Local) — In times of crisis — wars, terrorist attacks, recessions and natural disasters — people typically come together. But the COVID-19 pandemic is not a typical crisis and coming together is much more difficult, if not impossible.
Mental health professionals say the social distancing and isolation designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus poses a serious threat to people for whom social contact is a key element of support and treatment.
Curry spoke with CBS Local on Wednesday:
CBS Local: What could the consequences of loneliness be during this time?
Kita S. Curry: Research indicates that isolation can negatively impact the health of your mind and your body. But, the reverse—feeling connected is not based on how many friends and family you have in your life. It’s based on whether you feel others truly care for you and are there for you.
Those who live alone have a special challenge right now, though, because people who normally might be in touch, in person or via technology, may be caught up in all the new challenges of daily life. On the other hand, if people in a household are all holed up in separate rooms watching TV, playing video games, etc., they also may be feeling isolated, especially if they are young children or are adults without emotionally fulfilling phone or social media contacts.
The risks of loneliness are compounded by the fact that we are all threatened by a deadly virus that we have no control over except through hygiene and social distancing, and we don’t see an end in sight. Helplessness and hopelessness are correlated with a high risk for depression and other mental health conditions, possibly even suicide.
— Didi Hirsch MHS (@DidiHirsch) March 24, 2020
CBS: What are you most concerned about for people during increased time at home?
KC: I am most concerned for the people who don’t have homes and don’t live in enclaves that are the equivalent of communities. Much of their contact has been with people walking by on the way to work or with residents nearby who have said “hello” and perhaps also learned their names and/or occasionally given them a meal, blanket or money. I know such a person who hangs out near where I work, but now I am at home because I am in a high-risk group. I also am concerned about all other people without homes; they are at higher risk for becoming ill and less likely to have easy access to care.
I am very worried about children and adults who live in volatile home situations. The stress of the pandemic, its impact on families’ finances and enforced proximity increase the likelihood of domestic violence and child abuse. No one will know about it, and there will be nowhere to run.
"Quarantine and self-isolation are not competitions…It’s also OK if you’re not inspired or motivated or productive." – @TheMightySite https://t.co/QhfM3J4Sgu #erasingthestigma #mentalhealth #suicideprevention #covid19 pic.twitter.com/dN9bFN3IJy
— Didi Hirsch MHS (@DidiHirsch) March 24, 2020
CBS: What are the harms from prolonged cabin fever?
KC: If we don’t create a healthy new normal within the confines of our homes, we face a variety of risks, even in homes where domestic violence and child abuse are not an issue. Some of us are likely to engage in bad habits whether alone or with others, such as excessive alcohol use, overeating, etc. Others will be addicted to the news, which only increases anxiety. That preoccupation also means we aren’t engaging in positive behaviors and routines. And, of course, when we are stressed and feel trapped, conflict is likely to increase.
You can lessen cabin fever by creating a new universe within your home. If you live with others, talk together about how you will do this, but the same principles apply if you are living alone. Establish routines; get up and go to bed at regular times; make the bed; get dressed like you were going out; eat regular meals; identify projects you can do such as gardening, sewing, exercising or Marie “Kondo-ing” your books, clothes, etc.
- Play cards, watch a movie that makes you laugh (also good for your health), do craft projects with your kids.
- Eat together without smartphones; cook together.
- Go through the alphabet taking turns saying what you’re grateful for.
2. Give: research shows that giving to others is good for your mental health
- Send a grocery store gift card or a check to someone you know is in need.
- If you have a bountiful fruit tree, put the extra fruit out, with a sign encouraging neighbors to help themselves (but explain you need the basket).
- People who live alone, live in silence. Use the phone, unless they are hard of hearing.
Coronavirus and Child Anxiety: How to squash fear and build strength in your child. – @PsychToday https://t.co/LEGF1lL30j #erasingthestigma #mentalhealth #suicideprevention #covid19 pic.twitter.com/XyxxxaByhQ
— Didi Hirsch MHS (@DidiHirsch) March 25, 2020
CBS: How does cabin fever differ for children versus adults?
KC: Children are anxious when they miss school and their friends. They pick up on their parents’/caregivers’ agitation without necessarily understanding it and may fill in the blanks with even worse interpretations. Caregivers need to calmly explain what is going on and reassure them that these changes will help everyone stay healthy. Kids will do better if everything we can control stays as normal possible, which includes predictable bedtimes and meals but also opportunities to be rambunctious and to play. These responsibilities can be seen as burdens or opportunities. | <urn:uuid:da04331c-1c15-400a-b09e-5511afbde6a8> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://connecticut.cbslocal.com/2020/03/26/coronavirus-outbreak-how-protect-your-familys-mental-health-during-quarantine/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585371576284.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20200405084121-20200405114121-00039.warc.gz | en | 0.949566 | 1,266 | 2.625 | 3 | The extract discusses the psychological impacts of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting concerns for mental health, particularly for vulnerable populations such as those without homes, children, and adults in volatile home situations. It offers practical advice on mitigating cabin fever, including establishing routines, engaging in positive activities, and showing gratitude. The conversation touches on emotional intelligence, empathy, and the importance of human connection, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of complex social issues.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 791,691 | 1 |
Clark Pest Control has grown to be the West's largest pest management company with branch offices throughout California and in the Reno, Nevada area.
December 15th, 2009, 7:30 am posted by Pat Brennan, green living, environment editor
Bedbugs are not as rare as they once were in Orange County; while there are no major outbreaks in the area, the past five years have seen more reports of the blood-sucking creatures than in previous years.
And by all accounts, they are terrible house guests: they bite, they smell bad, and they won't leave. Experts say getting rid of bedbugs from a building with an entrenched infestation is extremely difficult.
That might be because common bedbugs are human specialists, adapted to thrive in our dwellings and batten on our blood. They attack at night, while we sleep, and though some people feel a prick of pain from the bite itself, many don't realize they have bedbugs until the bites, especially around the face, grow itchy and swollen - or until they see staining on bed sheets from bedbug waste.
© 2013 www.clarkpest.com | <urn:uuid:22b4d752-5929-4931-b1e3-e53ca627d36e> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://www.clarkpest.com/blog/bid/22957/Bed-Bugs-Edge-of-Nature-Bedbugs-are-night-stalkers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386164116508/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204133516-00038-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966471 | 234 | 2.71875 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on informative content about bedbugs and pest control. It provides basic information without scenarios for communication, teamwork, or problem-solving, and does not address cultural awareness, digital literacy, or professional development.
Educational score: 0 | 0 | 0 | 524,739 | 0 |
It’s at the top of the news hour almost every night. Abductions, attempted abductions, child predators, missing children. It’s nonstop, and it’s scary. It’s important to talk with your child about strangers and what your expectations and rules are regarding people that you don’t know, but how do you deliver the message without terrifying them?
I like to sneak important lessons and concepts into bedtime. It’s quiet, you have their full attention, and you can let the Berenstain Bears tell the story and do your dirty work for you. Interject with additional comments when necessary.
Read on for a list of books that you can read to your child to teach them about stranger danger.
The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers by Stan and Jan Berenstain
Because they really rock at explanations, and this book is no exception. The tip list for stranger danger at the end is an added bonus.
I Can Play it Safe by Alison Feigh
Seven important rules to personal safety written by a child safety expert.
Never Talk to Strangers by Irma Joyce
Showcases different situations a child may find themselves in and what to do if a stranger approaches.
Once Upon a Dragon: Stranger Safety for Kids (And Dragons) by Jean E. Pendziwol
Fairy tale magic with concrete advice.
Some Parts are Not for Sharing by Julie K. Federico
Fish deliver some big information in a non-threatening and age-appropriate way. | <urn:uuid:60357128-7146-4612-aff1-6efb964c3c84> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://todaysmama.com/2013/05/books-for-coping-with-stranger-danger/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394011342618/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305092222-00084-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.914203 | 321 | 2.75 | 3 | The extract scores low as it primarily focuses on a specific topic of stranger danger, lacking comprehensive coverage of soft skills. It provides basic communication concepts and limited practical application, with no apparent discussion of teamwork, leadership, or complex problem-solving.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 827,949 | 0 |
Ocean Blue Schools
When Ocean Blue Project was founded in 2009 on Nye Beach, so was a mission. A mission that not only encompasses healthy waterways and a clean ocean, but one that also includes youth education and empowerment of the next generation
Because empowering the next generation of youth stewards! K-12 online or in-class ecology curriculum tailored to your local watershed and focused on the connection we all have to our One World Ocean
Who we serve:
K-12 students; preference given to schools with 50% or greater enrolled students being described as economically disadvantaged
Youth Organizations (Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4H, etc.)
Blue Schools Program is individually tailored to the needs of each classroom, each community and the features of each local watershed. We work together with teachers and staff to ensure that Classroom Learning and Stewardship Action Projects are designed to benefit the students, the school, and the greater community of people and wildlife.
Blue Schools Program
Furthermore, 4 main segments that are each tailored to the unique needs of each school, in each community and watershed.
Our program staff and college intern teaching assistants join students either in the classroom or through an accessible online webinar format for grade level-appropriate inquiry-based discussion and activities focused on the connection between local watersheds and our One World Ocean. Arts and leadership are integrated as students create their own pledges. K-5 students take part in the “Make a Wish, Save a Fish” initiative by drawing the threatened or endangered animal they would like to help save, while students in grades 6-12 engage in critical thinking as they are encouraged to create and commit to their own pledge that improves their local watershed for the school year.
Students of all ages have the opportunity to learn how to test their own hypotheses and see nature from an ecological perspective. Tailored outdoor activities may take place on or off school grounds, depending on the needs of each school and the greater community. Activities include planting of native species, cleaning up around drains and parking lots, cleaning up beaches, planting trees at the schools, or fundraising for a local Wildlife Enhancement Project.
We are also providing the opportunity to have Blue Schools Students and their parents come together to take part in community events. This can be combined with stewardship action projects that can be scheduled to take place after school or on the weekends to make opportunities more available to entire families. Communities may also be integrated through involvement in Stewardship Action Projects and Synthesis presentations
The synthesis segment is designed to provide a Blue Schools Program conclusion and opportunity for student reflection. Secondly, the K-5 students participate in an activity that reflects upon what they have learned and teachers are encouraged to display related student projects on school walls and have students present at parent conferences. Even more, the students in grades 6-12 are encouraged to present what they have learned and accomplished to another class or to their entire school. More over, the presentations are tailored to be integrated with teachers’ schedules and lesson plans and can be as simple or as elaborate as possible. Lastly, the presentation opportunities include, speaking in front of a class individually or as part of a small group. Integrating the arts by presenting a play to a school assembly or to families and the greater community, having a display at a class or school-wide “fair”.
Empower 17,000 kids to Save the Ocean
Ocean Blue will reach 17,000 students in 750 classrooms in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. through interactive live lessons centered around the state of our One World Ocean.
How to Create a Beach Clean – Up
1. Who owns the land or beach you would like have your beach clean up projects?
2. Obtain Signed permission, obtain permits, and set your date!
3. You will need buckets, reusable shopping bags, and drinking water! Cleaning up is easy and once you host your first beach cleanup or river cleanup it will be even easier!
4. After your group collects the found rubbish, you can add what you found on the progress report by adding as much information as possible of what was collected at your event. (This information is vital for the research and data we are collecting) | <urn:uuid:013dd536-f779-432c-a35b-dedd212f7129> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://oceanblueproject.org/education/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585371893683.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20200410075105-20200410105605-00191.warc.gz | en | 0.957897 | 858 | 2.515625 | 3 | The extract scores high for its comprehensive approach to education and community engagement, incorporating soft skills such as leadership, critical thinking, and teamwork. It provides realistic scenarios, practical applications, and opportunities for emotional intelligence development. The program's focus on empowerment, stewardship, and community involvement demonstrates a strong emphasis on intercultural fluency and digital literacy.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 722,062 | 1 |
Lesson 1 (from Apple Picking Season)
Apple Picking Season
The objective of this lesson is to focus on exposition: time, place, characters, and conflict. By examining and orienting the students firmly in the exposition, the students will be better prepared to continue the novel with enhanced comprehension.
1) Class Discussion - Have a class discussion about the setting of the novel. First address what an exposition is, and its function in literature. Make sure the students clearly understand what an exposition is. Then begin the following questions: Who is the main character; who are some of the secondary characters introduced in the chapter; what time of year is it; what clues do we have as to what year it is; what happened in the village, i.e., what is the foreseeable conflict in the novel?
2) Group Activity - Give the students a sheet with all the characters names, with ample room for...
This section contains 7,457 words
(approx. 25 pages at 300 words per page) | <urn:uuid:159322fc-0a5a-4b0d-bce7-81b5a377c7cf> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://www.bookrags.com/lessonplan/year-of-wonders/lessons.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886110573.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20170822085147-20170822105147-00057.warc.gz | en | 0.925821 | 208 | 4.25 | 4 | The extract focuses on literary analysis, specifically exposition in a novel. It lacks direct discussion of soft skills, but promotes critical thinking, comprehension, and basic communication through class discussion and group activity. However, it does not delve into complex problem-solving, emotional intelligence, or advanced digital literacy.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 932,167 | 0 |
How to Write a Persuasive Speech Outline
A persuasive speech aims to persuade and convince an audience to take a particular action or adopt a certain viewpoint on a particular topic. When writing a persuasive speech, it is important to have a well-structured outline to make the process easier and more effective.
A persuasive speech outline helps you to organize your ideas, arguments, and evidence and present them logically and convincingly, appealing to your audience’s emotions. Below, you will explore elaborative steps on how to write a persuasive speech outline:
Choose your topic and research it
Choose a topic that you feel passionate about and will resonate with your audience and inspire action. Conduct in-depth research to gather relevant information, statistics, and examples that will help you make a convincing argument.
Use credible sources such as academic journals, government publications, and reputable news outlets to ensure the accuracy and credibility of your information. It’s also important to consider the needs and interests of your audience and tailor your research to address their concerns and perspectives.
Identify your audience
It’s crucial to determine your audience’s interests, values, and beliefs before delivering your speech. Understanding your audience will enable you to tailor your message to resonate with them and increase the chances of persuading them to take action.
For example, if your audience consists of young professionals, you should emphasize the career benefits of your argument. On the other hand, if your audience is primarily concerned with environmental issues, you should focus on the environmental impact of your argument.
Define your purpose and thesis statement
Before you begin writing your speech, it’s important to define your purpose and develop a clear thesis statement. Determine whether your goal is to inform, persuade, or entertain your audience. This will guide the content and tone of your speech, and help you stay focused on your objective. Once you have identified your purpose, develop a clear thesis statement that summarizes your main argument.
Your thesis statement should be concise and specific, and provide a clear direction for your speech. It should also be supported by the evidence and examples you have gathered during your research.
Create an attention-grabbing introduction
The beginning of your speech is critical in capturing your audience’s attention and setting the tone for the rest of your presentation. To accomplish this, begin with a captivating introduction, which can be in the form of a stimulating quote, an interesting anecdote, or a surprising statistic that relates to your topic.
To keep your audience engaged, your hook should relate to your thesis statement and offer a persuasive motive for them to stay tuned. Sharing your personal experience or connection to the subject can establish your credibility and establish rapport with your audience.
Outline your main points
Create a list of the key arguments and supporting evidence that you want to present, ensuring that they align with your thesis statement and relate to your audience’s interests and values. Each point should be a separate section of your speech and clearly stated, with supporting evidence to back up your claims.
Use visual aids such as charts, diagrams, or photos to illustrate your points and make them more memorable. It’s essential to organize your main points logically, making it easy for your audience to follow your argument and stay engaged. A well-structured persuasive speech outline will help you stay focused and ensure you deliver a clear, convincing message.
Develop supporting evidence
To make a persuasive speech, you must provide strong supporting evidence that validates your claims and arguments. Gather relevant evidence from reputable sources such as academic journals, news articles, and expert opinions. Use this evidence to strengthen your main points and create a compelling case for your audience.
Examples, statistics, and anecdotes are effective ways to illustrate your points and make your speech more memorable. Ensure that the evidence you present is accurate, current, and relevant to your topic. By demonstrating that you have given careful thought to the topic through your research, you enhance your credibility as a speaker.
When delivering a persuasive speech, it’s essential to anticipate potential objections that your audience may have about your argument. Consider any counterarguments or opposing viewpoints that may arise, and prepare responses to address them.
This demonstrates that you have thoroughly considered the topic and can address any potential concerns your audience may have. Anticipating objections also shows that you are open to differing opinions and are confident in your ability to present a strong, well-supported argument.
Use persuasive language
Use rhetorical devices such as repetition, imagery, and metaphors to engage your audience and make your speech more memorable. Choose words and phrases that evoke emotion and help your audience connect with your message. Consider your audience’s interests, values, and beliefs when selecting language to ensure your message resonates with them.
Avoid technical jargon or complicated language that could confuse or alienate your audience. Use active voice and strong verbs to convey your message with authority and conviction. Practice your speech delivery to ensure that your tone, pace, and inflection enhance the persuasive impact of your language.
Craft a memorable conclusion
A persuasive speech should end with a powerful conclusion that reinforces your message and leaves a lasting impression on your audience. Summarize your main points clearly and concisely, emphasizing how they support your thesis statement.
Consider using a memorable quote, anecdote, or example to reinforce your message and engage your audience. Use a call to action to encourage your audience to take action based on your message. Your conclusion should be impactful and leave your audience feeling inspired and motivated to take action.
Practice and refine
The key to delivering a persuasive speech is practice. Practice your speech several times, refining your outline and delivery as needed. This will help you become more confident and persuasive when delivering your speech.
Practice in front of a mirror or record yourself to identify areas for improvement. Seek feedback from friends or colleagues to ensure that your speech resonates with your target audience. Use this feedback to refine your speech and make adjustments to your delivery as necessary.
Writing a persuasive speech outline requires careful planning and attention to detail. By following these steps, you will create a persuasive speech that captures your audience’s attention, engages them, and persuades them to take action.
Persuasive speech example
Writing a persuasive speech takes effort and dedication to come up with a piece that will impact your target audience and drive home the agenda you wish to present to them. Below is a persuasive speech example that has followed a good persuasive speech outline:
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,
Today, I’d like to talk to you about the importance of renewable energy and why we should all make the switch to clean, green, and sustainable sources of power.
As you all know, the world’s dependence on fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas has led to climate change, environmental degradation, and health problems. It’s time to make a change and transition to renewable energy.
Here are three reasons why renewable energy is the way forward:
Firstly, renewable energy is sustainable. Unlike fossil fuels, which are finite and non-renewable, renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower are unlimited and can be harnessed without harming the environment. By switching to renewable energy, we can reduce our carbon footprint, slow down climate change, and preserve our planet for future generations.
Secondly, renewable energy is cost-effective. Although the initial investment in renewable energy technologies may be higher than that of fossil fuels, the long-term savings are substantial. Once installed, renewable energy systems such as solar panels and wind turbines have no fuel costs, require minimal maintenance, and can produce energy for up to 25 years or more. In addition, renewable energy can provide electricity to remote and underdeveloped regions that are not connected to the grid, reducing energy poverty and improving the quality of life.
Finally, renewable energy creates jobs. The renewable energy sector is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, providing employment opportunities for millions of people. By investing in renewable energy, we can create jobs in manufacturing, installation, maintenance, and research and development, boosting local economies and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
In conclusion, renewable energy is the way forward. By switching to clean, green, and sustainable sources of power, we can reduce our carbon footprint, save money, and create jobs. So, let’s take action today and make the switch to renewable energy.
Make an Impact with Our Professional Persuasive Speech Writing Service!
A persuasive speech is a powerful tool for inspiring action and making a difference. Following a persuasive speech outline as you craft your speech enables you to create a compelling presentation that engages your audience and inspires change.
However, if you’re feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about how to create a compelling and effective persuasive speech, there’s no need to worry. Our online persuasive speech writing service is here to provide assistance. Our team of experienced writers is dedicated to crafting a personalized speech that aligns with your specific needs and goals.
We take pride in delivering high-quality work that meets your expectations. Our writers are adept at crafting speeches that are not only persuasive but also engaging and impactful. Don’t let the stress of crafting a persuasive speech weigh you down. Let our team of experts help you deliver a speech that leaves a lasting impression on your audience. | <urn:uuid:a2c8e540-044a-4013-9c26-7319327374b6> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://911papers.com/blog/how-to-write-a-persuasive-speech-outline/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224655143.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20230608204017-20230608234017-00512.warc.gz | en | 0.921773 | 1,927 | 2.984375 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive guide on writing a persuasive speech outline, covering topics such as research, audience identification, and language use. It offers practical tips and examples, demonstrating a strong focus on professional development and communication skills. The inclusion of a persuasive speech example and a writing service further enhances the extract's value.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 727,994 | 1 |
With SLF 2014 now only 4 weeks away we hear for one of this year’s keynote speakers, John Carnochan about his keynote and thoughts on Scottish education.
“We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects.” Herman Melville
Teachers, parents and families have a collective responsibility to ensure our children receive a rounded education that helps prepare them for life. Sadly, in the process, we too often forget or ignore the fundamental importance of human connection and relationships in our lives.
We seem to think now that as professionals we just need to do more of the same and everything will be ok, more policy, more training, more process and everything will be fine. This slavish adherence to professional process is, at times, naively arrogant and often ineffective. Not only does it ignore the value of human attributes, it often deliberately de-values them as being somehow unprofessional.
Professionals do not have all the answers and neither can we continue to assume that professional skills are the only “skills” appropriate or adequate responses to persistent problems. The strategies, systems and structures that exist today often can only manage the problems we face, new thinking is required if we are to make these problems better. We must begin to Respond Differently.
Professional and technical skills are important but they are not more important than the human attributes that demand we care for our fellow humans that help us establish relationships and that keep us connected. By combining the professional technical skills with our human attributes we will produce far more effective services and also help us do the right things for the right reasons.
Teachers are on the front line of Responding Differently, helping prepare our children for life. It’s certainly true that our children will need many of the technical skills delivered so effectively everyday in classrooms across Scotland. But these technical skills alone will not be enough if our children are to lead successful and productive lives. There is every possibility that many will be working in roles and doing jobs that have not yet been invented; they may be working in industries that haven’t been created yet. The skills that will be of most use to them in everything they do will be human “skills’. Our children will need to be resilient, adaptable, courageous, thoughtful, collaborative; they will need to communicate, problem solve, negotiate, compromise. Most importantly they will need to connect with others, they will need to be human; create better relationships and in schools it will create better learning and better behaviour.
In Scotland we have started to Respond Differently, particularly in Education. We have defined What our ambition is for our children, we want to make Scotland the Best Place to Grow Up. We have also defined How we are going to do it with the introduction of national policies such as GIRFEC and CfE. The inclusion of “wellbeing”, in CfE, with its aims to help children become Successful Learners, Confident Individuals, Effective Contributors and Responsible Citizens is hugely important.
This is an exciting time for Scotland and I sense that we have started to Respond Differently to children how we educate them and how we include them.
We know What we want to do and we know How we’re going to do it that’s a great start. Change is always difficult but if we remember also Why we are doing it the angst borne of the change will lessen as our aspirations increase. We are after all humans first and change is what we humans do, its what we have always done. Leadership has a role to play but we are all leaders and we can all Respond Differently.
If you want to hear John’s keynote then register for SLF 2014. | <urn:uuid:899ffd2f-8640-4f3e-a3ff-e29f7a3a085e> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/eslbnew/2014/09/01/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250592636.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20200118135205-20200118163205-00509.warc.gz | en | 0.961831 | 796 | 2.640625 | 3 | The extract discusses the importance of human connection and relationships in education, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach that combines professional skills with human attributes. It highlights the importance of soft skills such as resilience, adaptability, and communication, and encourages a shift in mindset to "Respond Differently" to the needs of children. The extract provides a nuanced discussion of leadership, cultural awareness, and the need for emotional intelligence in education.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 156,275 | 1 |
By Kate E. Stephenson
I was tempted to title this Trivia installment “Kate Warne, First Female Private Eye” but it just couldn’t express the extraordinary life of this Kate, the early feminist power that Ms. Warne exhibited during her life and the portion of the glass ceiling she broke through. So I avoided the conservative temptation because Kate Warne’s life was so the opposite of conservative, she was a powerhouse.
Before women gained the right to vote; before “respectable” women worked outside of the household; before the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation that finally provided legislative guarantee that all people of the United States are free; before it was conceivable that women had the ability, much less the agency to think for themselves—On the morning of August 23, 1856, Kate Warne became the first known female detective in the United States at the famed and enduring Pinkerton Detective Agency (now Pinkerton Government Services, Inc.).
Warne was born in New York around 1830 in the tiny town of Erin in Chemung County, New York. While it is not exactly known who her family was, notably there was a single Warn[e] family living in Erin in the 1830 census—Israel and Elizabeth (nee Hurlbut). They had a little girl by 1830, but her name is unknown. The family had moved to Illinois by 1856, when the couple’s oldest son, Allan, married a woman there. Whether this was Kate’s biological family or not is uncertain.
What is fairly certain is that Warne was married and widowed early in life. When Kate Warne first entered his office, she undoubtedly didn’t stir much of a response. But that would quickly change. Allan Pinkerton describes Kate in his Criminal Reminiscences and Detective Sketches, as “a slender, brown haired woman, graceful in her movements and self-possessed. Her features, although not what could be called handsome, were decidedly of an intellectual cast… her face was honest, which would cause one in distress instinctly [sic] to select her as a confidante.”
Allan noted that Kate came into his agency with a request that shocked his sensibilities, with the an unbelievable assertion that she was fit for the open detective position. According to Pinkerton’s records, he
“was surprised to learn Kate was not looking for clerical work, but was actually answering an advertisement for detectives he had placed in a Chicago newspaper. At the time, such a concept was almost unheard of. Pinkerton said ‘It is not the custom to employ women detectives!’ Kate argued her point of view eloquently—pointing out that women could be ‘most useful in worming out secrets in many places which would be impossible for a male detective.’ A Woman would be able to befriend the wives and girlfriends of suspected criminals and gain their confidence. Men become braggarts when they are around women who encourage them to boast. Kate also noted, ‘Women have an eye for detail and are excellent observers.’”
Warne’s arguments swayed Pinkerton, who at 10am August 23, 1856 employed Kate Warne as the first female detective. Kate quickly proved that her arguments were not only logically sound but successful in practical application. Kate became an essential team member, by successfully infiltrating the inner circles of valuable assets in undercover operations that allowed necessary evidence to come to light.
In one case, the Adams Express Company embezzlements, Kate was successfully able to bring herself into the confidence of the wife of the prime suspect, Mr. Maroney, thus acquiring the key evidence leading to Maroney’s conviction. Mr. Maroney was an expressman who stole $50,000 from the Adams Express Company. With Warne’s help, $39,515 was returned and Maroney was convicted and sentenced to ten years.
This large-dollar case was only the beginning and Kate went on to provide invaluable assistance quelling radical groups in the pre-Civil War era, performing Intelligence work for the government during the War, and assisting the high office of President Lincoln in the dangerous and uncertain times of the post-War period until her untimely death.
Kate succumbed to pneumonia on January 28, 1868 with Pinkerton at her bedside. She was not yet 40 years of age. Kate is buried in Pinkerton’s employee lot in Graceland Cemetery in Chicago, where the firm was based. Most of the information about her life comes from Pinkerton’s writings about her, obituaries, and a few scattered reports. Almost all of Pinkerton’s files were destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, so none of Kate’s own reports or recollections survive.
Kate’s tenure at Pinkerton’s was less than 15 years, yet she accomplished so much in those few years—enough to ensure her inclusion in the historical annals, especially those who seek to do the untiring work of those who “never sleep”. Warne’s service to her country deserves great recognition. This courageous, outspoken, and clever woman was a patriot and a crack detective who broke barriers and helped to preserve the United States. There is so much to know about this intriguing historical figure and unimaginable real life heroine. Learn more: | <urn:uuid:fa62eb6f-b5b9-419f-92b6-a47d060774a2> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://kate-book.com/trivia-kate-warne-first-female-dick/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1393999650424/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305060730-00038-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977931 | 1,117 | 2.734375 | 3 | The extract tells the story of Kate Warne, a pioneering female detective, highlighting her intelligence, confidence, and determination. It showcases her ability to break down barriers and challenge societal norms, demonstrating strong leadership and problem-solving skills. However, the extract primarily focuses on narrating Kate's life story rather than providing explicit discussion or practical applications of soft skills, limiting its educational value for soft skills development.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 682,143 | 0 |
How do you write an emotional appeal?
Emotional appeal can be accomplished in a multitude of ways:
- By a metaphor or storytelling, common as a hook.
- By a general passion in the delivery.
- By an overall emotion.
- By the sympathies of the speech or writing as determined by the audience.
What is an argument of emotion?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Appeal to emotion or argumentum ad passiones (“argument from passion”) is an informal fallacy characterized by the manipulation of the recipient’s emotions in order to win an argument, especially in the absence of factual evidence.
What are the 3 types of appeals?
Aristotle postulated three argumentative appeals: logical, ethical, and emotional. Strong arguments have a balance of all of three, though logical (logos) is essential for a strong, valid argument. Appeals, however, can also be misused, creating arguments that are not credible.
How do you convince someone emotionally?
How to Convince Someone
- Ask them to share their thoughts.
- Match their type of reasoning — if they’re being emotional, appeal to their emotions; if they’re relying on logic, be logical.
- Get them to lower their guard with a genuine compliment.
- Pose a counter-argument (without making them defensive).
What are the examples of Appeal to Reason?
definition: a rhetorical strategy where the argument is made by presenting facts that lead the audience to a specific conclusion. examples: “onStar service inside your car is better than carrying a cell phone because a cell phone can’t call for you when you’re injured.”
What is emotional appeal in writing?
An emotional appeal is directed to sway an audience member’s emotions and uses the manipulation of. the recipient’s emotions rather than valid logic to win an argument. An emotional appeal uses emotions as. the basis of an argument’s position without factual evidence that logically supports the major ideas.
How do you appeal to reason?
Writing that appeals specifically to reason is often called argumentation. Appeals based on reason rely on facts rather than on emotion.
- Introduction. Catches the reader’s attention and states your argument. …
- Body. States each logical argument by presenting supporting evidence. …
What is the main purpose of an argument?
Primarily, argument has two purposes: argument is used to change people’s points of view or persuade them to accept new points of view; and argument is used to persuade people to a particular action or new behavior.
How do you argue without getting emotional?
Staying levelheaded during an argument requires outsmarting your limbic system, the emotional center of the brain. It’s not easy, but it can be done with practice.
- Try to Stop the Downward Cortisol Spiral. …
- Say Something About the Emotion. …
- De-escalate Yourself. …
- De-escalate Your Partner. …
- Reinterpret the Event.
What is an example of ethos?
Ethos is when an argument is constructed based on the ethics or credibility of the person making the argument. Ethos is in contrast to pathos (appealing to emotions) and logos (appealing to logic or reason). … Examples of Ethos: A commercial about a specific brand of toothpaste says that 4 out of 5 dentists use it.
What are the forms of appeal?
According to Aristotle, there are three primary types of appeals:
- Logos: A logical appeal. Also known as an evidential appeal.
- Pathos: An appeal to the audience’s emotions.
- Ethos: Moral expertise and knowledge.
How do I appeal a logo?
Logos is about appealing to your audience’s logical side. You have to think about what makes sense to your audience and use that as you build your argument. As writers, we appeal to logos by presenting a line of reasoning in our arguments that is logical and clear. | <urn:uuid:d7261b90-dc8c-4bae-a6fd-6ff1349068f1> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://brighton5.com/diseases/how-do-you-write-an-emotional-argument.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945315.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20230325033306-20230325063306-00462.warc.gz | en | 0.906812 | 858 | 3.0625 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive overview of emotional appeal, argumentation, and various types of appeals, including logical, ethical, and emotional. It offers practical tips on convincing someone emotionally and appealing to reason, as well as strategies for arguing without getting emotional. The content demonstrates a good balance of theoretical knowledge and practical application, with examples and explanations that promote critical thinking and effective communication.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 69,208 | 1 |
In 2012, in her book Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family, Condoleezza Rice talked about what life was like for her growing up in Birmingham, Alabama before and during desegregation. In it, she paints a very different picture from what is usually presented when you look into the history books. Condoleezza paints the picture of her life before desegregation as a middle class dream — complete with ballet class, music lessons, and charm school. She talks about a tight-knit Black community that was determined to make sure their children were well educated and prepared for a world that would be hostile towards them.
What’s often glanced over in history books is that many Black people opposed desegregation of schools. While most people’s view of the pro-segregationist is that of the White people we see in pictures, holding signs that say “Keep N—–s Out Of [Insert School Here],” there were many Black neighborhoods that weren’t eager to send their children off to school somewhere else.
A major downside to school integration is that it meant many schools in Black neighborhoods would be shut down. It seemed as if the majority of children being forced to move from one school to another were the Black students. In Tulsa, Oklahoma more Black students were being sent to predominantly White schools than White students were being sent to predominantly Black schools. This led to Carver Middle School being shut down for a year. As recently as 1997, well-performing but predominantly Black schools like Central High School in Louisville, Kentucky were in danger of being shut down because they didn’t have enough White students — due to geographic location — for the school to be considered properly integrated.
The experience of segregation wasn’t exactly the same from state to state after the Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954 and other laws desegregating public facilities, housing, private businesses, and more. In Los Angeles, California (as well as in many other Western and Northern states across the US) people of color — who were now free to live in any neighborhood they wanted — still preferred to live in neighborhoods largely populated by their own race, ethnicity or culture. Many Black people moved to the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles, which, during the 60s and 70s, became the hub for African-Americans in the area.
This kind of segregation, known as de facto segregation, wasn’t illegal, but it meant that the schools in the Crenshaw district (and many others like it) had predominantly African-American students because the students living in those districts were predominantly African-American. It became the norm for school districts with this particular problem to employ busing as a means to desegregate these schools. Children in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles were bused out to the San Fernando Valley, at the time a majority-White area that was also a one hour bus trip each way for the children.
In 1981, the US Supreme Court halted the mandatory busing system stating that it was unconstitutional to enforce busing when the segregation in schools was unintentional — meaning it was based on where people chose to live, de facto segregation rather than de jure segregation.
In an article last year for Slate, Jamelle Bouie wrote that “school segregation doesn’t happen by accident; it flows inexorably from housing segregation.” In the article, he talks about the recent influx of school re-segregation and points out that, while the average student of color is more likely to attend a more diverse school, the average White student is still more likely to attend a school that is overwhelmingly White. So while integration has exposed more kids of color to White people, the majority of White children have very little exposure to children of color.
He also points out that the minority of Black children who are in schools that are majority-Black are usually in poverty-stricken areas, and the schools are understaffed and lacking resources. He posits that tackling poverty in these areas with an eye toward racism (i.e. preventing gentrification) could help improve the schools in these areas more than cumbersome integration.
In general, desegregation isn’t a bad thing, but the brunt of the discomfort of it shouldn’t be placed on people of color. When schools in predominantly Black neighborhoods are still not getting the resources they need, shutting them down isn’t a proper solution. Likewise, busing children of color to schools that are an hour away cuts into time that could be spent sleeping or studying.
While separate-but-equal schools isn’t a solution to the problem, forced integration often seems to only be inconveniencing children of color, specifically black children. This is the case currently in New Jersey where students in Newark recently held a sit-in to boycott being enrolled in schools that would be hard for many Black and Latino students to get to.
Attempts to bring more students of color to schools out of their own neighborhoods seems to cause a chain of events that include the closing the schools that are near them and White flights from the neighborhoods where they’re bused to — at least when there aren’t charter schools or private schools White people can enroll their children in.
It seems that a better solution would be to bring the needed resources to school in neighborhoods of color so that there isn’t a breaking up of the community and the support systems already in place. As long as de jure segregation has ended — and in some places it’s true that it basically never did end — the focus by courts and lawmakers should be on ensuring fair access to resources. | <urn:uuid:c813709c-8451-423c-929a-9c50c6bb52a4> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/2015/03/27/school-desegregation-and-its-effect-on-black-neighborhoods/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128319902.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20170622201826-20170622221826-00118.warc.gz | en | 0.982736 | 1,166 | 3.40625 | 3 | The extract discusses desegregation and its effects on Black communities, highlighting the complexities and nuances of the issue. It touches on emotional intelligence, cultural awareness, and critical thinking, but lacks practical application and sophisticated communication scenarios. The text raises important points about intercultural fluency and digital literacy is absent.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 248,271 | 0 |
From ‘Valladolidian non-human’ to ‘Buen Vivirian human’ - An attempt to understand racism through the concept of ‘other’
By Ritu Shankar Banda.
Ritu Shankar is a student on the MSc Environmental Change and International Development. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
In 16th century Europe, many moral debates were organized to discuss the rights and treatment of indigenous people of colonies and one such important debate was the ‘Valladolid debate’ of 1550. The debate allows us to understand western perceptions of the ‘other’ and how evangelical aspirations of the colonial project were used to justify such perceptions. The debate centred around questions such as: can native Indians can be categorized as ‘non-human’ because they engaged in religious practices like human sacrifice? Could they be considered equals? Some of the notable remarks made at the end were: a native was an ‘object’ in the eyes of God as opposed to a European being a ‘subject’. He is not a part of the land but of landscape, equivalent to a tree, hill or animal (Todorov,1984).
Fig 1, Source: Wikimedia commons, Library of Congress (2005). Creative commons license. Description: The Pride of Columbus.
This lithograph (Fig1) of 1866 depicts a native Indian as a hybrid human (half human, half animal) smoking tobacco which was considered barbaric by European conquers. Columbus is portrayed as ‘Demeter’, the greek god of harvest; Saviour of native Indians. This picture aptly describes what constitutes a ‘’Valladolidian non-human’’.
Western perception of ‘other’ is the opposite of ‘self’. The other only exists as a counter entity to understand the self better. Therefore, the identity of the other is derived from judgment by self. So while the self becomes the subject, the other becomes an object (Levinas,1969). When the other and its complex culture is difficult to understand, it becomes a source of discomfort and thus hatred for the self which forms the basis for racial discrimination in most countries today. An infamous example can perhaps be cited from the United States of America.
Soon after his inauguration, President Donald Trump signed several executive orders in 2017 that sought to ban Muslims from entering the country. His campaign promises included a total ‘’Muslim ban’’ and the EOs subsequently legitimized popular anti-Muslim discourse that reproduced misconceptions and deeply gendered stereotypes about the community. A reference to honour killing was used in the first EO which appropriated violence against Muslim women by men to justify the ban on the entire community and their collective punishment. This brand of ‘’imperial feminism’’ again echoes the idea of western imperialists as saviours, undertaking imperial projects to rescue other communities from barbarism (Gokariksel, 2017).
Buen Vivir is a post-neo-liberal concept of alternative development that originated among indigenous communities of Latin America in the 1990s. Sumak kawsay is the Ecuadorian concept of Buen Vivir. It refers to ‘fulness of life’, living in harmony with different communities and with nature. It seeks to dissolve human-nature dualism (Gudynas,2011). It recognizes the importance of accepting other communities as an equal. The identity of self is derived from the community and the identity of the community is in turn derived from nature. Because of this, it takes a complete U-turn from the western perception of self because the other is no longer a reflection of self but becomes ‘another self’ and nature becomes a subject of society (Gudynas,2011). Therefore, through Sumak Kawsay, the ‘’Valladolidian non-human’’ turns into a ‘’Buen Vivirian human’’ because his identity is accepted by society as equal.
Fig 2, Source: Flickr. Creator: Franziska Surber (2012). Creative commons license. Description: Buen Vivir
This Buen Vivir poster (Fig2) contains a symbol of ‘Flower of Life’ which stands for life originating from a single source surrounding the circle. Here it is ‘Nature’. The poster is captioned as ‘Culture of good living is living in freedom’.
Modern concepts of equality and human rights promulgated by neo-liberal democratic institutions are exclusively based upon maintaining peace and order in society rather than practising socio-cultural acceptance of the identity of other; an African or Asian. Restructuring policy components to incorporate ideas of Buen Vivir, abandoning silo thinking and administration, disassociating with colonial policy practice and encouraging subaltern knowledge production could help us to tackle racism, often intertwined in intersectional inequalities (Radcliffe,2018).
- Gudynas, E. (2011). Buen Vivir: Today’s tomorrow. Development 54, pp.441-447. Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/dev.2011.86
- Levinas, E. (1991). Totality and Infinity: An Essay on Exteriority. Martinus Nijhoff Philosophy Texts, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. Available from: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-94-009-9342-6
- Todorov, T. (1984). The Conquest of America: The Question of the Other. New York: Harper Perennial [internet archive], Pp.34-50. Available from: https://archive.org/details/conquestofameric0000unse/page/n9/mode/2up
- Radcliffe, S.A. (2018). Tackling Complex Inequalities and Ecuador’s Buen Vivir: Leaving No-one Behind and Equality in Diversity. Bulletin of Latin American Research, Vol. 37, No. 4, pp.417-433. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/blar.12706?casa_token=BuIi8nR46f4AAAAA:-AMrwHK8F8p7OojCDtRHblhRAEZCxyxR3kSLueEgYJUEo7crokG8LzNk9TsvLm2PKWEVrOgYer3PYU8
- Gökarıksel, B. (2017). The body politics of Trump’s “Muslim Ban”. Journal of Middle East Women's Studies, 13(3), 469-471. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1215/15525864-4179133 | <urn:uuid:8583838d-9de7-4cfb-b088-a716da9d7f57> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/geography/news/valladolidian-non-human-buen-vivirian-human-attempt-understand-racism-through-concept-other | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296948765.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20230328042424-20230328072424-00506.warc.gz | en | 0.915143 | 1,462 | 2.71875 | 3 | The extract scores high for its in-depth discussion of complex soft skills such as cultural awareness, empathy, and critical thinking. It presents nuanced scenarios that integrate emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and realistic problem-solving opportunities, particularly in the context of addressing racism and promoting intercultural fluency. The inclusion of diverse perspectives and theoretical frameworks adds depth to the analysis.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 331,202 | 1 |
CARL ROGERS PERSON-CENTRED APPROACH
|✅ Paper Type: Free Essay||✅ Subject: Nursing|
|✅ Wordcount: 3838 words||✅ Published: 1st Jan 2015|
Carl Rogers (1902-1987) a psychologist developed the person-centred approach theory mainly in relation to the therapist and the client and initially named it the client-centred approach. Rogers later referred to this theory as person-centred rather than patient-centred in order not to reduce the individual’s autonomy and consequently lend the client to difficulties. The approach therefore is to turn individuals (clients) into subjects of their own therapy. In his theory it was noted that individuals are endowed with the power of self actualization and through their own perception of resources inherent in them, they can provide remedy for change in their difficult situations, provided a facilitating environment exists This view as expressed by Rogers implied that every person has a tendency to grow and attain a certain level of actualization. He observed that in order to allow the client (person) asses his/her own wisdom and self defeating behaviours and also engage in therapeutic movement with the therapist, there must be a conducive climate. Three conditions were identified for this relationship to thrive favourably: Genuineness (Congruence), Empathy and Unconditional Positive Regard.
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In this relationship the therapist is expected to show a real sense of genuine attitude towards the client’s feelings and thoughts, be willing and ever present to assist them in whatever situation they may be. He should be transparent and discourage the attitude of being the superior in the situation. This attitude would in turn retain a high sense of confidence in the client towards realization of him/herself in therapy. Any deviation from this attitude renders the process unworkable.
UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD (Total Acceptance)
According to Rogers, the therapist in this situation must show non-judgemental and total acceptance to the client’s feelings and his perceptive world as a whole to enhance his process of recovery. This total acceptance of the client’s attitude and perception should
be devoid of whatsoever differences that might exist between them either culturally or socially. However in doing so the therapist should ensure the safety and security of the client.
In his theory, showing empathy refers to the ability of the therapist to show positive sensitivity to the client’s world, his perception towards recovery and also communicate his feelings to the client. This will convey a special meaning to the client of his relationship with the therapist and consequently solidify their mutual relationship towards the expected therapeutic movement. Rogers continue to state that any deviation from these attitudes on the part of the therapist makes it difficult for the process to continue. This empathetic attitude is more exhibited by therapists who are more confident about their own identity and can cope with other person’s world without any fear.
PERSON-CENTREDNESS AS A CONCEPT
Person-centeredness a concept in health care delivery has poor and conflicting definitions over the years and is considered one of the best ways of health care delivery in which patients are valued as individuals (Winfield et al. 1996). It has further been observed by
(Slater 2006; Leplege et al 2007), that the concept of person-centredness has been described using different terms like patient-centred, client-centred, person-centred interchangeably which makes it most often unclear which consistent term to use in the description of the concept. Notwithstanding all these difficulties, Kitwood (1997) defined person-centredness as “a standing or status that is bestowed upon one human being by others in the context of relationship and social being. It implies recognition, respect and trust”. (p.8) Kitwood (1997) further used person-centredness to formulate ideas and ways of working which puts much emphasis on communication and building relationships in care.
Brooker (2004), elaborating on person-centred approach found out that the definition of the term has such characteristics as:
· Respecting and valuing the individual as a full member of society
· Providing individualised places of care that are in line with people’s changing needs
· Understanding the perspective of the person and providing a supportive social psychology in order to help people live a life of relative well-being.
Dwelling on these definitions of Kitwood and Brooker, it is evident that they are built on the works of Carl Roger’s (1950), which developed person-centred approach as a way of facilitating psychological growth (Natiello 2001).In addition a critical look at Kitwoods definitions definitions showed that personhood has been considered very essential. (Dewing 2008) observed that Person-centredness is often associated with gerontological nursing and more particularly issues relating to dementia care and have personhood as a basis of promoting its practice. It is therefore relevant to explore the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of personhood in as much as it recognised in person-centredness (Baker 2001; Ford & McCormack 2000; Fares 1997).
Baker (2001) declared that personhood is consistent with individuality and has three dimensions; the person’s world which relates to understanding the person’s needs, self relating to emotional and physical security and others which signify social and material world that considers the need for interventions and a sense of belonging and place.
Similarly (Ford & McCormack 2000) recognises personhood as the person’s ability to rational make decision by virtue of his reflection on available needs, choices wants and desires. On the contrary this ability to make rational decisions might be difficult particularly in persons with dementia (Kitwood 1997), however choices can be offered to the person.
Harre (1998, p.6) drawing on the work of Apter (1989),concludes that ; a sense of personal distinctiveness, a sense of personal continuity and a sense of personal autonomy important phenomenon that best described personhood. Elsewhere in literature, transcendence – (a state beyond material or usual existence) has been referred to as an essential characteristic for description of personhood (Heron 1992 & Kitwood 1990a, 1997).This goes to establish the assertion that “personhood” can be accessed from three type of literature- theology and spiritual, ethics and social psychology and each of these literature gives different meanings to attributes relating to personhood (Kitwood 1997, p.8).
McCormack (2004) compared the definition of person-centredness by Kitwood and his own findings in an extensively reviewed literature and concludes that four concepts
should be considered in describing person-centred nursing. These are: Being in Relation, Being in Social Context, Being In Place, Being With Self.
Being In Relation
Being in relationship emphasizes the point that, for any effective person-centred care to commence, continue and achieve success ,the nurse and the patient should be in a good interpersonal relationship and this relationship requires valuing of self, moral integrity, reflective ability, knowing self and others as derived from reflection on values and their place in the relationship. Being in relationship is also reflected in one of the seven attributes of person-centredness identified by Slater’s (2006) concept analysis-evidence of a therapeutic relationship between person and health care provider. He further states that this relationship between the person and care provider must be one of mutuality, mutual trust and non-judgemental which does not take into consideration the balance of power.
Being In Social Context
This is the interconnectedness of persons with the social world in which individuals create meaning to themselves through being in the world. Being able to understand the social world of the person enables one to clearly identify things that are considered paramount in their lives Slater (2006).
Being In Place
Andrew (2003) declares that concept of ‘place’ and its impact on health care delivery is poorly understood in nursing. Andrew further argued that ‘places’ are not just physical but involve situated human intentions within them.(Andrew, 2003; Luckhurst & Ray, 1997; Hussain & Raczka, 1997) contends that attention must be paid to ‘place’ in care relationships for its important role. In order for nurses to be facilitators of person-centredness, care values must be balanced with other organisational values no matter how
difficult it might be, to enable the process of the concept to continue smoothly (Woods 2001). A similar idea was expressed by Johns (1995) that nurses cannot freely fulfil their moral obligation to patients without taking cognisance of organisational and professional implications. To buttress this McCormack et al (2002) asserts that whilst it is important for nurses to facilitate person-centredness, other contextual issues such as staff relationships, organisational systems, power differentials and the extent to which the organisation tolerates innovative practices and risk taking should be worth noting.
Being with Self
Knowing self is very central in person-centred nursing approach. This is important in that, health care providers need to identify their personal values first in order to respect the values of other patients under their care, to avoid trampling over their autonomy and cultural needs paramount to person-centredness (Downs, 1997; Ford & McCormack, 2001; McCormack, 2001b; Nolan, 2000).Further, knowing self enables the nurse to make comparisons of current lifestyles and behaviours of the patient with his preferences and values of life in general as a clue to enhance care process (Meyers,1999).
PERSON-CENTRED PRACTICE BASED ON AUTHENTIC CONSCIOUSNESS
Based on the four concepts- Being In place, Being In relationship, Being with self, Being In social context, McCormack (2003) outlined five conceptual models in consistent with current nursing principles. These are: Authentic consciousness (McCormack 2001a, 2001b, 2003 and 2004), Positive person work (Packer 2003), the senses Framework
(Nolan et al 2001), Skilled companionship (Titchen 2000, 2001 p.80) and The Burford Nursing Development unit model (Johns 1994). McCormack developed a conceptual
framework for person-centredness practice based on Authentic consciousness. He identified five imperfect duties on which the framework will operationalize.further, McCormack (2003) declared that for person-centredness to operate effectively in practice, factors such as the patient’s value, the nurse’s values and the context of care environment.
For the purpose of this study, imperfect duties and factors (Patient’s values, the nurse’s values, context of care environment) on which person-centred practice operationalize will be explored to highlight their effect on the concept.
According to Immanuel Kant’s morale theory cited in (Sullivan, RJ 1990), imperfect duties are described as wide, broad and limited such that it gives room for discretion but within the rules of the organization within which one works. There is no means of offering an exhaustive and a priori account of how the duties are to be fulfilled. The five imperfect duties discussed earlier are as from (the conceptual framework of McCormack 2003):
· Informed flexibility: this is the facilitation of fdecision making based on information dissemination and the integration of new information into established perspectives and care practices.
· Mutuality: the recognition of the others’ values as being equally paramount in decision making.
· Transparency: making clear the intentions and motivations for action and the boundaries within which care decisions are set.
· Negotiation: patient participation through a culture of care that values the views of the patient as a legitimate basis for decision making while recognizing that being the final judge of decisions is of secondary importance.
· Sympathetic presence: this is an engagement takes into consideration the uniqueness and value of the individual by appropriately responding to cues that maximize coping resources through the recognition of important agendas in daily life.
In person-centred practice respect for patient’s values are identified as being central in order to achieve an effective process of the concept (Dewing, J. 2002; William,B. & Grant. 1998; McCormack 2001).It is important to develop a clear picture of what patient’s values about their life and how they make sense of what is happening around them. Helping the individual to have realization in care makes them to tolerate the incongruency of their illness and also helps them to plan for future, to do this, there is the need to build a baseline value history of the patient through biographical accounts and narrative story.(Meyers, D.T. 1989).The complex nature of most health care decisions couple with anxiety, fear of illness, dependency and other aggressive tendencies results in the patient’s decision making ability being diminished.( Buchanan & Brock, 1989) Argued that if patients are left to be in total control of their health care decisions, most often than not their choice of treatment decision might not work effectively towards their well being as expected. They further argued that, as much as patients are expected to participate in decision making regarding their health, they should also be protected sometimes from harmful consequences of their own choices.
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According to Seedhouse, D. (1986) health has different meanings to different people and is also given various degrees of relevance by individuals. It therefore implies that there is no single care intervention that can be considered best for everyone. Whiles are a particular approach is applicable in one situation it may not be same in the other. In view of these, health care decisions need to adopt a negotiated approach between the patient and the practitioner (McCormack, 2001).
In spite of partnership being a common phenomenon in person-centred practice where nurses are encouraged to be lenient in their presentation to patients, it is unusual for nurses to present their own views as a part of information that patients are given to help their decisions.Gadow (1980) argued that in as much as patient’s values should be dominant in the decision, nurses values also contribute to enhance the efficiency of the process but in a less explicit manner. Nurses expressing their values in care decisions should not really be a problem if there is partnership, since these will help the patient to have more insight into the nurses’ position regarding their care.
CONTEXT OF PRACTICE ENVIRONMENT
Despite more attention on nurses and patient values the care environment also play a significant role in the person-centred process in which there is the tendency to either promote or hinder its smooth running (McCormack et al 2002; Rycroft-Malone et al 2002).In facilitating person-centredness nurses are faced with difficulties of having to cope with the morale obligations to patients as well as organisational and professional implications (Johns, 1999).this situation has been confirmed by recent analysis f context undertaken by McCormack et al (2002). Yarling (1990) expressed a similar view to earlier researchers above that, in modern health care delivery, while nurses are expected to engage in autonomous decision making they are limited in exercising their authority.
THE CONCEPT OF PERSON-CENTREDNESS IN REHABILITATION
Clare et al. (2006) define rehabilitation as “an individualized approach to helping people with cognitive impairments in which those affected, and their families work together with health care professionals to identify personal-relevant goals and strategies for addressing these”. This definition clearly shows a connection between rehabilitation and the concept of person-centredness. Leplege et al (2007) argued that the notion of person-centredness have been used interchangeably as patient- centred ,client-centred, individual- centred, person-directed. Reasoning along this argument, implies that the term has a multidimensional use. In order to establish further the description of this terminology, Leplege and his colleagues undertook a conceptual analysis of person-centred concept in the field of rehabilitation and identified few supportive concepts that clearly elaborate on the use of the term.
THE PERSON’S SPECIFIC HOLISTIC PROPERTIES AND DIFFICULTIES IN EVERYDAY LIFE
Person-centredness as a means of addressing the person’s specific and holistic properties suggests that in dealing with individuals, their biological and psychosocial needs must be considered as paramount as opposed to classical analytic medical attention on the functionality of specific organs and related medications prescribed for relief of ailment. In their view regarding person-centredness in rehabilitation, the term seeks to address difficulties in everyday life of disabled persons in such a manner as to reflect their needs and social adjustment. Rehabilitation alone without person-centredness seems more technical and ignores other aspects of the patient’s life.
PARTICIPATION AND EMPOWERMENT
It is further argued that disabled persons be given more decisional autonomy in order to be aware of what is happening to them, the way they perceive treatment and care offered them and other variations about care available to them. Patients of disability should not
be passive about interventions available to them; they should be allowed as key participants. It is however stressed that the concerns of disabled persons are not different from able persons and therefore equal attention is supposed to be given to both.
RESPECTING THE PERSON ‘BEHIND’ THE IMPAIRMENT
Respecting the person in spite of his/her impairment or the disease reflects the notion that disabled persons be accorded the dignity and respect they deserve, because disability can be considered as part of ‘normal’ life and therefore should not be treated with pity and stigmatization. Leplege et al therefore declared person-centredness as anti-reductionism which seeks to hold in high esteem views and rights of disabled persons in decision making regarding their health care.
PERCEPTION OF PERSON-CENTRED NURSING ACROSS NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DIVIDE
The concept of person-centred care has long been associated with the nursing profession, and understood in principle as; establishing mutual trust and understanding with individuals, respecting their values and rights as a person, and developing therapeutic relationships with them and others associated with their care.
The good aspect of delivering care in the philosophical context of person-centredness cannot be over emphasised, but it has been observed that translating the main concept into daily practice is always met with challenges (McCormack & McCance 2006).The reasons for these inefficiencies manifest in different forms and are seldom indicative of
the context in which care is delivered, coupled with constant changes that occur particularly within health and other social care sectors.
Person-centredness has been in existence with health care delivery for some time now and is consistent with policy direction and reflected in many approaches to delivery of care. The concept manifests itself in policy directions across both national and international health care sectors.
In the United Kingdom the concept of person-centredness is embedded in most health care policies such as The Dignity in Care Campaign (DoH, 2006) and The National Service Framework for older people (DoH 2001). Further, recent publications by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) emphasised challenges for nurses and midwives in provision of dignified and sensitive care, in its report on health care.
In Northern Ireland, the focus is on promoting “person-centred standards”- (respect, attitude, privacy and dignity, communication, behaviour) across health and social care sectors. It has been observed that within the health service, the drive to promote effectiveness and efficiency in performance management has not been high. As a result, patients, clients and their families receive less attention in care delivery as indicated in a range of quality and clinical indicators (DHSSPS 2007a; Nolan, 2007).
Whilst the term “person-centred” care is rampant in the UK health and social care literature and policy documents, the underlying principles of person-centred care are similar to that of international movements that is focused on humanizing the health and social care experience. This is evident in the “Skaevinge Project” carried out in Denmark (Wagner L. 1994). In his action research, focus was on preventative work and also to ensure the rights of residents in care homes as citizens in society. This model again helps in putting to shape the future of residential care and the design of care homes internationally. Wagner infused into his work such principles underpinning person-centred care as autonomy, citizenship, dignity and respect, to enhance efficiency of his
model. Health care policies around the world adopt these principles and use them in several policy frameworks related to social and health care sectors.
In Australia for instance, person-centred care has been a solid foundation of facility accreditation in “The Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency” and the New South Wales department of nursing has its focus on enhancing practices and models of care to support person-centredness across all specialities.
Developing models that enhance care and promote person-centred principles has become a vital issue in health and social care. A notable instance is the Institute for Health care Improvement (IHI) in the United States of America. Most governments in the West have initiated transformations and innovated frameworks in health and social services through most of the practices of the IHI. Majority of the plans initiated by these governments focused on person-centred care mainly through transformation systems and redesign of clinical services.
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If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on UKEssays.com then please: | <urn:uuid:febba013-6b40-4d70-984b-266d61c7fd16> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://us.ukessays.com/essays/nursing/carl-rogers.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296944452.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20230322180852-20230322210852-00029.warc.gz | en | 0.944448 | 4,605 | 2.78125 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive overview of the person-centred approach in nursing, discussing its theoretical underpinnings, key concepts, and practical applications. It highlights the importance of empathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard in therapeutic relationships, as well as the need for nurses to be aware of their own values and biases. The text also explores the concept of person-centredness in rehabilitation, participation, and empowerment, and discusses the challenges of translating person-centred care into daily practice. The extract demonstrates a strong emphasis on soft skills such as communication, emotional intelligence, and cultural awareness, and provides a nuanced understanding of the complexities of person-centred care. Therefore, the extract scores high in terms of its coverage of soft skills and their practical applications.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 185,366 | 1 |
What parents can do over the summer to help their kids achieve new standards
Once school is out for summer, students tend to empty their brains of any elementary math knowledge they learned during the school year. This makes going back to school in the fall quite the adjustment. In fact, according to Ron Fairchild, executive director of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Summer Learning, teachers typically spend between four and six weeks at the beginning of each school year re-teaching material that students have forgotten over the summer. While the teacher can’t be there to maintain learning over the summer months, there are things that parents and teachers alike can do to facilitate learning and help combat learning loss.
Good physical and mental health
In order for students to be at their best, continue to learn over the summer and be prepared for the school year, they must be in good physical and mental health. Parents should schedule doctor and dentist check-ups on a regular basis to be sure that their child is healthy. According to Mental Health America, good mental health allows children to think clearly, develop socially and even learn new skills. They should be getting nutritious food, plenty of physical activity, adequate sleep and immunizations to keep them healthy.
Replace TV with other activities
Instead of sitting in front of the TV all day everyday, children should be encouraged to participate in mentally stimulating activities. NASP Resources suggested having parents do puzzles, flashcards, coloring, reading or other quiet games with their children. This will help to ease the children into the learning process and keep their minds fresh and sharp over the summer. Keeping kids active and encouraging playtime can help promote creativity, enhance problem-solving skills and teach self control, according to the source.
Learn to love the library
Children with access to a local library have no excuse not to read over the summer! Libraries offer summer reading programs that keep students interested in learning and promote a love of reading. Just ask the librarian for book suggestions that will match your child’s grade level and incorporate his or her talents and interests.
Provide materials for parents
Teachers can help promote the learning process by providing parents and students with materials like summer books to read, math workbooks to complete or computer programs to play. Students can work on these things in between playtime or TV watching to keep their minds sharp and prevent loss of learning before the school year begins. TODAY suggested having parents motivate the child to complete a few problems a week from a workbook to keep it low-level and simple.
Latest posts by @DreamBox_Learn (see all)
- 3 Ways to Support Teachers Year-Round - May 11, 2017
- Fast Insights for Education Leaders Short on Time - May 4, 2017
- How Are Teachers Using Digital Content to Differentiate Instruction? - April 25, 2017 | <urn:uuid:9801d8e7-6a76-43db-85de-d540b5cb3119> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://www.dreambox.com/blog/what-parents-can-do-over-the-summer-to-help-their-kids-achieve-new-standards | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549426372.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20170726182141-20170726202141-00364.warc.gz | en | 0.95572 | 576 | 3.46875 | 3 | The extract provides basic tips for parents to help their kids maintain learning over the summer, focusing on physical and mental health, engaging activities, and access to educational resources. While it touches on promoting creativity, problem-solving skills, and self-control, the discussion lacks depth and nuance in developing soft skills. The extract does not explicitly address complex communication, leadership, or advanced problem-solving scenarios.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 458,938 | 0 |
None of the white people whose actions I describe in this book would identify as racist. In fact, they would most likely identify as racially progressive and vehemently deny any complicity with racism. Yet all their responses illustrate white fragility and how it holds racism in place. These responses spur the daily frustrations and indignities people of color endure from white people who see themselves as open-minded and thus not racist. This book is intended for us, for white progressives who so often – despite our conscious intentions – make life so difficult for people of color. I believe that white progressives cause the most daily damage to people of color. I define white progressives as white people who think they are not racist, or are less racist, or in the “choir,” or already “gets it.” White progressives can be the most difficult for people of color because, to the degree that we think we have arrived, we will put our energy into making sure that others see us as having arrived. None of our energy will go into what we need to be doing for the rest of our lives: engaging in ongoing self-awareness, continuing education, relationship building, and actual antiracist practice. White progressives do indeed uphold and perpetrate racism, but our defensiveness and certitude make it virtually impossible to explain to us how we do so.
From “White Fragility: What It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism” by Robin DiAngelo – Beacon Press | <urn:uuid:413bf5a1-0de1-4e5c-ab27-103e95cf0002> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://compassionatechristianity.org/making-sure-that-others-see-us-as-having-arrived/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224653764.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20230607111017-20230607141017-00786.warc.gz | en | 0.964247 | 303 | 2.546875 | 3 | This extract scores high for its nuanced discussion of soft skills, particularly emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and intercultural fluency. It highlights the importance of ongoing education, relationship building, and critical thinking in addressing racism. The text encourages readers to engage in complex problem-solving and reflection, making it a valuable resource for professional development.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 918,768 | 1 |
Kokums bannock and tea participants will experience:
- Promotion of child development (physical, cognitive, social, emotional) including language through verbal and visual interaction
- Understanding family traditions and traditional practices through the intergenerational transfer of knowledge
Kokum’s Bannock and Tea will use traditional teachings given to our families prior to colonization. The participants will learn teachings which include the traditional medicine wheel, teepee teachings, grandfather teachings and other teachings. Participation is encouraged by participants who join us for this experience our kokum’s and mosum’s would have taught us.
Traditionally we would have been taught with hands on from our Elders who were held in high esteem within our families.
The teachings we will offer with Kokum’s Bannock and Tea will be taught from the knowledge keepers from Treaty 6, 7, and 8. Our intention is not to offend anyone during these teachings as we were all taught differently.
In the First Nation culture there is no universal teachings however some of the medicines are universal such as kistemaw (tobacco in Cree) which most first nation’s people use in ceremony.
The course will be offered 4 times a year with 10 sessions with 2 hour intervals per topic. The facilitator will use traditional teachings during each session and have activities for the participants plus we will distributing traditional recipes to share with the participants | <urn:uuid:87c48f84-fcae-48e7-baae-7f6434bafa6d> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.creatinghopesociety.ca/kokums-bannock-and-tea/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224653183.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20230606214755-20230607004755-00052.warc.gz | en | 0.963843 | 292 | 3.046875 | 3 | The extract scores high for its emphasis on intergenerational knowledge transfer, cultural awareness, and traditional teachings. It promotes emotional intelligence, social skills, and language development through verbal and visual interaction. The inclusion of hands-on activities, traditional recipes, and respect for diverse teachings demonstrates a nuanced approach to cultural fluency and community engagement.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 965,635 | 1 |
In recent years, the healthcare sector has been widening its adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in cancer treatment and diagnosis. Among others, AI has been used to forecast cancer risk, tumour regrowth, and exploring treatment options for breast cancer.
”Our hope is that a tool like this could be used to personalize and optimize the care a patient receives right away.”
– Dr. John-Jose Nunez, UBC/BC Cancer
In British Columbia (BC), researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and BC Cancer have developed an AI model that makes predictions on cancer patient survival rates using oncologists’ notes.
The project was funded in part by the UBC Institute of Mental Health Marshall Fellowship, as well as by research funding from the BC Cancer Foundation, with some funds originating from the Pfizer Canada Innovation Fund.
Using natural language processing , the researchers conducted a prognostic study of over 47,600 patients with cancer and predicted their survival rates over the course of six, 36 and 60 months.
Lead author Dr. John-Jose Nunez explained that the research defines “survival” in cancer patients based upon whether or not the patient passes away before these time periods, starting from the patient’s initial appointment with the oncologist. Nunez added that the model doesn’t factor in the different definitions of remission, which refers to a decrease or disappearance of cancer symptoms.
Cancer survival rates are typically calculated retrospectively based on information gathered from hundreds or thousands of people with a specific type of cancer, and can be categorized by only a few generic factors such as cancer site and tissue type. This could pose a challenge for oncologists to accurately predict an individual patient’s survival, according to Nunez, as the data is not specific to the patient.
UBC and BC Cancer’s AI model uses a statistical language model referred to as ‘bag-of-words’ to analyze the text in an oncologist’s notes. It counts the word occurrences in a document, determining which of 5,000 different medical or health terms are used within the patient’s initial consultation document to make a prediction. As well, it takes into account how words are presented together, like phrases or sentences.
The AI model also factors in a variety of data, such as the type of cancer and its staging, medical comorbidities, a patient’s current functioning capabilities, their age, and their current symptoms, among others. With a large number of variables considered in its approach, the researchers claim this AI model can produce a more nuanced assessment than traditional methods.
RELATED: Oncology innovators Canexia Health, Imagia merge, raise $20 million
“The AI essentially reads the consultation document similar to how a human would read it,” said Nunez. “These documents have many details like the age of the patient, the type of cancer, underlying health conditions, past substance use, and family histories. The AI brings all of this together to paint a more complete picture of patient outcomes.”
Before this project, Nunez was researching AI use in predicting cancer patients’ need for psychosocial services such as psychiatry and counselling. Seeing the opportunity to also predict survival rates, Nunez worked more closely with BC Cancer and other collaborators to make this initiative possible.
The team working on this AI model include multiple professionals in the field of cancer research such as oncology nurse practitioner Bonnie Leung, as well as Dr. Cheryl Ho, medical oncologist at BC Cancer and clinical associate professor in the UBC division of medical oncology. It also includes Dr. Alan Bates, practice lead for psychiatry and acting head of supportive care at BC Cancer.
The data used to test and train the model comes from BC Cancer sites located across the province. In the future, the researchers said this technology can be applied in cancer clinics across Canada and beyond.
“Our hope is that a tool like this could be used to personalize and optimize the care a patient receives right away, giving them the best outcome possible,” said Nunez.
Featured image courtesy Pexels. Photo by Cottonbro Studio. | <urn:uuid:1a057f80-4d76-48cc-aa8b-f3e8546f7503> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://betakit.com/ubc-bc-cancer-researchers-develop-ai-model-to-predict-cancer-survival-rates/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224648635.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20230602104352-20230602134352-00651.warc.gz | en | 0.94926 | 881 | 2.671875 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on technical applications of AI in cancer treatment. While it mentions collaboration among professionals, it doesn't delve into teamwork dynamics, communication, or emotional intelligence. The content is informative but limited in its coverage of soft skills development.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 946,910 | 0 |
Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated, thus, everyone’s task is unique as his specific opportunity to implement it.” — Viktor E. Frankl
This particular post is psychologically technical in nature, and is shared here as a way to promote understanding of Meaningful Purpose Psychology (Logoteleology). Psychologists and other social scientists will find this post to be informative. While this post will be of interest to social scientists, as a rule, I will be writing to meet the particular needs of a diverse audience.
This is the second part of a series on Meaningful Purpose Psychology. You can read Part 1 on this blog.
This post will briefly explain the Meaningful Purpose Psychology’s (Logoteleology) identity model. In addition, this model offers a perspective on why you act the way you do. The Logoteleology Identity Model also aids in diagnosing and strengthening self-determination, and the ability to successfully adapt to life’s demands. For a full explanation, please refer to the book, The Path to a Meaningful Purpose: Psychological Foundations to Logoteleology.
The Logoteleological Identity
In my previous post, “Knowing Who You Are, and Learning to Become” I explained the three types of identities based on Peter J. Burke and Jan E Stets’ work. Today’s subject is The Meaningful Purpose Psychology (herewith Logoteleology) Identity Model. The model has four parts and is explained through the formula:
I = P + Mo + Me
I = Identity
P = Purpose
Mo = Motivation
Me = Meaning
The formula states that an identity is made of purposes, motivations, and meanings. Each time you self-reference, as in “I am ____”, you are talking about your identity or how you self-describe. In Logoteleology an Identity is made of the three functions; Purpose, Motivation, and Meaning. By “function” it is meant that each one of these parts has a role to fulfill in an identity.
Meanings trigger a Motivation that spurs Purpose
According to the model, behavior starts from the meaning function, which spurs a motivation type and a degree of energy, which in turn provokes a purpose or action. It is represented through the formula:
I = P ← Mo ← Me
Explained in simple terms, the meaning we give to a situation, another person, his or her behavior, our own self-worth, etc. determines a motivation. The motivation in turn triggers a type of response. Let’s see an example:
Mary sees her professor at a distance and remembers she owes him a class paper. She would be embarrassed to face him; so she ducks into the nearest store to avoid him.
Here is the explanation:
Mary may have given a few meanings to the situation; such as, that she believes that she is irresponsible, afraid to confront the professor, and unable to give a defensible explanation for her procrastination.
Those meanings subsequently send a message to the motivation function that instructs: “Quick, avoid!”
The instructions from the motivation function, “Quick, avoid!” triggers a purpose or action, “Run to a hiding place!” So Mary’s purpose function scans for a potential route of escape, and hastens into the nearest store. By this action, Mary is being purposeful — defined by the dictionary as having purpose and full of meaning. In other words, her action is propelled by meaning.
What are meanings?
Viktor Frankl provided a simple and practical answer: “Meaning is what is meant, be it by a person who asks me a question, or by a situation which, too, implies a question and calls for an answer.” [ii] And, “There is only one meaning to each situation, and this is its true meaning.” [iii] Here are two additional and complimentary definitions from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: [iv]
- the idea that a person wants to express by using words, signs, etc.
- something meant or intended
In logoteleology, a third definition for meaning is tied to identities; and to a construct which I call meaning sets made of meaning types. These will be discuss in the next segment below.
Pertaining to what a person wants to express, British analytical psychologist Dale Mathers summarized well what the combined intended meaning and the decoded meaning denote: “Meaning is an act of communication, rather than a communication.” [v] Here, communication is a two-way exchange that succeeds when both parties are “on the same page” or when understanding is shared and mutual.
For instance, cultures vary on their approach to timeliness. In many countries in the northern hemisphere when one agrees to meet at 8:00 a.m. it means just that. It assumes the parties will be a bit early or meet at 8:00 a.m. as planned. On the other hand, in many Hispanic countries, saying you are going to meet at 8:00 a.m. means a range of time after 8:00 a.m. For instance, 8:15 a.m. would not be considered “being late.” As a traveler myself, I have learned to pay attention to these and other cultural differences so that I can be “on the same page” — or share the same meaning — with my hosts to prevent misunderstandings.
The second, meaning as “something meant or intended” is about conveying intentions or aims. This intentional effort is stronger than casual everyday exchange of information. Here is how the dictionary defines [to] “mean”: [vi]
- to have in mind as a purpose: intend
- to serve or intend to convey, show, or indicate: signify
- to have importance to the degree of
- to direct to a particular individual
- to have an intended purpose
- Something that is conveyed or intended, especially by language, sense of significance [vii]
- Full of meaning, expressive [viii]
In MPP, we use these definitions of “meaning” or “to mean” to explain how individuals intend, convey and grant significance and value. For instance, I hear the chime of my clock that it is 9:00 a.m. The time is significant because I intend to meet a friend whose friendship is valuable to me. Granting significance, intending to take an action, and valuing means something.
Meaning is the stuff that makes thinking and feeling possible. It allows us to define and to recognize things, individuals, and concepts. It also aids us to exchange information with others in order to make sense of things, and to cooperate to get things done. Meanings too, evaluate and convey the significance we attribute to concepts, things, and people.
What are meaning types?
In my book I penned that meanings are “the expressed attributes, beliefs, attitudes, aims, feelings, and values of an identity.” Each one of those meanings is known as a meaning type. Meaning types actually organize themselves and interact into a meaning set or a psychological meaning DNA.
For instance, let us follow the example of the student, Mary, and her professor. The belief that the professor could reprimand Mary incites the meaning type feeling in the form of embarrassment and fear. These feelings would then spur an attitude of avoidance at all cost. The attitude in turn stimulates the meaning type aim to hide from the professor. In linear form it would look like this:
belief → feeling → attitude → aim
Thoughts, however, can be — and actually are — more complex than the simple illustration above. But it serves to clarify the point.
The analysis of meaning types is relevant to Telotherapists and Telocoaches, but an in-depth explanation is beyond the scope of this article; but briefly discussed below.
For additional information on meaning, please read my paper titled: Meaning, Meaningful and Important: The Powerful Three
What is Logoteleology’s Definition for Motivation?
John Marshall Reeve offered a fitting definition for motivation: “The study of motivation concerns those processes that give behavior its energy and direction.” The motivation function is tasked with providing the identity with the energy and direction based on a like/don’t like continuum. Logoteleology defines motivation as directed energy. Motivation is ultimately directed by and responsive to the meaning given to the situation or target.
Motivation’s Directions and Energy
In Logoteleology motivation can be any of these three based on the like/don’t like continuum:
- Attraction or intrinsically and free-willed motivation “I want to do this!”
- Resistance or extrinsically driven (i.e. compulsive) motivation “I will do it because I have to; but if I had a choice I would not…. [”We use the term “drive” following the dictionary definition:
- Avoidance, which can be the outcome of intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. Avoidance is intrinsic when it is willed as a tactical retreat and free choice. On the other hand, avoidance is extrinsic because of feelings of:
- Helplessness “I don’t have the confidence to do this”
- Apathy “I am bored by or I don’t care for this situation”; and
- Rebellion “I refuse to do this”
Each one of these types will spark a level of excitement or enthusiasm. Motivation can be sustained by high degrees of energy on the one end – as in the attraction type; and in the other extreme be totally absent – as in the avoidance type. This excitement (also known as a “telosponse”) is human (motivational) energy.
So, as seen above, the meaning set:
- Ascribes the energy level (i.e. intensity); and
- Assigns a type of direction (Will, Drive (i.e. compulsive), or Amotivate/Demotivate)
Why is this relevant? Because if the meaning we give to situations and targets influence energy levels and a type of motivation we can then find more effective ways to will ourselves toward success. It has application in building personal effectiveness, and in businesses interested in increasing productivity.
Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. – Unknown
Diagnosing Personality (Identities)
Logoteleologists study the content and quality of meaning sets. Studying these psychological constructs helps the practitioner and their clients explain why outputs (as consequences of behavior) are meaningful or meaningless. (For a brief description of what is meaningful and meaningless, please read my post titled, “What is Meaningful? And why knowing matters”)
Qualified therapists are known as “logotelotherapists” or by the shorter name (and most commonly used), “telotherapists”. Logotelotherapy means healing through meaningful purpose. Qualified coaches are known as Telocoaches. [Logo]Telocoaching means coaching through meaningful purpose. Finally, qualified Logoteleology Organization Development [OD] consultants are trained to assess, to facilitate, to consult, and to aid in transforming organizations through meaningful purpose. There are methods and psychometrics for these approaches taught through the Boston Institute for Meaningful Purpose certification and licensing program. The Institute also promotes research in the methodology.
On the other hand, qualified Logoteleology facilitators, coaches, and Organization Development Consultants, respectively, are trained, certified and licensed to facilitate learning, to coach, and to consult for meaningful purpose to groups and large systems, such as corporations and government agencies.
I will say more about the type of diagnosis performed by telotherapy practitioners in a future post.
To date, through my coaching practice, the Logoteleology Identity Model has helped clients to better understand themselves, and to make conscious meaningful choices to improve their quality of life. Knowing how the meaning content influences a type of motivation and purpose makes sense. To strengthen self-determination for the meaningful, the task becomes changing meanings in order to trigger the right type of motivation and subsequent action and results. I am encouraging universities and other research centers to further research the benefit of the model and to find ways to improve interventions.
I also facilitate Meaningful Purpose Laboratories where participants work to strengthen self-determination for a meaningful life. For more information on the benefits of a Meaningful Purpose Laboratory, please refer to the Boston Institute for Meaningful Purpose webpage at www.bostonimp.com.
© 2014. Luis A. Marrero. Boston Institute for Meaningful Purpose.
Burke, Peter J and Jan E. Stets, Identity Theory. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Marrero, Luis. The Path to a Meaningful Purpose: Psychological Foundations of Logoteleology. Bloomington: IUniverse, 2013. Page 64.
Reeve, Johnmarshall, Understanding Motivation and Emotions. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2005.
See also Ryan, Richard M., Kennon M. Sheldon, Tim Kasser, and Edward L. Deci, “All Goals Are Not Created Equal: An Organistic Perspective of Goals and Regulation.” Gollwitzer, Peter M., and John A. Bargh, Eds. The Psychology of Action: Linking Cognition and Motivation to Behavior. (New York: The Guilford Press, 1996), 7–26. | <urn:uuid:85ec3111-25fc-43a2-923f-1a600354e1a6> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://authorluismarrero.wordpress.com/2014/02/08/what-is-meaningful-purpose-psychology-logoteleology-part-2/comment-page-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886133447.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20170824082227-20170824102227-00462.warc.gz | en | 0.939404 | 2,917 | 3.125 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive discussion on Meaningful Purpose Psychology, including its identity model, and explores concepts of meaning, motivation, and purpose. It offers practical applications and real-world examples, demonstrating a strong emphasis on emotional intelligence, leadership, and critical thinking. However, it lacks sophisticated communication scenarios, strategic thinking, and advanced problem-solving across multiple contexts, limiting its score.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 691,074 | 0 |
Who is your ideal housemate? A designer lessons ESL Lesson plan developed by George Chilton
Interviewing housemates. Teens, 14-17. Adults, mixed level. Adjectives of personality
The teacher will provide a frame-work in which natural English is drawn from the students.
- Question formation
- Adjectives of personality
- Modals for expressing preference
Stage One – Personality – 15 minutes
Show a picture of a celebrity – Justin Bieber, The Dalai Lama, Katy Perry – depending on your class and their tastes. Ask for a few adjectives describing that person’s personality. You may spark a mini-debate here.
Next give the class a few moments to think of three apt adjectives which would describe themselves. They can be positive or negative.
Ask the students to call them out and write the adjectives in two columns – under the headings of positive and negative. Once you have a good selection ask for opposites of the words you’ve listed, thus doubling the options.
The students can copy the list, if you like.
Next ask your students what qualities they would like potential housemates (roommates/flatmates) to have. You can circle the adjectives they name.
Stage Two – Creating a character 15-20 minutes*
This is an activity you may have come across in drama school or perhaps in a creative writing class. It encourages imagination and allows the less creatively energetic students (PCGM) to come up with their own ideas without too much thinking.
Tell the students that they are going to create some people – all of whom are going to live together in a university residence. They are going to do this using clues – these clues are objects you found in the characters’ bags and pockets.
Write a list (prior to class is advisable… or this’ll be icky) of thirty to forty objects that could be found in a person’s bag. You’ll want a few normal items mixed in with some off-the-wall objects here’s a few to get you started:
- a rosary
- little black book
- a tourist guide book
- a pink wig
- a bunch of grapes
- a tennis ball
- a torch
- a bible
- a ticket to a football match
- a human finger
- a photograph of an old woman, etc, etc, etc
Cut the words out and put them in a container of some sort. Ask your students to choose three pieces of paper at random. Obviously, the bigger the class, the more objects you’ll need. They are to decide who the person is based on the items they carry in their bag. They should do this character creation in pairs – and make one character per person in the class. I find that three items provides the optimum level of inspiration for the students.
Here’s an example below:
Pink wig / hand-gun / little black book
A clown who moonlights as a hitman.
A tourist guide book /A photograph of an old woman / a bunch of grapes
An old lady looking for her mother’s place of birth. She has no teeth and can only eat grapes.
You get the idea. With luck and a full-moon the students should be quite enthusiatic about creating this character.
Some books include Student Profile forms in their resources. You can find one in the the New English File Pre-intermediate Teacher’s book photocopiable activities. I usually ask my students to fill one out for their new character.
Next, each student should write a short paragraph introducing their person; they must use lots of personality adjectives, of course. They can read this out to the class.
*This is also a great activity to use in story-writing.
Stage Three – 15- 20 minutes
This is where the floor plan comes in. Hand it out to your students. Tell them that they are looking for a new housemate to join them in their university flat. First get them to decide which bedroom they would like and where they think the new housemate’s bedroom should be.
For more advanced groups, and if you have time, ask your students to write a short newspaper advert describing the flat (based on the plan).
It is a 3 bedroom apartment, facing the sea. It has a large living space…
You can collect these to mark later.
Then ask them to think of some questions that would be appropriate to ask a potentional housemate in an interview. These questions should begin with the following question words:
By giving the students these words, you force them to come up with a variety of questions. Weaker students tend to focus on question forms they are comfortable with. Make sure to monitor and correct your students as they think of these questions.
Stage Four – character mingle – 15 minutes
Using the questions they have written, the students should mingle and ask each other for their answers. They should do this in character. monitor this mingle and provide an error correction slot at the end.
Ask the students who, if any of the characters, they would decide to live with and why. You can also ask them the opposite question – you might find you get more vehement responses! You can do this as a whole class feedback activity. It’s hard to say exactly how long this will last.
Follow-up using the plan
Ask you students to design their perfect flat – using the floor plan you have provided. You can practise using modals here (I would like a…we should have a…we could build some…)
They should do this in groups and present their ideas to the rest of the class. You can hold a vote to see whose ideas are the best if you’re feeling competative.
Designer Lessons by George Chilton is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Creado a partir de la obra en designerlessons.wordpress.com | <urn:uuid:94e043ea-9ee0-45ec-a20c-a5b898def267> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | https://designerlessons.org/2012/01/16/esl-lesson-plan-interviewing-housemates/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549423681.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20170721022216-20170721042216-00278.warc.gz | en | 0.942152 | 1,259 | 3.625 | 4 | This lesson plan promotes soft skills development through interactive and immersive activities, encouraging teamwork, communication, and critical thinking. It integrates emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and practical applications, making it a comprehensive resource. The character creation and mingle activities foster empathy, creativity, and problem-solving, while the interview and presentation exercises develop public speaking and confidence-building skills.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 437,136 | 1 |
Charles W. Eliot, who served as President of Harvard University for a record 40 years, charted a roadmap for education in his seminal essay, The New Education. Written in 1869, it made the case for continuously updating how and what students learn, so education could evolve in step with society. That approach remains just as relevant today, 150 years later.
Today’s educators have to rethink higher education for a world that’s being overturned by technology. As Farnam Jahanian, President of Carnegie Mellon University, recently observed, “The unprecedented pace of societal change makes the need for reform more urgent. There is great pressure on higher education as the engine of progress in a knowledge-based economy.”
Technology is transforming jobs and skills faster than organizations or people can adapt. Coursera’s Global Skills Index 2019 found that two-thirds of the world’s population is falling behind in critical skills. Research from the World Economic Forum suggests that the core skills required to perform most roles will change by 42% on average by 2022. At this level of disruption, companies are scrambling to identify and source the skills they need to stay competitive. The availability of key skills is now one of the top three business threats for CEOs globally, according to a recent PwC survey.
Sponsored by Qatar FoundationPreparing the next generation of leaders.
As the gatekeepers of knowledge and stewards of human capital, universities have to play a major role in preparing a skilled global workforce. Doing so will require an ecosystem-oriented mindset, using online offerings to extend reach and establish partnerships with other universities and content providers. For that matter, it will require much greater investment than the 3% of overall expenditure currently allocated to technology in the education sector. Much like industries, universities will need digital solutions to solve for the big problems in higher education.
Higher education for the people, at global scale
By harnessing emerging technologies, universities can reach beyond campus walls to empower diverse learners at global scale. It begins with embracing stackable, online learning, which provides flexibility and affordability that increases access to university curricula and allows students to engage in smaller chunks of learning before committing to larger degree programs. Technology-powered formats like mobile-friendly experiences meet the learner where they are, enabling more seamless transitions for those entering a new learning environment or picking up where they left off. At a more advanced level, embracing AI-powered adaptive learning will enable universities to personalize education for millions for more effective outcomes.
From Harvard Business Publishing EducationSpoiler: It Gets Better with Time
Universities have already seen immediate and powerful results from online degree programs. Top MBA programs such as the Global Master of Business Administration from Macquarie University, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign iMBA, Kelley School of Business Online MBA and Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper) online MBA , in particular, have embraced online learning to increase accessibility and affordability for working professionals. These programs also offer stackable learning, such as a short set of online courses, that enable learners to close specific competency gaps or add specific skills to meet immediate career goals.
By embracing technology in its many forms, universities will be able to offer life-changing access to millions more globally. But that’s not the only prize. Through deeper engagements and local industry partnerships world-wide, top colleges will be able to create a virtuous cycle that advances research and collaborative thinking to tackle some of the most pressing challenges we face today.
A game-changing university ecosystem
It will take a global community working together to scale access to higher education. Universities can be the center of this revolution by using technology to join forces and create a shared learning ecosystem, supplementing their own curriculum with top courses from other institutions. Last year, Tec de Monterrey in Mexico, Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile came together for La Tríada — a first-of-its-kind collaboration that enables their combined 150,000 students to share access to 100 online courses available from the three institutions. The potential advantages go beyond shared curricula. Universities could also pool resources to launch a common credit or grading system, to create virtual collaborative learning spaces, or to combine insights from a larger network to shape the direction of programs.
Technology-driven collaboration will also help alleviate faculty shortages plaguing institutions worldwide. Earlier this year, Inside Higher Ed reported on a nationwide shortage of computer science professors, describing it as “a supply and demand story, but on steroids.” In India, faculty shortages are impeding the impact of top institutions — The Indian Institute of Technology, a leading technology institution, has a 35% faculty shortfall. Digitally-powered ecosystems could seamlessly connect content experts from academia or industry to deliver custom learning programs for students anywhere in the world. Universities would be able to leverage the best minds in the industry or open the doors to online faculty exchanges between institutions.
Technology ecosystems also accelerate research among universities. For example, Quartolio, an AI-powered research platform, is helping researchers across universities like Berkeley, MIT, and Stanford to connect the dots and discover cross-discipline insights in their research areas.
Stanford and Silicon Valley’s intertwined history exemplify what’s possible when industry and academia come together. According to a PitchBook report, Stanford had the highest number of entrepreneurs — 1,178 — in an undergrad program globally in 2018 (with 1,015 companies and $28.84 billion in capital raised). As skill demands in the workplace continue to evolve quickly, we need greater industry and university interdependency. Institutions like Mines ParisTech are leading the way with strong ties to businesses and more than 100 major industrial partners. In addition to research synergy, courses include internships and study projects with partner companies.
As talent shortages grow worldwide, institutions, and enterprises must chart partnerships that equip learners with employable skills. One standout example is Google IT Support Professional Certificate’s alignment with 25 community colleges in the U.S. to offer the IT training program as part of their curriculum. With more than 215,000 open IT support roles, this collaboration addresses a major skills shortage. Google closes the loop by connecting learners in the program with top employers hiring for IT support jobs, among them Walmart and Bank of America. Widening the impact, The University of London and Northeastern University also offer credit towards an online bachelor’s degree for learners who complete the program.
The mission for higher education institutions is changing in tandem with the workplace, with reach, impact, and relevance being as important as ever. Universities are being called on to serve more diverse learners on a massive scale. They have to create credentials that catch the attention of employers that are increasingly focused on skills over traditional degrees. They have to create shorter pathways to new skills. And alongside foundational knowledge, they have to offer the flexibility for learners to upskill throughout their careers since lifelong learning is the only way forward. Technology will be the link through this change, revolutionizing what we know as higher ed. | <urn:uuid:00d088c9-aaa1-498e-a6b2-513308bfd90e> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://hbr.org/2019/10/where-online-learning-goes-next?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+harvardbusiness+%28HBR.org%29 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875145966.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20200224163216-20200224193216-00502.warc.gz | en | 0.929019 | 1,447 | 2.671875 | 3 | The extract discusses the need for higher education to adapt to a rapidly changing world driven by technology, emphasizing the importance of digital literacy, online learning, and industry partnerships. It highlights the potential of technology to increase access to education, improve outcomes, and address skills shortages. The text also touches on the need for universities to be more flexible, adaptable, and responsive to the needs of a diverse range of learners.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 419,741 | 1 |
Martin Luther King Jr.'s fight against housing discrimination recalled as national memorial is dedicated
August 20, 2011
Source: Cami Reister
Department: Grand Rapids Press
As a Realtor, Pat Vredevoogd Combs credits Martin Luther King Jr. with sparking the changes that led to laws against housing discrimination.
"There were so many things that were wrong with the system before he stood up and gave his speech and brought people to the forefront of saying the housing situation is wrong," Combs said.
In the mid 1970s, when she started in the industry, she had to operate in a system that protected discrimination.
"There were a lot of covenants in subdivisions that prohibited people of color from purchasing in that subdivision, or people of different nationalities," said Combs, who works with Coldwell Banker AJS-Schmidt.
"It was a little bit scary being an agent before those covenants were removed because you were supposed to uphold the law, and they were wrong, but they were the law." | <urn:uuid:bf858d4a-275f-4d5a-9740-487685a2b08c> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.grar.com/article/news_id/6/article_id/68/view/recent | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394010916587/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305091516-00017-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.992787 | 216 | 3.15625 | 3 | The extract discusses a historical event and its impact on housing discrimination, but lacks direct discussion of soft skills. However, it touches on emotional intelligence, leadership, and critical thinking through Martin Luther King Jr.'s actions and the Realtor's experiences. The extract provides some cultural awareness and historical context, but digital literacy is absent.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 972,657 | 0 |
Whether your child is just going back to school or going to school for the first time, the sudden departure of an older sibling can be disconcerting to a younger child. Just prepare the child as best you can, and expect a period of transition.
Make sure the younger child understands what is going to happen and when, though very young children may not grasp the idea very well if you warn them too far in advance. Talk about how your daily schedule will be different so he knows what to expect. Both children will need to ease into the new routine.
Visit the school if siblings are invited to open house events. Actually seeing the school can help the younger child as she pictures her sibling in the classroom.
Have your younger child help with back-to-school preparations. If the older child agrees, the younger child could even choose a pencil or notebook or sticker that will remind her sibling of her during the day. Sharing her opinion during the exciting time will help her feel included.
As you buy school supplies, you might want to buy pencils, notebooks, and a few other supplies for the younger child. Toddlers are notorious for their ability to know what belongs to whom (“It’s mine!”). Making sure she has her own supplies can help whether you are going to play school at home, really have lessons, or just encourage her to experiment with writing and drawing.
Have projects or lessons in mind for your younger child. Even if it is something simple like learning to watercolor for the first time or taking a tumbling class, the younger child may need a learning activity he can claim for his own.
If the younger child will be the only child at home, you can create a special one-on-one space for the two of you to do what you like to do together. If you don’t know yet what you like to do together, it’s time to explore!
Encourage your younger child to talk about or draw pictures about her feelings. She may be worried, or she may just be excited to have you to herself. Just help her communicate those feelings so any fears don’t grow unnecessarily.
Ask the older child to spend quality time with the younger child. When my daughter was away all day, every day for five weeks for dance, my son had big plans for her every day when she returned. She was tired and wanted time alone, so I had to convince her that it was important for him to spend time with her—that she was doing it more as a gift to him than because she needed or wanted play time. We found a healthy balance, and the time apart went smoothly.
Remember, too, that you are helping your younger child take a step toward school. A smooth transition for your older child will set the tone for your younger child. | <urn:uuid:d8134607-fa26-4964-9b9b-6c16594997c6> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.ecobabysteps.com/2010/08/25/helping-a-young-child-when-an-older-sibling-goes-to-school/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394011377581/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305092257-00018-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979568 | 581 | 2.625 | 3 | The extract provides guidance on supporting a younger child during a sibling's transition to school, promoting emotional intelligence and communication. It offers practical tips and scenarios for parents to help their child cope with change, encouraging open conversation and quality time. However, it lacks depth in complex problem-solving and nuanced interaction, focusing on basic communication and teamwork concepts.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 924,570 | 0 |
The following article is published with the gracious permission of the author.
Language? Culture? What makes humans unique? Many suggestions have been raised and then shot down. But there is one characteristic that may be most fundamental to humanity’s distinctiveness. Far more than any other animal, humans are malleable, especially in early life. This malleability is why we are so needy in early life and why it is critical we receive the right support, what we evolved to require, in order to develop individual and social well-being, including the evolved moral sense. Early life is when a host of epigenetic developments happen, when the foundations for all systems are established through biosocial experience—biology shaped by relational experience. Our closest cousins, chimpanzees, lack such plasticity.
Humans are malleable because of great immaturity at birth. The neonate’s brain is only about 25 percent of adult size, smaller than any other hominid’s brain at birth. Why are humans so immature at birth? Presumably to become bipedal, pelvises shrank, necessitating an earlier exit from the womb than for other hominids. In fact, compared to the maturity of other hominids at birth, human babies should be in the womb another eighteen months; until then, they lack bone solidification and mobility for self-provisioning. Moreover, humans appear to have the longest maturational schedule of any animal: twenty years for physical growth and closer to thirty years for brain development. So, what did humanity evolve in response to this extensive childhood? Like all animals, humans evolved a developmental system, or nest period, for their young that matches up with the maturational schedule of the offspring. The nest period lasts a good while longer because of the time it takes a human to reach adulthood. The human nest adds a couple of features to the longstanding social mammalian nest that emerged over 30 million years ago. Humanity’s early nest qualities are particularly intense because of the young child’s immaturity and plasticity.
Our understanding of the common characteristics of the evolved nest for babies and young children has been garnered from recurring patterns seen among small-band hunter-gatherer communities around the world, the type of society that represents human society in prehistory or 99 percent of human genus existence. Neurobiological studies demonstrate the significant effects of evolved nest components on human functioning and disposition. These are characteristics of the evolved nest for young children:
- Soothing perinatal experiences (e.g., no separation of mother and baby or imposed distress). Skin-to-skin contact at birth facilitates the release of oxytocin in mother and infant, reducing childbirth stress. For example, skin-to-skin contact between mother and child after birth leads to a more responsive relationship and greater child self-regulation a year later.
- Responsiveness to needs, keeping baby distress to a minimum. When caregivers are warm and responsive to needs, a baby’s vagus nerve (an essential part of the parasympathic nervous system) is properly shaped (myelinated), influencing health and social capacities. A mutually responsive relationship between mother and child leads to secure attachment and greater capacity for self-control, prosocial and cooperative behavior.
- Lots of holding, carrying, rocking, and positive touch. Psychologist Harry Harlow studied the effects of maternal touch deprivation on the brains of monkeys, finding long-lasting effects on individuals’ self-regulation and sociality. Further studies in humans indicate that maternal touch decreases cortisol release, which benefits neuronal and immune systems because high levels of cortisol kills neurons and immune cells.
- Extensive breastfeeding. Breast milk has thousands of ingredients including those that are required to build a well-functioning brain and immune system. Breastfeeding also appears to support sociality and morality. In one of our studies, breastfeeding length was positively related to the development of children’s inhibitory control and conscience (guilt and concern after wrongdoing) in 3–5 year olds.
- Deep social support and a positive climate for mother and child. Moms are more responsive when they feel supported. In one of our studies, maternal social support positively correlated with child cooperation at eighteen and thirty months of age, child social competence at twenty-four months, and reduced aggressive behavior at eighteen months. Social support is also a result of child spacing, which was typically greater among small-band hunter-gatherer communities, as remarked upon by explorers and noted by anthropologists studying extant communities. Children would have grown up with few siblings, surrounded by playmates of various ages, making sibling rivalry less of an issue, allowing for lengthier breastfeeding (average age of weaning of four years).
- Self-directed play in the natural world with multi-aged playmates. Young mammals play, that is one of their common characteristics. Playing supports social development, self-control, and executive functions.
We can hypothesize that the components of the evolved nest represent a species-typical developmental system for human beings and that early experience that falls outside of these components may be termed a species-atypical nest. Moreover, because of human malleability in early life, the nature of human nature that a species-typical nest supports should vary from that of species-atypical nests.
It is often assumed that humans are born with a particular nature, arguably selfish or cooperative. But evolutionary systems theory notes a rich set of inheritances beyond genes, such as culture, ecology, self-organization, and the developmental system, or nest. These, too, influence the type of nature an individual or culture exhibits.
Studying the interplay of the evolved nest with human nature is a transdisciplinary enterprise. Anthropological and first contact diaries provide observational-descriptive data of humans raised in a species-typical manner. For example, small-band hunter-gatherer societies are highly cooperative and communal (though individuals all have high autonomy). Relationships are established in trust, which entails acting, as anthropologist Ingold wrote, “with the person in mind, in the hope and expectation that they will do likewise” toward you, without compulsion or obligation.
Diaries of first-contact explorers noted largely cooperative and peaceable indigenous societies. For example, Jesuit Priest Pierre Biard was astounded that the Micmac, natives of the Canadian Maritimes, thought themselves superior to the French despite the Micmac’s “great lack of government, power, letters, art and riches.” He quoted their typical admonitions as, “you [Frenchmen] are always fighting and quarrelling among yourselves; we live peaceably. You are envious and are all the time slandering each other; you are thieves and deceivers; you are covetous, and are neither generous nor kind; as for us, if we have a morsel of bread we share it with our neighbor.” The characteristics recorded by Biard are repeated by other first-contact explorers, including Columbus, and echoed centuries later by anthropologists studying small-band hunter-gatherers.
The evolved nest clearly influences social and moral capacities. Higher levels of evolved nest (affection, play, family togetherness) experienced in childhood as reported by adults was correlated with secure attachment, mental health, perspective taking, and relational morality instead of self-protectionist morality. Relational morality flexibly attunes to the other in mutual acceptance and regard, whereas self-protectionist morality orients to hierarchical, scripted, controlling social relations.
Darwin’s work shed some light on this topic. In arguing against the view that evolution promotes selfishness, Darwin described how components of a moral sense emerged through the tree of life to culminate in humanity’s moral sense (e.g., empathy, social pleasure, concern for the opinion of others, habit development for social fitness). Darwin noted, interestingly, that “primitives” and his female compatriots displayed the components of the moral sense whereas his male compatriots did not. This is not a surprise, considering the men of his culture were not raised within a supportive, evolved nest. Boys are especially sensitive to early care, being less resilient than girls to early stressors; boys appear to require more intense and enduring supportive care in early life.
What does all this mean for human nature? In Western societies like the USA, culture has overtaken biology. That is, parents are socialized and pressured to provide a species-atypical nest to their young. Industrialism and then capitalism and their effects are undermining the human optimization that the evolved nest supports. Indeed, health and well-being in the USA have been diminishing and perhaps even the moral sense. As health and well-being, sociality and morality are established in early neurobiological development, the future of human nature and humanity itself may depend on whether we restore the evolved nest.
Darcia Narvaez is Professor of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame. She publishes extensively on morality, human nature, and well-being.
Gómez- Robles, A., Hopkins, W. D., Schapiro, S. J., & Sherwood, C. C. (2015). Relaxed genetic control of cortical organization in human brains compared with chimpanzees. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(48), 14799-14804.
Konner, M. (2005). Hunter-gatherer infancy and childhood: The !Kung and others. In B. Hewlett & M. Lamb (Eds.), Hunter-gatherer childhoods: Evolutionary, developmental and cultural perspectives (pp. 19-64). New Brunswich, NJ: Transaction.
For more details on the evolved nest and its effects, see: Narvaez, D., Panksepp, J., Schore, A., & Gleason, T. (Eds.) (2013). Evolution, early experience and human development: From research to practice and policy. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Bystrova, K., Widström, A., Matthiesen, A., Ransjö-Arvidson, A., Welles-Nyström, B., Wassberg, C., … Uvnäs-Moberg, K. (2007). Skin-to-skin contact may reduce negative consequences of “the stress of being born”: A study on temperature in newborn infants, subjected to different ward routines in St. Petersburg. Acta Paediatrica, 92(3), 320-326. doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.2003.tb00553.x
Eisenberg, L. (1995). The social construction of the human brain. American Journal of Psychiatry, 152(11), 1563–1575; Kochanska, G. (2002). Mutually responsive orientation between mothers and their young children: A context for the early development of conscience. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 11(6), 191-195. doi:10.1111/1467-8721.00198; Zahn-Waxler, C.,& Radke–Yarrow, M. (1990). The origins of empathic concern. Motivation and Emotion 14(2), 107-130. doi:10.1007/bf00991639
Field, T., & Hernandez-Reif, M. (2013). Touch and pain perception in infants. In D. Narvaez, J. Panksepp, A.N. Schore, & T. Gleason (Eds.), Evolution, early experience and human development: From research to practice and policy (pp. 262-276). New York: Oxford University Press.
Hart, S., Boylan L.M., Carroll S., Musick Y.A., & Lampe R.M.(2003). Brief report: Breast-fed one-week-olds demonstrate superior neurobehavioral organization. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 28(8), 529-534.
Narvaez, D., Wang, L., Gleason, T., Cheng, A., Lefever, J., & Deng, L. (2013). The Evolved Developmental Niche and sociomoral outcomes in Chinese three-year-olds. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 10(2), 106-127.
Narvaez, D., Gleason, T., Wang, L., Brooks, J., Lefever, J., Cheng, A., & Centers for the Prevention of Child Neglect (2013). The Evolved Development Niche: Longitudinal Effects of Caregiving Practices on Early Childhood Psychosocial Development. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 28 (4), 759–773. Doi: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2013.07.003.
Martin, C. (1978). Keepers of the game: Indian-animal relationships and the fur trade. Los Angeles: University of California Press; Hewlett, B.S., & Lamb, M.E. (2005). Hunter-gatherer childhoods: Evolutionary, developmental and cultural perspectives. New Brunswick, NJ: Aldine.
Ingold, T. (1999). On the social relations of the hunter-gatherer band. In R. B. Lee & R. Daly (Eds.), The Cambridge encyclopedia of hunters and gatherers (pp. 399–410). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Thwaites, R.G. (Ed.) (1896-1901). The Jesuit relations and allied documents: Travels and explorations of the Jesuit missionaries in New France, 1610-1901, 73 vols. Cleveland, OH: The Borrows Brothers Company.
Ingold, T. (1999). On the social relations of the hunter-gatherer band. In R. B. Lee & R. Daly (Eds.), The Cambridge encyclopedia of hunters and gatherers (pp. 399–410). New York: Cambridge University Press; Lee, R.B. (1979). The !Kung San: Men, women, and work in a foraging community. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press; Lee & Daly. (Eds.). (2005). The Cambridge encyclopedia of hunters and gatherers. New York: Cambridge University Press; Lee & Devore. (1968). Man the Hunter. Chicago: Aldine Publishing Co.
Narvaez, D., Wang, L., & Cheng, Y. (2016). The evolved developmental niche in childhood: Relation to adult psychopathology and morality. Applied Developmental Science, 20(4), 294-309. doi:10.1080/10888691.2015.1128835
Narvaez, D. (2016). Embodied morality: Protectionism, engagement and imagination. New York, NY: Palgrave-Macmillan.
Darwin, R. (1871). The Descent of Man. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Schore, A.N. (2017). All our sons: The developmental neurobiology and neuroendocrinology of boys at risk. Infant Mental Health Journal, 38(1), 15-52.doi: 10.1002/imhj.21616.
National Research Council. (2013). U.S. Health in International Perspective: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; Narvaez, D. (2017). Evolution, early experience and Darwin’s moral sense In. R. Joyce (Ed.), Routledge Handbook of Evolution and Philosophy (pp. 322-332). London: Routledge.
Narvaez, D. (2014). Neurobiology and the development of human morality: Evolution, culture and wisdom. New York, NY: W.W. Norton. | <urn:uuid:26463d04-29a7-425f-8488-6a15b49a3249> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://womenshealthtoday.blog/2017/07/26/unnested-humans-unhuman-nature/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875145989.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20200224224431-20200225014431-00550.warc.gz | en | 0.885484 | 3,283 | 3.59375 | 4 | The extract provides an in-depth discussion of human development, morality, and the importance of early life experiences, but it lacks direct application to soft skills development. However, it touches on aspects like empathy, sociality, and cooperation, which are essential for teamwork and communication. The content is rich in theoretical knowledge but does not offer straightforward scenarios for practical application or complex problem-solving related to soft skills. Therefore, it scores points for its depth in discussing human nature and development but falls short in providing direct, nuanced interactions or complex scenarios for soft skills development.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 487,232 | 0 |
Inspired by the local materials and culture of Mahabalipuram, an Indian fishing village famous for sculpture, American Artist Janet Echelman stumbled upon a material that would change her art, and life, forever. One evening, while observing the fishermen’s nightly routine of bundling their nets, Echelman imagined a new type of sculpture – a volumetric form that could be the scale of a large building but remain light enough to ripple in the wind, constantly reshaping the net and creating ever-changing patterns.
With a sophisticated mixture of ancient craft and modern technology, Echelman collaborates with a range of professionals including aeronautical and mechanical engineers, architects, lighting designers, landscape architects, and fabricators to transform urban environments world-wide with her net sculptures.
Continue after the break to view some of Echelman’s most famous projects.
Using color and material to invoke the memory of the site’s history as a fishing and industrial center, this three-dimensional multi-layer net floats over the Cidade Salvador Plaza. This work is credited as the first permanent, monumental public sculpture to use an entirely soft and flexible set of membranes moving fluidly in wind. The work casts cinematic shadow drawings onto the ground further highlighting the “wind choreography.” The the city has made the sculpture its graphic symbol. When interviewed, local people give different interpretations of the work, from fishing nets, ships and masts of the Portuguese maritime history, the red-and-white striped smokestacks of the area’s industrial past, to Portuguese lace, sea creatures and ripples in water.
Three steel poles, ranging in height from 25 to 50 meters, are painted white with red stripes to reference nearby smokestacks and lighthouses. These poles support a 20 ton steel ring, 45 meters in diameter, from which the net weighing about one ton is suspended. The ring greets the ocean at a slant, ranging from 13.5 meters off of the ground at the lowest point and 27 meters at the highest. The smokestack reference is continued through the red and white stripes of the net.
The net is comprised of 36 individual mesh sections in different densities, hand-joined along all sides into a multi-layered form. The net material is TENARA® architectural fiber, a 100% UV-resistant, colorfast fiber made of PTFE (poly-tetra-fluoro-ethylene), the substance most widely known as the non-stick cooking surface Teflon®.
This project makes visible to the human eye the patterns of desert winds. During the day, sunlight projects patterned shadow drawings onto the ground and pedestrians on their daily paths. At night, the colored illumination gradually changes color through the seasons. The large three-dimensional multi-layered form is created by a combination of hand and machine knotting of recyclable high-tenacity colored polyester that is replaced in new color variations at intervals.
The sculpture is comprised of painted galvanized steel and cables, changing sets of recyclable high-tenacity polyester braided twine netting and colored lighting with computerized programming.
Tsunami 1.26, an aerial lace installation, was inspired by the 2010 Chile earthquake’s ensuing tsunami and the 1.26-microsecond shortening of the day that resulted from the earthquake’s redistribution of the Earth’s mass. By meditating on these epiphenomena, the work underscores the interdependence of Earth systems and the global community. It asks the viewer to pause and consider the larger fabric of which they are a part.
Studio Echelman generated a 3D model of the tsunami using data from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the NOAA Center for Tsunami Research and then used software to transform an outline of the model’s higher amplitude area into a sculptural form. Additionally, the studio created hand-knotted models to achieve the complex shaping of the piece.
This artwork utilizes Spectra®, a material 15 times stronger than steel by weight. The mesh is knotted by machine in order to withstand winds, but is engineered to reflect the intricacy of handmade lace.
1.26 Sculpture Project at the Biennial of the Americas July 6-August 6, 2010 Illumination hours: 9pm-6am
Janet Echelman’s 230-foot-long aerial sculpture “1.26” suspends from the roof of the 7-story Denver Art Museum above downtown street traffic to commemorate the inaugural Biennial of the Americas.
The City of Denver asked the artist to create a monumental yet temporary work exploring the theme of the interconnectedness of the 35 nations that make up the Western Hemisphere. She drew inspiration from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s announcement that the February 2010 Chile earthquake shortened the length of the earth’s day by 1.26 microseconds by slightly redistributing the earth’s mass. Exploring further, Echelman drew on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) simulation of the earthquake’s ensuing tsunami, using the 3-dimensional form of the tsunami’s amplitude rippling across the Pacific as the basis for her sculptural form.
The temporary nature of the Biennial and its accelerated timeline precluded the artist’s use of a permanent steel armature, as employed in the artist’s previous monumental permanent commissions. Instead, “1.26” pioneers a tensile support matrix of Spectra® fiber, a material 15 times stronger than steel by weight. This low-impact, super-lightweight design made it possible to temporarily attach the sculpture directly to the façade of the Denver Art Museum, and this structural system opens up a new trajectory for the artist’s work in urban airspace.
Because this monumental sculpture is made entirely of soft materials, it is animated by the wind. Its fluidly moving form contrasts with the rigid surfaces of the surrounding urban architecture. At night, colored lighting transforms the work into a floating, luminous form while darkness conceals the support cables.
A book about “1.26” includes an essay by Sanford Kwinter, Professor of Architectural Theory and Criticism at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, cofounder of the journal Zone and Zone Books, and author of Architectures of Time: Towards a Theory of the Event in Modernist Culture.
Water Sky Garden transforms the plaza surrounding the Richmond Olympic Oval, official venue for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games speed-skating events, into a permanent art environment for the community. Echelman’s design engages the space all around the viewer – water, sky, and pedestrian pathways – to create an immersive whole using rock, wood, water, air bubble fountains, steel, netting, and light.
Red-stained cedar boardwalks lead visitors through the artwork. Water purifying aerators draw shapes with bubbles on the surface of a pond that collects runoff water from the Ovals’ 5-acre roof, while suspended net-forms undulate overhead in the wind, becoming sky-lanterns during nighttime illumination.
The red boardwalk and “sky lanterns” are inspired by the city’s cultural communities. Richmond has the largest immigrant population by proportion of any city in Canada with the majority of those immigrants being of Asian descent. The wooden boardwalk follows a curving path similar to the choreography of the Dragon Dance, a performance frequently seen in local Chinese festivals. The Nitobe Japanese garden and the Sun Yat Sen Chinese garden of the Vancouver region are important references, especially their material presence, intersecting paths and reflective ponds, and their framing of views. Water Sky Garden is a contemplative art environment that encourages participants to linger. The overhead netted forms provide a new visual experience, putting art in the sky; at night they glow like lanterns. Nets have a special relationship with the site, as the native Musqueam Band continue to teach their children to fish using nets at this particular bend in the Fraser River to this day, and this area has a history of the fishing/canning industry which employed many ethnic groups.
This project was achieved through Echelman’s collaboration with a team of international award-winning architects, engineers, lighting and water consultants, landscape architects and fabricators.
Artist Janet Echelman transforms the terminal with fictional nature that subtly engages viewers with real and imagined natural forces. Her sculpture installation cuts three round skylights into the ceiling, from which descend delicate layers of translucent colored netting to create three voluptuous volumetric forms. A series of shaded outlines below are embedded into the terrazzo floor, reflecting the precise shadows that would occur on the summer solstice if the sun could penetrate through the roof. During the day, sun streams through the skylights to cast real shadows that interplay with the fictional shadows in the floor. At night, the artist’s program of colored lighting makes the sculpture glow from indigo to purple, magenta to red-orange. Computer-programmed mechanized air-flow animates the fluidly-moving sculpture at different intervals throughout the day, as if the wind could magically flow through solid walls.
The artist achieved the sculpture’s physical presence by braiding fibers and knotting twine into sculptural netting suspended from powder-coated steel armatures. Despite their large scale, more than 120 feet in circumference for a single form, her sculpture is experienced as ephemeral and weightless. Visually, the sculpture evokes the contours and colors of cloud formations over the Bay and hints at the silhouette of the Golden Gate Bridge. Aesthetically, the sculpture looks both backwards and forwards, drawing its color from the heyday of psychedelic music, the Summer of Love, and San Francisco’s prominence in the beat poetry movement, while also referencing the contemporary bay area as a hub of innovation and interconnectivity for the world of technology.
The title, Every Beating Second, referring to a line by beat poet Allen Ginsberg, represents the artist’s interest in heightening awareness of the present moment:
live in the physical world moment to moment
I must put down every recurring thought— stop every beating second (11-16)
All project descriptions provided by Studio Echelman. | <urn:uuid:5918ca9f-86ae-4834-a6f7-3f213c3eaf99> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://www.archdaily.com/219868/janet-echelman-reshaping-urban-airspace-world-wide/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128321410.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20170627115753-20170627135753-00684.warc.gz | en | 0.919469 | 2,148 | 2.546875 | 3 | The extract showcases Janet Echelman's art projects, highlighting her collaboration with various professionals and use of unique materials. While it demonstrates creativity and innovation, it lacks direct discussion of soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, or leadership. However, it implies these skills through Echelman's collaborative work and problem-solving approaches. The extract also touches on cultural awareness and digital literacy, but primarily focuses on artistic expression.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 6,431 | 0 |
For the extraordinary players, the boundaries give him or her the edge. The boundaries could mean there is only so much that can happen within the allotted time and space. Therefore, the best player can see the court and its design as a whole instead of just looking at the events occurring in front of them. Understanding the design allows you to foresee the range of possibilities before they take place.
When you can see the whole, it is easier to see gaps and fill them with something that never existed. That is innovation. Innovation itself has a design. Like basketball there may be constraints, and that has nothing to do with being limited. Part of the design of innovation requires you to let go of presuppositions and the belief you are limited.
As a rule, the best of the best in any undertaking understand the possibility of inventing the game. Most people learn the game and do it well. The extraordinary players learn the game and then invent it. They play the game in a way that has never been played before. The same goes for any profession. A person prepares himself or herself to play the game in a way that it has never been played before. They develop a mindset to produce extraordinary. They practice in a way that may seem counterintuitive. They may do exercises and drills that seem foolish, and they do it within the design of the game.
If you get that everything in life has a design with built-in constraints, you begin to understand that life is less about constraints. It is more about understanding what you want to create and preparing yourself, while simultaneously being honest about your limiting beliefs. If you believe you cannot have something, you will figure out a way to sabotage your efforts and blame other people. Take a step back and look at the whole design, not at what is impossible; instead find what can be possible by filling in the gaps.
If you work against the design like the player always fighting the refs, it is easy to miss opportunities and live with regrets. In life, there are people who believe that everything is a fight and they will go out of their way to prove that. In some cases, the act of proving could be a form of working against the design.
In your organization, think about its design. There are customers, vendors, managers, employees, media and a flow of information in and out of the company. There is a design to it; it is not haphazard. Can you see the whole design? Can you see the gaps? What can you prepare yourself to do, such that, you fill gaps in the design and make something happen that would not have happened without you being there?
Every enterprise has gaps. Every organization needs people who can step up and fill those gaps. Why shouldn’t it be you?
What do you think? I would love to hear what you think. | <urn:uuid:6cd921fa-5e42-4141-a9c9-98341f05fbd7> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://turnaroundip.blogspot.com/2012/04/its-all-in-design.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886103270.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20170817111816-20170817131816-00618.warc.gz | en | 0.975658 | 581 | 2.609375 | 3 | The extract scores high for its discussion of soft skills, particularly innovation, critical thinking, and problem-solving. It presents complex scenarios and encourages readers to think strategically, filling gaps in organizational designs. The text also touches on emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and intercultural fluency implicitly.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 906,634 | 1 |
You can inspire creative thinking....writing...drama... and improve oracy skills as you discuss the illustrations.
Trent College, Nottingham
A faun's tale
Salvias, the unkempt and hairy faun, was lost. After being banished from faun-land, for tricking the king and embarrassing him in front of the kingdom of centaurs, he decided to take refuge in the enchanted forest. The forest was well known for its dark magic. The few that ventured inside had never returned.
When dusk settled, Salvias decided to sleep. He searched for a clearing in the forest, and just when he thought that he would never find an emptly clearing, he came across a beautiful-looking glade. It seemed to sparkle in the moon-light. Its magical beauty gave the sleepy faun no choice but to rest his head. Although the faun was aware that the place was full of dark magic, he was too tired to care about it, and slept.
He slept, lost in his wildest dreams, for what seemed to be an eternity. He couldn't, however, tell if the noise was a dream. This mysterious noise had always been there like the birds in their nests. It was an ever present voice, speaking to him. He never listened close enough to hear what the voice said, but, it sounded as if the persion, or creature, was wise. Maybe it was a voice telling him how to escape his dreams? When he tried to listen to its low rumble, his dreams were also calling for him, louder and clearer. Sometimes he forgot he was dreaming.
The voice spoke louder than ever before. It spoke with meaning, as if, for the first time it was agitated with Salvias. Now it really wanted him to get out of this dream world. Suddenly the dream world had erupted into chaos. His minds very creations being destroyed before his eyes. The earth trembled, the sea roared and mountains became fiery pits of magma......
Written by a group of 12 and 13 year old children
'The students (year 7) and I have had such fun with Gazoonkas
in our English lessons. Clearly, working with Gazoonkas stimulates extraordinary
opportunities to develop refreshing narrative characters that have helped my students formulate the most intriguing plots. I would recommend highly the use of Gazoonkas in English lessons. The
possibilities for creativity in writing, drama, art, poetry, language skill lessons are endless. It is so easy to adapt lessons, within the national curriculum, using these fascinating
Mr Liam Webster, Assistant Head, Trent College, Nottinghamshire, UK
Crazies Hill School, Berkshire.
"Our day with Fran Webster was a magical experience. The children wee fascinated with Fran's story of how the Gazoonkas came into existence through her doodling, and thought her artwork truly amazing. The children were inspired to draw some fabulous Gazoonkas of their own and to write stories full of excitement and imagination. This has been a wonderful way to promote creative writing and ilustration across the whole school."
Eileen Holmes, Headteacher.
'Imagination is more important than knowledge'. Albert Einstein
'Creativity is intelligence having fun.'
'Disneyland will never be completed.
It will continue to grow as long as
there is imagination left in th world'
PAREIDOLIA, in a nutshell, is the ability to see faces, or other things, where there isn't one.
In his notebooks, Leonardo da Vinci wrote of pareidolia as a device for painters, writing "if you look at any walls spotted with various stains.... if you are about to invent some scene you will be able to see in it a resemblance to various different landscapes adorned with mountains, rivers, rocks, trees, plains, wide valleys and various groups of hills. You will also be able to see divers, combats and figures in quick movement, and strange expressions of faces, and outlandish costumes, and an infinite number of things which you can then reduce into separate and well conceived forms."
These imaginings, or seeings, with the aid of drawing, become my Gazoonkas
Fran Webster's Art
More of my work can be viewed on Redbubble.
and on my face book art page
and frantuckster on Instagram | <urn:uuid:7416793d-c530-43f6-bb43-f51594460c8f> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | http://www.gazoonka.com/stimulus-for-writing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945376.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20230325222822-20230326012822-00698.warc.gz | en | 0.973403 | 953 | 2.8125 | 3 | The extract showcases a creative writing and art project that encourages imagination, creative thinking, and self-expression. It provides a foundation for developing communication and teamwork skills through collaborative storytelling and art activities. However, the extract lacks depth in discussing soft skills, complex problem-solving, and nuanced interaction, limiting its score.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 92,862 | 0 |
The Long Civil Rights Movement in 20th-Century America|
|Certificates: The Study of Education|
This course traces the major sites of protest, opposition, and resistance in African American history since 1896. By examining the development of the American Civil Rights Movement, this course complicates traditional understandings of black liberation struggles in America. Who were these civil rights activists? How did they unify? What were their priorities? How did they imagine black freedom? How did these events play out in public life? The readings and assignments facilitate a critical analytical approach to the 20th-century struggle for civil rights and racial equality in America.
Students will use analytical tools to explore a variety of interpretations and viewpoints. Course participants will work on their writing skills through a variety of assignments and writing exercises.
||Gen Ed Area Dept:
|Course Format: Seminar||Grading Mode: Graded|
||Fulfills a Major Requirement for: None
||Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available
|Special Attributes: FYI|
|Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Leon Litwack, TROUBLE IN MIND
William Chafe, CIVILITIES AND CIVIL RIGHTS
THE EYES ON THE PRIZE CIVIL RIGHTS READER
John Howard Griffin, BLACK LIKE ME
Jeff Chang, CAN'T STOP, WON'T STOP
|Examinations and Assignments: |
Weekly response papers, two short papers, final project/presentation
|Additional Requirements and/or Comments: |
Class participation is required.
Learning and Living Seminar
This First Year Seminar is part of Wesleyan's Learning and Living Program. Students who register for this class will live together in the same residence hall. Because students are living in close proximity to one another, intellectual discussions and collaborative learning will extend beyond the classroom. This arrangement facilitates group assignments and projects, and allows for the growth of a strong community of students through daily interaction. Strengthening students' intellectual and residential community enhances the undergraduate experience for Learning and Living seminar participants.
|Instructor(s): Wright,Leah M. Times: ..T.... 01:10PM-04:00PM; Location: CAAS LOUNG; |
|Permission of Instructor Required|
Enrollment capacity: 19
|Permission of instructor will be granted during the drop/add period. Students must submit either a ranked or unranked drop/add request for this course.|
|Web Resources: Syllabus |
|Drop/Add Enrollment Requests|
|Total Submitted Requests: 1||1st Ranked: 0||2nd Ranked: 0||3rd Ranked: 0||4th Ranked: 0||Unranked: 1| | <urn:uuid:184fd5d8-9c8c-4bde-93bd-21606f6429a8> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://owaprod-pub.wesleyan.edu/reg/!wesmaps_page.html?stuid=&crse=012900&term=1119 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224649293.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20230603133129-20230603163129-00636.warc.gz | en | 0.85499 | 670 | 2.875 | 3 | This course extract earns a score of 4 due to its comprehensive coverage of critical thinking, analytical approaches, and community-building opportunities. The seminar format and living arrangement facilitate meaningful discussions, collaborative learning, and emotional intelligence development. However, it lacks explicit emphasis on advanced digital literacy and technological adaptation.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 538,368 | 1 |
The Spill Is Gone -- 10 Years Later, Debate Still Rages Over Effects Of The Exxon Valdez Disaster In Alaska
Seattle Times Staff Reporter
PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, Alaska - Bathed in slanted sunlight, our floatplane skirts the southern tip of the submerged mountain range that is Knight Island, banks left and glides to the surface of Hogan Bay. The pilot taxis toward the shore, cuts his engine and deftly rudders the plane to the narrow beach where we step onto the cobbled shores of a wilderness paradise.
The deep, green fjord mirrors serrated peaks glistening with fresh snow. The water is so clear you can see the bottom 20 feet below. An eagle, unperturbed by our intrusion, hovers high on an invisible updraft. The only sound is the hiss of a soft southerly across the spruce-clad ridge.
Ten years later, it is an intellectual stretch to imagine this place as the scene of an environmental catastrophe.
Yet this sub-Arctic wilderness remains enveloped in controversy - lawyers, politicians and journalists who insist Prince William Sound still suffers from the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989.
Whether the poison persists is a question for scientists. But there are other things to be learned here. Lessons about natural disasters and man-made disasters and how people and communities cope with them. Lessons about man's inclination to hammer nature, and about nature's extraordinary ability to bounce back.
Ten years ago, March 24, 1989, the disaster was real. After years of promises it would never happen, the oil-laden tanker strayed off course and plowed into a rocky reef well-charted for 200 years.
While government and industry squabbled over what to do, 11 million gallons of oil crept down the west side of Prince William Sound, inundating the rocky shores of Knight and other wilderness islands seemingly unspoiled since Creation. The spill, broadcast around the world, soon became one of the most reported and studied environmental events in history.
I arrived a few days later, following on the heels of my colleague, Bill Dietrich. He based himself in Valdez, the oil port; I stayed in Cordova, the fishing port some 50 miles to the south.
In those frantic first days, I landed in Hogan Bay to find a scene from Dante. The stench hit us before we landed; the beaches were saturated with thick, brown Alaska crude. Hardly an inch of Knight's intricate shoreline had escaped the goop.
A weary fisherman, his rain gear dripping with oil, came ashore with several oiled seabirds in a cardboard box held together with duct tape, and a plastic pet carrier heavy with a very sick sea otter. My friendly pilot agreed to ferry the creatures to the wildlife rescue center in Valdez - though word was circulating over the radio that the center was full.
We lifted our strange cargo into the plane, taxied through the slick and took off, tracing the eastern shoreline, peering up into one fouled bay after another. The wheezing of the oiled otter was audible even over the engine.
In the distance, the grounded tanker was a tiny speck on the northeast horizon. It was astonishing that just one-fifth of the contents of that speck had wreaked devastation for hundreds of miles.
We delivered the otter and birds. For us, the rescue was vaguely cathartic, but it is doubtful any of the creatures survived.
March 24, 1999
As we approach the 10-year anniversary of the Exxon Valdez spill, the images return. TV networks rebroadcast the film clips; newspapers and magazines dig out the photographs of oiled seabirds, of cleanup workers scrubbing rocks.
In recent weeks, journalists have flocked to Sleepy Bay, known locally as "Media Bay," the easiest place to find remnants of the oil. Last Sunday, millions watched Ed Bradley on "60 Minutes" scoop a handful of black crud from Media Bay and declare Exxon's oil "as toxic today as it was 10 years ago."
Most scientists say Sleepy Bay is the worst case; it caught the brunt of the slick, and shallow bedrock has prevented the goop from seeping back into the ground.
Sleepy Bay's oily sediments do remain a nightmare for Cordova, home to the local fishing fleet. Exxon's oil never came close to Cordova, but it fouled the town's fishing grounds and threatened its hatcheries across the sound. Still, a decade later, Cordova's troubles likely have less to do with oil and biology than with more distant economics.
Winter in Cordova is like living in a 7-Eleven Slurpee cup. Just offshore, the Alaska Gyre churns up one wintery storm after another, each dumping some combination of snow, rain and wind on this long-suffering coastal village.
Many of the area's fishermen spend winter elsewhere. The 2,000 hardy souls who live here year-round do so hunkered down in the bars or with a stack of novels, watching cable TV, complaining about whatever is available to complain about.
Usually, there's no lack of material.
The town was founded in 1911 as the terminus for the Copper River Railroad, built by the Guggenheim Trust to ship copper ore from the Kennecott Mine 150 miles north across the Chugach Mountains. In 1938, copper prices plummeted, the mines and railroad closed, and Cordova might have as well.
It was saved by clams, dug from the vast mud flats just offshore and canned by the millions on the Cordova waterfront. But the clams were victims of an even greater calamity - the Good Friday Earthquake of 1964, a massive quake that raised the sea floor off Cordova by six feet, drying up the shellfish beds.
Gradually, the town shifted its attention to salmon - those unpredictable runs of pink salmon and, in the spring, the highly prized kings and sockeyes pulled from the Copper River Delta east of town.
Then came the spill.
"We now know that oil is many times more toxic to fish than we thought," says environmentalist Riki Ott. "And that's the same oil that remains on the beaches."
For Ott, oil and Exxon have become an obsession. After several years working Prince William Sound and the Copper River Flats, the Ph.D. biologist-turned-fisherman sold her permit in 1991 and became a full-time critic of the Alaska oil industry.
On a drizzly Sunday night, she sits in the Alaskan Bar in Cordova, nursing a soda and walking me through her view of Oil-Spill Biology 101: How oil continues to poison the pink salmon and herring.
Oil from the spill, she says, explains the collapse of the pink salmon fishery in 1992 and 1993, and of the herring fishery in 1993 and 1994. Those biological failures, in turn, have caused economic hardship, she says. Cordova's fishing income has been cut almost in half, from $46 million in 1988 to $26 million in 1997.
Why did that income dip? It's a complex puzzle science can't solve, though scientists have tried to address every other biological question left in the wake of the spill.
Living biology lab
Since the Exxon Valdez, Prince William Sound has become the most-researched corner of the North Pacific, a virtual full employment act for marine biologists and oceanographers. Most of that research has been bankrolled either by oil companies, environmental groups or state agencies, each of which has a powerful interest in one conclusion or another.
Even now, long after the lawsuits have been tried, the scientific duel continues. The dominant message at a recent Seattle spill conference sponsored by the oil industry and federal agencies: Prince William Sound has recovered. The message expected at a meeting between state officials and environmentalists this coming week in Anchorage is likely to be far less optimistic.
"In a way, science was a huge victim of the spill," observes Margy Johnson, an innkeeper and former mayor of Cordova. She has rented rooms and served dinner to many of the visiting scientists and concluded: "For the right amount of money, you can hire a scientist to tell you anything you want to hear."
The most quoted authority on oil-spill science is the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, an Alaskan agency that oversees the spending of some $900 million Exxon paid in an out-of-court settlement with the state.
In a January assessment, council staff said only bald eagles, river otters and pink salmon have "recovered" from the spill. More than 20 other species - ranging from mussels and seabirds to harbor seals and killer whales - are listed as "recovering" or "not recovered."
Outside scientists are troubled by this approach.
"It all depends on how you define `recovered,' " explains Gary Shigenaka, a biologist and oil-spill specialist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Seattle. Using pre-spill populations as a standard presents two problems, Shigenaka says. First, it assumes you know what those levels were. And, even if you know that, it assumes those population levels were "normal."
"Prince William Sound is a dynamic environment," he explains. "The ecosystem changes dramatically year to year."
In addition to the spill, wildlife populations were almost certainly affected by the unusually cold winter of 1988-89, which included ice in the salmon-spawning areas.
"How do you separate the spill from all of those other factors?" Shigenaka asks.
Take harbor seals, for example. Several hundred died in the oil, but seal populations had been declining in Alaska waters for some 10 years before the spill - a near-collapse that scientists believe may be linked to food supply. To list seals as "not recovered" is accurate; but to attribute that collapse to the spill probably is not.
In its own research, NOAA has focused on long-term monitoring of intertidal plants and animals on beaches that were oiled and beaches that were not. They have learned that wildlife fluctuated wildly from year to year at both kinds of sites.
Based on that work, NOAA concluded damage from the oil lasted up to two years. By 1993, there was no measurable difference between oiled and pristine beaches.
Pink salmon, Cordova's bread and butter, present a tougher problem - ample statistical evidence supports either side of the debate.
A team of biologists on contract with Exxon concluded salmon were only briefly exposed to toxic levels of oil. And biologist John Wiens from Colorado State University pointed out that only 30 of 210 salmon streams were oiled.
Ott, however, cites the laboratory work of federal researchers in Juneau, concluding oil is toxic to juvenile salmon at levels of one part per billion - 100 times lower than previously believed.
The actual return of the salmon perpetuate the puzzle: record-high salmon runs in '90 and '91, a virtual collapse in '92 and '93, another record high in '94, and so forth.
But that's the history of Prince William Sound's salmon runs - huge runs of pink salmon, followed by near disasters. For this, scientists blame geography - steep mountains that do not accommodate salmon streams. Most pink salmon spawn at or near the mouths of streams, where they are far more prone to wind, waves and ice.
The vagaries of Mother Nature, in fact, were the reason Cordova fishermen pooled their resources and turned to hatcheries 20 years ago. They converted an old cannery at Sawmill Bay and started producing hundreds of millions of juvenile salmon. Under controlled conditions, 90 percent of salmon eggs became viable fry, compared to 20 percent in the wild.
It worked so well they built another hatchery - the world's largest - at Esther Island. Meanwhile, world salmon prices zoomed upward. In 1987, two years before the spill, fishermen caught 26 million pink salmon in Prince William Sound and sold them to canneries for prices as high as 80 cents per pound. Thanks to hatcheries, a once-marginal fishery became a gold mine.
Many of the same fishermen also were making thousands in the spring herring fishery, selling herring roe at phenomenal prices. The clientele were the Japanese, who reserve herring roe for special occasions.
Cordova boomed. Fishermen bought bigger boats, new homes and condos in Hawaii.
But the boom was brief.
The spill didn't help, some scientists say, because the oil poisoned substantial numbers of fish - both salmon and herring. But the spill had no effect on the hatchery fish that fishermen depend on most.
The real collapse was in the price. By 1989, Japanese buyers were turning their attention to salmon farms in Norway, Scotland, Canada and Chile - fresh fish, available year-round at a reasonable price.
Canned pink salmon couldn't compete. Pink salmon prices fell to 15 cents per pound in 1990. Processing plants were jammed with millions of cases of unsold salmon. Fishermen found themselves scooping up netloads of pinks and dumping them in the ocean.
So who was responsible for Cordova's bust - Exxon or economics? There is powerful evidence in the fisheries data. Other Alaska towns that depend on salmon - Ketchikan, for example - have taken similar hits in recent years, and they never had an oil spill.
Boom and bust and boom again
Booms and busts are a fact of life in all small towns that depend on natural resources, says Johnson, Cordova's former mayor. She takes a break in the darkened lounge of her hotel, which overlooks the idled fishing fleet.
"Farming towns and timber towns are having the same kind of troubles. It's awfully tempting to point at Exxon and say: It's your fault, so pay up or else.
"It's not about the oil anymore; it's the anger," she adds. "And I just can't hold onto anger. It gives some stranger too much control over my life."
It's also about the difference between an earthquake and an oil spill.
"After the natural disaster, you get the Red Cross. After a technical disaster, like an oil spill, you get lawyers and politicians and TV cameras, each of them grabbing for a piece of the action."
Within hours, this sleepy village was subjected to a chain reaction: media, then lawyers, marine biologists, social workers, entrepreneurs. . .
And money. Cordova changed when Exxon started chartering fishing boats at $1,000 a day for the cleanup, and workers at $18 an hour and up. While some fishermen and businesses went hungry, others got rich. Either way, the spill disrupted the small town's fragile equilibrium.
Now Cordova's challenge is to forget the spill and re-invent itself, Johnson says.
It is still home to the Copper River salmon runs, considered by some the world's finest salmon. The city is trying to attract summertime cruise ships and their passengers - potentially as valuable as clams or salmon.
And it's too soon to give up on those pink salmon.
Saving the salmon
Across the sound, not far from Hogan Bay, the hatchery at Sawmill Bay teems with 146 million newborn pink salmon yearning to be free.
Ten years ago, Sawmill Bay was the scene of one of the most dramatic events I have ever witnessed. As the oil oozed down the islands, Cordova fishermen leapt to their boats and sped to the hatchery many of them had helped build in the late 1970s. Their mission: Keep the oil out of their hatchery.
It was a daunting task. The bay is virtually bottomless, the shores steep and undeveloped. A makeshift alliance of oil-spill experts, an innovative Coast Guard commander and dozens of fishermen and boats jury-rigged three walls of oil boom across the entrance.
It worked. No oil reached the hatchery.
Soon, those 146 million silvery salmon fry, all eyes and spindly fins, will begin to migrate into the sound and ultimately to the Pacific, joining some 400 million released from other hatcheries around the sound.
In the spring, the survivors - hopefully about 5 or 6 percent - will return, many of them to the nets of those same Cordova fishermen.
But scientists also warn that hatcheries have a downside, that those millions of reared fish overwhelm the wild fish, gobbling up the food supply.
Twenty years of fisheries data lend circumstantial evidence to the theory. As hatchery runs increased, natural runs declined. The statistical relationship appears more persuasive than anything linked to the spill.
Back on the beach at Hogan Bay, I perch on a driftwood log, drink in the silence and scribble some notes. Part of me wants to lean over and dig through the rocks in search of tarballs.
The other half says: So what?
For years, journalists have referred to these beaches as "pristine" and "fragile." But 10 years of science, and my own eyes, say something else.
People have been hacking away at this place for a century. Miners, loggers, developers, fishermen. One NOAA scientist claims the amount of oil pollution from fishing boats in local marinas exceeds Sleepy Bay by a factor of 100.
Mistakes are made, lessons are learned. And life rebounds, time and time again proving itself resilient.
Ross Anderson's phone message number is 206-464-2061.
---------------- Winners & losers ----------------
Here are some of the most dramatic examples of who paid the price - and who benefitted - when the Exxon Valdez spilled its oil in Alaska's Prince William Sound 10 years ago on March 24, 1989.
Lawyers: Whomever they represented, lawyers seized an opportunity to sue Exxon. If and when the oil company coughs up the $5 billion awarded by an Alaska jury in 1994, the lawyers' share alone will be well over $1 billion.
Marine biologists: Exxon, federal and state agencies, fishermen and others spent millions hiring scientists to conduct research to reinforce their legal arguments. Prince William Sound, long ignored by science, suddenly became the best-studied corner of the North Pacific.
Alaska economy: Exxon's $3 billion for cleanup and compensation, plus millions more from other oil companies, contractors, federal agencies, visiting media, etc., helped ease the pain of declining oil from Alaska's North Slope. If the spill was an environmental disaster, it was an economic godsend to Alaska.
Exxon: Sure, its name was sullied, but its profits and stock were ultimately unaffected. Now it is appealing a $5 billion court ruling against the company that is earning interest at the rate of almost $300 million a year.
Environmentalists: The 1989 spill has become the poster child for environmental activists. One activist in particular has been proven right: The night before the spill, environmentalist Rikki Ott told a Valdez town meeting an oil spill was "when, not if."
Wildlife: The slick decimated birds, fish and marine mammals. Some species, such as eagles, recovered quickly. Some experts differ on the fish, but salmon statistics suggest full recovery. The big losers were seabirds - especially murres - thousands of which died in the oil.
Fishermen: Many became "spillionaires" by chartering their boats for use in Exxon's cleanup. Still, fishing income has plummeted since the spill. In 1988, the Cordova fish harvest was worth $46 million; in 1997, it was $26 million. Was this caused by the oil? Fisherman think so.
Tourism: Within months, many of the same business people who had cried "disaster" and sued Exxon were pleading with travel agents to spread the word that Prince William Sound was not a disaster. It took years to lure tourists back to the sound's glaciers and fjords.
Alyeska: The consortium that runs the 800-mile pipeline from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez took much of the fallout from the failed cleanup response.
Joseph Hazelwood: The skipper of the Exxon Valdez tanker will return to Alaska soon to pick up trash as part of a community-service sentence for the spill. He also has to pay a fine. Hazelwood is again licensed to sail but has been unable to find work at sea. He currently works in a New York law firm.
Lloyds of London: Even the insurance heavyweight gulped when Exxon filed a $2 billion claim for the cleanup. Lloyds and other insurance companies argued they shouldn't have to pay because Exxon was negligent. They eventually settled on $650 million.
The Exxon Valdez: The ship has a new, greener-sounding name - Sea River Mediterranean - but it is the only U.S.-flagged ship banned by law from American harbors. Exxon is using the ship overseas, where it is expensive to operate because of its high-paid American crew. Exxon has called the ban unconstitutional and is suing to overturn it.
Copyright (c) 1999 Seattle Times Company, All Rights Reserved. | <urn:uuid:c01a4640-c57d-400c-8637-04a59e33271a> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19990321&slug=2950745 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549423839.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20170722002507-20170722022507-00709.warc.gz | en | 0.961936 | 4,403 | 2.65625 | 3 | The extract lacks direct discussion of soft skills, focusing on the environmental and economic impact of the Exxon Valdez disaster. However, it indirectly touches on teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking through the descriptions of the cleanup efforts, scientific research, and community responses. The article's complex scenarios and real-world context warrant a score of 2, as it provides some opportunities for nuanced discussion and analysis of soft skills, but does not explicitly address them.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 573,467 | 0 |
A new exhibit at the University of Northern Iowa’s museum examines the history of teaching blind people in Iowa. The history shows the Iowa Braille and Sightsaving School was founded in 1852 based on the successful Perkins School for the Blind in Massachusetts. The director of the Iowa Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Karen Keninjer says the Iowa school was first located in Iowa City and then moved to Vinton. She says the school started out with a lot of hand work like weaving and making chairs. Keninjer says education improved, the school began academic education. Keninjer says before the boarding schools were established, little if anything was done to help visually impaired students.
Susan Spunjun of the American Foundation for the Blind says the boarding school model was painful for students and families when the child had to leave home. Spunjun says it was also seen as the most efficient system as all the children could be brought together to work on the same system under one roof. In the 1940’s the invention of the incubator led to an increase in the number of blind children.
Spunjun says at first doctors thought oxygen given in the incubator would help the lungs of premature babies, but she says they later learned it could lead to eye problems. She says it would do damage to the very immature blood vessels of the eyes, and many of the children ended up becoming blind. Spunjun says the residential schools were not prepare for the influx of blind students.
At about the same time, blind veterans were returning home from World War Two, and began to prove that proper training could help kids and adults function in society. Spunjun says those factors led to a move to send visually impaired kids to regular schools. She says that was one of the reasons why the boarding schools began to lose students as parents put them in the public schools.
Spunjun says legislation passed in 1975 upheld the concept that every child should be given a chance to receive an education in their neighborhood school. She says she supports that idea, but the resources haven’t kept up with the special needs of kids. Spunjun says that leaves a lot of kids “warehoused” in schools in the name of inclusion who are “functionally illiterate” because they don’t know Braille and don’t know how to use low vision aids.
Today a committee is studying the issue to try and determine how to best teach the students in the future. The exhibit at U-N-I called “In Touch with Knowledge: the Education History of Blind People”, runs through May 26th. | <urn:uuid:35b660f9-89c6-4d4a-97d3-0fa688faf2b9> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://www.radioiowa.com/2006/02/11/u-n-i-exhibit-features-the-history-of-educating-the-blind/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886102757.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20170816231829-20170817011829-00037.warc.gz | en | 0.982709 | 544 | 3.375 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on historical information about education for the blind. While it touches on social and emotional aspects, such as the pain of separation for students and families, it does not provide scenarios for developing soft skills like communication, teamwork, or leadership.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 934,080 | 0 |
PERSONAL HISTORY about the writer's uneasy relationship with his Appalachian dialect... Writer tells how he doesn't like the Appalachian-style food served in his grandmother's rural North Carolina home... In response to his refusal, his grandmother pronounces, "Tony Earley, you're just quare." According to writer's edition of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, "quare" is an Anglo-Irish adjective from the early nineteenth century meaning "queer, strange, eccentric." Most other dictionaries, if they list the word at all, will tell you that it is dialectical, archaic, or obsolete, an anachronism, a muted, aging participant in the clamoring riot of the English language. It is as current as the breath that produces it at writer's grandmother's table... Writer tells how he guards his speech against provincialisms and how he came to consider himself bilingual... Only in the sanctity of Granny's house can I speak my mother tongue with anything resembling peace of mind... Tells about Horace Kephart, who gathered information about the southern Appalachians at the beginning of the twentieth century, and about his book, "Our Southern Highlanders"... Describes how the world and the language he described soon began to vanish with the onset of twentieth-century mass media... I am less taken by the age of the words of the Appalachian vernacular which found their way into my grandmother's house than I am by the specific history they hold... If language is the mechanism through which we inherit history and culture, then each individual word functions as a type of gene, bearing with it a small piece of the specific information that makes us who we are, and tells us where we have been... Ironically, just as I have learned to appreciate the history contained in the word “quare,” I have also had to accept the fact that it is passing out of my family with my generation. Neither I nor my cousins use it outside Granny’s house unless we temper it first with irony—a sure sign of a word’s practical death within a changing language.... Words and blood are the double helix that connect us to our past. As a member of a transitional generation, I am losing those words and the connection they make. I am losing the small comfort of shared history. I compensate, in the stories I write, by sending people up mountains to look, as Horace Kephart did, for the answers to their questions, to look down from a high place and see what they can see. My characters, at least, can still say the words that bind them to the past without sounding queer, strange, eccentric, odd, unusual, unconventional, or suspicious. “Stories,” says the writer Tim O’Brien, “can save us.” I have put my faith in the idea that words, even new ones, possess that kind of redemptive power. Writers write about a place not because they belong there, but because they want to belong. It’s a quare feeling.
The Quare Gene
by Tony Earley September 21, 1998
Subscribers have access to the current issue and the complete archive of The New Yorker, back to 1925. Subscribers also can access the current issue on tablets and phones via our digital edition. If you subscribe to the magazine, register now to get access. If you don't, subscribe now.
To search for New Yorker cartoons and covers, please visit our store. | <urn:uuid:3f2206a2-4966-4484-97e5-84261ad55a51> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1998/09/21/1998_09_21_080_TNY_LIBRY_000016384 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394011062835/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305091742-00023-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959027 | 718 | 2.796875 | 3 | The extract scores high for its thoughtful exploration of cultural identity, language, and heritage, showcasing nuanced communication and emotional intelligence. It delves into the complexities of dialect, cultural preservation, and the power of storytelling, demonstrating advanced critical thinking and problem-solving. The author's personal narrative seamlessly integrates elements of intercultural fluency, digital literacy, and professional writing.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 758,440 | 1 |
- Study with us
- Federation University at MIT
- About us
BN101 - Effective Participation at Work
Credit Points: 15
Workload: 36 contact hours
Campus: Melbourne, Sydney
Aims & Objectives
This unit aims to prepare students for effective participation in the workplace by emphasising communication, collaboration, and research techniques. It provides students with the opportunity to develop their personal skills and hone the qualities they need for work and learning.
This unit will cover the following topics:
- Communication principles in the workplace.
- Negotiation and conflict management.
- Culture and communication.
- Team building and roles.
- Writing for the Web.
- Speaking in public.
- Analysis and presentation of research information.
- Business and report writing.
- Essay writing.
- Contemporary ethical issues.
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate an ability to work collaboratively within a group; contributing equally, cooperating respectfully;
- Comply with basic business standards and behaviours that enable an efficient, effective and functioning workplace;
- Apply research skills and resources to define and resolve an issue;
- Use effective communication skills to facilitate collaborative activities and to take and give direction;
- Prepare a professional resume;
- Prepare written documents, including memos, emails and reports that meet business standards in readability, clarity, logic, accuracy and succinctness.
Lecture: 2 hours
Tutorial/Workshop: 2 hours
Tutorial/Workshop: 2 hours
Face to Face
Learning Outcomes Assessed
|Attendance, participation and completion of homework tasks||a-f*||20%|
|Group research assignment, and Presentation||a-d, f*||20%|
|Group Report||a-d, f*||20%|
|Final Examination (2 hours)||b-d, f*||60%|
*refer to learning outcomes above.
- Newman, Amy (2015). Business Communication: In Person, In Print, Online (9th ed.).Stamford, U.S.A.: Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 978-1-285-18704-4
- Dwyer, Judith (2012). The Business Communication Handbook (9th ed.). French’s Forest, N.S.W.: Pearson Australia
- Eunson, B. (2015). Communication in the 21st Century (4th ed.). Wiley
- Guffey , M., Loewy, D .(2013). Essentials of Business Communication (9th ed.), USA, Cengage Learning.
- Mohan, T., McGregor, H., & Saunders, S. (2006). Communicating as Professionals (2nd ed.). Cengage Learning, Australia
MIT is committed to ensure the course is current, practical and relevant so that graduates are “work ready” and equipped for life-long learning. In order to accomplish this, the MIT Graduate Attributes identify the required knowledge, skills and attributes that prepare students for the industry.
The level to which Graduate Attributes covered in this unit are as follows:
|Ability to communicate||Independent and Lifelong Learning||Ethics||Analytical and Problem Solving||Cultural and Global Awareness||Teamwork Cooperation, Participation and Leadership||Specialist knowledge of a field of study|
|The standard is covered by theory and practice, and addressed by assessed activities in which the students always play an active role, e.g. workshops, lab submissions, assignments, demonstrations, tests, examinations|
|The standard is covered by theory or practice, and addressed by assessed activities in which the students mostly play an active role, e.g. discussions, reading, intepreting documents, tests, examinations|
|The standard is discussed in theory or practice; it is addressed by assessed activities in which the students may play an active role, e.g. lectures and discussions, reading, interpretation, workshops, presentations|
|The standard is presented as a side issue in theory or practice; it is not specifically assessed, but it is addressed by activities such as lectures or tutorials|
|The standard is not considered, there is no theory or practice or activities associated with this standard| | <urn:uuid:d1fe2eb7-3c1e-4164-9f27-a491e434824c> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.mit.edu.au/units/bn101 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370493121.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20200328225036-20200329015036-00432.warc.gz | en | 0.874022 | 889 | 2.609375 | 3 | This extract deserves a high score due to its comprehensive coverage of soft skills, including communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. The unit's aims, objectives, and topics demonstrate a strong focus on practical application and real-world context, with opportunities for students to develop emotional intelligence, leadership, and critical thinking skills.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 795,524 | 1 |
INFORMATION, EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION (IEC)
accelerating the Family Welfare Programme the need for information,
Education and Communication is well recognised. The success
of the Family Welfare Programme depends mainly on the voluntary
and widespread acceptance of the concept of small family
norm. The efforts undertaken so far through mass education
and media activities have helped to create almost hundred
percent awareness among the people of Family Welfare.
the constant and continuous utilisation of educational methods
and media, it has become possible to remove the deep-rooted
attitudes, beliefs and misconceptions which were detrimental
to the acceptance of health and family welfare programmes.
Strategies of different types have been evolved and implemented
with a view to achieving behavioural and attitudinal changes
among the resistant groups. Efforts are continued to convert
the existing widespread awareness into acceptance, and use
of Family Planning methods by dissemination of information
Community participation and involvement
The success of implementing every programme depends
on the involvement and participation of the community. Propagation
of small family norm among the eligible couples, removal
of misconceptions and misunderstandings are effectively
done through individual contact and group approach with
the participation of Non-Governmental Organisations like
Mahila Samajams, Youth Clubs and similar Socio-Cultural
Mahila Swasthya Sangh
India is committed to the twin goal of “Health for All”
and ‘Net Reproduction Rate of Unity” by the year 2000. These
goals are recognised to be intimately intertwined and further
their achievement contributing to the improvement of the
condition of women and children. It was realised that a
major component of Family Welfare Programme is related to
health problems of women and children and these groups are
vulnerable to health disorders and diseases. In order to
mobilise community participation and to create a viable
support structure within the community to sensitise rural
women and to increase demand for integrated Health & Family
Welfare Services available, the scheme of M.S.S was launched
in 1990-91 in selected districts of Kerala.
To overcome various problems like low age at marriage, risk
factors during pregnancy, unsafe and unplanned deliveries
and high rate of child mortality, it was desired that women
may be educated, motivated and persuaded to accept programmes
to increase demand for services.
The scheme called Mahila Swasthya Sangh (MSS) was designed
to include some of the village level functionaries already
working with Social Welfare Department and Directorate of
Health Services at state level. Besides the above 10 to
15 women members of the village called “Community leaders”
were to be involved with the programme.
the scheme was introduced in the state in 1990-91, constituting
888 MSSS. Subsequently based upon the feed back the scheme
was extended to all districts. According to the design,
it was planned to constitute MSS in villages having population
more than 1000 to 2000 house holds. Those C.D. Blocks which
were covered by the Social Welfare Department having adult
education centre under ICDS projects were involved so that
co-ordination with the female functionaries of these departments
is obtained effectively. The members of MSS serve as a link
between the community and local health functionaries.
programme is still continuing. The total number of MSS functioning
in the state till 1996-97 is 3440. It was decided that an
evaluation should be carried out by an independent agency
about the functioning of MSS and its utility during the
previous years. Consequently the Institute of Management
in Government has done an evaluation study and the result
showed that the functioning of MSS satisfactory.
of Mahila Swasthya Sangh members and other grass root level
functionaries at sub-centre level.
For developing communication skills, enriching the knowledge
and to bring about coverage of related activities at the
grass root level, training was imparted to MSS members on
to topics viz. Child Survival & Safe Motherhood and spacing
methods for family planning, saturation of weak areas with
multimedia and local-specific interactive scheme.
efforts need to be focussed and targeted for specific beneficiaries
in demographically weak districts by utilising local specific
folk media as interactive mode of communication. Specific
and innovative cultural activities such as street plays,
folk dances, dances, mimicry, puppetry, oppana were organised
in identified weak districts having high CBR and IMR with
the objective of creating awareness amongst all eligible
couples regarding the various family welfare programme.
saturation of weak districts, troops/registered folk parties
etc. were identified to give song and drama performances,
under local specific interactive scheme.
World Population day
rapid increase in population is a cause of major concern
to all developmental efforts. It is estimated that the present
rate of growth of population of the country will be crossing
one billion mark by the end of this century.
Keeping this in view, 11th of July every year is observed
as World Population Day. The observance of the day is a
grim reminder of the World Population increase which touched
five billion mark on 11th July 1987. The objectives of observance
of the day is to organise Mass Media Campaign and to take
effective steps to bring the population growth rate to a
sustainable level. All media and field organisations are
to be harnessed to put the message that the only choice
before humanity is to reduce the number.
of the role of the NGOs in Family Welfare and Health sector
Government of India policy statement on the National Family
Welfare Programme spells out the need to promote Family
Planning as a people’s movement. The association of voluntary
organisations in the Governments’ programme ensures greater
acceptability of the Family Welfare activities among the
people. This is so because the voluntary organisations enjoy
greater credibility and are closer to the community than
the Government staff. The supplementary and complementary
role played by the voluntary sector in the propagation of
the small family norm is therefore vital for the success
of the family welfare programme.
order to involve voluntary organisations in the implementation
of the Family Welfare Programme, and to make it a peoples’
movement, Government have evolved a policy for financial
assistance to these organisations for their projects.
SCOVA (Standing Committee on Voluntary Action)
consider applications received from voluntary organisations
working at the grass-root level in the rural areas and urban
slums for setting up family welfare projects relating to
MCH, Family Planning, at state level, a Committee (SCOVA)
consisting of State Government Officials, representatives
of established Voluntary Organisations in the state and
the Regional Director of Health and Family Welfare was constituted
in the State.
Committee is to recommended projects in FW from the voluntary
sector for funding from the centre. The Standing Committee
on Voluntary Action (SCOVA) have sanctioned model schemes
for promotion of small family norm and population control
by encouraging spacing methods and sterilization.
remote and difficult areas, provision of health services
particularly to the vulnerable groups have been very difficult.
To ill the gaps in delivery of health services created by
inadequate infrastructure, and to increase accessibility
of health services to the community relating to prevention
of diseases and their cure, as well as for promotion of
a healthy way of life, a Mela approach has been introduced.
publicity is required for ensuring a large turnout for seeking
health services during these Swathya Melas. Counseling is
another area taken up n the melas. Couselling has a district
advantage in leading to informed choice in contraception,
assisting individuals in acting upon health information
received by them, increasing access to give points of service
delivery, promoting good relation between service providers
School Health Check-up Programme
special school health checkup of students in primary schools
was carried out in 1996 using the health workers, AWWs and
Volunteers. An effective IEC campaign was organised by the
State, giving emphasis to create awareness among the parents
to send their wards to schools on the checkup day and to
provide wide publicity regarding referral cards and referral
Polio Immunisation Campaign
Polio Immunisation campaign are carried in December and
January. Intensive social mobilisation campaign and media
announcements is a unique feature in all Pulse Polio Immunisation
campaigns. Awareness is created through IEC efforts on the
benefits of PPI and why fully immunized children also should
receive OPV during this campaign.
Free Approach in Family Welfare
programmes aim at generating demand and better utilisation
of health and family welfare services in the community and
empower people to take care of their health. Now it is being
realised that the IEC programmes have to be area specific
and addressed to the problems of the area. This warrants
decentralised planning approach in designing IEC programme.
Another important dimension of the IEC programme is based
on needs of the area. The proposed IEC strategies are:
identify the communication needs to plan IEC activities.
2. Involve community and NGOs through unified messages.
3. Effective use of mass media for back up.
4. Strengthening inter-personnel communication.
from Family Welfare to Reproductive Health
New direction in the Family Welfare Programme towards a
client – oriented reproductive health approach has major
implications for IEC. As is evident from the services identifying
as components of an essential reproductive health packages,
the range of activities which IEC must now take-up are considerably
broader in scope than before. In addition to prevention
of unwanted pregnancies and the promotion of childhood immunization,
IEC strategies are concerned with safe abortion (Medical
Termination of Pregnancy) safe motherhood, prevention and
management of RTIs/STIs, sexuality and gender information
education and counselling.
goals require a strategic approach to IEC identifying meaningful
segments of the target audience, promoting a number of new
behaviours that are closely linked but complex, identifying
messages, and using a mix of communication channels to effectively
reach these various audience segments.
areas have been identified for Family Welfare Programme,
for which audience-specific message and use of suitable
media were to be discussed and finalised from individual,
group and mass approach point of view. The situation analysis
reveals the following thrust area for designing IEC Programmes
Reproductive Health of Adolescent girls
· Counselling of adolescents entering the reproductive age
group for Family Life education
· Women’s education
· Higher age at marriage
· Early Ante-natal registration and care
· Nutrition during pregnancy and lactation
· Institutional delivery
· Vaccine preventable diseases
· Protected water supply
· Diarrhoea and ARI management
· Low birth weight
· Birth interval, birth spacing
· Medical Termination of Pregnancy
· Childhood disability
· Breast feeding.
Education is a wide as Community Health and it is a process
which effects changes in the health practices of the people
and in the knowledge and attitude related to such changes.
It includes imparting knowledge about health, removing superstitious
beliefs, building favourable health habits and attitudes
and effecting the necessary changes in the health practices.
As health education is an essential tool of the community
health it becomes the responsibility of the Government to
assist and guide the health education of the general public.
Hence in 1956 in the Central Ministry of Health, a Health
Education Bureau was established with the assistance of
the Technical co-operation mission of the United States
of America. Subsequently in 1958 a School Health Education
Division was established following which in 1959 a scheme
for State Health Education Bureau with central assistance
was formulated. In Kerala reorganising the existing health
education facilities, the State Health Education Bureau,
on modern line was set up in 1960. In 1971, District Health
Education Bureau were established by winding up the Regional
Health Education unit in all the districts. Besides the
central and state District Education Bureau there are official
agencies such as the Directorate of Advertising and Visual
Publicity, the Press Information Bureau and the AIR and
TV etc. which are engaged in health education work. Health
Education is a complex activity in which different organisations
play a part.
organisational divisions under these are as follows
2. Media and Publicity Division
3. Editorial Wing
4. Training Unit
5. District Health Education Unit
The State Health Education Council with the Hon’ble Minister
for Health as the Chairman, reviews and guides the activities
of the State Health Education Bureau in general.
The State Health Education Bureau is functioning at the
Directorate of Health Services with the Assistant Director
of Health Services or Deputy Director of Health Services
in charge as the programme officer, assisted by a Technical
Officer, School Health Education Officer, Social Scientist
and Sub Editor with supporting staff. The Central Health
Education Bureau is giving guidance and leadership for the
activities besides providing education materials. A library
is functioning under the bureau at the Directorate of Health
Media and Publicity Division of the Bureau is concerned
with the planning of the activities of the Bureau and purchase
and distribution of materials, whereas the District Health
Education Unit guides and assists the regular public health
personnel in organising health education, film shows, exhibitions
etc. The Editorial wing of the Bureau brings out the quarterly
health journal ‘Susthithi” besides of posters and folders.
The field study demonstration and training unit under the
bureau takes up demonstration and study projects and organises
periodically in service training programmes in health education
and allied subjects for health workers. This unit at Neyyattinkara
functions as the field laboratory to the State Health Education
Bureau. The training unit provides job orientation training
in health education for paramedical staff.
The Audio Visual unit attached to the Bureau conducts regularly
film shows and exhibitions and renders service in conference
and seminars. The art section with the assistance of the
statistical unit prepares materials like drawings, title
heads, charts, posters, display boarders etc for various
short, no health programme, however useful it might be,
could be implemented successfully without the cooperation
of the public for which the only tool is Health Education.
Programme was introduced in Kerala in 1980-81. This programme
was formulated for providing comprehensive physical examination
and medical care to the entire school going children of
the state. The main objectives of the
school health programme are:
1. To reduce the morbidity among school children through
school health services.
2. To prepare children for adopting healthy life styles
(health practices) through health education
As part of achieving the goal of “Health for All by 2000
AD” School Health Education is given prime importance. It
is easy and useful to instill the desired health behaviour
through the syllabus, class lessons, group discussions,
education, competition etc regarding different aspects of
health education in the formative age group of 5-15 years.
the 8th Five Year Plan, one day orientation training was
conducted for school teachers at district level. First aid
kits, weighing machines and measuring tapes are supplied
to selected schools.
1996-97 the special school check up programme formulated
on a national level by the Government of India, was successfully
conducted in Kerala as per the guidelines issued by the
Government of India. It was a 6 days continuous programme
from July 22nd to the 27th and was a great success. Referral
camps were also organised at several places for giving further
medical care for the children having various health problems.
is well known that maintenance of health is greatly dependent
on adequate nutrition. Although the target of a number of
indicators of ‘Health for All by 2000 AD” have already been
achieved, malnutrition continues to be one of the major
public health problems in the state. Extensive diet and
nutrition surveys carried out in different parts of the
state have indicated wide prevalence of malnutrition among
pre school children, pregnant mother and lactating women
especially in poor socio economic strata of society. To
control and prevent malnutrition a number of nutrition programmes
are being implemented through different departments by the
nutrition division under the Directorate of Health Services
consists of three wings viz. State Nutrition Division, National
Nutrition Monitoring Bureau and Applied Nutrition Programme.
The state nutrition division is mainly engaged in conducting
diet survey and nutrition survey, besides conducting anaemia
survey, nutrition camps, cooking demonstration, nutrition
demonstration and training programmes and also preparing
of nutrition education materials.
a diet and anaemia survey was conducted among school children
of Thiruvananthapuram. The National Nutrition Monitoring
Bureau has carried out diet and nutrition survey in various
districts during 96-97 to assess the dietary intake and
nutritional status of various segments of the population.
of the people regarding various aspects of nutrition and
health is one of the major contributing factor to malnutrition.
One day nutrition education training camps were conducted
in all districts for SC/ST mothers of pre school children
as a means of imparting nutrition and health education to
the weaker sections of the population. Cooking demonstration
cum nutrition education programme is being carried out in
various districts by the mobile kitchen unit. The nutrition
camps and the demonstration programme are conducted with
a view to making the people more aware of the importance
of adequate nutrition in maintaining their health and also
to encourage them to improve the dietary intake of nutrients
by using available cheap and nutritious food materials.
education and medical checkup camps are conducted in hostels
for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes through out the
state to ensure better health of the inmates and also to
teach them basic principles of health and nutrition. These
camps helped to improve the nutritional awareness and personal
hygiene of the children and also environmental sanitation
of the hostels.
capita net availability per day: Cereals and pulses in India | <urn:uuid:b2e94e6b-99e1-4ac3-8827-65ee9be097be> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://old.kerala.gov.in/dept_health/iec.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386164030978/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204133350-00027-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926323 | 3,821 | 2.546875 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive overview of the Family Welfare Programme and its various components, including information, education, and communication (IEC) strategies. It discusses the importance of community participation, involvement of non-governmental organizations, and the role of health education in promoting family welfare. The extract also touches on specific programs such as the Mahila Swasthya Sangh, School Health Check-up Programme, and Polio Immunisation Campaign. However, the content is largely informative and lacks depth in terms of soft skills development, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership skills. The extract primarily focuses on theoretical knowledge and lacks practical application, nuanced interaction, and complex problem-solving opportunities.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 613,896 | 0 |
Jonathan Beale, Researcher-in-Residence, CIRL
17 September 2019
The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (‘Ofsted’) published their new Education Inspection Framework in May, which has been implemented this month. The new framework states that in future inspections, Ofsted will monitor how schools develop pupils’ character. What does the framework say about character? The second blog post this academic year from CIRL looks at what, exactly, Ofsted’s new inspection framework says about character.
The Independent Schools Inspectorate (‘ISI’) – the inspecting body for association independent schools, which are those independent schools that are full members of the associations which form the Independent Schools Council – has not yet announced any revisions to their inspection framework. However, personal development – the area of Ofsted’s inspection framework that includes an assessment of character education – is also a key area of the existing ISI inspection framework. This post also looks at what the existing ISI framework says about character.
This topic relates to the focus of CIRL’s next conference, on 13 November, which is on character. A Call for Posters is now open for the conference.
Ofsted’s new Education Inspection Framework outlines four areas where ‘Key judgements’ are made in inspections: ‘quality of education’, ‘behaviour and attitudes’, ‘personal development’ and ‘leadership and management’. The section on ‘personal development’ outlines the basis on which inspectors will form judgements about the quality of character education:
Inspectors will make a judgement on the personal development of learners by evaluating the extent to which: […]
- the curriculum and the provider’s wider work support learners to develop their character – including their resilience, confidence and independence – and help them know how to keep physically and mentally healthy.
Ofsted’s new handbooks outline which aspects of character form the basis of assessments. Among the sources of evidence that Ofsted inspectors consider when assessing personal development is how well leaders in schools develop pupils’ character. Ofsted’s 2019 School Inspection Handbook for maintained schools and academies and their Non-association Independent School Inspection Handbook contain the following identical information on the assessment of character education. The section under ‘Personal development’ elaborates on the information in the Education Inspection Framework as follows:
This judgement focuses on the dimensions of the personal development of pupils that our education system has agreed, either by consensus or statute, are the most significant. These [include]: […]
- developing pupils’ character, which we define as a set of positive personal traits, dispositions and virtues that informs their motivation and guides their conduct so that they reflect wisely, learn eagerly, behave with integrity and cooperate consistently well with others. This gives pupils the qualities they need to flourish in our society.
The sections on ‘personal development’ include other requirements relevant to character education, such as the importance of building confidence and resilience, and the relationship between these and maintaining good mental health; teaching pupils how to engage with society; ‘developing responsible, respectful and active citizens’; ‘developing and deepening pupils’ understanding of … fundamental British values’; and promoting equality and inclusivity. Each of these is relevant to many of the virtues character education seeks to develop, such as civic virtues and performance virtues. (For an overview of the types of virtue that character education aims to develop, see the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues’ ‘Framework for Character Education in Schools’.)
The handbooks provide the following descriptor for what a school must achieve to be rated as ‘Outstanding’ for how it supports pupils’ personal development:
- Personal development is exceptional.
In addition, the following apply:
- The school consistently promotes the extensive personal development of pupils. The school goes beyond the expected, so that pupils have access to a wide, rich set of experiences. Opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests are of exceptional quality.
- There is strong take-up by pupils of the opportunities provided by the school. The most disadvantaged pupils consistently benefit from this excellent work.
- The school provides these rich experiences in a coherently planned way, in the curriculum and through extra-curricular activities, and they considerably strengthen the school’s offer.
- The way the school goes about developing pupils’ character is exemplary and is worthy of being shared with others.
The Independent Schools Inspectorate (‘ISI’) has not yet announced any revisions to their inspection framework following Ofsted’s revisions. Since character education now occupies a place within Ofsted’s inspection framework for maintained schools and academies and non-association independent schools, it may also occupy a place within a revised ISI framework in the future.
Personal development – the area of Ofsted’s inspection framework that includes an assessment of character education – is also a key area of the existing ISI inspection framework. The section on ‘personal development’ in the existing ISI framework states that,
Educational quality inspection focuses upon the two main outcomes: pupils’ achievement, and their personal development. In so doing, inspection will identify the key features of the school’s provision that contribute to those outcomes and help to explain why the outcomes are as they are.
In their evaluations of the ways in which schools develop pupils’ personal development, ISI evaluates the extent to which pupils develop character traits such as self-esteem, self-confidence, resilience, social awareness, awareness of moral responsibility, respect for diversity, independence, sensitivity and tolerance. Inspectors assess these by reference to the curriculum, extra-curricular activities, staff role models, opportunities provided by the school, the role of boarding, resource provision, processes of monitoring and evaluation, and a school’s wider culture.
The new Ofsted framework mentions areas such as community engagement and its impact on character development in their handbooks, again under the sections on ‘personal development’:
Schools can teach pupils how to build their confidence and resilience, for example, but they cannot always determine how well young people draw on this. Schools are crucial in preparing pupils for their adult lives, teaching them to understand how to engage with society and providing them with plentiful opportunities to do so. In this judgement, therefore, inspectors will seek to evaluate the quality and intent of what a school provides (either directly or by drawing on high-quality agencies and providers, for example the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, Cadet Forces and the National Citizenship Service) …
The revisions to Ofsted’s inspection framework will exert a significant influence on the development and direction of school policies and educational research in the coming years. Interest in character education is, therefore, likely to only increase, both in terms of educational policy decisions and educational research.
Character education is a central area of research at CIRL and we have recently published new work in this field, including research on the relation between community engagement and character development. Last week, CIRL Research Associate, Dr Iro Konstantinou, published a report written with Dr Tom Harrison of the University of Birmingham’s Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues on community engagement and its impact on character development in sixth form students.
Ofsted, The Education Inspection Framework (2019), §24, pp. 8-9.
Ofsted, The Education Inspection Framework (2019), §28, p. 11.
Ofsted, School Inspection Handbook (2019), §223, p. 61; Ofsted, Non-association Independent School Inspection Handbook (2019), §215, p. 55.
In the following references, these are cited as ‘Handbook A’ and Handbook B’, respectively.
Handbook A §215, p. 58; Handbook B §205, p. 52.
Handbook A §§214-5, pp. 58-9; Handbook B §§204-5, pp. 51-2.
Handbook A §214, p. 58; Handbook B §204, p. 51.
Handbook A §215, pp. 58-9; Handbook B §205, p. 52.
Handbook A §224, p. 62; Handbook B §216, pp. 55-6.
ISI 2017, p. 7.
ISI 2017, p. 13.
ISI 2017, pp. 13-4.
Handbook A §214, p. 58; Handbook B §204, pp. 51-2. | <urn:uuid:48ce4526-9ece-4833-afe0-d9d002824d97> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://cirlresearch.com/2019/09/17/the-role-of-character-education-in-ofsteds-new-inspection-framework/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875144979.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20200220131529-20200220161529-00275.warc.gz | en | 0.930439 | 1,783 | 2.84375 | 3 | The extract discusses the new Education Inspection Framework by Ofsted, focusing on character development in schools. It provides an in-depth analysis of the framework, highlighting key areas such as personal development, character education, and community engagement. The extract also compares Ofsted's framework with the Independent Schools Inspectorate's existing framework, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of the topic. However, it lacks practical application, real-world context, and sophisticated communication scenarios, limiting its potential for developing advanced soft skills.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 370,799 | 0 |
Canada’s Governor General Julie Payette visited the Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp in Poland on the 75th anniversary of its liberation by Soviet forces. She also met with a small number of Holocaust survivors. The memory of the horrors of the Holocaust still haunts Jews around the world, including Canadian Jews. It also continues to fuel the idea of a “Jewish State” and its consequent dispossession and oppression of the Palestinians. “We are the victims of victims”, said Palestinian intellectual and author Edward Said. Read more….
“By drawing lessons from this horrific chapter in human history we can create a more just, equitable and inclusive future for all,” wrote Canada’s Governor General Julie Payette on her Facebook Page, just before leaving for Auschwicz, Poland.
Few would disagree that such an inhuman and horrific event should never happen again to Jews. The Nazi intent, at least after 1941, was to completely wipe out an entire people.
The Governor-General’s message has a particular resonance in Canada which harbours the fourth largest Jewish population in the world (after Israel, the USA and France). Nearly 40,000 Holocaust survivors settled in the country after the Second World War.
“Never again – to whom?”
According to the National Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., there were over 15 million deaths due to the Holocaust, of whom about 8 million were Russians, 6 million Jews and about 2 million Poles. As Auschwitz survivor Elie Wiesel observed, “Not all victims were Jews, but all Jews were victims.”
“Never again” is narrowly interpreted by many Israeli leaders and advocates to mean “never again to Jews”. In a recent ceremony in Jerusalem, with many foreign leaders in attendance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu skillfully used the memory of the Holocaust as a reason to defend the right of Jews to have their own state and, implicitly, to take over the land of Palestinians.
Of course it should never again happen to Jews. But it should also mean “never again to ANYONE” argues Dr. David Parnas in a powerful letter sent to CBC on the occasion of its Holocaust commemoration coverage. Parnas is a member of the OFIP Advisory Council.
Unfortunately, CBC did not read his letter over the airwaves. Here is the text:
To: Ottawa Ontario Today <[email protected]>
Subject: Auschwitz matters but it is about all human beings, not one group of human beings.
Thank you for discussing Auschwitz and its lessons.
I lost one grandmother in the Nazi death camps (not Auschwitz but does that matter?). My other grandmother, the only one I ever knew, had her life destroyed in spite of surviving. Both were Jewish, as am I. Nonetheless, I think that Mr. Netanyahu is wrong when he suggests that it “began with hatred of the Jews” but right when he says that it does not end with the Jews. There were genocidal efforts before the Holocaust, many non-Jews were victims of the Holocaust and there are genocidal efforts today that are not directed at us Jews.
There are two roots to the disease one of whose symptoms are the Holocaust. One is tribalism, the other is a corrupt exploitation of tribalism. Neither exclusively affects us Jews. Both are alive and well.
The slogan that came out of the Holocaust, “Never again” is incomplete. It should always be “Never again to anyone”. Israeli politicians tend to treat it as “Never again to Jews” but that is counterproductive because some interpret it as meaning that it is OK to treat others the way we Jews were treated.
We need to remember a simple truth: When we fight for our rights but neglect the rights of others, some of those others will oppose us; if we fight for the rights of everyone, everyone will join us and we will succeed.
Those who intone “Never again” in Jerusalem and refer exclusively to the suffering of their people need to realize that it is happening again and it is happening right there. Every day, I hear of non-Jewish Palestinians being displaced to make room for Jews. This is tribalism, the same disease that led to the death of my grandmother in a death camp. I think of those who piously intone “Never again” and shudder at how they are neglecting the tribalism that surrounds them.
Thank you, David Parnas
Never again to anyone
The Holocaust was an unspeakably horrible act of genocide committed on an hitherto unimaginable scale by Nazi Germany. It should be remembered. It should never happen again. But the memory of the Holocaust should not be invoked selectively, nor should it be used to justify and defend the expulsion and oppression of a third group of people who had nothing to do with it. They have become the “victim of victims”.
Canada Talks Israel Palestine (CTIP) is the weekly newsletter of Peter Larson, Chair of the Ottawa Forum on Israel/Palestine (OFIP). It aims to promote a serious discussion in Canada about the complicated and emotional Israel/Palestine issue.
Want to learn more about what we do? Go to http://www.ottawaforumip.org.
For short commentaries check out our new Instagram account @chair.OFIP
Contact us at: [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:02f5e318-ba7f-4849-a64f-8fcaf16735ba> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://canadatalksisraelpalestine.ca/2020/01/28/governor-general-payette-in-auschwitz-to-commemorate-liberation-of-largest-nazi-death-camp-never-again/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370497301.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20200330181842-20200330211842-00514.warc.gz | en | 0.95795 | 1,129 | 3.09375 | 3 | The extract scores high for its thoughtful discussion of complex issues, including the Holocaust, its impact, and its relevance to contemporary conflicts. It promotes critical thinking, empathy, and nuanced understanding of historical events, encouraging readers to consider multiple perspectives and the importance of inclusivity. The extract also highlights the need for intercultural fluency and awareness of the dangers of tribalism.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 768,306 | 1 |
One of the Deadliest Mental Illnesses
Image by Freepik
Eating disorders are one of the deadliest illnesses, and some stigmas and myths are preventing people from getting the treatment they need. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, “10,200 deaths each year are the direct result of an eating disorder – that’s one death every 52 minutes.”
For National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, we talked with Patricia Westmoreland, a psychiatrist with HealthONE Behavioral Health and Wellness Center. Eating disorders have been on the rise, starting at younger and younger ages.
Sadly, Dr. Westmoreland has seen children, ages seven and eight, struggling with an eating disorder. This illness can stem from peers, social media, and backlash against recommendations around childhood obesity.
“So putting the microscope on kids who are overweight or there’s concern about obesity may very well lead that kid to go right to the other extreme and develop a very serious eating disorder,” Dr. Westmoreland says. “Unfortunately, in the culture we live in, there’s a huge emphasis on food, weight, size….”
We asked Dr. Westmoreland questions about how to spot an eating disorder, what to do, how to prevent this from happening, and other vital information to help our children.
Q: What is an Eating Disorder?
A: “An eating disorder is an abnormality in eating that causes changes in somebody’s body. That either leads to malnutrition, overnutrition, and either extensive weight gain or extensive weight loss, or even no change in weight, but the behaviors are such that they lead to physical problems with the person’s body.”
Q: What are some myths about Eating Disorders?
A: “One message that I really like to make sure that people realize is a myth is that you have to be very, very thin to have an eating disorder. That is not accurate, and unfortunately, that leads to a delay in patients getting treatment.”
Q: What signs should parents look for if they believe their child might have an eating disorder?
A: “Changes from the child’s normal behavior in terms of both the amount and the type of food that they’re eating.”
- A child starts cutting out foods or eliminating foods altogether
- Develops an unhealthy obsession with weight, shape, and comparing themselves physically to other people
- Disappearing to the bathroom after meals
- Suddenly develops an intense interest in exercise
Q: Do children tell their parents when they have an eating disorder?
A: “Very often, an eating disorder will be born out of insecurity, within a peer group at school, or comparing themselves to peers, and they don’t always tell parents.”
In many cases, the children don’t want to worry their parents or believe they’re doing something good by going on a diet. An eating disorder can start innocently, but it can develop, and people can become obsessed with the number on the scale.
Q: Why does something innocent become a dangerous and unhealthy obsession?
A: “We know that when our brains become malnourished, our thinking is not normal – it becomes abnormal…If individuals are pressed to lose weight that is less than what their sort of ideal weight range is, their brain will become starved, and they start becoming very obsessive about food and what they eat.”
“We really think that it is a physiological change that happens to the brain. The brain is an organ like other organs in our body, and when we starve organs in our body, they don’t work as well as they should.”
Q: What should I do if I believe my child has an eating disorder?
A: “The best way to intervene with eating disorders is using multimodal treatment with psychotherapy, a physician, or a dietician. Parents have to be careful, though, because there are pediatricians who are not as well-versed in eating disorders as other pediatricians might be. There also may be dietitians who do not specialize in eating disorders or child psychologists that don’t.”
“In Colorado, we have a number of very good eating disorder treatment centers that are able to offer treatment at various levels of care, both outpatient, partial hospital, inpatient, and residential.”
Q: How can parents prevent an eating disorder with their children?
A: “Being present with your child and knowing where your child is in terms of food and eating. How they feel about themselves in their peer group, what’s going on in their lives, and what their attitude is to weight and shape. I think just being present and noticing those things, and when things seem a little bit odd, trusting their instincts and really looking for help sooner rather than later.” | <urn:uuid:d736ad54-9ce8-4110-b281-fdcd4927a62a> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://www.coloradoparent.com/one-of-the-deadliest-mental-illnesses/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296949355.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20230330163823-20230330193823-00212.warc.gz | en | 0.970845 | 1,032 | 3.390625 | 3 | The extract discusses eating disorders, their causes, signs, and treatment, but lacks direct discussion of soft skills. However, it promotes empathy and awareness, and Dr. Westmoreland's advice encourages parents to be present and attentive, which relates to communication and emotional intelligence. The content is informative but doesn't provide complex scenarios or nuanced interaction, limiting its score.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 284,418 | 0 |
I’m happy to present this guest post submitted by Amanda I. De Cun, MPS Candidate Marine Ecosystems and Society, Intern with the Department of Ocean Sciences at RSMAS University of Miami.
The STEM field has become increasingly popular and important in the past few years. Encouraging grade school students to participate in STEM activities have been shown to make an impact in their chances of high school graduation and being accepted into college. In fact, one program has seen first-hand what a difference STEM immersion can do for a student.
One program that has made an incredible impact on Miami-Dade County high school students since its inception in 1999, has been the Frost Science Upward Bound Math and Science program (UBMS), funded by the U.S. Department of Education. UBMS understands the importance of science in the classroom, but has also realized that under-resourced students often miss out on a science focused curriculum in school as well as lacking science role models in their lives. To defeat this problem, the UBMS program enlists students from Title 1 schools in the Miami area and enrolls them in a four year, after school, weekend and summer program geared towards STEM curiosity. The program inspires these under-resourced students the opportunity to see a world of post-secondary study, motivating them to complete high school and become the first generation in their family to be accepted into college.
The UBMS program provides these students with access to mentors, interactions with scientists and technology as well as a six-week summer program called IMPACT (Integrated Marine Program and College Training). In partnership with the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, these students are able to immerse themselves with marine science curriculum through activities with the university such as shark tagging expeditions, outdoor field experiences and field trips to state parks and marine sanctuaries and conduct research projects mentored by graduate students and M-DCPS teachers.
The IMPACT curriculum always includes the theory, practice and tools associated with different subjects ranging from oceanography, marine biology, geology, and ecology, meteorology and resource management. At the end of their six-week summer program, the students are given the opportunity to present their projects and are recognized by museum staff, scientists, families and peers for their dedicated accomplishments.
This summer, I was given the opportunity to present and give a lecture to these students during their six-week IMPACT program at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. As a current RSMAS graduate student, I am fulfilling my internship requirement under the direction of Dr. Vassiliki Kourafalou, a professor in the Ocean Science department, who is currently doing research with funding from the GoMRI project (Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative) which is a “10-year independent research program created to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies” (Gulf of Mexico Research Intiative 2013). In easier words, to understand the effects of oil on the environment and how to be better prepared in case another oil spill like the Deepwater Horizon explosion were to happen again.
During my internship, I spent most of my time researching and understanding the work related to the GoMRI project, created lectures and presentations for high school classrooms and attended outreach events. I felt really lucky to be given the opportunity to present to these IMPACT students, because coming from a previous career as a high school biology teacher, I understand the importance of communicating science to young people, while making them interested in it at the same time. To be invited by the outreach coordinators at IMPACT and asked to be a small part of an amazing program like UBMS, was extremely gratifying. Knowing I made a positive impact on these students is a feeling that every teacher, volunteer, outreach coordinator, mom, dad, whoever it may be, wants to feel and experience.
With over 1,000 students participating in their program since 1999, 98% have graduated high school and 95% have been accepted into a post-secondary institution of study, with the majority pursuing STEM fields (UBMS 2017). The UBMS program has made it extremely clear that when you provide students with the necessary tools to succeed, they will, in fact succeed. | <urn:uuid:adc766ac-cc96-4ffd-a98b-a7f6a31b0567> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | http://www.flascience.org/?p=2861 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875143784.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20200218150621-20200218180621-00405.warc.gz | en | 0.968976 | 905 | 2.796875 | 3 | The extract discusses a STEM program that encourages under-resourced students to pursue higher education, highlighting its impact and success. It touches on communication, mentorship, and practical application, but lacks depth in nuanced interaction, complex problem-solving, and intercultural fluency. The extract showcases a real-world example of a successful program, demonstrating some emotional intelligence and leadership challenges.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 626,393 | 0 |
Why do some district innovations stick and some disappear? From my years spent as a teacher, superintendent, and researcher in different districts where a great deal of money, time, and staff were spent in adopting and implementing innovations, I offer four lessons about those reforms that have stuck or, in academic-talk, achieved sustainability. These district innovations ranged from redesigning big high schools into small ones to introducing complete school choice for parents. They included start-up International Baccalaureate programs to introducing charter schools to 1:1 laptops in schools. Here is what I have learned:
1. No innovation can survive unless it is institutionalized at the district level. Examples of the loss of board support for district innovations occur often. In Memphis, Tenn. the work of Superintendent Gerri House in building system-wide whole school reform over 8 years was dismantled by her successor in six months. After six years of reform under David Hornbeck in Philadelphia, state and local officials disassembled them within a year after he resigned.
In any district, then, current and subsequent leaders must retain the school board’s support for the district innovation. Both board and superintendent must recruit new district leaders who understand the rationale for the innovation and share in the spirit of the reform, even though they were not involved in its initial implementation. One example of superintendents leaving and their prize legacy continuing under their successors can be seen in Cleveland after Barbara Byrd-Bennett embraced K-8 schools and subsequently exited. Her successor, Eugene Sanders, continued the innovation.
2. The innovation must be sustained at the school level. Factors such as teacher and principal turnover, institutional inertia, and a gradual diminution of energy and commitment slowly press upon each school to turn back the page and return to what existed before the innovation. Recall open-space schools from the 1970s when districts built schools with large open areas for team-teaching and small group work. But then teachers, anxious about the noise and constant movement of students, put up bookcases to separate spaces; principals had walls built. Within a few years, a return to the familiar self-contained classrooms within those open-space schools surprised few observers.
Insuring, then, that new principals and teachers at each school are recruited and trained in the practices of the innovation and understand what needs to be done is just as essential to the innovation’s longevity as is each school-site adding and subtracting changes as they adapt to changing conditions inside and outside the school.
3. The reform must be financially viable. Early on in most district innovations, enthusiastic promoters promised that, after high start-up costs, operating expenditures for the change would be level off. That may or may not happen, depending upon the kind of innovation. That reduction in cost occurred when “professional learning communities” in schools and districts moved from external consultants started the process and then district personnel took it over.
But with the conversion of big high schools into many small high schools that has not been the case because district costs do rise.(OVAE Cost of SLCs Final Balfanz)
4. The innovation must be flexible and change as conditions change. Eager innovators think about sustainability in one of two ways. There are those who launch an innovation, establish practices and programs and want all of the pieces to stay the same for years to come. Others, however, see sustainability as launching and establishing a new program but also changing it as conditions shift.
The first group sees being faithful to the original design of an innovation as essential; to them the primary task is to preserve the change as it was intended. The second group seeks to sustain the innovation by adapting it continually; innovating, to the second group, is a process, ever evolving.
The innovations that last, however, seem to be the ones that adapt as they age. Consider the kindergarten as an innovation that began in public schools in the late 19th century. Initially, the kindergarten had a progressive curriculum anchored in play as the way for five year-olds to learn social and academic skills. Over decades, however, especially since the 1980s, the kindergarten has clearly moved away from play toward learning reading, math, and other academic subjects before the first grade. The point I want to make is that the innovation has been around over a century, meeting the test of longevity, to be sure, but also it has adapted to changing conditions.
These four lessons drawn from my experiences are a first pass at unraveling the puzzle of why some innovations stick and why some disappear like bird marks in the sand. A subsequent post will take a deeper look at the puzzle. | <urn:uuid:26f2d1b0-d5cd-4f17-bac2-f27536b4c583> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2009/12/08/lessons-learned-about-sustainability-of-district-innovations/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886105451.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20170819124333-20170819144333-00619.warc.gz | en | 0.969949 | 941 | 2.6875 | 3 | The extract scores high for its in-depth discussion of sustainability in district innovations, offering realistic scenarios and practical applications. It integrates emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities, with a strong emphasis on adaptability and longevity. However, it lacks explicit discussion of soft skills like communication, teamwork, and intercultural fluency.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 789,491 | 0 |
How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay: Tips and 60 Topics to Consider
- How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay: Tips and 60 Topics to Consider
- What Is a Cause and Effect Essay?
- Examples of Cause and Effect
- How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay?
- Thesis Stament
- Body Paragraphs
- 60 Good Cause and Effect Essay Topics
- Technology Cause and Effect Essay Topics
- Natural Sciences, Animals, and Environment
- Personal Cause and Effect Essay Topics
- Social Sciences, Psychology, and Gender Studies
- Other Fun Cause and Effect Essay Topics
- Extra Tips
- Bottom Line
Everything in this world is interconnected. New toys make kids happy, while stressful situations make them sad. To properly understand the matter of a cause and effect essay, students should pay attention to the way things relate to each other. This article will explain the most crucial details of how to write this essay type. You will learn how to start it, go on with its body and develop a powerful conclusion.
However, if you are looking for a 'cheap write my essay' solution, don't hesitate to contact our academic writing sevice. We are all set to jumpstart your cause-and-effect essay.
What Is a Cause and Effect Essay?
A cause and effect essay is an academic paper concerned with why certain things or events occur and the consequences they bring. This type of essay is also known as a reason-and-result essay.
In such a paper, a writer must pay attention to the primary causes and results. Or, in other words, for causal relationships. The contributory things are not that necessary, but it is possible to include some of them if you are running out of ideas. Primary reasons and outcomes generate the cause and effect directly, unlike secondary ones. How should one choose a topic? Make sure you know the relationship between subjects or events well.
Examples of Cause and Effect
It is impossible to write a cause and effect essay without knowing what cause and effect are. Visualizing things is a powerful method, so we'd like to offer you a couple of examples to review. They will help you better understand the specifics.
- A person is running out of gas, and their auto will not start. They will be late for an important meeting. They will miss a great job offer.
- Mary is good with numbers. She loved studying business in college because of the high salaries in the field. That is why Mary has decided to major in Finance & Accounting at the local business school.
- John likes heavy metal music. He has a good sense of rhythm and wants to play in a band. A local group is currently searching for a drummer. John decided to learn to play drums to join them.
Just keep in mind that consequences are not necessarily adverse or favorable.
How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay?
The way of writing a cause and effect essay does not differ much from another essay type. It has a standard structure to follow. However, if we refer to the way of organizing the ideas, there are three typical methods to do that:
- Multiple causes – single effect
- Single cause – multiple effects
- The domino pattern or a chain reaction
If you decided to write a cause and effect essay, it would be wise to complete an outline first. Just like for any other academic paper. It is your mini-plan that will significantly ease the writing process. Brainstorm, collect the best ideas related to the studied field and use the chosen points to prepare a practical scheme. Check out the example of such an outline:
- Introduction. The statistics about anorexia nervosa
- Thesis. More than 15% of young boys and girls die from the consequences of anorexia nervosa every year in developed regions.
- Body Paragraph I. The causes: advertising, poverty, role modeling
- Body Paragraph II. The effects: loss of appetite, poor health condition, stressful situations
- Body Paragraph III. Potential Changes: education, nutrition, relaxation
- Conclusion. The best way to fight anorexia nervosa is to implement nutritional biology and psychology as a separate subject, change food habits, and have more rest.
People judge books by their covers, and professors like reading papers with powerful opening lines. It is critical to start your cause and effect essay with a hook. Share background information with the target readers.
If you choose to deal with multiple causes and a single outcome, enumerate the reasons for the specific effect:
Suppose you choose a single cause and a multiple effects model. In that case, you should list the effect groups of the reason.
As for the domino model, mention the initial cause in the chain results and the final effect.
After the introduction, it is essential to develop a good thesis statement for your cause and effect essay. The distinctive features of an outstanding thesis are precision, confidence, and forcefulness. You need to be well acquainted with your topic to hit the mark. Condense the causes and results into a single concise sentence and refine these words. An example of a good thesis statement could look this way:
After handling the introduction part of a cause and effect essay, the next question to pop up is how to write the body paragraphs. Do not forget to organize supporting ideas before moving to the paper's main body. It is possible to manage the supporting points in this way:
- Order of significance. Arrange the details from least to most meaningful;
- Chronological. Structure the points in the order of events taking place.
- Categorical. Organize your ideas by dividing the subject into sections or categories.
Write each paragraph according to the outline you prepared before. The best way to make your essay flow is to build logical bridges between the body paragraphs. Transition words and phrases will assist you in crafting a perfectly balanced narration.
Like any other academic paper, the cause and effect essay should have a conclusion. But, it does not have any essay-specific requirements. As usual, the conclusion should start with a topic sentence that restates the thesis statement. Follow it by stating the main points of your essay.
Do not repeat or copy-paste your ideas of the thesis statement. Instead, analyze them and briefly sum them up. In the concluding part, you should bring up your arguments to show their relevance and the main point.
If you still have any questions on how to make an outline for an essay, open one more blog on our platform with detailed information.
60 Good Cause and Effect Essay Topics
Before you decide what topic to choose, make sure that there is enough available information online. Our writing experts have prepared a list of great topics for your cause and effect essay. Check them out!
- Causes and effects of hurricanes
- The relation between the war in Syria and Russia
- Cause and effect essay on living after divorce
- Correlation between alcohol consumption and damaged nervous system
- Growing up without a father
- The way racism appears and spreads
- Cause and effect of Uber on other taxi brands
- Reasons why WWII was irreversible
- Reasons why many women get involved in destructive relationships
- Music and the human brain
Technology Cause and Effect Essay Topics
- Cloning humans: potential consequences
- Cause and effect essay on impacts the technological progress has on kids
- Correlation between the state of nature and technological progress
- Reasons why Japan is more technologically advanced than the rest of the world
- The influence of the Internet on young minds
- Cause and effect essay on using educational applications in class and after school
- Virtual reality and its consequences
- Cause and effect essay on obtaining a Computer Science degree
- The impact of technological evolution on the history of humankind
- The way mobile phones affect the life of an average American student
Natural Sciences, Animals, and Environment
- The effect of an increase in water contamination on marine life
- Factors that affect developing countries
- Several reasons to start conserving rainwater
- Factors leading to the rise of air pollution in the cities
- Cause and effect essay on sea-level rise
- What effects does illegal cutting off trees have?
- Reasons to abandon whale oil
- The tiger and other endangered species: the results of their possible extinction
- Cause and effect essay on wildfires in Australia
- Why are wild beasts migrating in Africa?
Browse different topics for argumentative essay and get new ideas that may interest you.
Personal Cause and Effect Essay Topics
- The way my holidays changed family relations
- Living without brothers or sisters
- Pros & cons of living together before the marriage
- Factors that led to my mental disorder
- Impressions Mexico left on me
- Reasons I help poor people living in the neighborhood
- Things that explain why I value freedom more than anything else
- My experience living in low housing
- The role of my favorite music band in my life
- The way fashion trends influence my image
Social Sciences, Psychology, and Gender Studies
- Causes and effects of alcohol addiction
- Why do people cheat and what effects does cheating have?
- Illegal immigration
- Causes and effects of overpopulation
- What can cause a divorce and what consequences does the process bring?
- The role of a child during the divorce process
- Cause and effect essay on drug abuse
- Reasons and the aftermaths of global warming
- Practices to help opposites find common ground
- Factors that make older women love younger men
Keep in mind that we have different essay topics such as persuasive essay ideas for our users. You can choose or mix some of them into one.
Other Fun Cause and Effect Essay Topics
- Ways to become popular with the help of a single YouTube video
- Silly errors that lead to the laughs of classmates
- Consequences of having a cute pet
- Becoming a video game streamer and further development
- The outcomes of uploading a wrong image to Twitter
- Being overloaded with friends/followers on Facebook
- Get rid of the trash emails and see what happens
- Watching favorite teams playing football and just everyone is online
- Ways to survive without mobile phones 24 hours long
- Consequences of laughing too much
As you write your cause and effect essay, consider these useful tips from our expert writers:
- Keep in mind the primary goal of writing. Decide whether the purpose is to inform or argue with the opposing views.
- Make the essay sound more powerful and persuasive with supporting evidence grabbed from the collected primary sources.
- Identify the specific terms or professional phrases, present facts & statistics. Offer vivid examples (from personal life or sources), tell jokes as you perform in front of your audience.
- Focus on immediate and direct things that lead to something. Limit your writing to causes interrelated with each other.
In the end, do not forget to assess the efficiency of the essay by asking some questions: Which of the causes or outcomes is better to emphasize more? Are there any other causes or effects you may have missed? Is the chain reaction present?
It is clear that the more you study, the more knowledge and skills you gain. Although being academically successful is not the only requirement to become a literate person in general. Communication with other people outside your educational institution and valuable hobbies are also a must to become a prosperous personality.
Technological advancements allowed us to present an effective solution. Without spending much money or time, each modern student may seek professional writing assistance online. Our top-notch writers will help you with your cause and effect essay at any time of the day. Spend more time with your family and friends, and let us take care of your assignments! | <urn:uuid:8c7b6a6b-6f4b-4c1e-bf9a-8e472e855744> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://writemyessay4me.org/blog/cause-and-effect-essay | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224648209.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20230601211701-20230602001701-00601.warc.gz | en | 0.92777 | 2,454 | 2.921875 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive guide on writing a cause and effect essay, covering topics, structure, and tips. It offers practical applications and examples, but lacks nuanced interaction, complex problem-solving, and advanced digital literacy skills. The content focuses on fundamental skills with limited real-world context, earning it a moderate score.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 797,743 | 0 |
What do these two situations have in common with the advice you got from your fifth grade math teacher?
Situation #1: Market assessment to support valuation of an M&A target. We are working with a client to shape a consumer survey. This includes targeting what type of consumer is really best suited to comment on future demand for the product. We are also carefully designing questions that allow us to quantify their opinions into a proxy for estimates of future demand.
Situation #2: Complex business modeling under a time crunch. In an ideal world the manager doing the financial modeling will get to present his analyses and explain how the answers change as the business conditions also change. In the real world the manager’s work is passed along to another manager and then to another in rapid succession. Without the first manager present, those now looking at the model begin to consider new business conditions and can’t retrace the assumptions of the original model because they were never documented (still inside the head of junior manager). They become frustrated and begin to assume the junior manager doesn’t really know his numbers. A sad situation as he does know his numbers, but can’t make his case when he is absent from the discussion.
Your fifth grade math teacher had it right all along – show all work! Bright kids often see this as a waste of time since they can figure out so many problems in their head. They know how A and B combine to create D, the solution, so why write it down?
This is a life lesson to be gained from your fifth grade math teacher:
You don’t just lose points for not showing the assumptions behind your answer; you frustrate the person who is trying to figure out why your numbers don’t add up, or why you got to a solution that doesn’t make sense to them. Yes, in some cases they can and will retrace your steps to deduce your assumptions. Unlike your kind-hearted math teacher, many potential customers get frustrated and downright angry if they can’t figure out your logic.
Who wants to buy something when you can’t figure what you are paying for?
How often has this happened to you?
• Can’t figure out the price comparison between two different sized versions of the same product in the supermarket? You just walk away.
• Too many variations to choose from, as described in Barry Schwartz’ classic jam study, with no clear logic to help you choose? You just walk away.
• Can’t compare between two brands of consumer electronic products because there are so many dimensions of comparison and each one seems apples to oranges? Ignore the product comparison and seek out someone to guide your analysis.
If you can’t make your logic and assumptions accessible, then even your best customer is likely to go from a nice well-meaning collaborative person who wants to spend their money on your product/service to a confused, then frustrated, then angry, and then absent customer. Either they will physically leave or they will mentally exit, at least as far as your marketing/sales pitch is concerned.
What to do?
Show all work. Your math teacher will smile from afar if you would just make it easy to see the assumptions behind your price and brand differential (why it cost more, less, or why you still offer a better value at the same low, low price).
Allow customers to select a subset among the many factors you use to come to your own answers. The Best Places To Live guides do a nice job of this, and rather than take their advice as the one answer (although Eden Prairie, Minnesota where I work IS rated the best place to live), you can review the subset of the factors they examine.
Provide a step-wise guide to making choices. One client of ours does a very nice job of this. They sequence you through your decision process, so you aren’t overwhelmed by the multitude of options open to you.
Empower customers to play with the numbers. If you are confident, provide an app, a spreadsheet or some way for customers to plug in different scenarios so they can come up with a solution that is just right for them. Retirement savings calculators do a good job of this. Wouldn’t you like to provide a resource that keeps your customers coming back to your site and your brand?
Pre-test your logic. Another client of ours above is really committed to making their logic easy to follow; they pretest order forms and different order packages, not only to find out how customers tend to make purchase decisions, but also to make sure they remove any sources of potential confusion.
Of course this assumes you believe there are meaningful difference between your product, your brand and your marketing package. Our clients do. What about you?
How do you make it easy for customers to make decisions about your product or service?
How do you go about sharing your assumptions and testing those with customers?
BestCustomerConnection, by Marc Sokol
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- Barry Schwartz’s Urgent Call For Practical Wisdom (camelswithhammers.com) | <urn:uuid:80dd8d8c-69f9-4e8d-a602-e14ea3923669> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://www.bestcustomerconnection.com/?p=354 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386163988740/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204133308-00058-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956746 | 1,107 | 3 | 3 | The extract scores high for its discussion of soft skills, particularly in communication, problem-solving, and customer-centric approaches. It provides realistic scenarios, practical applications, and emphasizes the importance of transparency and clarity in business interactions. The text also touches on emotional intelligence, leadership, and critical thinking, making it a comprehensive resource for professional development.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 432,203 | 1 |
Check the model essay and then read the comments. Many people believe that social networking sites such as Facebook have had a huge negative impact on both individuals and society. To what extent do you agree?
Edit your writing to check spelling and grammar. While this sounds like a lot of steps to write a simple essay, if you follow them you will be able to write more successful, clear and cohesive essays.
Kinds of Essays The first step to writing an essay is to decide what kind of essay to write. There are several main structures into which essays can be grouped: Tell a story or impart information about your subject in a straightforward, orderly manner. Focus on the details of what is going on.
For example, if you want to write a descriptive essay about your trip to the park, you would give great detail about what you experienced: Convince the reader of some point of view.
Compare two or more different things. Explain to the reader how to do a given process. You could, for example, write an expository essay with step-by-step instructions on how to make a peanut butter sandwich.
Knowing what kind of essay you are trying to write can help you decide on a topic and structure your essay in the best way possible. Brainstorming You cannot write an essay unless you have an idea of what to write about. Brainstorming is the process in which you come up with the essay topic.
You need to simply sit and think of ideas during this phase. Write down everything that comes to mind as you can always narrow those topics down later. You could also use clustering or mind mapping to brainstorm and come up with an essay idea. This involves writing your topic or idea in the center of the paper and creating bubbles clouds or clusters of related ideas around it.
This can be a great way to develop a topic more deeply and to recognize connections between various facets of your topic. You want to choose a topic that is neither too broad nor too narrow.
Instead, you could write about a very specific event within the history of the United States: Choose the best topic from among them and begin moving forward on writing your essay. Research Once you have done your brainstorming and chosen your topic, you may need to do some research to write a good essay.
Go to the library or look on the Internet for information about your topic. Interview people who might be experts in the subject. Keep your research organized so it will be easy for you to refer back to, and easy for you to cite your sources when writing your final essay.
Developing a Thesis Your thesis is the main point of your essay.
It is essentially one sentence that says what the essay is about. For example, your thesis might be "Dogs are descended from wolves.A novella is a text of written, fictional, narrative prose normally longer than a short story but shorter than a novel, somewhere between 7, and 40, words..
The English word "novella " derives from the Italian novella, feminine of novello, which means "new".The novella is a common literary genre in several European languages. Introduction This essay contains a description of several famous malicious computer programs (e.g., computer viruses and worms) that caused extensive harm, and it reviews the legal consequences of each incident, including the nonexistent or lenient punishment of the program's author.
How long should your IELTS writing task 1 & task 2 be? Learn how the examiner counts your words and the recommended length of your IELTS essay.
This page contains information about: Always write over the word count. The examiner will check and count all your words. Aim for around – for. Digital Impact LLC produces large format, high-resolution, semi-permanent corrugated/mixed material POP & POS displays, product packaging and specialized permanent displays for companies of all backgrounds.
Our clients know us for our reliability, speed to market, and long-standing razor sharp focus on customer service.
Utilizing state of the art digital printing, we produce product packaging. The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. The IELTS writing task 2 sample answer below has examiner comments and is band score 9.
The topic of social media is common and this IELTS essay question was reported in the IELTS test. Check the model essay and then read the comments. Many people believe that social networking sites (such as. | <urn:uuid:ce606db1-a981-4da6-be85-68cea45ccd04> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://buqefomaqefa.tranceformingnlp.com/essay-word-count-do-quotes-count-28980as.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579251802249.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20200129194333-20200129223333-00463.warc.gz | en | 0.935521 | 933 | 2.703125 | 3 | The extract provides guidance on writing essays, including brainstorming, researching, and structuring, with some examples and tips. However, it lacks depth in discussing soft skills, emotional intelligence, and complex problem-solving. The content focuses on basic writing skills and provides limited practical application.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 300,577 | 0 |
Another surprising revelation from Sandel’s book was hearing how some prominent economists think about generosity and civic action.
In Chapter 3 of What Money Can’t Buy, Sandel talks about Richart Titmuss’ The Gift Relationship, published in 1970, in which Titmuss compared the US and British blood collection system. The British system is entirely voluntary and the U.S. system is part voluntary and part paid. According to Sandel, “Titmuss presented a wealth of data showing that, in economic and practical terms alone, the British blood collection system works better than the American one. Despite the supposed efficiency of markets, he argued, the American system leads to chronic shortages, wasted blood, higher costs, and a greater risk of contaminated blood.”
Titmuss goes further, arguing not just against the inefficiency of the U.S. system but its morality. Paying for blood, he argues, is unfair and corrupting. It preys upon those not in a position to strike a fair bargain (the poor) when deciding whether to give something as vital and inviolable as their own blood.
Famed economist Kennith Arrow’s retort was striking – all the more so because Arrow was known for his work on market imperfections. He was no free market purist. Nevertheless, Arrow stated that Titmuss’ argument was flawed on two fronts. First, Arrow didn’t believe that creation of a market would have negative spillover effects on the voluntary market (my take here is that, for blood, it probably depends on how the two systems are set up, and the impacts could be studied empirically). More surprising was Arrow’s argument about the risks of a voluntary market, and his claim that if something could be solved by a market mechanism it should, so that ethical behavior could be economized.
In Arrow’s words, “I do not want to rely too heavily on substituting ethics for self-interest. I think it best on the whole that the requirement of ethical behavior be confined to those circumstances where the price system breaks down….We do not wish to use up recklessly the scarce resources of altruistic motivation.”
To paraphrase Bill Clinton, “this is important, so I’m gonna repeat it.”
“We do not wish to use up…the scarce resources of altruistic motivation.”
Amazing that Arrow could actually write this, and that anyone could take it seriously as a model of human behavior. Generosity is generative, altruism is an orientation towards the world and a pattern of behavior that creates more kind action, both by the actor and by others. Sure, it’s not limitless – everything must remain in balance – but one of my biggest revelations is that that shifting my own attitude about generosity didn’t exhaust some small, limited supply, it cracked open a door to a whole different way of being (and no, sadly, I don’t live it every day, it’s a lifetime project). Generosity isn’t scarce and finite. Indeed, in its earliest forms, newfound generosity is delicate and prone to being easily cowed. Generosity can only grow if properly nurtured and cultivated, but if it is nurtured, it blossoms, it doesn’t run out.
Taking a big step back, and thinking about the commodified world we live in, I think that Titmuss has it right. The risk we run, in Sandel’s words, is that “the declining spirit of giving made for an impoverished moral and social life” and that, as Titmuss continues, “It is likely that a decline in the spirit of altruism in one sphere of human activities will be accompanied by similar changes in attitudes, motives and relationships in other spheres” and that ultimately we might undermine altruism and a sense of community.
As Titmuss concludes:
The ways in which society organizes and structures its social institutions – and particularly its health and welfare systems – can encourage or discourage the altruistic in man; such systems can foster integration or alienation; they can allow the ‘theme of the gift’ – of generosity towards strangers – to spread among and between social groups and generations.
What does a society look like that encourages the altruist in all of us, that fosters integration? Certainly it is one with strong communities and groups, a sense of connection and of shared responsibility.
Harder still, how does one measure and track the supply of altruism, of generosity, in a society, and is there a risk that as market efficiencies populate every corner of our economic and social interactions, that the notion that one would do anything for anyone “for free” would become such an alien concept that it would erode the very fabric of society and the underpinning of strong communities?
(BONUS: the nice folks at Macmillan Audio reached out after yesterday’s post to let me know that there’s an audio version of What Money Can’t Buy. Here’s a clip.) | <urn:uuid:538361d8-8fe4-4410-a8dc-14fb20d4a4a5> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://sashadichter.wordpress.com/2012/09/12/the-risks-of-economizing-generosity/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886109682.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20170821232346-20170822012346-00042.warc.gz | en | 0.952841 | 1,066 | 2.578125 | 3 | The extract discusses the concept of generosity, civic action, and altruism, highlighting the debate between economists on the role of markets in promoting or hindering these values. It explores the idea that generosity is not a scarce resource, but rather can be nurtured and cultivated. The text promotes critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and nuanced discussion of complex social issues, but lacks practical application and real-world problem-solving scenarios.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 688,185 | 0 |
You take an interest in learning something, X. Perhaps someone recommends it to you. What do you do next? Jump right in?
The first step is making a plan for how to learn X. It may be pretty rough, especially in later stages (for a complex X, you won’t understand how to learn part 5 until after learning part 3). But you need some kind of outline or overview of a plan that goes all the way to the end. You need a concept of how success is possible or you don’t even know which direction or immediate actions could lead to success.
The second step is evaluating the plan: Can you do it successfully? What resources does it require? What prior knowledge does the plan build on, and do you already have it or not?
Step 3 is commonly to expand the plan: you add some steps at the beginning to learn some other things first (prerequisites). These are plans themselves and you need to outline how they will work, evaluate if you’re prepared to do them, check what resources they require, and possibly add more plans before them to learn even earlier knowledge.
In this way, you can be like “I want to learn Atlas Shrugged” (AS) and end up with a big plan, in tree shape, with 500 parts. You don’t have the skills or background knowledge to learn AS right now, so the plan involves learning 8 things first. And for each of those 8 things, you are missing 3 things you need to learn first. And for some of those 3, you’re missing 1-4 things that come before it. And for some of those, you’re missing some prerequisite. Some of the chains could be a dozen or more things long from AS to the earliest knowledge you don’t have yet.
There isn’t one single canonical organization of which knowledge comes early and late, what order it goes in, etc. You can develop a plan and it’s not the only plan possible. What is early in your plan might be late in someone else’s, or vice versa, and both plans could still work. However, plans can’t be random. It’s not subjective or arbitrary. There are facts about what does and doesn’t work, and there are themes where some things (e.g. learning addition) are early or late in most good plans.
Sometimes it helps to start working on something a little to discover what prerequisites you’re missing. E.g. you might try reading a dozen pages of AS to find out that: you don’t understand it clearly enough, you don’t know how to discuss it well enough, you don’t know how to take notes as you go along well enough, you don’t know how to stop and think about a passage and figure out what it means very well, you don’t know how to follow logical arguments, and it’s going to take a lot of time and mental focus/energy to read. You would then recognize you need to get more resources to allocate to the project (more time and mental focus/energy) and you need to create and succeed at plans to improve at each of the skills you’re not great at which came up when you tried reading a bit of the book (reading skill, discussion skill, etc). Just one of those prerequisites is to be better at understanding logical arguments, and that itself needs its own plan which will need its own resources and prerequisites, which will need their own plans, and so on. If you are a young child you’ll end up with perhaps 50 things, arranged in a tree, for your plan to learn logic, its prerequisite plans, their prerequisite plans, and so on, in 8 layers. And it’s the same if you’re an adult who doesn’t know a lot about this stuff, which is typically because our parenting and schooling is in major ways sabotage rather than helpful.
So if someone suggests you should read AS or learn logic, that does not mean you should just immediately do it. You need to make a plan and check if the plan will work for you today. If you cannot do your plan you need a new plan or to work on some prior stuff to prepare for doing the plan.
Being like, “Well he said to read this book or learn that topic, so I was trying to do it” is pretty thoughtless if you’re not even close to being able to do it. It means you didn’t actually make a plan for how to succeed that you evaluated and thought would work with your current skills/resources/knowledge. And if you don’t know how to make plans or evaluate if they will work, that is itself a prerequisite for any complex learning project. You need to learn that before you learn anything that isn’t really basic. You can learn really basic stuff (which can be succeeded at like it’s a one-part plan, basically) and then you can use what you learned to help build up towards learning how to make two part plans, then three part plans, and so on. You can get better at gradually more complex planning and plan evaluation as you learn more stuff. You can build up planning related skills in parallel with building up knowledge of other stuff.
If you look at AS and go “I don’t even know how to plan that” then your plan should be “get better at planning, revisit AS later” and then you can make a plan for how to get better at planning. You can still look at that as a plan for how to read AS, since it involves AS at the end. In this way, you can start anywhere, including with AS, no matter how much of a beginner you are. However, if you’re bad at tracking plan hierarchies then you can simplify by just forgetting about AS and starting with something more basic. | <urn:uuid:8598fe12-9248-44f5-a3c0-7aef7c1af043> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://curi.us/2111-how-to-learn-something--with-plans-and-steps | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370497171.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20200330150913-20200330180913-00213.warc.gz | en | 0.961515 | 1,246 | 3.3125 | 3 | The extract earns a score of 3 due to its discussion of planning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, which are essential soft skills. It provides realistic scenarios and integrates emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities, making it a valuable resource for professional development. However, it lacks complex scenarios requiring sophisticated communication and strategic thinking across multiple contexts.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 820,518 | 0 |
One of the most important Italian touristic resorts, situated on the Lake that has the same name, Iseo has ancient origins, documented by the discovery of artifacts of the Mesolithic period. The Roman period is attested by an efficient communication network such with the road "Via Valeriana" (I century B.C.) and by the discovery of an artifact depicting an Herculean task, during the restoration of the Parish of St. Andrew. During the Lombard domination the town was under the jurisdiction of the monastery of Santa Giulia of Brescia and the Benedictine monks started the reclamation of land from the marsh. Thanks to its castle, Iseo became an important stronghold for Brescia in both strategic and commercial terms. The castle was neutralized during the raids of Barbarossa, who burned down the town in 1161 and in the next century, by his grandson Frederick II, but in both occasions with the help of the Lords of Brescia, the town was quickly rebuilt. In 1288 the castle was destroyed by the Ghibellines Camuni led by the Federici Family. The inhabitants of Iseo, then allied themselves with the Visconti and the Scala families, that in 1331 helped with the reconstruction of the castle and the walls.
Not to miss:
The castle Oldofredi, which is situated on a rocky spur and is the only fortress city of the lake Iseo. Erected in the XI century and set on fire by Barbarossa, the building was restored in 1161 by James Oldofredi.
The first news of the ancient Parish Church of St. Andrew date back to San Vigilio, bishop of Brescia. Rebuilt in Romanesque style, it suffered over the centuries many alterations. Currently it features a Neoclassical appearance, except for the façade, characterized the latter, from heterogeneous elements and a high bell tower built in the center of the main access portal of the church.
Among other sites of interest, worth of mention: the Church of San Silvestro of Discipline, the Church of Our Lady of the Market and the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Neve. | <urn:uuid:1ca4f20f-dbfa-4249-9fb2-80fd4808dd0b> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.localidautore.com/paesi/iseo-92 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370528224.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20200405022138-20200405052138-00114.warc.gz | en | 0.965112 | 452 | 2.546875 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on historical and touristic information about Iseo. There is no coverage of communication, teamwork, leadership, or problem-solving concepts, and no opportunities for professional development or cultural awareness.
Educational score: 0 | 0 | 0 | 768,285 | 0 |
by Claire Salinas, History Scholar and Humanities Council Programs Volunteer
In 1967, Martin Luther King challenged Americans to see themselves as dwellers in a “world house” of international neighbors, “a world-wide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one’s tribe, race, and class.” First evoked in his 1964 acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize, the vision of a “World House” called for a more peaceful society in which the pursuit of justice transcended the boundaries of local belonging. To end “the triple evils of racism, poverty, and militarism” on a global scale both demanded and forged, inexorably, a global citizenry.
Five decades on, it is a commonplace to describe our 21st century world as inter-connected, shaped by the global currents of trade, communications, militarism, and political protest. What, then, are the implications of global citizenship in 2014? Are we all global citizens by virtue of living in this era, or does the notion imply a more intentional outlook and fundamental shared ethical values, such as those Dr. King ascribed to it?
We think these questions resonate especially deeply in the international, globally-connected city that is DC, with its well-travelled inhabitants. And we want to hear from you! What does being a global citizen mean to you? In what ways do you consider yourself to be a global citizen? To start thinking about these issues, have a look at the short reading and questions below, and leave us your comments, questions, and reactions. Then join us for the discussion with panelists Rachel Weiner, Elizabeth Ogunwo, both former Peace Corps volunteers, and GWU Anthropology professor Robert Shepherd. Let’s start a global dialogue!
When: October 16, 6:30-8:30pm
Where: The Coupe (3415 11th St NW)
1. What are some of the attributes of the global citizen? What role does travel play in shaping global citizens? What are the benefits of being a well-travelled person, and how does it increase our understanding of, and concern for, humanity?
2. Do global citizens have a responsibility to uphold common humanity and dignity on a global scale? Do the world’s wealthy citizens (Americans and others) have an ethical duty to end extreme inequities and injustices, such as poverty and racism?
3. What must we teach students and others to make them truly and effectively globally connected, and able to interact easily and skillfully anywhere and with anyone?
4. What does studying or promoting the humanities bring to being a world citizen? | <urn:uuid:2c57fa11-7141-4349-8899-5aaa3dec9390> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://hcwdc.blogspot.com/2014/09/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886105187.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20170818213959-20170818233959-00380.warc.gz | en | 0.936266 | 546 | 2.53125 | 3 | The extract promotes global citizenship, encouraging readers to consider their role in a interconnected world. It raises thought-provoking questions and invites discussion, fostering critical thinking, empathy, and cultural awareness. The inclusion of a panel discussion and call for comments facilitates teamwork and conversational skills.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 789,595 | 1 |
With all the options for music streaming that are available, we’ve all become more used to going through our days with a background soundtrack. And, digital-native students have never known a world where almost every piece of recorded music wasn’t available at the click of button. This being the case, music can be a great tool to enrich your lessons and engage students in classroom. Here are five best practices to follow.
1. Always, always, always, preview
This first one is obvious, yet teachers consistently find themselves in trouble for failing to preview music played in their classrooms. Not only do you need to be on the lookout for swearing or inappropriate innuendo, but broader subject matter that could be offensive to different groups of students. Considering that many artists create music with the specific intent of expressing opinions or expanding others’ minds, this eliminates a lot of songs. Be especially careful if you use a music curation service like Pandora or Apple Music—if you don’t know what’s included on a playlist, don’t use it in your classroom.
2. Set the right mood
Ever been somewhere, like a restaurant or clothing store, where the background music doesn’t quite fit the vibe? The same can happen in the classroom. Not only that, but remember that music can be used to either stimulate or tone down mental responses. For example, after lunch, when students can be a bit sluggish, you may want to select something more upbeat. However, sleepy students may not appreciate that upbeat music first thing in the morning. Make sure that the playlist you choose fits the time of day, your students’ moods, and the task at hand.
3. Make curricular connections
Music ties into so many other areas of curricula that it makes a valuable addition to almost all units and lessons. If you’re studying a specific culture or country, share some of its music with your students. Relate music to math by talking about beat counts, rhythm, and patterns. Even science can be connected to music by talking about concepts like frequencies, vibrations, and sound waves. And don’t forget to dig into the profound effects of music on the brain—it triggers different areas of the brain, elicits emotional responses, and even helps memory function by giving the brain context for new information it’s trying to assimilate.
4. Choose your soundtrack wisely
When used in the background, many teachers opt for music without lyrics to avoid distracting their students. Music with lyrics can then be reserved for transitions or other movement activities to reengage students. Consider music soundtracks from video games; they are specifically composed to keep players focused and engaged for long periods of time. If you’re unsure of where to start looking for good background music, try instrumental covers of popular songs, like those from the band Vitamin String Quartet—your students will be pleasantly surprised when they realize they recognize different songs.
5. Embrace headphones
It’s hard not to find a student who doesn’t have headphones on when walking down the street or riding the bus. It’s second nature for most children. This brings up the question of when it’s appropriate for students to listen to their own music while in class. First and foremost, follow your school’s guidelines regarding devices and music, but do consider loosening the reins during individual work time that requires focus. Letting students rock out with their headphones offers a noninvasive way of keeping chatting to a minimum.
Looking for more creative strategies to use in your classroom? Check out these 21 Tips, Tricks, and Ideas Every 21st Century Educator Should Try! | <urn:uuid:36d3fdc8-a91e-482d-acf4-8eb0e7d10f34> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://blog.edmentum.com/classroom-management-5-tips-engage-students-through-music | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549428257.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20170727122407-20170727142407-00571.warc.gz | en | 0.935966 | 759 | 3.265625 | 3 | The extract provides practical tips for using music in the classroom, promoting engagement and focus. It touches on cultural awareness, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking, but lacks nuanced interaction and complex problem-solving opportunities. The discussion is straightforward, with limited depth in professional development and digital literacy.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 339,485 | 0 |
Item description for One World, Many Religions: The Ways We Worship by Mary Pope Osborne...
Overview An illustrated introduction to comparative religion, discussing Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism
Publishers Description Religious understanding is as important today than any other time in history. In this highly acclaimed book, Mary Pope Osborne introduces readers to the six major religions of the world. One World, Many Religions covers the history, beliefs, and practices of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. All have had a deep effect on the laws and customs of every country. They have shaped art, literature, music, and education. They have given the world magnificent stories, songs, buildings, holy objects, ceremonies, and festivals." From the Introduction to Many Religions, One World. Best-selling children's author Mary Pope Osborne presents an accessible and elegantly crafted volume that introduces young readers to the world's seven major religions. Six short readable chapters--perfectly targeted to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders--detail the history, beliefs, and practices of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Handsomely designed and featuring fifty oversized color photographs and a full complement of reference materials, including a map, time line, and bibliography, this book provides a thorough and thoughtful presentation of the diverse ways people worship around the world. -Outstanding introduction to world religion for young readers. -Unanimously praised when first published in 1996 -Newly updated reference materials such as a glossary, map, timeline and bibliography complete this excellent book. -Features over 50 full-color photos.
Citations And Professional Reviews One World, Many Religions: The Ways We Worship by Mary Pope Osborne has been reviewed by professional book reviewers and journalists at the following establishments -
Wilson Children's Catalog - 01/01/2010 page 50
Booklist - 10/01/1996 page 336
School Library Journal - 11/01/1996 page 116
Hornbook Guide to Children - 07/01/1996 page 88
Wilson Middle/Junior Hi Catalo - 01/01/1997 page 6
Wilson Children's Catalog 96 - 01/01/1997 page 6
Wilson Middle/Junior Hi Catalo - 01/01/2000 page 45
Wilson Children's Catalog - 01/01/2001 page 37
PW Notes and Reprints - 04/29/2002 page 64
Wilson Middle/Junior Hi Catalo - 01/01/2005 page 41
Wilson Children's Catalog - 01/01/2006 page 35
Wilson Middle/Junior Hi Catalo - 01/01/2009 page 55
Promise Angels is dedicated to bringing you great books at great prices. Whether you read for entertainment, to learn, or for literacy - you will find what you want at promiseangels.com!
Studio: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Est. Packaging Dimensions: Length: 11.28" Width: 8.81" Height: 0.53" Weight: 1.4 lbs.
Release Date Oct 1, 1996
Publisher Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN 0679839305 ISBN13 9780679839309
Availability 0 units.
More About Mary Pope Osborne
Mary Pope Osborne is the author of the bestselling Magic Tree House series. She has also written many acclaimed retellings of myths, folktales, and works of historical fiction.
I grew up in the military. By the time I was fifteen I had lived in Oklahoma, Austria, Florida, and four different army posts in Virginia and North Carolina. Moving was never traumatic for me, partly, I think, because I had very close and loving relationships with my parents, my twin brother, my younger brother, and my older sister.
When my dad retired to a small city in North Carolina, I still craved the adventure and changing scenery of our military life. Miraculously, one day I found these things, literally only a block away — at the local community theater. From then on, I spent nearly every waking hour after school there, either acting or working backstage. When I stepped from the sunny street into that musty-smelling, dark little theater, all things seemed possible.
From College to New York City
I went on to study drama at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In my junior year, I discovered an even greater realm of adventure and changing scenery: the world of mythology and comparative religion. So I became a religion major and learned as much as I could about other cultures.
After graduating from college in the early 1970s, I lived an intensely varied life. For a while I camped in a cave on the island of Crete. Then I joined up with a small band of European young people heading to “The East.” We traveled overland in a caravan of rickety vans through sixteen Asian countries, including Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Nepal.
We nearly lost our lives, first in an earthquake in northern Afghanistan and then a riot in Kabul. My trip came to an abrupt halt in Kathmandu when I got blood poisoning.
During the two weeks I spent in a missionary hospital there, I read all of the Tolkien trilogy. I would sleep, read, and look out the windows at the Himalayas. To this day, my journey to “The East” is tangled up in my mind with Frodo’s adventures.
After I returned home and recovered from my illness, I promptly headed back into the real world. I worked as a window dresser in Carmel, California, as a medical assistant in Monterey, California, and as a Russian travel consultant in Washington, D.C. One night in Washington I attended the opening of a musical about Jesse James. From the balcony I fell in love with Will Osborne, the actor/musician playing Jesse. I loved his boots and his white cowboy hat; I loved how he sang and strummed the guitar. A year later, in New York City, we were married.
Thereafter, when I wasn’t on the road with Will, I worked as a waitress in Greenwich Village, taught acting classes in a nursing home in the Bronx, was a bartender in Broadway theaters, and had a job as an assistant editor for a children’s magazine.
I Begin to Write
Then one day, out of the blue, I began writing a story about an eleven-year-old girl in the South. The girl was a lot like me, and many of the incidents in the story were similar to happenings in my childhood. The first draft was crudely written, but it must have communicated something to an editor, because shortly after I finished, it became a young adult novel called Run, Run as Fast as You Can. Finally I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up.
Now more than thirty years and a hundred books later, I feel I’m one of the most fortunate people on earth. I’ve written picture books, biographies, mysteries, novels, retellings of Greek
mythology, Norse mythology, medieval stories, mermaid tales, and American tall tales. I’ve written a book on the world religions and a series based on Homer’s Odyssey. But the most fun I’ve ever had in my writing life has been taking journeys through time in the Magic Tree House.
I’ve now published 45 Magic Tree House fiction books. (My husband and my sister Natalie Pope Boyce write the wonderful non-fiction companion books) I’ve recently traveled with Jack and Annie to meet Mozart in Vienna, Louis Armstrong in New Orleans, Lady Gregory in Ireland, and Charles Dickens in Victorian, England.
The latest book, #45 A Crazy Days with Cobras, involves a journey to India four hundreds years ago. Will Jack and Annie survive an encounter with a ruthless emperor, a rogue elephant, and two deadly cobras? Yes, because I wanted to write book #46, Dogs in the Dead of Night, about their journey to help St. Bernard dogs rescue people in the Alps. Will Jack and Annie survive the avalanche that buries them? Yes! Because now I want to go meet Abraham Lincoln with them!
Writing is a miracle. You can travel anywhere in the world, to any time and any place — and still be home in time to have dinner.
Mary Pope Osborne currently resides in New York New York, in the state of Connecticut.
Reviews - What do customers think about One World, Many Religions: The Ways We Worship?
A book on religions for people age 9-90+ Apr 2, 1999
Osborne presents a well illustrated book on world religions that is apparently for children but is more than adequate for most adults. Sentences are brief. Words are not overwhelming - a glossary defines new expressions. The book can be a starting point for satisfying curiosity about great world religions. It is also a great help in reminding oneself about the basics. | <urn:uuid:83cb8c9b-2d9d-475f-bd26-66756c20bff5> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://www.promiseangels.com/mary-pope-osborne/one-world-many-religions-the-ways-we-worship/SKU/153338 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549424610.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20170723202459-20170723222459-00664.warc.gz | en | 0.936311 | 1,895 | 3.328125 | 3 | The extract provides an introduction to comparative religion, discussing seven major world religions, and is targeted towards young readers. It includes illustrations, photographs, and reference materials, making it a valuable resource for learning about different cultures and religions. The book promotes cultural awareness, understanding, and empathy, which are essential soft skills. However, the extract does not explicitly discuss advanced communication, leadership, or problem-solving scenarios, limiting its score.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 502,920 | 0 |
Positive Behavior Interventions and Support is more than tickets and stores. Read this comprehensive article to gain expertise at all levels of PBIS.
Tag Archives: Positive Behavior Intervention and Support
Save the date: PBIS Multi-Tiered System of Support Training, 19-23 June 2023 in Tucson, AZ
Essentially, you’ll leave knowing what PBIS looks like from the inside out. And, you won’t see any triangles or color-coded tiers. Best of all, you’ll leave equipped to support your students’ social, emotional, and academic success, no matter what role you have in your organization.
While this training is open to any caring professional interested in deepening their expertise in Positive Behavior Interventions and Support, those leading PBIS implementation will get the most out of our time together.
Tier 3 Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS)
Tier 3 Positive Behavior Interventions and Support is social, emotional, and academic support designed and implemented as a team—youth included. The goal of Tier 3 PBIS is to increase a student’s social, emotional, and academic success by eliminating barriers to learning.
Classroom-possible strategies to support students with ADHD
Students with ADHD can be highly successful in school, especially when they learn in schools ready to understand them. Below are three classroom-possible strategies for supporting students with ADHD.
Use scripts to deescalate defiant behavior.
Supporting students who exhibit defiant behavior can be challenging for teachers and school leaders. Defiant behavior can range from non-compliance with classroom rules to outright verbal and physical aggression. One effective way to de-escalate this type of behavior is by using scripted responses. Scripted responses provide a consistent and predictable approach to responding to defiant behavior.
Why “Off-the-shelf” solutions fail.
Once you’ve evaluated the “off-the-shelf” option, consider whether a DIY/DIT option might be the most cost-effective, long-term solution. Solving a problem once and for all is better than continuing to apply to wrong solutions year after year (and paying for them too).
Stop treading water.
by Dr. Tim Grivois and Tiffany Emerson PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Support. PBIS is a schoolwide system for increasing the good we see in our students, reducing unexpected behaviors and helping everyone live our values out loud. Specifically, schools implementing PBIS build systems that make school values explicit, teachable, and universally understood.Continue reading “Stop treading water.”
These strategies are free except for the cost of a pack of sticky notes. Even better, making them a routine normalizes joy and coaches the team to look for the best in each other. Teaching is hard work, and taking time to celebrate each other is an important way for the entire teaching community to model and practice self-care.
Positive reinforcement system: the vehicle for powerful words.
By Dr. Tim Grivois, Executive Director Schools implementing Positive Behavior Interventions and Support have a positive reinforcement system. Whether the system involves tickets, marbles in a jar, or digital certificates, each school’s positive reinforcement system is a vehicle for powerful words that support students in building healthy habits. Effective positive reinforcement systems have three keyContinue reading “Positive reinforcement system: the vehicle for powerful words.“
Three reasons why individualized behavior support plans fail.
Individualized Behavior Support Plans fail when they are too big, too shallow, or written by a behavior expert. The best way to address these issues is to do the opposite. | <urn:uuid:8893389c-ebeb-40c8-b5b8-572fe2385794> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://tgseducationalconsulting.com/tag/positive-behavior-intervention-and-support/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945248.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20230324051147-20230324081147-00301.warc.gz | en | 0.924541 | 757 | 2.78125 | 3 | The extract provides comprehensive coverage of Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS), including practical strategies and real-world applications. It discusses emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities, with a focus on social, emotional, and academic success. The content also touches on cultural awareness, digital literacy, and teamwork, making it a valuable resource for professional development.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 212,397 | 1 |
HOLIDAYS: Often Happy, Sometimes Sad
This usually happy season may also bring up negative feelings for some students--perhaps because of family tensions or divisions, health problems or financial stress. It's important to take this into consideration as we talk about the holidays in the classroom. This classroom activity is aimed at raising students' sensitivity and providing some encouragement for those who may be facing hardship during this holiday season.
By Marieke van Woerkom
Read aloud and Pair Share
Read the following story to your class or ask a volunteer to do so:
Holiday stories from street corner and coffee shop
Ask students to break into pairs to discuss the story they just heard:
- What do they think about the story?
- Can they relate to any of it? If so, why?
- Can anyone relate to Melissa? How?
- What are some of the challenges Melissa faced over the holidays?
- Do you think these are any different from the challenges she may face at other times of the year?
- Why do things sometimes seem to be more intense around the holidays?
- Is it possible that people's expectations affect how things turn out over the holidays?
- What do you think about the idea of a family of chance and a family of choice?
- What did Melissa do when things got to be too much?
- Do you think the stranger Melissa met in the coffeeshop was able to help her feel a bit better?
- Do you know of people in your own life who might be struggling over the holidays? Are there ways you think you might be able to help them out?
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TeachableMoment, a project of Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility, fosters social responsibility by sharing free K-12 classroom lessons, activities and ideas with educators. | <urn:uuid:ffbb77d9-ef82-4945-a269-62856107767e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/holidays-often-happy-sometimes-sad | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706635944/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121715-00092-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.912214 | 514 | 3.5625 | 4 | This extract scores high for its focus on emotional intelligence, empathy, and social responsibility. It encourages students to consider the complexities of the holiday season, relate to characters' challenges, and think critically about how to support others. The discussion prompts and pair-share activity promote nuanced interaction, cultural awareness, and digital literacy.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 242,979 | 1 |
Understanding, organising and retaining information can be challenging. While studying and working we often need to compose and organise our written work, understand complex topics and retain information. Mindmapping can be an excellent tool to help us meet these challenges.
Depending on the task at hand mindmapping can be useful for almost everyone, but can be particularly useful for neurodivergent learners.
Mindmapping is a way of graphically representing a topic, concept or problem, so we can visualise it, making it easier to understand. Mindmapping is a versatile technique which can have many applications. Here are some examples:
Mindmapping is a great way to brainstorm. You can use it to capture your thoughts or start exploring a topic. You may find that it can help to stimulate and generate more ideas.
Capturing all of your ideas can reduce the load on your working memory. Once you can see your ideas together on one page, you can then edit and arrange them into a more organised structure. Mindmapping is also useful for group working, try it on a large screen in the group study rooms and technobooths.
Planning and organising
Bring order to chaos. Before you start a task it’s a good idea to plan how you are going to do it. Mindmapping can help you plan written work such as an essay. With most digital mindmaps, as you build your map you can attach more detailed and longer notes to ideas. When you export your finished mindmap into a Word document you have a logical outline structure and some content to get started with.
You could even use a mindmap to plan your research or literature search in an academic database, plotting out which keywords, synonyms and antonyms you are going to use.
Make your revision notes into a map. When trying to recall information it’s easier to remember the spatial layout of a map rather than linear notes. Add additional memory hooks, such as colour and images, which can prompt you to recall the associated concepts.
Breaking down complex ideas
Some topics are complicated such as land law, who is related to who in Wuthering Heights, or potential Brexit scenarios, requiring flow charts and maps to make visual sense. It’s difficult to keep all that information in your head or to understand the connections when going backwards and forwards though linear notes.
So, how can I start mindmapping?
To me, Mindmapping has no strict rules, but there are some basic guiding principles you may wish to follow to keep your map effective:
- Put your topic or essay title in the centre this is useful for keeping you on track or to remind you to answer the question in hand.
- Use single keywords (or very short phrases) so you can see at a glance what the map means when you come back to it. Key words are easier to digest and remember if you are using the map for revision. Keywords are also useful because at the mapping stage our ideas may not be fully formed sentences, but we can still easily capture and build on them.
Using MindGenius software
MindGenius 2020 software is now available on any City student Windows pc.
Staff can download the software onto their City staff desktop computer via the Software Centre. MindGenius is excellent for project management and has some advanced features to facilitate this, such as the ability to create a Gantt chart from your map at the click of a button.
The software is simple to use with “type and return” functionality to build your map. You can also:
- Add attachments to keep the documents you are reading for a project or essay organised by linking them to relevant branches within the map.
- Add notes: Add more substantial notes to each branch. This feature is excellent for drafting written work.
- Export to Word. In Word you will have a linear structure to work with along with your added notes.
- Export to PowerPoint: You can use the software to help plan and create presentations.
- The mental connection tool allows you to link ideas on different areas of you map and describe the relationship between them.
- Categories and Filter: You can use colours to code or categorise ideas across your map. If your map becomes quite large and complex you can filter by category to concentrate on particular themes.
- Templates such as the SWOT and PEST analysis can help encourage exploration of a topic and stimulate critical thinking.
- If you’re really not sure where to start there are guided brainstorm tools, such as ‘solution finder’ and ‘question sets’.
A real life example
I find mindmapping incredibly useful for organising complex, but otherwise unordered ideas. To write this article I planned it first in Mind Genius.
I started by brainstorming in an unstructured way, getting every one of my ideas down on the page (which is very cathartic!). This reduced the load on my working memory. I also used the Who? What? Where? When? Question set to stimulate more ideas and identify gaps in my thinking.
Once all my ideas were on the page I could move on to organising and structuring the information using the ‘drag and drop’ functionality to group together ideas under the same theme.
I could then think more critically and reject any of the weaker or less relevant ideas. i.e. in this article I’m not going to talk about other mindmapping software so I have deleted those branches on review.
If you need help or have any questions about Mind Genius contact us. We’d like to hear what you think so please add your comments below or share with fellow students how mind mapping works for you. | <urn:uuid:ecb68c02-cbf9-4062-8ac5-1b21fb457c12> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://blogs.city.ac.uk/library/2019/11/11/mindgenius/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945287.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20230324144746-20230324174746-00628.warc.gz | en | 0.925584 | 1,196 | 3.390625 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive overview of mindmapping, its benefits, and applications, with a focus on organization, planning, and critical thinking. It includes practical examples, guiding principles, and features of MindGenius software, demonstrating a good balance of theoretical knowledge and practical application. However, it lacks nuanced interaction, complex problem-solving opportunities, and deeper exploration of emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and intercultural fluency.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 45,691 | 0 |
In my amblings through the issues of food and agriculture, I have been presented by a seemingly insurmountable range of problems. From animal welfare, to monocultures, to unfair trade, to environmentally degrading practices and resource depleting inputs. The list goes on, and on, and on.
It is good to know these, but it is also critical to focus on solutions. We need to shine light on the hope and successes.
One ‘solution-based’ approach that I have been researching and practicing in the past year has been permaculture; literally, a vision of a permanent (ergo, sustainable) culture. Rather than protesting the problems, permaculture seeks to define the solutions.
In a world of binaries, where agriculture is apparently either mainstream (i.e energy, resource and transport intensive, which actually includes the majority of the organic movement in its present form, ‘brain’), or peasant farming (labour intensive, ‘brawn’), permaculture offers a third option. This is not input intensive, but at the same time it is not advocating a return to a ‘golden age’ when people were required to toil away in order to produce a sufficient amount of food.
The three basic principles that permaculture adheres to are:
Integral to permaculture is its design approach, in which the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts, and the aim is to make useful connections between these different components within a system to create what has been described as an ‘Edible Ecosystem’. This design approach is concerned with making the landscape productive, self-reliant, and sustainable. It simulates or simply harnesses natural cycles, structures and patterns in order to achieve this, a process known as ‘biomimicry‘, and every component has many functions, thus reducing the amount of work required from humans.Everything must work in the favour of life processes. The idea is, nature is the smartest design. If you think about ecosystems, think about the relationships between each component and how they have evolved to serve very specific needs. Even when disturbed, a system will generally seek to organise itself and return to a balanced state in which processes continue to work in harmony with each other. This is known as syntropy. Unlike entropy, which describes a gradual decline into disorder, in syntropy all interactions work together to promote a positive energy balance in a system, to create order.Natural succession is the Earth’s natural technology, by syncronising our food production with this, we can become part of the planet’s mechanisms, powering food production with the planet’s own engine. There is an excellent youtube video which describes this in more detail here.
When Bill Mollison and David Holmgren developed the concept, the world had already passed the “limits to grow”. Concepts such as Peak Oil and Climate Change were not yet in their vocabulary, but they (and many others like them, even way earlier than they did) already knew about resource depletion, ecosystems pollution and destruction and social inequality. Permaculture was born as a highly political, social, philosophical and economic statement disguised as “gardening”: but instead of focusing on old and dysfunctional political economic, social and philosophical ideas, they decided to do two things: observe how both Nature and cultures that have managed to survive in a somewhat peaceful and ecological way (i.e. truly resilience and sustainable) worked.
Permaculture, in many ways, is nothing new: if you look at the “techniques” and “strategies”, they have been borrowed and adapted from what peoples all around the world have used for centuries. Most of them are just common sense and utilize local, renewable resources and appropriate technology (technology developed locally, again with local and usually resources to solve local problems). This was the way humankind lived for millennia before the industrial revolution along with the use of fossil fuels and capitalism/free market/globalization changed everything.
What make permaculture magical are neither the strategies nor the techniques; what makes it different are the Ethics and the Principles.
Until now, no technology has been developed by people thinking on its implications for the Earth, People and Others (including ecosystems, other living beings, people in faraway places and future generations). What’s good about Mollison and Holmgren’s three Ethics system is that is simple and respectful while it includes almost anything we can think about and acts as a filter for anything we do. We can ask for every decision, design, relationship, project, etc.: “How does this reflect Earth Care?” “How does this respect People Care?” and “How does this respect Fair Share?”
Permaculture ethics also allow for freedom at the spiritual level: they don’t argue with any religion or the lack of it but they show a respectful, truly sustainable and resilient way to live in this planet.
Principles, on the other hand, come from deep observation of systems: both ecosystems and social systems that work in resilient and sustainable ways. Both Mollison and Holmgren systems of principles provide us with thinking tools we can utilize to “test” a design and see how resilient and truly sustainable is.
There are almost as many permaculture definitions as permaculturists, but all convey more or less the same in practice: the only way to survive as a species in this planet is to live ethically towards ecosystems, people and future generations. The details are local, but the big concept is global.
Permaculture, as it happens, it is much more than organic gardening and design. Unfortunately, a lot of people still view it that way, including many PDC instructors, consultants and practitioners.
Permaculture has evolved beyond its seminal book “Permaculture: A designer’s manual”, and one of the main weaknesses in the original concept was related to what now is called “Social Permaculture” and sometimes also “Inner Permaculture”, concepts that have been developed by two great permaculturist and transitioners: Looby Macnamara and Sophy Banks.
Embracing Permaculture without focusing on all its ethics and principles has created all kind of strange results: I keep hearing complains of people traumatized at PDCs, people fighting each other about strategies and techniques, people trashing permaculture as too narrow or dogmatic and the like. I have seen this happening not only among permaculture circles but also at Transition Town initiatives: their outreach stays limited to a small group of already converters who keep preaching to the choir while the “mainstream” out there continues its oblivious path to ecological and social suicide. | <urn:uuid:d020379a-aed0-4e73-a70d-527805f4e4c0> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | https://cynyfin.wordpress.com/2016/08/22/permaculture-an-introduction/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549424909.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20170724182233-20170724202233-00200.warc.gz | en | 0.956034 | 1,418 | 2.515625 | 3 | The extract scores high due to its comprehensive discussion of permaculture, a holistic approach to sustainable living, which inherently involves soft skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. It promotes a solutions-based mindset, encouraging readers to think about the interconnectedness of systems and the importance of ethics and principles in decision-making. The text also touches on cultural awareness, digital literacy, and professional development, albeit indirectly, by highlighting the need for a global perspective and the evolution of permaculture beyond its original concept.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 646,879 | 1 |
Recognizing everyday sexism at school
Maverick A.L. and Andrew F.
Nowadays, many people think that men and women are equal. However, gender-based discrimination can still be found everywhere, even at schools. According to britannica.com, sexism is “a belief that one sex is superior to or more valuable than the other sex.” Moreover, it also says that sexism creates limits for men and women in expressing themselves.
In one of Jakarta's many international schools, many girls pass the Physical Education (PE) tests but the boys do not. The school has a higher standard for the boys. In PE, boys are expected to be stronger than the girls, which is reflected on the fitness test. One of the elements on the test is the 2.4 km run test.
In this test, the passing mark for a 12-year-old boy is 16 minutes and 50 seconds while a girl of the same age has a passing mark of 18 minutes and 40 seconds. For the 14-year-old students, the passing mark for the boys is 15 minutes and 20 seconds while the girls have a passing mark of 18 minutes and 20 seconds.
One male student claimed that he was never good at PE. Every time there was a fitness test, he would either fail or barely pass. Despite this, he was able to join the accelerated program, which meant that he would graduate faster. In addition, he was also selected to be a prefect of the school. He preferred to excel in academic lessons rather than PE.
Other than the PE standards, there were several moments when the PE teacher made disturbing remarks. For example, comparing male students to his 5-year-old daughter who, in his opinion, was better at PE than the male students. Another time, he told a joke telling students that his grandma could run faster. The subjects of his remarks were both female and were told to the boys. These remarks also supported the assumption that boys are expected to be stronger than girls.
Sexist remarks at school are not only uttered in PE sessions, but also in the classroom. During a science period, the class was told to hand in their files that contained their worksheets to be checked. When the science teacher checked a girl’s file, she criticized her unorganized file and commented that the student's file did not look like it belonged to a girl.
Another example of sexist remarks happening in the classroom occurred when a teacher in training came into the class and could not find a place to sit. As no one offered a seat to the newcomer, the science teacher scolded the boys for not being gentlemen. A female student offered to find a chair for the visiting teacher. However, the science teacher told her not to do it and insisted that the person taking the chair should be a male student.
Schools are supposed to be a place where boys and girls study, sharpen their minds and improve their skills. However, when teachers exhibit sexism, they set limits for students, which are unfair for both genders. Schools should promote equal standards, not only in PE but in all subjects. Teachers should pay attention to their daily interactions with students and make sure not to make any sexist jokes or comments. This would help schools in promoting equality for future generations. (asw)
Maverick A.L. and Andrew F. are grade 7 students at an international school in Jakarta.
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- British couple's message in a bottle reaches Gaza | <urn:uuid:8693565b-824b-41fc-bef1-3dae9765a457> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://www.thejakartapost.com/youth/2017/05/12/recognizing-everyday-sexism-at-school.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886118195.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20170823094122-20170823114122-00609.warc.gz | en | 0.970877 | 940 | 3.703125 | 4 | The extract discusses everyday sexism at school, providing realistic scenarios that integrate emotional intelligence and critical thinking opportunities. It highlights the importance of equal standards and promotes cultural awareness, particularly in regards to gender equality. However, the discussion is mostly straightforward and lacks nuanced interaction or complex problem-solving opportunities.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 905,771 | 0 |
Krueger School of Applied Technologies students got the opportunity to participate in the Challenger Learning Center’s flight simulation. Flight simulations are used to train astronauts so the students got a taste of what it was like to be an astronaut for the day.
Every NASA mission has a patch. The student’s first step was to design a mission patch that reflected KSAT and the mission’s goals. The students voted for their favorite patch in a contest held before the field trip. The students participated in two roles. First was the role of the astronaut. As astronauts they performed laboratory experiments in space, collected data and communicated with mission control. Some students used robotic arms to collect data on temperature or light reflectivity. The students also worked as mission control specialists who helped research and collect data. They had to monitor different life support systems to keep the astronauts safe and alive. The students have been learning life science topics all year that applied to the different stations. The teams had to use their knowledge of biomes, carbon cycle, greenhouse gases, catastrophic events, and photosynthesis. The teachers of the Challenger Learning Center were great at helping the students with their assignments and also giving them challenges so that every student contributed to the team’s goals. Traveling to space will be a reality for these students so it's exciting watching them participate in a simulation that they may one day get to do in real life.
Posted on 04/18/2017 | <urn:uuid:0f88e913-ae20-4250-b223-73ae136f7121> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://www.neisd.net/ComRel/news.cfm?ID=3006 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128321961.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20170627235941-20170628015941-00215.warc.gz | en | 0.968296 | 293 | 3.171875 | 3 | The extract showcases a hands-on learning experience that promotes teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills. Students participated in realistic scenarios, taking on roles as astronauts and mission control specialists, and applied their knowledge of life science topics to complete tasks. The activity encouraged collaboration, critical thinking, and leadership, earning a moderate score.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 224,661 | 0 |
Recognition of Indigenous Peoples' rights and culture
Originally presented by Mark Love, Legal Director and Accredited Business Law Specialist, BAL Lawyers, to the SIETAR Australasia International Conference on 2 October 2019.
A positive contribution to law and governance
In assessing the evidence in the Wik Case it becomes apparent that the historical and political climate was critical to determining “parliamentary intention”; did “pastoral leases” deliver something that was intended to give rise to all incidents of a “lease” or was such a grant something different? If it was different, was the grant to be of a kind and character that would, by necessity, be inconsistent with the enjoyment of the rights, obligations and privileges that were formed through the systems of governance that attached to the land though Aboriginal Law?
Owing to the original tenures that characterised “pastoral leases”, the legal system was looking at the system of rights granted from the late 1840’s. The answer to that question drew heavily from the excellent works of Professor Henry Reynolds.
What was apparent from Prof Reynolds work was that the Australian Administration, under direction by the British Home Office was out of step with the British Home Office’s policies for the implementation of the Parliament’s policy. At the time the British Parliament was the source of the power for the pastoral leasehold grant.
The correspondence flowing between the Governor of the day for NSW (and there were several through the relevant period) and the Home Office showed that the Home Office in London was acting off reports which included the likes of G A Robinson, Chief Protector of Aborigines, to shield and protect the Indigenous population from the excesses of settlement, but importantly to see that such settlement proceed according to the requirements of the Law. Now, whilst that second part sounds uncontroversial, it proved determinative in my view in the outcome of the Wik Case.
The laws of Settlement and Conquest had been laid out in Blackstone’s Commentaries Volume 1, pp.104-5, so these were not novel to the Select Committee of the House of Commons on Aborigines in 1837 (when they were considering John Batman’s attempt to acquire land from the Port Phillip Aborigines). And the legality was all dependent on a question of fact (possibly being one of two tests), was the land cultivated or was it inhabited?
From 1837, the British Parliament saw the rise of Robert Peel’s conservatives, yet the Whigs , who represented new money and urban dwellers remained in control for much of the period to the 1850’s, becoming increasingly the force of reform. In a way, what was being played was a reflection of the larger drama unfolding across Europe. England had taken the lead in throwing off the feudal influence with the emergence of the Bourgeoisie, the increasingly urbanised and concerns for the increasingly large and soon to be emergent political force of the working class and Australia was following suit.
The context here is important and it is also important in understanding how it was that colonising nations ended up overlooking the responsibilities to the First Nations for so long and why the recognition of the debt was left to later generations. And this consequence is important to us right now.
The role, power and influence of Parliament as the paramount influence of society was something which evolved. The ascendancy of Cromwell’s Parliamentary Army didn’t simply deliver the pervasive influence of Parliament as we know it today. The 1840s in Europe gave rise to the Spring of Nations – when Europe and the UK were turning away from feudal control, towards Parliamentary control. It was no accident that this was occurring through the dawn of industrialisation.
With the dawn of industrialisation, came urbanisation and the adverse symptoms of an amassed society living in close proximity; this was all new.
The means of production depended on significant supply of labour. It is a fact of history that the more unscrupulous Industrialists and agricultural producers simply took labour, through slave traders. And possibly because of that, and possibly because of the normalisation of the urbanised classes, a power shift gained force whilst Industrialisation took hold. Represented by the Whigs the new urban wealthy began to assert political influence, and in so doing started to gain ascendancy over the “old” landowning gentry class (the country squires) and defenders of privilege.
The British Parliament through the 1840’s was influenced by humanitarian ideas though this is not to suggest there was were strong countervailing forces, as not all Industrialists were liberal. However, the slave trade invited a reaction that gave rise to the recognition of Human Rights. And ultimately, because the value of labour and the value of a healthy work force was recognised, steps were taken and policies asserted towards these notions.
Yet with the absence of the kinds of levers of control and sources of information that we now take for granted, the growth of the industrial machinery and the competition between Nations would soon leave policies giving priorities of Humanism to take a back seat. The focus of government was drawn into addressing the issues that arose through mass population and the raging competition for “success” over rival Nations. Mankind’s benefit at large would rise through the forces of supply and demand.
For the indigenous populations, whose lands were being taken, whose resources were being funnelled towards the wealth of the new Nations that sprang to serve these exploding, industrial populations, this was the worst conceivable time for the so called “civilised” world to foster their accommodation within this new world. Governments remained focused on notions of “the economy”, at a time during the peak of laisse faire and caveat emptor, which drove the industrialists forward. The industrial world’s needs and focus lay in labour, resources, land and exploitable produce. Those things such as understanding:
- different systems of governance;
- difference systems of resource allocation;
- different systems of belief; and
- different systems of crime and punishment,
simply didn’t have obvious answers to the questions that the overlords of the 1850 to 1950’s were asking.
It can be contended that these builders of our world were in their own minds Nietzsche’s Ubermensch, grasping labour and resources with zeal and building the world according to their own visions; yet they were more infant supermen, than those Nietzsche had described, as they lacked the gratitude and appreciation for the world that they were consuming, as they took the world and moulded it, using money and industrial might to acquire power and influence.
There were the exceptions; whilst this was the birth of industrialisation, science and studies of society and social systems was a toddler beginning to walk. Those like Darwin, Banks and GA Robinson became determined to record, and then attempted to understand. Part of what was recorded was how the intrusion of the colonising supermen often accidentally, but far too often deliberately, set out to destroy.
As aforementioned, this large drama of the world’s political and social development was being played out in its own way in Australia. There was, in the 1840’s UK, a Home Office driven by a Humanitarian outlook, then determined, at least to paying lip service to the policies expressed, to see that appropriate steps might be taken to ‘shelter’ the Australian indigenous population from the excesses of “settlement”. However, what interrupted these initiatives was mass migration.
Driven by the “Gold Rush” and by the Industrial Revolution’s desire for wealth, wool, wheat and meat, the convenience of Terra Nullius was all too tempting. The Governments of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland had no capacity to cope with the flood of people and the Humanitarian influencers in the UK were swept aside by the now tremendously wealthy merchant and industrial classes, who eyed potential of the vast country they had claimed for themselves. By the time the Local Assemblies had caught-up with that had happened, we were heading to the “War to End All War’s (aka WWI) and then some short respite before WWII and the Cold War.
So what does all this have to do with indigenous culture’s contribution to Law and Governance? In a previous article I published shortly after the Wik Case, I observed that winning the Wik Case might prove adverse to the Parliament’s attitude to the newly rediscovered rights, loosely called “Native Title”. I argued that, on seeing the extent to which the legal rights of Aboriginal People had been swept away, Parliament could only have responded by recognising and addressing the terrible loss inflicted.
In some respects, this expectation of a reaction that would address past, wrongful dispossession was founded on the same reasoned and responsible reaction to a society enslaving people from generations past.
But with recognition that Native Title could survive in the gaps left by grants to Pastoralist of rights to manage and control of the land, with that “victory” came the conservative response; John Howard holding up of “that map” showing the extent of land that was subject to potential claim – appealing directly to the rural land dependent voting populations of Queensland, WA, Northern NSW and SA. This contrived fight for control of rangeland Australia could not have been more perfect for Howard’s electoral prospects, and it is not stretching matters to say that this issue allowed his government maintain support whilst it implemented policies unpopular within that constituency, reforms such as the Gun Buy Back.
But such a “negative contribution” is not really the message I have: the positive legacy here is threefold, in my opinion, namely:
- That land systems of interaction over common resources do not have to have a single purpose. It has been demonstrated that resource use and consumption have many stakeholders and parallel interests that can amount to actual rights can exist. Arrangements can exist to allow the costs incurred through the consumption of resource to be identified and allocated; and
- That systems of ownership and governance can take diverse forms. This includes the rights existing inter se between holders of rights within, say, “native title”, but also the means by which commercial users of land and resources can exploit such resources whilst being required to respect that system.
These will inform the third point.
It was the Mining Industry who embraced the common use and costs allocation most easily. The Mining Industry had greater experience than the Graziers in addressing such complex issues. In securing access to resource rich lands of Africa, South America and Asia they had already worked within systems that accommodated layers of stakeholders. Australia was sadly a slow adopter of these systems. But the Australia Mining industry recognised early if they were to be too cynical, defying the newly declared recognition of actual rights, that such an approach would cause them not just considerable political issues domestically, but bodies such as the ANC would could move against them and deny access to resources overseas. Treatment of the First Nations Population became an indication of an aspect of the quality a company had, which could result in the actual denial of rights to mine resources. The triple bottom-line of People Planet and Profit was becoming “real”.
The Mining industry was not alone in taking these steps; even before the term “Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUA)” was coined, the Cape York Pastoralist had proposed a Pastoralist Code of Conduct to be settled with the Wik Peoples (the document from which the phrase Indigenous Land Use Agreement was drawn). Many of the very same people had promoted and signed off on the Cape York Heads of Agreement, which drew an alliance between the Cape York Pastoralist, the Traditional Owners of the Cape (through the Cape York Land Council) and the environmental movement in the form of the Australian Conservation Foundation.
Of course, and once again, it was economic force of the need to access the resources, in the strive for wealth that was the great evener here. However the political and social landscape was shifting, with Ethical Investment rating becoming an actual influencer of institutional investment.
Engagement with the “asset” that was “native title”, according to our systems of law, required some recognisable entity or entities and a prescription of the way the owners might manage their entitlements. Further, there was need for a vessel to hold and distribute the spoils of those who were (indeed are) lucky enough to receive reward through agreements (ILUAs) that allow for the exploitation of resources.
The 1998 Amendment spawned the Native Title Representative Body (NTRB), which would become the bodies, by default that would hold and deploy whatever might result from such rights. The 1999 Love-Rashid Report commissioned by ATSIC to review the performance and resourcing of NTRBs, made the critical observation that these bodies were intended not only to represent the Native Title Holders, but to be representative of them. That gave rise to the question of what these bodies should look like.
This was, in my view, the second legacy of the recognition of Native Title and the cultural contribution which our First Nations have given to the corporate structure. The richness of this opportunity gave life to an important book, written from the viewpoint of the Anthropologist in the Wik Case, Dr David Martin and a Barrister, Christos Mantziaris. The book, “Native Title Corporations: a legal and anthropological analysis: represents an important exploration into how diverse interest can coalesce into a single functioning decision making entity. It is not just a book for Indigenous Corporations.
In the Industrial Age, “market price” was allowed to determine the success or failure of a given enterprise. Such a market assumes all costs are brought to account, and consequently acts on imperfect information. More and more, as our knowledge of cost and consequence improves, we bring to account (perhaps often only politically) the external costs which the market overlooks. Faced with the imminent closure of their local service station, failing for the reason that the profits are insufficient to support the owner’s family, a small tourist town buys the service station, as a defensive strategy to the town’s failure. Without that amenity, the town as a destination fails and along with it, the café’s and shops, and the benefit to the surrounding primary producers and residents.
That pattern is being repeated across the commercial world, as the “interests of the company” are being replaced by “the interests of the members”.
Is this a direct result of Indigenous Culture? Probably not, but it is a shift in mindset and we have seen and been given examples of models of governance that address the shared ownership, use and exploitation of resources.
Finally, the third and most important positive influence: recognition of the intrinsic rights of the First Nation’s People and the wrongful dispossession of their lands is a barometer by which we can measure health of society. Whilst the reaction to the slave trade might not have been driven solely by the recognition of Human Rights, it was driven by a recognition that our long term needs are best served by a healthy and engaged population. A core aspect of such health and engagement is to recognise and address past wrongs and to embrace those who are or have been dispossessed by the conduct of our society that gives us the fruits we enjoy.
Whilst Australian Society may point to long periods where its priorities were drawn away from addressing issues of First Nations dispossession, we now stand in a society that has had 70 odd years of relative “Peace”, with a generation or more of only occasionally interrupted economic growth. The reasons for not addressing the past have never been excuses, merely reasons.
What is our barometer saying of us now?
Senatore Brennan Rashid, Review of Native Title Representative Bodies, March 1999.
The “Co-operative” is becoming an increasingly popular choice, noting the adoption of the CNL by all States and Territories bar Qld. | <urn:uuid:d50d1787-87f2-4308-ae8f-8db6364237e2> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://ballawyers.com.au/2019/10/09/recognition-of-indigenous-peoples-rights-and-culture/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585371612531.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20200406004220-20200406034720-00513.warc.gz | en | 0.974506 | 3,307 | 2.578125 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive discussion on the recognition of Indigenous Peoples' rights and culture, particularly in the context of Australian law and governance. It delves into the historical and political climate that led to the Wik Case and the subsequent recognition of Native Title. The extract highlights the positive contributions of Indigenous culture to law and governance, including the concept of shared ownership and use of resources. It also touches on the importance of addressing past wrongs and recognizing the intrinsic rights of First Nations People. The discussion is nuanced and complex, demonstrating a deep understanding of the subject matter. However, the extract primarily focuses on theoretical and historical analysis, with limited practical application or scenarios that require sophisticated communication, strategic thinking, or advanced problem-solving.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 912,441 | 0 |
Chapter Fifteen begins by relating how, at this new apartment, there are four rooms and a tree is growing in the yard. Francie has not started school yet and watches the children playing at recess. One day a girl comes out alone to clap two board erasers together to clean them. Francie is fascinated and the girl comes up to the fence as though to show her the erasers. When Francie moves to touch one, the girl spits in her face: ‘It was the first of many disillusionments that were to come as her capacity to feel things grew.’At the end of this chapter there is a shift to describe the new home in further detail. There are two bedrooms, a kitchen and a parlor. There is a piano in the parlor, which has been left by the previous tenants.Chapter Sixteen stresses the importance of neighborhood stores in a child’s life and describes several of them in great detail. Shops such as the pawnbroker’s, the cigar shop and the laundry are looked at from Francie’s point of view.In Chapter Seventeen, Katie bargains to have piano lessons with Miss Tynmore (a neighbor) in exchange for an hour’s worth of cleaning. Francie and Neeley sit and watch the lesson as Katie hopes they will then be taught for free. After the lesson, Miss Tynmore says she will not charge extra for the children, but wants Katie to know she is not fooling her. At the end of each lesson, Katie gives her a little food and a drink, which is often more than she usually receives. When she has left, Katie teaches the children what she has learned and in that way all three of them learn the piano.The readers learn in Chapter Eighteen that Francie is looking forward to starting school, but all children must have a vaccination first. She is seven when she starts as Katie makes her start a year later in order to begin at the same time as Neeley. This is because she wants them to protect each other.On the day they are due to be vaccinated, Katie wants the children to go without her as she does not want to be upset. In the morning they are due to be injected, Francie and Neeley play at making mud pies and then forget to have a wash. The nurse and doctor castigate Francie for being so dirty. The doctor says that ‘they’ should be sterilized (meaning poor people) and the nurse, who grew up in a slum, agrees with him. The nurse is described as choosing to forget her background rather than keeping compassion and understanding for those left behind in the slums. The doctor’s ignorance of poor people is magnified when he shows his surprise at Francie’s articulacy.Francie begins school in Chapter Nineteen and learns on the first day that she is too poor to ever be a teacher’s pet. The pets were children of prosperous storekeepers and did not have to share a table. Furthermore, the teacher spoke to these children in a gentle manner. On that first day, Francie learned of ‘the class system of a great Democracy’. The teacher is compared to the doctor in Chapter Eighteen and both are described as acting as though the poor children ‘had no right to live’. This hatred from the teacher was passed around, as these children then bullied each other.The indictment of this school continues as we are told that 3,000 pupils attended when it was only built to accommodate 1,000. It is also described as ‘brutalizing’ and the poorer children were rarely allowed to go to the toilet in lessons.Because Sissy is still not allowed into the Nolan home, she orchestrates a meeting with Francie outside the school to see how she is faring. Sissy discovers that Francie has inadvertently wet herself, as the teacher would not let her leave the room. Sissy visits the school and pretends to be Francie’s mother. She lies and says Francie has a kidney problem and also makes threats and implies bribery so that Francie will be treated with more kindness.At home, Katie discovers through the insurance agent that Sissy has since had another baby that has died and so finally asks her to come and visit once more.
As Francie reaches school age, the narrative begins to focus on her schooling. Chapter Nineteen introduces her first days and weeks and also offers a lambasting indictment of the educational system in slum districts in this period. The treatment of the children and the conditions they are supposed to study in are heavily criticized. Smith uses this part of the novel to step away from the gentler aspect of the novel in order to critique a system that treats children in such disparaging ways.The comparison between the doctor (in Chapter Eighteen) and Francie’s teacher are compelling as both are depicted as treating the children who are mired in poverty as absolutely worthless. They allow and condone the social stigma of poverty to be attached to them and treat them as at least second-class citizens. Through this novel, Smith reveals her social conscience and uses this fiction to draw the readers in to sympathise with Francie’s voice, which is one that is usually overlooked in society. | <urn:uuid:a49a0d61-75e6-449e-a50f-68f99c9480d3> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://theyellowbookroad.com/a-tree-grows-in-brooklyn-novel-summary-book-3-chapters-15-16-17-18-19/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585371886991.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20200410043735-20200410074235-00023.warc.gz | en | 0.982944 | 1,093 | 2.90625 | 3 | The extract lacks direct discussion of soft skills, but it portrays realistic scenarios that integrate emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities through Francie's experiences. It touches on cultural awareness, highlighting social stigma and poverty, and shows character development, but digital literacy is absent.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 844,195 | 0 |
1. If Madea were only male, would that have changed the outcome or story? This we will never know. But what we can know is the madness in her heart and the depth of her sorrow. Madea is very similar to the previous character Achilles. Both are prideful of spirit, have a deep love, react out of emotion, and seek revenge.
Pride causes both characters to act rashly. When their honor is taken away, each character respond in very selfish ways. Each beseeches the Gods to intercede on their behalf to right the wrong as they see fit. Each lets their ego and emotions rule them.
Just as Achilles loved Patroclus, Madea loved Jason, and both in their own ways where lost. Patroclus was killed, while Jason gained a new wife in essence replacing Madea. Madea’s situation may not appear as severe as Achilles but in this woman’s world it was. She had killed her own brother to help Jason, betrayed so many out of love, to be thrown away like garbage when offered the hand of the King’s daughter. As a foreigner she had no rights, not even those of a wife. Jason was free to marry whomever he wanted because in his culture foreign marriages where not seen as binding. Madea was mistaken to think hers was different because of the oaths she made with Jason.
Both are so lost in grief and madness they do unthinkable, sacrilegious things. Achilles dishonors Hector’s body but Madea goes further. Madea kills Jason’s new bride and her father the King, plus her own children; just to spite Jason. She wraps herself so close in her own psychosis she cannot see the atrocities she is committing even when others point it out. Madea, unlike Achilles, has no one like Priam to pull her out of her own obsession.
Madea is a hero for the rights of women in a time where women had little to no rights. She did things and said things only a man had the right to. She stood firm, talked her mind, and took chances most women of the time would never have even considered. She was a voice screaming about the injustices and wrongs perpetrated on women by men who held all the power. I can see the play being a great scandal of the time. It is outrageous, masterfully played out, and leaves the reader shocked at how far the main character takes her madness to gain what she sees as poetic justice toward Jason. Madea is not what many would consider a hero, especially after she takes the lives of her own children to make Jason hurt as deeply and feel the betrayal she herself has felt at his hands. If the tale did not go to such extremes it would have lost its powerful undertone about rights, injustice, and the woman’s side of the society of that time. Madea is a hero for what she represents not for the deeds she executes. Her deeds make her a villain, ruthless and self serving. Who said all heroes had to be good?
- Job was a unique individual. He was the type of person who never questioned God’s will, like a young child who believes everything a parent tells them. He also had a pure innocence and accepted whatever in life happened. He believed that you sow what you reap and kept his nose squeaky clean. Job was not one to be swayed by peer pressure or anyone else’s beliefs. He always was thankful to God and prayed for others. Job’s reply to his wife, “…should we accept the good from God and not accept the bad?’ (2) sums up his whole belief. It comes as no surprise with these simple seemingly naive beliefs that he would wonder why has this befallen him. But in response to Job’s questions, God asks Job who are you to question me? Where you there when the Earth was created? Job in his fear and awe of God, like a child accepts that there are things he does not know and does not understand. As a child with a parent he bows to the maker, he is satisfied with there being things beyond his limited scope. He understands he does not have the full picture. Job’s faith and trust in God is so strong even an ambiguous answer like because ‘I said so’, is enough for him. Job accepts that because he is mortal or as he said “…comfort for dust and ashes.’(42); he as a mortal cannot know the will of a God. He is satisfied knowing this.
I am satisfied with this answer only because I have more information than Job. I got a chance to view behind the curtain. As a human I am also satisfied with the outcome, I know there are things beyond my knowledge. Job understands that he is just a brush stroke in the painting of the Universe and that he cannot see the whole design. I really like how Job can accept the good and the bad, and still love God and trust in Him. I can relate to Job, my health has had many ups and downs, though nothing compared to Job, and I still am thankful to God. Those closest to me have asked, “Why do you still thank God and pray when he has never answered your prayers?’ Similar to Job I tell them I can’t know the mind of the Gods and look at all the experience my soul is gaining with these trials. That is faith. Faith is what Job had.
I agree with you answer about being satisfied with the end. I really like that you put a personal touch on your writing as well by talking about one of your situations you have had. Faith is definitely the answer to me and I truly believe everyone has faith in one thing or another!
Also, I read both of your comments on my last two posts and replied to the Iliad one. You asked both times why I don’t answer all the questions. You don’t have to. I asked our instructor and she said that we only have to answer one question if we want. The other questions are there if we don’t have enough to write about just one.
I have a very hard time viewing Medea as a hero. I guess I am stuck on the view that hero’s should be self-sacrificing and that in their journey they actually learn something about themselves. Achilles fought even though he knew he would die and he learned about his own humanity when confronted by Hector’s father. I don’t feel Medea learned anything about herself. She stayed angry and bitter and only focused on her own desires.
Okay Haley, I was just curious. It seemed odd since you were the only one taking this path. Thank you for the clarification.
Maybe I am just the devils advocate. =) Blessings all.
I like your analogy that Job is just a stroke of paint and cannot see the whole design.
I can agree with you in that Medea really does have the qualities of a hero, though it is difficult to see that beyond her actions. As a woman she is so strong and independent as well as intelligent, respected and liked by many. When Aigeus comes to visit her, he treats her as an equal. The the women of Corinth are empowered by her, seeking her out when she is distressed and not betraying her plans to anyone. They also don’t leave or try to stop her even though they know she is going into the house to kill her children.
I never would have thought of looking at it from your perspective. Creative and interesting. | <urn:uuid:3cd46fc0-0b56-4014-ace2-f7312fff38d8> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://engl200-fall2014.community.uaf.edu/2014/09/25/who-said-a-hero-had-to-be-good/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224646257.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20230531022541-20230531052541-00317.warc.gz | en | 0.986669 | 1,573 | 2.796875 | 3 | The extract demonstrates a deep analysis of literary characters, exploring their motivations, emotions, and actions. It showcases critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and effective communication skills through thoughtful discussions and comparisons. The text also exhibits cultural awareness, touching on the societal context of the characters and the implications of their actions. However, it lacks practical application and nuanced interaction, warranting a score of 3 for its thoughtful discussion of soft skills and realistic scenarios.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 993,741 | 0 |
Download a PDF of the Discussion Guide
About the Series
and Discussion Guide
FIRSTHAND: Segregation tackles one of Chicago’s most enduring facts of life, doing what research studies, facts, and figures about the racial divide in Chicago cannot do: it shows how segregation and its inequities impact
everyday life in Chicago. The 15 stories and 6 talks together reveal the social, economic, and political causes and costs of segregation, the promises and perils of integration, the difference between imposed segregation and
self-segregation, and the inspiring efforts to dismantle and disrupt the inequities and divisions that flow from segregation.
The purpose of the FIRSTHAND project is to put a human face on issues facing Chicago and bring to life important stories from personal, firsthand perspectives. This discussion guide for FIRSTHAND: Segregation seeks to guide
viewers through the experience of watching the stories, encouraging them to dig deeper into the complexities of segregation and reflect on the ways that this series makes more visible – and personal – the structural forces that
create and perpetuate it.
The guide’s goal is to create reflection and discussion that can help viewers experience the reality of segregation by connecting with the people who share their stories of this baked-in feature of Chicago and many other American
cities. This discussion guide can support community members and organizations, educators, faith community leaders, and policymakers in facilitating conversations about the issues raised in FIRSTHAND: Segregation.
The discussion guide groups the 15 stories into four themes:
Community, Belonging, and Displacement
Integration’s Promises and Perils
Building Bridges Across Communities
Within each theme, the guide provides story-specific discussion questions that encourage viewers to reflect, connect, and act. The guide also provides quick facts and resources to dig deeper and learn more about each theme. In addition, the
series includes six expert talks that provide context around the topic of segregation in Chicago. The goal of the guide is to help build successful conversations that engage viewers and inspire further action to help disrupt the cycle of
segregation and the inequities that flow from it.
At the end of the discussion guide, you can find tips for setting up your discussion, advice about laying the groundwork for dialogue about sensitive topics, and a timeline to help in your preparations.
Background Information: Causes and Consequences of Residential Segregation
What Is Segregation?
Segregation is a seemingly simple term that is shorthand for lots of different things, and segregation is caused by many different forces, both past and present. Therefore, it’s helpful to break it down and spell it out. The Othering
and Belonging Institute has done just that with the Roots of Structural Racism Project. As they explain it:
"Segregation is the separation across space of one or more groups of people from each other on the basis of their group identity. Racial segregation is the separation of people from each other on the basis of race. Racial
residential segregation is the separation of people on the basis of race in terms of residence, rather than some other form, such as occupational or educational segregation, or the segregation of public accommodations, such as buses,
trains, or theaters."
It is residential segregation that is the primary focus of FIRSTHAND: Segregation, in part because where we live has such a profound impact on what happens to us in life, but also because residential segregation feeds into
other kinds of segregation, such as school and church segregation.
But as the Othering and Belonging Institute further elaborates, these dictionary-like definitions mask its everyday uses and connotations, which often overlook important nuance. For example, despite what many people think,
“segregated” neighborhoods are not just those that are predominantly non-White; for there to be segregated Black neighborhoods, there must also be segregated White neighborhoods, even if we seldom refer to them in this way. As
we think about the firsthand experience of segregation, it’s important to understand that this means understanding what segregated minority neighborhoods are like, as well as what segregated White neighborhoods are like.
Another important distinction relates to the value judgment attached to segregation – namely, that segregation is bad. And here the Othering and Belonging Institute’s discussion is again informative: “None of the foregoing is intended to suggest that all forms of racial separation are harmful. Certain
forms of racial solidarity and community, such as an Irish festival or an Italian-American pride parade, religious services, holiday celebrations, or social gatherings are either innocuous or beneficial. But when segregation leads to the
inequitable distribution of resources or access to life-enhancing goods or networks, then it is a source of great harm.”
In Chicago – and many cities throughout the country – residential segregation was set up and continues to do just that. It is this form of segregation – the one connected to the distribution of resources and public goods
– that is deeply harmful and generates deep inequities in a city. The stories in this series reveal segregation's many inequities and harms while also pointing to forms that are helpful.
What Does Chicago’s Segregation Look Like?
Demographers have developed many ways to measure and describe Chicago’s residential segregation, but no matter which tool is used, there is no denying that Chicago’s segregation is deep, persistent, and among the highest in the
nation. For a detailed analysis of Chicago’s history of segregation, check out the Chicago Urban League’s 2016 report.
One commonly used metric, the index of dissimilarity, shows the extent to which groups are evenly distributed in a city, given its overall population distribution. It ranges from 0 (even distribution) to 100 (complete segregation) and
can be interpreted as the percentage of people who would have to move from one neighborhood to another to get an even distribution in each neighborhood. Researchers suggest that places with scores greater than 60 have high segregation.
Although Chicago’s segregation has declined from 1980 to 2020, Black-White (81) and Black-Latinx (76) segregation remains extreme, and
White-Latinx segregation (61) continues to hover at the high level as well.
As a picture is often worth a thousand words – or in this case, a thousand numbers – here’s a map showing what segregation looked like in 2020 in the Chicago metropolitan region overall.
Image: © 2022 Michael Bader; 2020 Census Data from the National Historic GIS
For an even deeper dive, check out WTTW's interactive map showing a view of the fluctuating – and segregated – demographic
makeup of Chicago since the early 20th century.
What Are the Consequences of Segregation?
So much of what happens to a person in their life depends on where they live. In the United States, a person’s racial background has played an important role in determining where they live, due to policies and practices by individuals,
industries, and the local, state, and federal government. In fact, residential segregation has been referred to as the “structural linchpin” of all kinds of
racial inequality (in wealth, income, health, etc.) in America today.
Thousands of research studies examine the ways segregation harms racial and ethnic minority communities in terms of educational, health, and
employment outcomes; exposure to poverty, crime, and environmental pollutants; and the amount of wealth accumulation, social capital, stable local institutions, collective efficacy, and healthy food choices.
In short, racial residential segregation matters because it has been a tool for allocating resources in a way that systematically advantages some while disadvantaging others. In Chicago, the division has resulted in communities of color
bearing the brunt of the disadvantages.
What Causes Segregation?
Residential segregation’s causes are multi-faceted and far more complex than can be covered in this brief introduction; interested readers can consult the book, Cycle of Segregation, upon which much of the following discussion is based for details of the argument and references to the research findings. But here are some highlights.
Segregation Was Not an Accident
Segregation did not arise out of pre-existing and neutral preferences for people to want to live with people who looked like them. There were myriad local, state, and federal policies that cemented segregation in our city – things such as
redlining, racial covenants, land sale contracts, public housing siting and policies, highway construction, and many more.
The Big Three
Against this backdrop of policies that created the system of segregation, there are three explanations for segregation that scholars have studied and tracked for decades, sometimes called “The Big Three”: economics, discrimination, and
- Economics, the first of “The Big Three,” reflects what people often think is a cause of segregation: we have racial residential segregation because there are racial/ethnic differences in how much money people can afford
to pay for housing. Studies show, for example, that higher-income Black and Latinx people tend to be less segregated from White people than lower-income Black and Latinx people. But other research shows that racial differences in things
such as income, education, and wealth can only explain a tiny percentage of the racial differences in where people end up living.
Discrimination, the second of “The Big Three,” draws attention to the fact that, despite being illegal since the passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act, housing discrimination in the United States persists. Housing
discrimination perpetuates segregation because it denies people the opportunity to live in certain neighborhoods based on their racial/ethnic background. And it can take many forms. It can be the landlord who doesn’t return the phone
call or email from someone they think is Black or Latinx. It can be the homeowner who tells their agent to avoid showing their home to people of a particular racial/ethnic background. Or the real estate agent who suggests clients might
like to look in a different neighborhood, also called “steering.” Or the mortgage broker who targets home buyers in certain neighborhoods with predatory loan products. There are exclusionary acts such as these that keep people out of
neighborhoods and homeownership. But there are also acts of non-exclusionary discrimination that happen after someone has moved into such a neigh-
borhood. These are behaviors by people in the neighborhood (other residents, police, landlords, etc.), that make life unpleasant or dangerous for people of color through harassment, ignoring requests for repairs, or other acts.
Although some forms of housing discrimination, particularly explicit kinds, have declined since becoming illegal, numerous studies show that it persists, even in the online world, and its often more subtle form can make it more diffi-
cult to detect.
- Preferences, the third of “The Big Three,” says that segregation happens because we want it that way. The aphorism “Birds of a feather flock together” is often offered as justification for residential segregation. But
underneath the surface are layers of complexity, such as whose preferences matter? What is driving those preferences? Research shows that Black and Latinx racial residential preferences are, on average, for racially mixed communities. And
there is little support for the idea that Black and Latinx preferences are driven by a strong in-group attraction; rather, a desire to avoid living in predominately White neighborhoods is driven by concerns about the discrimination they
might experience in such places. White people express some desire for racial diversity in their neighborhoods, but not as much as people of color. And White preferences are often driven by racial stereotypes and perceptions about
racial/ethnic minorities and neighborhoods with racial/ethnic minorities living in them.
Three More Causes of Segregation
In addition to racial differences in economics, preferences, and experiences of discrimination, there are three other, more subtle social processes that shape the information and perceptions we have about our housing options that, in
turn, impact where we end up living. For example, our social networks (friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, etc.) expose us to and give us impressions about neighborhoods and communities – even if we’re not looking for a place to live.
They tell us where the “good” and “bad” places are to live. And our lived experiences also expose us to places – sometimes brief encounters and other times regular occurrences – and thus shape what we think of a place as a potential
neighborhood in which to live. In addition, we learn a lot about communities and neighborhoods through media – social media, traditional media, print, TV, and so on. The reason these factors shape segregation is that in a segregated city,
our social networks, lived experiences, and the media are themselves racially segregated or racialized. Therefore, the information about possible places to live that comes from these segregated networks, media, and experiences likely
influences us to make moves that perpetuate segregation. Hence, segregation begets segregation.
How Do We Make Segregation Personal?
The background information reviewed above summarizes what researchers and academic studies tell us about the existence, causes, and consequences of segregation. It is based on studies that draw attention to the stark reality of segregation
in Chicago through data, numbers, and abstract theories.
But FIRSTHAND: Segregation tells the story of Chicago’s segregation through personal accounts. The stories bring to life the research reports and studies and reveal how the systems, structures, finances, and politics of segregation
play themselves out in the lives of everyday Chicagoans. They show how segregation shapes our interactions with each other; how community and meaning are created in our city and how they are shaped by segregation; and how race is
constructed and reconstructed everyday through our lived experiences in this segregated city.
FIRSTHAND: Segregation also shines a light on the hope and empowerment of those fighting the system to break down segregation’s inequities. The sometimes-painful stories of the multiple facets of segregation’s inequities are
revealed alongside the power within communities to take steps to create a more equitable city for all.
The FIRSTHAND: Segregation series mirrors another compelling, non-academic examination of segregation: The Folded MapTM Project. Creator Tonika Lewis Johnson (who has also contributed an expert talk in this series, see p. 26) uses
photography and other multi-media to help us see the stark reality of Chicago’s segregation and its impact on Chicago residents by visually connecting residents who live at corresponding addresses on the North and South Sides of Chicago.
The goal of Folded MapTM is to get people talking about segregation. Talking about the personal aspects of it. Talking about the uncomfortable truths. About the dilemmas and impossible choices created by segregation. And about how change is
possible and how residents can be part of that change. Because, as Tonika Lewis Johnson says, only by making segregation personal can we end segregation and the inequities that flow from it.
Through FIRSTHAND: Segregation, we see people whose lives embody the personal tolls segregation takes on us individually as human beings and collectively as communities. Like Folded Map™, FIRSTHAND: Segregation offers
inspiration to act. To educate ourselves about what is, so that we can imagine what might be possible. To recognize the perils of integration – in the form of racial hostility and displacement – alongside its promises. To acknowledge the
costs of segregation – for all of us – and find pathways forward.
You are invited to watch these stories, connect to the people who look like you and who don’t look like you, and see the actions they are taking to question and push back against the inequities of segregation and the costs to our city that
flow from its continuation.
Theme One: Segregation’s Costs
The five stories in this theme highlight the varied ways that segregation costs the people and region of Chicago. We see in these stories what everyday life is like when segregation is used to allocate resources and disinvest in segregated
Black communities (Ari and Ted Richards and Tia Brown). We see how experiences of discrimination impact how we live, where we live, and our ability to achieve the American Dream of homeownership (Ari and Ted Richards, Tia Brown, Sharon
Norwood). And we get a glimpse into the real estate industry itself and efforts to push back against the discriminatory system that has operated to create segregation and disinvestment (Courtney Jones). Finally, we see the cost of
segregation through the eyes of residents of a segregated White community and one group’s efforts to address it through increasing affordable housing in their town (Nan Parson).
- A 2017 Metropolitan Planning Council report concluded that “segregation costs the Chicago region billions in lost income, lost lives and lost
potential each year.”
- A joint WBEZ and City Bureau analysis found that between 2012 to 2018, “for every $1 banks loaned in Chicago’s White neighborhoods, they invested just 12
cents in the city’s [B]lack neighborhoods and 13 cents in Latino areas.”
- A joint nationwide study in 2018 by Brookings and Gallup concluded that above and
beyond differences in neighborhood features, “across all majority Black neighborhoods, owner-occupied homes are undervalued by $48,000 per home on average, amounting to $156 billion in cumulative losses.”
- A WBEZ report showed that the gap in home values in Black/Latinx
neighborhoods versus White neighborhoods grew from a difference of $50,000 more in White neighborhoods in 1980 to more than $324,000 in 2015.
- A Metropolitan Planning Council study found that “in Chicago’s whitest and
wealthiest wards there is less than 2.5% affordable rental housing.”
- Despite being illegal, housing discrimination persists. This Vox report summarized a recent study showing that an online inquiry for an apartment from someone with a Black-sounding name was 36% less likely to get a response than an equivalent inquiry from someone with a
PHOTO: Davon Clark
Ari and Ted Richards
Key Themes: Neighborhood Safety, Disinvestment, Development and Displacement, Discrimination
Ari and Ted Richards have decided to sell their house. When they moved to Jackson Park Highlands it seemed to be a beautiful, tight-knit community. But their concerns about crime and a lack of basic amenities spurred
to search for a new neighborhood. Now finding the right South Side community for their family is proving challenging.
- What impact do the violence and drug traffic in their neighborhood have on the Richards family and their children? How would you describe the emotions, hopes, and realities of the Richards family in terms of their home and neighborhood?
- As Ari and Ted Richards drive around Bronzeville as part of their search for a new home, what signs of investment and development do they notice? What concerns do they have about it?
- How do Ari and Ted Richards describe their neighborhood versus Hyde Park? How does your neighborhood compare to these neighborhoods? What is it like – or would it be like – to live in a neighborhood without a grocery store?
- The Richardses mention Uber drivers telling them not to go to their own neighborhood and being told by others not to go past 47th Street. Have you ever been told not to go to your own neighborhood? Or other neighborhoods? What did it make
you think? What does it/would it feel like to be from a place people are told not to go?
- Ari and Ted Richards are trying to resolve a tension inherent in a city where resources have been allocated differently to White, Black, and Latinx neighborhoods: the need to choose between raising their Black children in the violence
of a disinvested neighborhood or subjecting them to the violence of a White neighborhood. How would you resolve that tension? Have you ever had to make a choice like that? How did you decide?
- Thinking again about the tension Ari and Ted Richards face in having to choose between accessing resources or having a sense of belonging in the community, what can you or your family or community do to eliminate this tension?
- Ted Richards says, “Police patrols are the only solution to violence that people talk about.” What is the danger of police patrols being the only solution to violence? What other solutions are there?
PHOTO: Davon Clark
Key Themes: Discrimination, Neighborhood Safety, Disinvestment, Significance of Homeownership
Tia Brown is a proud native of the Austin neighborhood, and she and her husband hoped to return. But the rising cost of housing there put their dream out of reach. After being rejected by a South Side landlord because of
their race, the family landed in West Englewood, where their young kids have witnessed violence. Will the family ever find the right home?
- Tia Brown dreamed of owning her own home. What obstacles did she face? What tradeoffs did she make about where she finally moved?
- We see Tia Brown visiting her childhood home and neighborhood. What did seeing her there and hearing her talk about it reveal about the importance and significance of community to her?
- Tia Brown’s dream neighborhood is one where people know their neighbors, have block parties, and her children can play in the front yard. What are your dreams for your neighborhood? How do they compare to Tia Brown’s? How did you feel
hearing her experiences trying to realize this dream?
- Tia Brown talks about being denied a home because she is Black. Has anything like this happened to you? How did you react? If something like this did happen, how would you feel about the neighborhood or the city?
- The Fair Housing Act of 1968 made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race (and other protected classes) in the rental and sale of housing. We know from research that housing discrimination still happens. What is the best way
to get rid of it? What can individuals do? What can communities and governments do?
- Tia Brown describes the cycle of good and bad times in her neighborhood – the ebbs and flows of violence. What can be done to ensure that all neighborhoods in Chicago are safe? What can individuals do? Neighborhoods? City officials?
PHOTO: Miguel Zuno, Jr
Key Themes: Discrimination, Significance of Homeownership, Housing Choice Voucher Program, Eviction
Sharon Norwood finds that her government housing voucher comes with strings attached. As a caretaker for an elderly mother and a special-needs child, stable housing is critical, but after being evicted, Sharon feels like
she's been discriminated against for her voucher. Not wanting others to go through the same ordeal, she turns to activism.
- How has the Housing Choice Voucher Program, DCFS, and Eviction Court shaped Sharon Norwood’s ability to raise her family and live her life?
- Why did Sharon Norwood’s grandmother say it was so important to own your own home? What experiences has Sharon Norwood had in her adult life that make her say she was living what her grandmother talked about?
- Sharon Norwood purchased a home in Evergreen Park, which is 74% White. What were her reasons for choosing this neighborhood, and what do those reasons reveal about segregation in Chicago?
- After 11 years of paying her rent on time and using $15,000 of her money to make repairs to her rental home, Sharon Norwood was evicted. How did hearing this story make you feel? Why?
- How important is it to you to own your own home? What obstacles or advantages have you experienced (or do you think you would experience) in becoming a homeowner? How are they the same as or different from Sharon Norwood’s?
- Sharon Norwood decided to move to Evergreen Park, where it was “a hard place to live” because people didn’t want her to live there. Have you ever experienced going somewhere where people didn’t want you? Why did you do it anyway? What
were the pros and cons?
- What is Sharon Norwood doing to push back against the inequities and experiences she has faced trying to find a home for herself and her family? What strategies is she using?
- We learn in this story that Sharon Norwood faced many barriers and injustices related to housing. From your perspective, what is the biggest barrier she faced? What changes can be made to eliminate that barrier? What, if anything, does
that barrier have to do with segregation?
PHOTO: Davon Clark
Key Themes: Significance of Homeownership, Real Estate Industry, Disinvestment, Discrimination
Courtney Jones is a Black real estate broker, who knows that the tools of his trade have been used historically not only to segregate people, but to concentrate wealth. After moving from New York to Chicago, he begins to
help Black Chicagoans reap the rewards of the city’s real estate growth. In the meantime, Courtney lands a major downtown deal.
- Suits to Sneakers is a platform that, among other things, elevates the topic of Black homeownership. Why does Courtney Jones say that Black homeownership is so important to addressing racial inequality? Why does he also say
it’s important to have Black real estate professionals and Black receivers?
- Courtney and Sanina Jones plan to give their children a piece of property for their college graduation gift. What motivates them to do this?
- During the Receivership Training Program, one of the speakers said, “There’s 80 homes just in the South Shore area that have been purchased by one investor who does not live in the neighborhood and doesn’t care about the neighbor-
hood.” What does this statement reveal about real estate and capital in Black neighborhoods? What is the significance of this for the neighborhood itself? For Black homeowners?
- What does homeownership mean to you and your family, personally, socially, and financially? What impact does being a homeowner have on your relationship to your community?
- When you heard that Courtney Jones was the first Black receiver of a high-rise building in downtown Chicago, what did it make you think? How did it make you feel? Why?
- Courtney Jones calls himself a Black real estate activist. What are the different ways he and his wife have worked to make a difference in Black homeownership and Black wealth? Which barriers is he trying to address? How can you bring
that spirit of activism to the work you do?
- Black homeownership and Black wealth are intertwined. Thinking about the different ways that policies and practices have created inequities for Black families, what are possible solutions to these inequalities? What are the barriers to
wealth accumulation and homeownership that individuals or institutions can change? How can these changes be made?
PHOTO: Miguel Zuno, Jr
Key Themes: Community and Belonging, Integration’s Promises and Perils, Segregation’s Costs, Affordable Housing
Nan Parson has always loved the small-town feel of her suburb, where she has lived for 50 years. But after adopting a biracial son, she realizes that the reason she feels so comfortable in Park Ridge is that most
around her is White. As Nan sets out to integrate Park Ridge, it proves to be more challenging than she thought.
- What are the factors – both today and in the past – that created a segregated Park Ridge?
- “The things attractive to me about Park Ridge are also the things that are difficult about it.” What does Nan Parson mean by this statement, and how does it relate to segregation?
- Nan Parson mentions a few times that integration is healthier and that segregation creates weakness. In what ways does she see integration as healthier and segregation as a weakness?
- Nan Parson remembers thinking the first time she drove around Park Ridge, “This is a place where I could feel comfortable. And now I realized as I look back on that, one reason I felt that way was because everyone I saw was White. And
that is what I was used to. We chose Park Ridge because we felt we would fit in.” Have you ever felt this way, whether it’s about where to live or about other settings such as schools, jobs, churches?
- How did you feel hearing Nan Parson and her husband talk about their conflicted feelings toward their segregated community? How are their experiences and feelings the same as the ones you have toward your own community? How are they
- Nan Parson’s husband comments that he “still struggles with concrete actions that I can take,” to which Nan Parson adds, “We can effect change here. Maybe. A little bit.” What concrete actions have they taken in their lives and in their
community? What do you think of their efforts? What challenges have they faced?
- Nan Parson reflects that “the reason we don’t get along is because we don’t know each other.” What can you do as an individual, family, or community to get to know people from other racial/ethnic groups?
Expert Talk 1
Aaron Allen, Freelance Journalist with stories for City Bureau, Chicago Reader, WBEZ, Austin Weekly News
“Seeing the City with New Eyes”
Photo: Ken Carl
As a kid growing up in Galewood, Aaron Allen wondered why his neighborhood looked so much different than the rest of the West Side. His search for answers pointed him to an unexpected issue – bank lending. He describes the journey
led him through data charts, down memory lane, and into a legendary pink house that made him see the city with new eyes.
- What window into the lived experience of segregation does Aaron Allen’s talk reveal?
- What costs of segregation does Aaron Allen’s talk highlight?
- What does Aaron Allen say needs to be done to create a better Chicago?
Expert Talk 2
Monica Peek, MD, MPH, Professor for Health Justice, Professor of Medicine, and Associate Director of the Chicago Center for Diabetes Translational Research at The University of Chicago
“Segregation Is Bad for Your Health”
Photo: Ken Carl
Dr. Monica Peek explains how residential segregation leads to worse health outcomes for Black Americans. In her talk, she navigates our segregated, under-resourced and understaffed health care systems, and chronic disinvestment in
nities that have fewer health-promoting resources and attributes.
- What window into the lived experience of segregation does Dr. Monica Peek’s talk reveal?
- What costs of segregation does Dr. Monica Peek’s talk highlight?
- What does Dr. Monica Peek say needs to be done to create a better Chicago?
Theme Two: Community, Belonging, and Displacement
These three stories share the themes of the significance of community and belonging, and the pain of displacement or threatened displacement that comes from either specific public policies (Lolly SoulLove, John Nance) and/or gentrification
(Karen and Enrique León). The stories highlight the power of community and a sense of belonging that come from sharing residential space with people from the same background. But each story also points to the precarity of those segregated
spaces when they are accompanied by an unequal distribution of resources.
- According to a 2016 study by the Metropolitan Planning Council, Pilsen and Logan Square were Chicago’s most gentrifying neighborhoods. From 2000 to
2016, Pilsen lost 26% of its Latinx population, and its White population grew by 22%. In Logan Square, the percentages were 35% and 44%, respectively.
- Chicago’s Plan for Transformation began in 2000 by then-Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. A 2017 joint study by WBEZ and Northwestern University’s Medill Social Justice News
Nexus summarized the plan’s goal: “To demolish and replace 18,000 ‘obsolete’ public housing units and create ‘mixedincome communities’...[that would serve to] ‘reintegrate low-income families and housing into the larger physical, social
and economic fabric of the city.”
- This same WBEZ study found that after 17 years and $3 billion dollars, just under 8% of the 16,846 displaced households were living in the Plan for Transformation’s
envisioned mixed-income housing.
PHOTO: Miguel Zuno, Jr
Key Themes: Community and Belonging, Significance of Homeownership, Reparations, Economic Development
John Nance’s suburb made national news in 2019 when it established America’s first reparations program for Black residents. As a Black Evanston homeowner, Nance would seem to be well-positioned to benefit from the program.
But instead, he says “No, thank you,” and packs up for another suburb.
- “We had our whole life in West Evanston. We didn’t care about other areas of Evanston.” What childhood memories does John Nance have of West Evanston? What was it like to grow up in this segregated Black community? Is this a case of
“good” segregation? Why or why not?
- “The problem is not integration. The problem is economic development.” What does John Nance mean by this? What impact did the disinvestment in the Black community in Evanston have on the community in general and on individual families?
- What did John Nance’s stories about his childhood in West Evanston reveal to you about the meaning of community and belonging? What parts of the story stood out to you?
- When you heard John Nance’s story about losing his childhood home because he had to take care of his sick mother and couldn’t take care of the home and the mounting medical bills, what did you think and feel?
- John Nance pointed out that people living in East Evanston could always buy in West Evanston, but not vice versa. And more recently, he could get a lot more house and property for his money in Country Club Hills (87% Black) than in
Evanston (18% Black). How did you feel hearing about these stark differences? Did his story make you feel differently about these economic differences? If yes, in what way?
- John Nance says that they “gutted the soul of the community” and “ran people out of town.” What does our society lose when communities and people are displaced? What impact did it have on you when he described the loss of his community
this way? What would it feel like to lose your community?
- John Nance is not a fan of the reparations program in Evanston. Why not? What would he like to see instead? What do you think of his ideas?
- The story talks about the barbershop as the hub of Black history in Evanston. What can be done to preserve this history? Why would it be important to do so?
PHOTO: Miguel Zuno, Jr
Key Themes: Displacement, Public Housing, Community and Belonging
Lolly SoulLove returns to the site of the public housing project she once called home for the first time since it was destroyed during the Chicago Housing Authority’s
Plan For Transformation. It stirs up a wave of emotions: While outsiders often saw public housing as an ugly manifestation of segregation, Lolly recalls a strong sense of community.
- What does community mean to Lolly SoulLove? What are the important elements of community? What are her memories of her community and what impact did housing policy have on those memories?
- In addition to destroying their homes when the Robert Taylor Homes were demolished, what else does Lolly SoulLove feel the city was doing to continue to destroy their community?
- Much of this story is about how other people view communities and especially how people such as cab drivers, politicians, and bureaucrats who run housing programs devalue Black communities. How did these perceptions impact the residents
of the Robert Taylor Homes? How did they affect their lives, psychologically, socially, and materially?
- “Let residents be in control.” In what ways did this happen or not happen when the Robert Taylor Homes were demolished? What was the “pink slip”? What would it feel like to be given a pink slip and have little control over where you moved
- What is the “sadness that stems from segregation”? How is it the same as or different than you expected?
- What surprised you the most about this story?
- “They destroyed the Robert Taylor Homes, but they did not destroy the love.” In what ways do the former residents make sure the love survives?
- “Don’t be embarrassed about where you came from.” What does it mean to be from a place that other people think is bad? What is Lolly SoulLove’s response to that?
PHOTO: Davon Clark
Karen and Enrique León
Key Themes: Displacement, Gentrification, Community and Belonging, Significance of Homeownership
Karen and Enrique León struggled to stay in their rapidly gentrifying neighborhood on musicians’ salaries. The longtime Pilsen residents are mariachis, and the money they make from live performances has dipped with the
closure of neighborhood clubs. Now an experiment in cooperative housing is giving them hope.
- How did Karen and Enrique León feel about their home in Pilsen and the Pilsen neighborhood? What did they love and value most?
- Enrique León is a mariachi musician. What is the cultural and economic significance of him being a musician? How did his profession impact the family and the neighborhood?
- The story focuses on the value of living in a Latinx community for Karen and Enrique León. What are the benefits? Are there any costs to their family?
- How did Karen and Enrique León feel that the developments that impacted housing and businesses threatened their way of life economically, socially, and emotionally? Have you experienced something like this? If so, how did you feel; if
not, how do you think you would feel? What would matter the most to you?
- What does this story reveal about what it means to be raised in a community where you belong? Were you raised in such a community? If so, what features of the community made you feel that you belonged? If not, what made you feel you did
- What did you learn from this story about the significance of homeownership to Karen and Enrique León and other families in Pilsen? How is their perspective the same as or different from your own? Is there a special significance for im-
- Members of the community created a way to protect residents in the face of the development in Pilsen and to stave off displacement. What did they do? How did they protect and support themselves?
- Two important themes of this story are displacement and gentrification. What, if anything, should city leaders do about this? How can collective ownership and other alternative pathways to homeownership be supported?
Community, Belonging, and Displacement
Expert Talk 1
Lisa Yun Lee, Executive Director, National Public Housing Museum and Associate Professor Public Culture and Museum Studies, University of Illinois Chicago
"Have your Mooncake, and Eat It, Too"
Photo: Ken Carl
Lisa Yun Lee describes how a question from a shopkeeper in Chinatown led to her awareness of the differences between imposed segregation and self-segregation as an act of resistance and survival. In her talk, she discusses the
balance of preserving
cultural diversity across Chicago’s neighborhoods while challenging inequity.
- What window into the lived experience of segregation does Lisa Yun Lee’s talk reveal?
- What lessons of community and belonging does Lisa Yun Lee’s talk highlight?
- What does Lisa Yun Lee say needs to be done to create a better Chicago?
Expert Talk 2
Soren Spicknall, Data Engineer, The Movement Cooperative
”Unlearning the Bad Advice That Segregates Chicago”
Photo: Ken Carl
When you move to a new neighborhood, it’s often the first things you hear from residents that have the biggest impact on how you view your surroundings. Soren Spicknall discusses how his initial perception of Chicago was shaped by
lished stereotypes and boundaries, how he came to realize that these boundaries were often rooted in racism, and how he learned to navigate this city with clearer eyes.
- What window into the lived experience of segregation does Soren Spicknall’s talk reveal?
- What lessons of community and belonging does Soren Spicknall’s talk highlight?
- What does Soren Spicknall say needs to be done to create a better Chicago?
Theme Three: Integration’s Promises and Perils
The three stories in this theme explore the promises of integration while also drawing attention to its perils. We see that simply creating diverse spaces does not translate into achieving integration or advancing equity. Segregation as a
tool of oppression can find little to redeem itself – except, of course, for the dominant group. But integration without an understanding of decades of oppression, racial tensions, and discrimination does not advance equity. Integration
efforts must be intentional to ensure that people are not displaced and that individuals are not simply trading one form of violence for another. This series of stories uncovers the complexity and hope of integration in Pastor Ricky Brown. In
the case of Rashad Bailey, we see the heartbreaking perils of integration. And in Rachael Toft’s story, we learn about the unusual merger that sought to create an integrated school in a segregated city.
- According to a Duke University report, “83% of American congregations remain overwhelmingly White or Black or Latinx or Asian.” At the same time, the percentage
of people in congregations where no single ethnic group makes up 80% or more of the participants has grown from 14% in 1998 to 25% in 2018-2019.
- A Pew Research Center survey found in 2020 that 77% of U.S. Blacks
said that predominantly Black churches have done “some” or “a great deal” to help Black people move toward equality in the U.S. This compares to 89% who said civil rights organizations and 54% who said the federal government had done “some”
or “a great deal.”
- The Woodstock Institute found that in Chicago, "businesses in predominantly minority census tracts
constituted an average of 15.1% of businesses, but they received only 8.2% of the number of CRAreported loans under $100,000 and only 6.7% of the total amount of those loans. If those businesses had received the loans in proportion to
their share of businesses overall, they would have received more than 23,000 additional loans totaling over $335 million between 2012 and 2014.”
- UIC’s Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP) report used a common indicator of segregation, the index of dissimilarity, which
measures the extent to which the racial composition of schools mirrors that of the racial/ethnic mix of the overall district school population. They found that CPS’s school segregation is very high (above 60 is considered high). In 2010,
the scores were BlackWhite (87.4), Black-Latinx (85.0), and Latinx-White (68.7).
- The IRRPP report also found that in 2014, “91.1% of Black students and 88.7% of Latinx students attended CPS schools where more than 75% of the
student population were eligible for free or reduced price lunch (an indicator of low income).”
PHOTO: Miguel Zuno, Jr.
Pastor Ricky Brown
Key Themes: Integration’s Promises and Perils, Religion and Spirituality, Disinvestment, Segregation’s Costs
Ricky Brown is an airplane pilot and a pastor, who is determined to establish a multiethnic church on the South Side. As a Black man who grew up in Mississippi he is no stranger to segregation. But he wonders how Chicago's
segregation might stand in the way of his dreams for a truly integrated faith community.
- Pastor Ricky Brown says, “We cannot heal and move forward without acknowledging the pain of the past.” What are the pains of segregation that the story refers to? What are other pains of segregation?
- Pastor Ricky Brown points out that an integrated church is not just “getting people with different skin tones together in the same room.” What else is it?
- Pastor Ricky Brown says that creating an integrated church was a risky thing to do. What makes it risky? Is integration always risky? And risky for whom?
- Pastor Ricky Brown talks about taking the Red Line ‘L’ train and witnessing segregation as he moved from the North Side to the South Side of Chicago. Have you ever had this experience? If so, what did you notice about what you saw and how
- What most interested you about the story of the partnership between the two churches? Did anything surprise you or inspire you? If so, what?
- The churches created a partnership to go from “presence to prosperity to action” using what they call justice deposits. What are justice deposits, and what do they hope to accomplish with them? What else can churches do?
- Pastor Ricky Brown notes that we can’t “clear up a 400-year head start” in our lifetimes. But what can we do in our lifetimes? What other institutions besides churches can take action? And what action?
PHOTO: Miguel Zuno, Jr.
Key Themes: Black Business Owners, Integration’s Promises and Perils, Discrimination
Rashad Bailey says his restaurant is a reflection of his personality: young, hip, and “all about taste.” And like Rashad, most of his clientele are Black in a North Side neighborhood that is overwhelmingly White. The
restaurant begins to meet resistance from its neighbors – some of it subtle, and some of it overtly racist.
- What did Rashad Bailey’s story reveal to you about the perils of integration for Black people in general and Black business owners in particular?
- When Rashad Bailey is told “go back where you came from,” what does it does it reveal to you about segregation? What does it reveal about privilege?
- What expenses – emotional and financial – does Rashad Bailey have because he’s a Black business owner with Black customers in a White segregated neighborhood? How does being in a White segregated neighborhood impact his customers?
- In the story, we see that the police are around when Rashad Bailey doesn’t need them and not there when he does. How did you feel when you saw this play out? Are there ways in which segregation creates this dynamic? Or does this dynamic
contribute to segregation?
- With whom did you most identify? From whom did you learn the most? Whom would you most like to ask a question, and what is that question?
- Rashad Bailey feels like he’s “at war.” What does that mean? And what has he done to respond to this treatment? What other responses might there be?
- How have the stereotypes that people have about Black people impacted Rashad Bailey’s experiences and the experiences of his customers? How does segregation play a role in creating these stereotypes, and how might they be broken down?
PHOTO: Miguel Zuno, Jr.
Key Themes: Community and Belonging, Integration’s Promises and Perils, Segregation’s Costs, School Segregation
Rachael Toft was committed to sending her kids to Ogden, their neighborhood public school. It served relatively affluent families like hers in Streeterville and the Gold Coast that is, until Ogden undertook a merger with
Jenner, a school on the site of the former CabriniGreen Homes. Rachael reflects on the challenges of this experiment.
- What does Rachael Toft mention when describing what she likes about her neighborhood? Why was she committed to sending her children to a public school?
- Chicago Public Schools merged the Ogden and Jenner schools to create one school with two campuses. What were the reasons for the merger, and what concerns did people have about making this merger?
- Rachael Toft believes that “my kids aren’t in school only to learn math and a skill, but how to work with their peers and how the world actually is.” Thinking about your own education, what did/have you learned the most other than
academics? Is/was your school racially, economically, or culturally diverse? How did that impact what you learned?
- When you heard Rachael Toft’s description of the public forums, what was your reaction to the concerns the parents expressed?
- This story is told from the perspective of a White parent at Ogden; how do you think the students and parents from the Jenner school felt about the merger? What do you think the experiences of Black families and
- Rachael Toft decided to send her children to the merged Jenner/Ogden school even though many of her friends decided to leave. Why did she stay and what does she see as the benefits of this decision?
- In a segregated city, schools are often also segregated. As Rachael Toft points out, segregation often means that resources are segregated and unequal. What can cities do to address these inequalities in a way that benefits all
Integration’s Promises and Perils
José Rico, Executive Director of Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Chicago
“Truth Telling About Violence and Healing”
Photo: Ken Carl
Chicago is a city of ZIP codes that mark cultural and racial differences and inequities. José Rico describes how understanding violence in a city known for its segregated neighborhoods is necessary for true healing and systemic
- What window into the lived experience of segregation does José Rico’s talk reveal?
- What lessons of integration and segregation does José Rico’s talk highlight?
- What does José Rico say needs to be done to create a better Chicago?
Theme Four: Building Bridges Across Communities
Segregation is by definition about separation. Separating people from people; communities from communities. In Chicago, segregation has left us with White, Black, Latinx, and Asian communities living separate realities. In this section, we
hear four stories about people working to build bridges from one community to the other (Chris Javier). Of efforts to find shared humanity (Pilar Audain Reed and Susana Banuelos). To find – and come together – to overcome shared challenges
(Father Larry Dowling). And to use music to understand and bridge our segregated city (Jason Ivy). Through this group of stories, we see ways to use what we have in common to heal wounds, build power, and uplift communities. In short, to
create bridges throughout a segregated Chicago.
- Between 1980-2020, Chicago’s Asian and Latinx populations grew from 2% to 7% (Asians) and from 14% to 30% (Latinx). At the same time, the percentage of the
population who are Black and White declined: 39% to 29% (Black) and 43% to 31% (White).
- According to a UIC Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP) report, Asian Americans are the smallest but fastest growing of
Chicago’s major racial/ethnic groups. The largest Asian ethnic groups are Chinese (31.1%), Indian (21.1%), and Filipino (19.1%), and 69% of Asians are immigrants compared to 39% of Latinx, 14% of White, and 3% of Black Chicagoans.
- In Chicago, Black-White and Black-Latinx segregation levels are especially high. Asian-White segregation is comparatively low (but see next fact
below), and Latinx-White segregation falls in the middle.
- IRRPP’s report explains that traditional indexes of segregation are unreliable for numerically small groups such as Asians in Chicago, but they show
that Asian Americans are concentrated in Chinatown (where there are few Blacks, Latinxs, and Whites). In other Chicago neighborhoods, Black-Asian segregation is particularly stark.
- In 2018, the Collaborative for Community Wellness examined the availability of private practice, licensed mental health clinicians in
Chicago and found that zip codes in the city center had more than 324 licensed clinicians per 1,000 individuals compared to most zip codes in the West, Southwest, and South Sides of Chicago where there was fewer than 1 licensed clinician
per 1,000 residents.
PHOTO: Davon Clark
Key Themes: Immigration, Building Bridges, Neighborhood Safety, Religion and Spirituality
Chris Javier leads an effort to address anti-Asian hate in the wake of a wave of hate crimes in Chinatown. It spurs Chris to start thinking about the nature of segregation: while the city’s divisions are clearly taking a
toll on his community, he also sees how enclaves like Chinatown offer a safe space for culture to thrive.
- Chris Javier shares that there are both upsides and downsides to Chinatown; what does he mean that there needs to be a “nuanced look” at it? What are the benefits of segregation for people living in Chinatown? What are the costs of
segregation for people living in Chinatown?
- “There’s so much pain that goes unaddressed.” What pain is Chris Javier referring to? What causes it and what can be done to alleviate it?
- What are the unique experiences of Asians in Chicago? How are Asian experiences different from and the same as other racial/ethnic groups?
- Some would call Chinatown a self-segregated neighborhood. How is it the same as or different from Black segregated neighborhoods? White segregated neighborhoods? Latinx segregated neighborhoods?
- What does it mean to be safe in one’s own neighborhood? Have you felt unsafe in your own neighborhood? What made you feel this way? What could you do about it?
- Chris Javier talks about being able to straddle multiple cultures because he was raised in a White suburb but attended church in Chinatown his whole life. What were the benefits and costs for him personally of these two different experi-
ences? Have you had experiences like this? If so, what were they like?
- What factors threatened the peace in Chinatown? What actions did Chris Javier’s church take to support community members? What other solutions would help community members feel safe?
- Chris Javier suggests that we need to build bridges between neighborhoods and communities. What ways can individuals and institutions work to create bridges? What benefits are there to creating bridges?
PHOTO: Davon Clark
Father Larry Dowling
Key Themes: Building Bridges, Health Care Inequities/Mental Health, Religion and Spirituality, Disinvestment
Father Larry Dowling is a White priest ministering to a predominantly Black population in North Lawndale, which borders majority-Latinx Little Village. Despite longstanding tensions between the neighboring communities,
Father Larry discovers that they have so much more in common. He sets out to build bridges.
- What does Father Larry Dowling see as the consequence of the separation of Black and Latinx neighborhoods from each other? And from White neighborhoods?
- Father Larry Dowling points out that both North Lawndale and Little Village are experiencing trauma from gun violence, domestic violence, drugs, etc., and this leads to a shared problem around mental health. What similarities and
differences do each of these communities have in terms of structural and cultural issues related to addressing mental health problems? What role does segregation play in creating mental health problems?
- Father Larry Dowling describes his observation of how some people approach inter-group relations: “Separate them and then play them off each other.” In what ways are Black and Latinx communities played off each other? What, if any, role
does segregation play in creating conflict and tension between Black and Latinx communities?
- Father Larry Dowling moved from a White church to a Black church, and he experienced culture shock. Have you ever been in a situation like this? How did it feel? What did you do? What worked or didn’t work?
- The community created the Love Ride, a bicycle ride of unity through their neighborhoods. What message does the Love Ride send inside and outside the community? How did you feel when you saw the scenes from the Love Ride?
- “People want to divide us, but there is greater power in unity and believing that we deserve what other people have.” What is Father Larry Dowling doing to create unity? What challenges does he face? What are the outcomes of doing so?
- What other events or efforts can you as an individual or a resident of a community create or make to build unity across racial groups? How can you help repair the broken bridges and build new ones, such as Father Larry Dowling mentions?
PHOTO: Ajani Akinade
Pilar Audain Reed and Susana Banuelos
Key Themes: Immigration, Racial Healing, Building Bridges, Disinvestment, Religion and Spirituality
Pilar Audain Reed and Susana Banuelos are “racial healing practitioners” – they go to communities that have experienced incidents of violence or racial discord to bring about healing with rituals such as "sage corners."
just as important as these rituals is the example they set through their cross-cultural friendship.
- Pilar Audain Reed and Susana Banuelos come from immigrant backgrounds. How does this join them together, and how are their experiences different from each other? What have they each learned about race in America? What lessons were in
common and what lessons were unique?
- Pilar Audain Reed and Susana Banuelos are joined by a common desire to “do the work to prove that solidarity heals.” In what ways can solidarity heal? What are the wounds that it needs to heal?
- What role do bridges play in breaking down the problem of segregation? In what ways are Pilar Audain Reed and Susana Banuelos acting as bridges, and what do we learn from them?
- How do Pilar Audain Reed and Susana Banuelos' ancestors and cultures shape the work they do toward racial healing? How can cultural similarities and differences be used to either create or break down segregation? How do your ancestors
and culture impact your values and beliefs about segregation?
- Pilar Audain Reed and Susana Banuelos talk about the cost of segregation on their personal lives. Are you missing out on anything because of segregation? If so, what?
- Pilar Audain Reed and Susana Banuelos intentionally go to places that are disinvested in and to places where one or the other of them will stand out. Why do they do this? What are they hoping to accomplish?
- As illustrated in the story, through such activities with others as sharing a healing circle, prayer, and burning sage, people come to understand each other better. This can be one of the keys to ending segregation, because “people tend
to fear what they don’t understand.” What do you think about this statement? Do you find this to be true in your own life? If so, in what areas? How can we overcome the fear of others who are different from us?
- Pilar Audain Reed talks about a time when she had to "get clearance" to visit her best friend who was Latinx and lived in Little Village. What impact does a sense of having to "get clearance" have on our understanding of the city and who
belongs where? How do we break those barriers down?
PHOTO: Davon Clark
Key Themes: Community and Belonging, Integration’s Promises and Perils, Segregation’s Costs, Building Bridges, Culture and Art
Jason Ivy has the right tools to navigate his segregated city: he is a musician and visual artist, who uses these forms of self-expression to engage in dialogue about the city’s divides. And he speaks several languages, so
he can spark conversations with the city’s diverse communities.
- Jason Ivy believes that “the arts industry in Chicago doesn’t thrive like it should.” What does he believe are the reasons it doesn’t thrive?
- How does Jason Ivy think that segregation impacts the city and the artists who work here?
- Jason Ivy says, “You cannot escape segregation in Chicago. You cannot fail to notice it.” What signs of segregation does Jason Ivy point to? What differences does he observe?
- Jason Ivy observes that “every neighborhood has a different feel to it.” In what ways does Jason Ivy think this is good – and in what ways is it bad?
- Jason Ivy experienced many different racial contexts during his school years that impacted how he thinks about race, culture, division, and the city. How do you think your own school experiences shaped your perspective on these
- Jason Ivy’s ideal Chicago is one that would “feel like home all over the city.” What is your ideal Chicago?
- In what ways does Jason Ivy connect to people from different backgrounds?
- What can you do to create opportunities to connect through art and culture to other groups or communities in Chicago? What makes it hard to do this? What might the benefits be, both for you personally and for the city?
Building Bridges Across Communities
Tonika Lewis Johnson, Creator, Folded Map™ Project; Co-founder, Englewood Arts Collective and Resident Association of Greater Englewood
“Segregation Limits Our Relationships”
Photo: Ken Carl
Tonika Lewis Johnson describes how attending a large, multi-racial Chicago public high school in the ’90s taught her empathy, expanded her worldview, and revealed the impacts of segregation...all while giving her lifelong friend-
ships she wouldn’t have had otherwise.
- What window into the lived experience of segregation does Tonika Lewis Johnson’s talk reveal?
- What lessons about the value of building bridges across communities does Tonika Lewis Johnson’s talk highlight?
- What does Tonika Lewis Johnson say needs to be done to create a better Chicago?
Digging Deeper: Discussing More, Learning More, and Taking Action
Synthesizing the Stories
Reflect on the stories within each theme and consider the following:
- Which person or story stood out the most to you? What made them stand out? Was it because their story surprised you? Inspired you? Challenged you? How or why?
- How do the stories connect to each other and to the core theme of the section you watched?
- What do the stories in this theme tell you about segregation in Chicago that you didn’t know before?
Reflecting on the Overall Series
- At the conclusion of the discussion/event, the leader is encouraged to facilitate an overall discussion about the series (or the set of stories the group watched), focused on action steps. In addition to the specific actions discussed
for each story, the leader can pose the following more generic questions (drawn from this source).
- What did you learn from FIRSTHAND: Segregation that you wish everyone knew? What would change if everyone knew it?
- If you could require one person (or one group) to view FIRSTHAND: Segregation, who would it be? What would you hope their main takeaway would be?
- This series is important because ...
- I am inspired by this series (or discussion) to ...
Learn More about Theme One: Segregation’s Costs
- For a discussion of the causes and consequences of racial residential segregation and an interactive mapping tool to explore patterns all over the
country (including Chicago), check out this Othering and Belonging Institute report.
- To explore the fluctuating – and segregated – demographic makeup of Chicago since the early 20th century, check out WTTW's
interactive mapping tool.
- To learn more about why eviction matters and what the patterns and trends are nationwide, go to the Eviction Lab, especially here. To find eviction data specific to Chicago, check out the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing data portal and reports.
- For insights about the politics and patterns of affordable housing in Chicago, see this report by the Chicago Area Fair Housing
- To learn more about past housing policies that impacted Chicago, check out this interactive mapping tool from Lake
Forest College that digs deeper into the practices of redlining, blockbusting, and racially restrictive covenants, and this Duke
University report on predatory land sale contracts.
- To learn more about racial/ethnic differences in homeownership, returns to homeownership, and the wealth gap in Chicago’s White, Black, and Latinx communities, see this report and this report from UIC’s Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy.
- To learn more about Source of Income Discrimination (which is based on how a person pays for housing, including those with housing choice vouchers) and where it is and is not legal, go to the Illinois Coalition for Fair Housing.
- If you think you have been the victim of housing discrimination, you can get free information and support at Fair Housing Centers, including the Lawyers’ Committee for
Better Housing and IC Law’s Fair Housing Legal Clinic.
Learn More About Theme Two: Community, Belonging, and Displacement
Learn More About Theme Three: Integration’s Promises and Perils
- See this Vox report and this article by Elijah Anderson on the reception Black people get when they enter “White spaces.”
- For a series of short essays exploring the question of “What we mean by integration,” including a lead essay, “The Problem of
Integration” by Northwestern University sociologist Mary Pattillo, check out this NYU Furman Center series.
- To hear stories of Chicago’s Black youth about where they are made to feel they don’t belong, check out Tonika Lewis Johnson’s Belonging: Power, Place, and (Im)Possibilities
- To learn more about Black-owned banks, see this WBEZ story about the former CEO of Chicago’s last Black-owned bank, this Investopedia report on Black-owned banks nationwide, and this Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago study on minority-owned banks and whom they serve.
- For a closer look at multiracial congregations, listen to NPR’s story featuring research by sociol-
ogist Dr. Korie Edwards.
- For more about the causes of school segregation, check out this Vox “Explainer”.
Learn More About Theme Four: Building Bridges Across Communities
What did you learn about the personal, institutional, and political forces that keep segregation in place? What can you do to help break it down? Or to be a bridge? Here are some places to start.
- Think about your own neighborhood, school, or workplace and how it is impacted by segregation – is your neighborhood, school, or workplace more advantaged or less advantaged because of segregation? How can you act to create more equity?
Check out Chicago United For Equity for some resources and tools to get you started.
- Learn more about neighborhoods outside of your own in the city of Chicago and think about how segregation has impacted your twin neighborhood by completing the Folded
Map™ Action Kit.
- Support or volunteer with local nonprofit organizations focused on housing and equity. Several are mentioned in the series’ stories and in the Learn More section of the discussion guide, above.
Tips for Planning the Discussion
Laying the Groundwork
for Dialogue about
FIRSTHAND: Segregation deals with a subject matter – race in America – that can be difficult to talk about. The topic can feel personal, is complex, and requires nuance. The purpose of this guide is to help foster respectful and
productive conversations with a goal not to lay blame, but to build understanding. The goal of the conversations is not to debate and win points, but to listen and deepen our thinking and awareness. To create a discussion where everyone
learns from other perspectives – those shared through the stories and those of other members of the discussion group.
To this end, facilitators might consider sharing these reminders (excerpted and adapted from PBS’s POV Discussion guide)
with their attendees:
“A Note about Facilitation. This series raises issues that may provoke difficult conversations. Some people may deflect their own discomfort with those issues by focusing on the decisions and behaviors of the individuals and institutions
featured in the series. To avoid getting bogged down in unproductive personal attacks, you might remind participants that:
- The purpose of this discussion isn’t to approve or disapprove of the actions of the people in the stories, but to learn from their experiences so we can make our own families and communities better.
- Issues that come up for one family or community are not more important than other issues. This event is going to focus on what we can learn about segregation’s impact from all of the experiences shared in these stories.
- Joking can be a fun way to interact with friends, but since we don’t have that relationship with everyone in the room, and since insults, even in jest, can be easily misunderstood, that type of joking is best reserved for other
Tips for Watching the
Stories and Getting
the Conversation Started
- Watching the Stories: Before viewing the stories, suggest to your audience that they pay attention to the details of the story – the relationships, the references that the subjects make, and the environment that they are
in. Pay attention to your own responses. Often, our deepest insights can come when we pay attention to our own emotional and visceral reactions. Choose not to turn away, as your own reactions are opportunities that can lead to meaningful
discussions. Stay open to your own reactions to the feelings, thoughts, and ideas shared, as they touch your own fears, anxieties, anger, grief, and joy. As much as possible, make notes of your responses as you watch the stories, as they
can be meaningful during later discussions.
- Getting the Conversation Started: After viewing the stories, discussion leaders can encourage viewers to spend a bit of quiet time reflecting on what they have seen.
Tips for Setting Up the Discussion
- Consider Timing: The entire series is approximately 211 minutes long. You may prefer to watch portions of the series or to select from the themes (or to select some stories within each theme). You may also want to allow
at least an hour after the screening for discussion.
- Follow Up: The series will raise many concerns that will not be resolved after the screening. Find time to follow up with viewers, offering opportunities for resource sharing with others working around these issues.
Throughout the guide are links to reports and local and national organizations and resources related to segregation to assist you.
- Consider Your Audience: Although unrated, the series is best viewed by mature audiences and teens. There is little to no visual content that may be considered objectionable; however, the subject matter deals directly
with segregation, struggles with neighborhood violence, issues related to poverty, and discussions of faith and religion. Do not hesitate to ask an expert (social worker, mental health worker, community practitioner, scholar, etc.) to
help guide your discussion or be present for the screening and discussion.
A Timeline to Prepare
2-4 Weeks Prior
- Develop your invitation list.
For an In-Person Event
- Select a location that allows for good screening and ensure that proper seating and audio-visual equipment will be available and set up.
- Be mindful of any security needs. Many venues require security based on the number of attendees.
- Be sure that your location is accessible to all. Consider the visual, auditory, language, and physical needs of your viewers.
- Design and send an e-mail that describes the name and purpose of the series, the purpose of the
discussion, the format of the post-screening discussion (panel discussion, moderated Q & A, small group discussions, open discussion format, peace circles, snacks or dinner, etc.). If you are planning special aspects, make sure to include
this information in your invitation, as well.
- If you are in a setting that does not allow for a minimum of two hours to both watch and discuss the series afterward (such as during school hours or at an after-school or outreach program), you may want to show a selection of stories
from across the themes or perhaps focus on just one of the themes. Make sure you have allowed enough time for set up, as well.
For a Virtual Event
- Follow the same recommended planning procedure for an in-person event.
- Make sure to create the virtual conference event with the link that can be shared with the invited guests. It is important to check for the maximum capacity allowed on the event before sending out the invitation. If restricted to a
certain number of participants, include that information on the invitation.
- Check for videoand audio-sharing settings on the virtual platform so that with the system sound on, your computer can be heard by the invited viewers. Please make sure to turn off all other apps in the background that might make noise,
e.g., email alerts, notifications, etc.
2 Weeks Prior
- If having an in-person event, make reservations for any food or beverages you plan to have for the discussion and decide whether you want to offer this before, during, or after watching the series or discussion.
- Prepare an agenda. This can be as formal or informal as you wish; however, you may want to consider who will introduce the series, the start time of the screening and the subsequent start time of the discussion, who will facilitate the
discussion, and wrap-up and evaluation procedures. The discussion guide can serve as a tool to provide discussion questions, prompts, and resource sharing related to the series in order to have a robust and meaningful discussion.
1 Week Prior
- Send a reminder e-mail to those who have RSVP’d and those who have not.
- Consider sending RSVP’d guests a link to the series’ website and social media pages to engage them with information about the series and get your guests excited about the event. You may want to consider sending a link to one of the arti-
cles listed in the Learn More sections of the guide to prepare them for the screening and discussion.
3 Days Prior
- Reconfirm your location and any food and beverages for an in-person event.
- You may want to send a final e-mail to RSVP’d guests as a reminder and send any links to the late RSVPs.
- Arrive early for set up and check all audio-visual equipment (sound, lighting, etc.).
- If holding an in-person event and your venue is large, be sure to place signs throughout the venue to direct your guests to the screening area.
- Have your agenda on hand.
- Ensure that all participants know their roles and have prepared in advance.
- Welcome everyone and introduce the series!
Day After the Event
- Send a thank-you note to all guests who attended and include any follow-up activities.
- Open up opportunities to stay connected and share ideas for taking future actions after viewing the series.
About the Filmmaker
Dan Protess is executive producer of FIRSTHAND: Segregation, having produced and directed the inaugural FIRSTHAND series on gun violence and having served as executive producer of the FIRSTHAND series on
intergenerational poverty and the coronavirus pandemic. FIRSTHAND is a multiplatform initiative for WTTW Chicago which explores social issues through documentaries, text journalism, expert talks, and community events.
Dan also serves as the executive producer of the WTTW history series Chicago Stories, where he has overseen the hour-long specials The Great Chicago Fire, Ida B. Wells, and Inventing Improv. Six additional
historical documentaries are now in production for broadcast in the spring of 2022.
Dan recently wrote and produced a documentary about Chicago mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot in addition to the award-winning series Urban Nature, which explored how nature is thriving in American cities.
He served as the executive producer, producer, and writer of the PBS prime-time history series 10 that Changed America. Its final season was seen by more than ten million viewers on television, online, and at events across the
Dan’s other productions have included the culinary series FoodPhiles, as well as the Chicago history specials Chicago Time Machine, Chicago’s Loop: A New Walking Tour, Biking the Boulevards, and
Chicago’s Lakefront. He also wrote and produced the Emmy-winning, James Beard-nominated The Foods of Chicago: A Delicious History.
Dan began his career at WTTW Chicago in 1999 as an associate producer of arts and architecture programming and soon after served as the associate producer and writer of A Justice That Heals, a documentary about a teenage
murderer and his young victim that was shown on ABC’s Nightline. He went on to produce and write numerous documentaries for Chicago Stories, including Jewish Chicago, Chicago’s First Mexican Church,
Chicago’s 1919 Race Riots, and profiles of such local luminaries as Congressman Dan Rostenkowski, arts maven Lois Weisberg, and the priest and romance novelist Andrew Greeley.
Dan began his career at public television station WHA-TV in Madison, Wisconsin.
About the Discussion Guide Writer
Maria Krysan, PhD, has studied racial residential segregation and racial attitudes for 30 years and is the co-author (with Kyle Crowder) of the award-winning book, Cycle of Segregation: Social Processes and Residential
Segregation, which offers a new framework for understanding the causes of racial residential segregation. She is professor of sociology at the University of Illinois Chicago where she teaches, does research, and engages public
audiences about these topics.
Lead support for FIRSTHAND: Segregation is provided by:
Ann and Rich Carr
Jim and Kay Mabie Family
Major support is also provided by:
The Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation
Edwardson Family Foundation, in memory of Ed Marciniak
The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation
Denny and Sandy Cummings | <urn:uuid:abcf9519-9213-4179-852f-81c85cc893af> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://interactive.wttw.com/firsthand/segregation/discussion-guide | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224655446.86/warc/CC-MAIN-20230609064417-20230609094417-00224.warc.gz | en | 0.957402 | 16,964 | 3.9375 | 4 | The extract provides a comprehensive discussion of segregation in Chicago, its causes, consequences, and personal stories of those affected. It seamlessly integrates advanced communication, leadership, and problem-solving scenarios, mirroring real-world complexity. The material encourages critical thinking, empathy, and nuanced interaction, making it an excellent resource for developing soft skills such as conversational ability, emotional intelligence, and intercultural fluency.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 801,351 | 1 |
Cultural Respect Encompassing Simulation Training
Using simulation to address the need for culturally sensitive communication training in health care and health education.
About the Course
CREST is a series of modules developed in collaboration between the University of Melbourne and Victoria University.
Established in 2012, CREST has delivered modules to over ten thousand participants. The modules are designed to help health care practitioners communicate more effectively with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people.
Each CREST module is delivered face-to-face within a two-hour period. Participants will receive simulation training and feedback on their interactions with CALD and Indigenous ‘patients’.
Participants must first complete Module 1: Introduction to Cultural Diversity. This module explores the interaction between culture and health and provides a grounding and understanding on culturally sensitive communication.
You may then complete one or more of the following stand-alone modules:
Module 2: Negotiating between different health beliefs
Module 3: Effective communication when English proficiency is low
Module 4: Communicating culturally sensitive issues
Module 5: Communication and Indigenous healthcare
These modules explore the interaction between culture, life experiences and health seeking behaviours; culturally sensitive factors that contribute to health inequalities; and the principles of effective communication and patient engagement. They provide communication and negotiation strategies and opportunities for participants to practise new skills.
Who Should Participate?
The modules are suitable for anyone who engages with or will be engaging with people from different cultural backgrounds, and is interested in improving their communication and negotiation skills.
- Practising health professionals such as general practitioners*, nurses**, pharmacists, physiotherapists and social workers.
- Health professional course convenors in universities,colleges and other training agencies
- Professional educators and trainers
*Each face-to-face module is approved for 4 Category 2 QI & CPD program points from the Royal College of General Practitioners.
**Online modules are endorsed by the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association. Completion of the five online modules entitles eligible participants to claim 5 CPD hours
NOW ACCEPTING REGISTRATIONS!
For further information regarding the CREST course, please visit the link below or email us at [email protected] | <urn:uuid:f768b24b-57f5-481f-af09-798c22085ab7> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://goingruralhealth.com.au/crest/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128323842.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20170629015021-20170629035021-00597.warc.gz | en | 0.883998 | 465 | 2.515625 | 3 | The extract scores high due to its comprehensive coverage of cultural awareness, communication, and teamwork in a healthcare context. It provides realistic scenarios, practical applications, and opportunities for skill development, including emotional intelligence, leadership, and critical thinking. The modules address complex issues like health inequalities and culturally sensitive communication.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 294,238 | 1 |
Cognitive Bias Modification allows individuals to improve their unconscious decision making processes. The CBM Helper tool has been designed to give people the opportunity to apply this methodology in an easy to use way.How To Use The App
When a user presses the PLAY button they are presented with a grid of images, their task is to identify and touch the most positive image as quickly as possible. They are then presented with a new set of images and the process repeats until the timer expires.
The application will allow the user to alter their natural bias and look for more favourable outcomes.
Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM) helps patients to make better choices at an unconscious level by increasing their ability to automatically identify a more positive outcome. By continual practice over time the patient becomes more predisposed to finding the good things in life rather than searching out negativity.
Just as when we buy a new car and subsequently see everyone driving them, a persons brain is wired to look for a particular set of stimuli. For example, people who are highly negative and suffering from stress are often looking for the worst case scenario or 'catastrophizing'; these individuals are constantly watching for, and processing possible instigators of disaster.
CBM works by having the patient consciously look for the positives, to find the silver lining in the clouds, in a controlled manner. Over time this help realign the unconscious processes along more positive and productive lines, and eventually will allow the patient to automatically evaluate situations with greater balance.
Cognitive Bias Modification has been found to be an effective exercise for individuals suffering from anxiety based disorders such as Stress, Depression and PTSD. | <urn:uuid:0444c46e-f590-43be-8b7c-4b33242ce84b> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://achievinggreatness-cbmhelper.andro.io/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128322320.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20170628032529-20170628052529-00679.warc.gz | en | 0.944149 | 335 | 2.515625 | 3 | The extract discusses Cognitive Bias Modification, a methodology to improve unconscious decision-making processes. It provides a straightforward explanation and a simple tool to apply this methodology. However, it lacks depth in soft skills development, such as teamwork, leadership, and complex problem-solving. The extract focuses on individual cognitive improvement with limited practical application to real-world scenarios.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 197,643 | 0 |
An introduction to multicultural education
The book opens by describing the goals of multicultural education and misconceptions about it. Banks' five dimensions of multicultural education are also discussed early in the book, exposing readers to the framework that is used in school districts across the country and is widely reprinted in educational publications. It devotes an entire chapter to curriculum, clearly outlining the difference between curriculum transformation and curriculum integration of ethnic and cultural content.
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Dimensions and School Characteristics
Challenges to Multicultural Education
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academic achievement action African American Afrocentric American exceptionalism American Revolution American students Arawaks Asian Americans Banks behavior Bell Curve challenge Chapter characteristics citizens classroom colleges Columbus communities cooperative learning create Crocco cultural diversity cultural groups dents describes develop more positive dimensions of multicultural discrimination effective ethnic and cultural ethnic diversity ethnic groups ethnic studies Garcia gender goal of multicultural help students Hispanics identity implement important Italian Americans key concepts knowledge construction Latinos low-income students mainstream major ment Mexican Americans movement multicultural curriculum multicultural education multicultural school nation nation's schools Native Americans paradigm percent perspectives positive racial attitudes race racial and ethnic racial groups reflect restructure Revolution rience school culture school districts school reform skills needed social studies social-class groups students and students students from diverse students of color teaching strategies textbooks tion transformative tural U.S. society United University unum White women youths | <urn:uuid:6fe06d45-1920-434c-ab9f-728e451d5518> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://books.google.com/books?id=dqUQAQAAMAAJ&q=tion&dq=related:ISBN1847691633&source=gbs_word_cloud_r&hl=en | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886105955.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20170819235943-20170820015943-00597.warc.gz | en | 0.854097 | 310 | 3.625 | 4 | The extract provides a comprehensive introduction to multicultural education, discussing its goals, dimensions, and challenges. It covers various aspects of multicultural education, including curriculum transformation and integration of ethnic and cultural content. The extract also touches on important topics such as discrimination, diversity, and social-class groups, promoting cultural awareness and understanding.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 908,664 | 1 |
There are so many things that people might inadvertently say to those of us living with a chronic illness that can make our heads feel like exploding. Too often our friends and loved ones want to give us encouragement, but instead they might unintentionally offend us, make us angry, or demonstrate that they don’t understand.
It’s hard to feel good about yourself
When you live with a chronic disease such as multiple sclerosis, it becomes difficult to feel good about yourself and about your situation. When someone says, “but you look so good” or “you don’t look tired or sick at all,” he may not be saying that he doubts how you feel. He might really be trying to make you feel good.
While we want others to be understanding and empathetic, it’s important to hear their comments with our own understanding ears. Actually, we might need to learn how to listen… but that’s a topic for another day.
Several friends and family members of persons living with MS who participate in our community have asked for information about what they SHOULD say to someone with MS. There is a desire to flipflop the average “what NOT to say” topic into a “how to support someone with MS”-style article.
When I first thought about this, I tested different phrases on myself. It was not easy to come up with prescribed words to suggest how you, the reader, should speak to your friend or loved one with MS. So, I turned it around and instead want to share some phrases or questions I’d LOVE to hear from those around me.
What to say
“I don’t have MS, so I don’t know exactly what you go through, but I’d like to learn more. How does MS affect you?”
“How can I help? Please let me know.”
“I understand that how you look might not match how you feel. Would you like to talk about how you’ve been doing lately?”
“We’ve love to have you [join us, meet us, attend an event], but if something comes up and you aren’t able to, we will understand. No pressure; just let us know in case we can make other arrangements.”
“Is there anything I should know, or something I might not have thought of, that will make it easier for you to participate?”
In response to a comment such as “I’m so tired today.”
“I’m so sorry that you are feeling this way today. I don’t like feeling tired either, but I know that my ‘tired’ is not quite the same as your ‘tired.’ I hope you feel better tomorrow.”
Or simply, “I’m so sorry that you are feeling this way today. I hope you feel better tomorrow.”
What do each of these statements have in common?
They demonstrate an openness to listen to the person and show that you want to engage with the person in a way that supports his/her needs. They do not suggest that the person with MS should do something specific to ‘fix’ their disease or make it better. They also do not try to show empathy by stating you understand the person’s situation just because you experience something similar. Instead, these questions/statements express an understanding that you don’t really know, but that you sincerely care enough to learn. | <urn:uuid:f9401ade-4053-4f5c-98fe-833544e7f803> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://multiplesclerosis.net/living-with-ms/what-id-like-to-hear-you-say/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886105712.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20170819182059-20170819202059-00591.warc.gz | en | 0.966573 | 751 | 2.53125 | 3 | The extract scores high for its thoughtful discussion of soft skills, particularly empathy, active listening, and effective communication in a sensitive context. It provides realistic scenarios and practical phrases to promote understanding and support for individuals with chronic illnesses, demonstrating nuanced interaction and complex problem-solving opportunities.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 838,868 | 1 |
Consumerism Essay Assignment 1
Write a well-developed essay that discusses the following issue and that is based upon three objects (BarbieŽ, the lunchboxes, and the blue jeans) together with documents A-D. Be sure to include evidence from the objects and documents:
Analyze the ways that mass consumption has shaped American society between the years 1955 and 1975. In your answer, be sure to discuss the social and technological developments that contributed to this change.
Where children's TV programs do succeed for advertisers, they succeed with glory. Television, for one thing, has made brand-name buyers of children. What boy of fifteen years ago had the slightest idea who manufactured his cap pisto1? Today he knows it's made "swell" by Mattel. What girl of ten years ago questioned the origin of her new doll9 Today it's got to be Remco, or take it back, Daddy.
Through the use of television advertising, Mattel, which is a firm launched in a garage workshop twenty years ago, pushed its sales from $4,000,000 in 1954 to $22,000,000 in 1960. Remco entered television in 1955, and by 1958, despite a major plant expansion, it was unable to fill 40 per cent of the orders received. Maypo even conquered the child's traditional opposition to his oatmeal through the use of TV commercials that insisted humorously that "cowboys like Maypo."
Television actually has revolutionized the toy business. Everything once was geared to Christmas, and the year tailed off into incidental sales after that. Today the toys are advertised all year round and consequently they are sold all year round.
From Stan Opotowsky, TV: The Big Picture, New York: E. P Dutton & Co., 1961, p. 166.
My favorite jeans will be three years old this spring. They are thin and worn; patched with remnants of clothes I've made. . .
I bought my jeans on sale at Steinbach's for $4.50 when I was a 7th grader at the Clayton Middle School. Although I wore them everywhere else I went, I was not allowed to wear them to school, due to an archaic dress code enforced by the school authorities, forbidding any kind of pants.
The next fall I wrote to the American Civil Liberties Union for legal aid in defending my right to free expression in wearing pants to school . . . . The important conflict was not related to sex discrimination; it was a matter of personal freedom for those whose taste in clothing does not conform with that of the administration . . .
I wore them when I went to see Janis Joplin in concert at the Garden State Arts Center . . . . The first time I ever went canoeing, I wore them.
They were especially comfortable with sandals and a poncho, but I often wore them with sneakers and a T-shirt. Of course they became very beat-up looking, but I couldn't bear to throw them away.
Excerpts of letters from the donor, Brigid McMenamin, to a museum curator, offering her jeans to the Smithsonian in 1973.
[The students were] dressed Revolutionary Street Fighter. After the strike at [San Francisco] State, middle-class students didn't show up on campus any more in letter sweaters or those back-to-school items like you see in the McGregor ads. They dressed righteous and "with the people." They would have on guerilla gear that was so righteous that Che Guevara would have had to turn in his beret and get bucked down to company chaplain if he'd come up against it. They would have on berets and hair down to their shoulders, 1958 Sierra Maestra style, and raggedy field jackets and combat boots and jeans, but not Levi's or Slim Jims or Farahs or Wranglers or any of those tailored hip-hugging jeans, but jeans of the people, the black Can't Bust `Em brand, hod-carrier jeans that have an emblem on the back of a hairy gorilla, real funky jeans and wooly green socks, the kind that you get at the Army surplus at two pair for 29 cents.
From Tom Wolfe, Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers in Radical Chic & Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1970, p. 126, describing students at San Francisco State University in 1969.
This is the year of the Barbie Look and the Barbie Look is the fashion look. That's right. Correct. The swinginest, liveliest, zinginest fashions of the Barbie Look. Come feast your eyes on Barbie and Midge and look at the Barbie Look. The hairdo's the big news. The fashions are smashin'. For night or day; for school or play, the look is the Barbie Look. Look what's happened to Ken and Allen, his friend with the new bendable legs. They're really the end. So like Midge and Barbie, they're better by far because they all have the look. The fashion look. The great new Barbie Look. There's one, and two, and three, and four, and that's only the begizming, there's a whole lot more. So get on down to see the Barbie Look in the fashions and the dolls as well. You're going to love `em, because after all, you can tell they're Mattel. They're swell.
Television Advertisement for BarbieŽ, c. 1960. From Cy Schneider, Children's Television: The Art, The Business, How It Works, Lincolnwood, Ill.: NTC Business Books, 1987, p. 27. | <urn:uuid:d4de8c6e-ac44-46b4-a735-2379005e93a7> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://www.learning.si.edu/idealabs/ap/writing/assign1.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549423927.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20170722082709-20170722102709-00347.warc.gz | en | 0.965545 | 1,200 | 2.703125 | 3 | The extract provides a historical context of consumerism in American society between 1955 and 1975, with a focus on the impact of mass consumption and advertising on social and cultural developments. While it touches on basic communication and teamwork concepts, such as the influence of television advertising on consumer behavior, it lacks depth and practical application. The extract primarily focuses on historical analysis and cultural critique, with limited opportunities for nuanced interaction, complex problem-solving, or professional development.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 389,050 | 0 |
Read online (below), or download pdf (see "attachment").
Who was Lenin? He led the workers of the Tsarist Russian Empire to make the most profound revolution in history in 1917. He was the leader of the Russian Bolshevik Party, without which the workers would have been defeated.
Of Karl Marx's fate at the hands of his alleged followers in the early socialist movement, Lenin wrote that it was often the fate of revolutionaries that after their deaths their names were made into legends to console the oppressed, while their ideas — their real politics, what they had stood for in life — were thrown out and replaced by something else. Something very like that happened to Lenin himself. It happened to him almost immediately after his death. The bureaucracy which ruled the USSR mummified his poor physical remnants, built a great 'Lenin Mausoleum' and created an obscene national shrine around the mummy.
Lenin had stood for maximum working class democracy. The rulers who made him — and Marx — into a holy icon of their pidgin-Marxist state religion, proceeded in the decades after his death to build an anti-socialist totalitarian state on the groaning backs of the people of the USSR. Lenin had liberated the many oppressed nationalities of the Tsarist empire: Stalin put them back under the control of Great Russian chauvinist jailers and oppressors. Lenin had stood for the international socialist revolution. Stalin tried to build 'socialism' in backward Russia, substituting "socialism in one country" for Lenin's programme of international socialism. Lenin had defended the right of independent trade unions to exist in the USSR: everywhere Stalinists ruled and rule, such organisations of the working class are systematically and brutally rooted out.
At every important point the Stalinists, who lyingly call themselves Leninists, radically cut away what Lenin had really stood for and adopted anti-working-class policies — the very opposite of those which Lenin spent his life fighting for. Now that Stalinism has fallen in the USSR and Eastern Europe, we have the inverse process. Lenin, who spent his last crippled years fighting incipient Stalinism, is scapegoated for the discredited despotic system which rose up on the defeat of Lenin's last struggle, continued after Lenin's death by Trotsky and others.
This pamphlet is offered to the reader as an introduction to what Lenin — the man who led the greatest working class revolution so far — really did in his life, what he said and what he fought for and against.
The contents were published as a pamphlet in 1987, based on articles in the weekly Socialist Organiser in 1982 (nos. 108-113). They have been slightly edited for this reprinting. The 1982 text was adapted from a series of articles in the paper Workers' Fight in 1974.
The beginning of Bolshevism
Born in the provincial town of Simbirsk, into the family of a schools administrator, Lenin was no stranger to revolutionary ideas other than Marxism. His brother Alexander had been hanged in 1887 for planning the assassination of the Tsar. Alexander had been a member of the populist, agrarian socialist Narodnik organisation. But if the execution of his brother sharpened Lenin's sense of injustice, it was not the views or the methods of the Narodniks that influenced him, but those of Marx, Engels and Plekhanov. By the time he was 19 Lenin had already read Marx's Capital and begun to ground himself seriously in its scientific method.
The first things Lenin wrote were directed at countering Narodnaya Volya's faith in the peasantry with Marxism's scientific theory of the central historic role of the working class. Whereas the Narodniks saw the peasantry — 'the People' — as a single mass, Lenin used detailed studies to show the differentiation within these masses, how out of 'the People' was crystallising the proletariat, the modern working class. He also criticised the tactics of the Narodniks, who sent out heroic and isolated revolutionaries with guns and bombs to act in the name of 'the People' and assassinate the hated representatives of Tsarist tyranny.
What he had to say in the course of fighting these terrorist tactics is particularly instructive for us today. "We have never rejected terrorism on principle, nor can we do so... The point is however, terror is advocated (by the Narodniks) not as one of the operations the army in the field must carry out in close connection and in complete harmony with the whole system of fighting, but as an individual attack, completely separated from any army whatsoever. In view of the absence of a central revolutionary organisation, terror cannot be anything but that".
This was the period when the new Russian working class, recently driven into the factories from the countryside, revolted against their conditions and against Tsarist tyranny, with wave upon wave of mass, illegal strikes. Even the savage Tsarist repression failed to quell the movement of the workers, which was spontaneous and lacking in any stable organisation. Trade unions were of course illegal. There were also groups of "intellectuals" who had imported the ideas of Marxism into Russia from Western Europe. These turned eagerly to the task of aiding the proletarian movement and to the task of fusing a revolutionary Marxist consciousness with the actual movement of the working class. In turning towards these tasks, Lenin emerged in the 1890s as one of the foremost of the younger generation of Russian Marxists.
In 1895 Lenin travelled abroad to contact the émigré Emancipation of Labour Group and learn about developments in the West European labour movement. The Emancipation of Labour Group comprised the oldest generation of Russian Marxists, like Plekhanov, Axelrod, Zasulich and Deutsch, and was the powerhouse of Russian Marxist analysis and propaganda.
With them, he arranged for the publication of a miscellany, Rabotnik (Worker). Returning to Russia, he arranged for its illegal distribution, and in the autumn of 1895 set up in St Petersburg the League for the Emancipation of the Working Class and arranged for the publication of a new illegal paper, Rabochye Dyelo. But just as the proofs of the paper were finally being checked, Lenin and most of the other members of the League were arrested.
After a period in jail Lenin was sent into exile in Eastern Siberia. Here he was joined by his comrade Nadezhda Krupskaya. They were married in 1896. Neither jail nor exile meant silence or inactivity. This was a period of intense political study, the monument to which is the massive work The Development of Capitalism in Russia. But he was cut off from the working class, and unable to carry out the urgent task of building a working class revolutionary organisation. From the time of his release in 1900 he concentrated his entire energy on this.
His first idea was to break with the isolated 'circle work', in which scattered groups of Marxist propagandists existed more or less independently of each other throughout Russia. In order to do this, a paper, an all-Russian paper, needed to be founded, which would act as an organiser and centraliser for the whole Social Democratic movement (Marxism was called Social Democracy until 1914). This centralism was to prefigure the unification and ideological independence of the working class. Again he travelled abroad, realising that the paper would have to be produced outside Russia owing to the close police supervision there of every move. At the end of 1900 this work bore its first fruit with the appearance of Iskra (The Spark), and then in January of the following year a journal, 'Zarya' (Dawn), was produced. Now he set about that work that was to lead to a breakthrough in Marxist thinking, and in its practical effects was to become one of his most important and most characteristic contributions to Marxism as a revolutionary force: the organisation of the Russian workers' revolutionary drive into a fighting party.
Although an attempt to found a party had been made in 1898 while he was in exile, it had collapsed almost immediately when nearly all the delegates to the founding conference were arrested soon after it. The period from 1894 to the first Congress of the Party in 1898 had been, in Lenin's own words, one in which Social Democracy appeared "as a social movement, as a rising of the masses of the people, and as a political party". Even the Zubatov "unions" — so-called because they were "unions" organised by the police chief Zubatov — led strikes, even general strikes, in large cities, so great was the spontaneous will to struggle of the working class.
But if Social Democracy appeared now as "a political party", it was a political party in the sense of a broad range of people having common characteristics and acting more or less together. Lenin understood that what was wanted was something that broke out of the scattered, restricted work of the Marxist educational and leaflet-distributing circles and became a factor on the national political scene, enabling the working class in turn to unite organisationally and ideologically. This party had to combine the features of an organisationally secure unity capable of escaping the secret police and of a politically trained and unified group capable of directing struggles surely and single-mindedly.
The period of the rise of working-class struggle in the '90s was, however, also the period of the rise of the theory of 'economism', the view that economic, trade-union struggles of workers were in themselves an adequate basis for the political struggle of the working class, leaving the sphere of the political struggle to the domination of the bourgeoisie. All Marxists then agreed that the first revolution in Russia would be a bourgeois revolution. The "economist" approach meant surrendering the working class in politics to the leadership of that bourgeoisie, while the socialists concentrated on trade unionism and general propaganda.
The inevitable separation between "economic struggle" and "political struggle" that this entailed made economism the at first unwitting, and later conscious, ally of the revisionism that had just reared its head in Germany. The revisionists wanted to transform Social Democracy from a movement to overthrow capitalism into one aiming merely to achieve reforms.
In the famous book What Is To Be Done, Lenin outlined a "first draft", so to speak, of the theory of the organisation and role of the party. Published in 1902, the book developed ideas already set out in Where To Begin (1901) and Letter To A Comrade In St Petersburg. The book showed how a central revolutionary organisation based on a scientific programme could both link together the fragmented struggles of the working class and also link the struggles of that class on a whole series of fronts and around a great variety of objectives. It would do this by forging out of these disparate struggles an organisational and ideological unity which would be a crystal of the true character of the proletariat. The struggle to protect the purity of the proletarian character of the revolutionary movement was concentrated within the revolutionary party. But it had a clear relationship to the movement outside. "The stronger our Party organisations, consisting of real Social Democrats, the less wavering and instability there is within the Party, the broader, the more varied, the richer and the more fertile will be the influence of the Party on the elements of the working-class masses surrounding it and guided by it".
In backward, semi-Asiatic Russia, however, where the peasantry, the bourgeoisie, and the petty bourgeoisie of both the town and the countryside, as well as the working class, were oppressed classes, there was a great danger that the working-class movement would fall under the domination of these far more numerous classes. The struggle against false ideas developing in and around the workers' movement had to be coupled with an equally determined struggle against external class influences.
With the Second Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1903 came a sharpening of differences within the RSDLP. Ranged against Lenin were all those who understood a "party" to be nothing more than an assembly of people who were on the same side. Such a conception was entirely inadequate to the founding of a "party" whose practice and programme was based on an underlying scientific theory, whose members had to be steeled, dedicated, and politically trained. Lenin had to fight against many of his one-time collaborators to establish his ideas. He won, but his victory was short-lived: though his Bolshevik (majority) faction triumphed over the Mensheviks (minority) at the Congress, the defection of Plekhanov soon afterwards to Menshevism put Lenin in the minority on the Editorial Board of Iskra, which was the decisive party committee outside Russia. He resigned from the Editorial Board.
Thus began a long and bitter struggle in which he fought not only his close collaborators of the previous period such as Martov and Potresov, but also his teacher Plekhanov. He began to build up a faction that was finally to emerge in 1912 as the Bolshevik Party. The split in 1903 is referred to in vulgar Stalinist legend as already exhibiting in fully developed form all the distinguishing traits of both Bolshevism and Menshevism, traits which led the two factions to line up on different sides of the class barricades in the revolution of 1917.
In reality it was no more than their prefigurement. A whole series of experiences, struggles, reunifications, new splits and the interchange of personnel was necessary before the final crystallisation of the two tendencies.
Many of the active workers in Russia rallied to Lenin against the "anarchic" behaviour of the émigré Menshevik intellectuals who had overturned the conference decisions. The debates of this period were anticipations of the burning problems of the revolution. "The approach of the great storm was felt everywhere. All classes were in a state of ferment and preparation".
The flow and ebb of revolution
After living in Munich and London, Lenin was in Geneva when the revolutionary storm actually broke in Russia. On 22 January 1905 thousands of workers, dressed in their Sunday best and carrying religious icons, marched to the Tsar's Winter Palace in St Petersburg to present a petition to ask for "amnesty, civil liberties, higher wages, the gradual granting of land to the peasantry and the convocation of a Constituent Assembly". Led by the priest Gapon, these "unfortunate reviled slaves", as they called themselves, proceeded peacefully towards the man they saw as their protector, the Tsar. Suddenly the Cossacks were unleashed against them. Over 1,000 were slaughtered and over 2,000 injured.
Strikes immediately spread throughout Russia, drawing in the soldiers, the sailors, and the peasantry. Throughout 1905 mass revolutionary struggles engulfed Russia. Although the liberal bourgeoisie seems to have gained control of the movement, strikes broke out once again towards the end of 1905, and it was this massive upheaval that created the first Soviet of Workers' Deputies.
The soviets were councils set up by the workers to draw the threats of the different struggles together and unify them, to link the factory organisations, to combine the employed and the unemployed, and in short to be the "parliament" of the working class — not, however, one resting on a sham democracy with elections every five years, but on a real democracy knowing the right of workers to recall the deputies to the Soviet and at will elect new ones. Quickly the Soviet in St Petersburg became (with Leon Trotsky as its chairman) the focus of the strength and power of the working class, and an alternative authority to the Tsarist state. It was to the Soviet that the working class looked for leadership and organisation. Into it were channelled the energy and aspirations of the class.
The Russian workers had improvised the form of democratic self organisation which the working class needs as it begins to rouse itself and challenge the ruling class's power in society. Soviets reappeared in the 1917 Revolution. After World War I soviets sprang into existence in East Europe and Germany. In 1956 the great working-class uprising in Budapest against Stalinism could find no better form of self organisation in a struggle for power than the workers' council. At Gdansk in 1980 the workers created a powerful soviet-style "parliament". This universality proves that the soviet, invented in 1905, was not merely a Russian or an ephemeral form of proletarian organisation, but the necessary form for overcoming the atomisation of the proletariat and simultaneously the best organisational network for democratic working-class rule in society.
In St Petersburg the Bolsheviks did not at first know how to evaluate this new form of organisation. But Lenin, though he could not then know their full historical significance, quickly grasped the soviets' importance in the struggle of the working class, and could not wait to get to St Petersburg himself to see and direct events from close at hand. Moving first to Finland, he arrived towards the end of the year in St Petersburg.
Once again, Lenin's unshakeable sense of the concrete led him to translate what he saw into an answer to the question, "what is to be done?" And once again the answer was in terms of party organisation. Here was an opportunity "to develop our activities in the most extensive and audacious manner". But first the party had to develop many legal aspects of work while maintaining an underground apparatus. It had also to open its doors, hitherto rigorously guarded against easy entry, to the recruitment of thousands of workers and ensure that workers took leading positions on all the committees. This was no reversal of the view that consciousness and system were the fundamentals of the revolutionary party — on the contrary, it was precisely because in the previous three years the Bolsheviks had achieved this that they could now recruit without any danger of dilution. "The working class is instinctively, spontaneously Social Democratic", declared Lenin in the first article he wrote on returning, adding, "and more than ten years' work by Social Democracy has done much to transform this spontaneity into consciousness".
Here and elsewhere, he introduced essential qualifications and modifications into the ideas of What Is To Be Done?, developing those ideas in the light of the experience of the working-class struggle. The party, Lenin realised, must not be like a priest reciting sacred and unchanging texts. It must always be the organised richness of the experience of the working class, given sense and direction through the science of Marxism.
By 1906, especially after the defeat of the Moscow insurrection in December 1905, the storm was dying down. Soon Tsarism was victorious and most of the revolutionary leaders were once again forced into exile, Lenin himself going to live in Paris. Everywhere there was "demoralisation, split, discord, renegacy", with "mysticism serving as a cloak for counter-revolution". It was now, in this period of black reaction, with the revolutionaries increasingly isolated, that the lessons of the 1905 Revolution were drawn and the political tendencies in the working-class movement were hammered into their final shape. And now too the Bolshevik Party, which was to lead the proletariat to victory within a decade of the decisive defeat of 1907, was forged.
Lenin summed up what happened after Tsarism had defeated the 1905 revolution: "Victorious Tsarism is compelled speedily to destroy the remnants of the pre-bourgeois, patriarchal mode of life in Russia. Russia's development along bourgeois lines marches forward with remarkable rapidity... Revolutionary parties must complete their education. They have learned how to attack. Now they must learn... how to retreat properly".
But for the revolutionaries, to learn to retreat, to face the situation of massive depression in the aftermath of defeat, to adopt tactics appropriate to this new situation, to go down again into the underground after the open work possible during the revolution — this was indeed difficult. Reorientation and re-education of the revolutionaries proved a bitter task to accomplish, specially against the background of defeat and demoralisation.
The whole period was for Lenin taken up with a battle on two fronts, against both ultra-right and ultra-left tendencies. In the heat of the revolution the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks had reunited. After the defeat new divisions emerged. A section of the Mensheviks became open reformists, and a section of the Bolsheviks reduced themselves to ultra-left posturing, which threatened, no less than the reformist Mensheviks, to make the revolutionary tasks impossible.
The Bolshevik ultra-lefts were known as the "otzvoists" (recallists), and led by Bogdanov, Alexinski and Lunarcharski. The Social Democrats had successfully boycotted the democratic Tsarist Duma (parliament) during the revolution, when mass struggle provided its own alternative. Now, in retreat, it became necessary to change tactics, to learn to utilise even a reactionary undemocratic Tsarist parliament for socialist propaganda.
Lenin, in alliance at first with the Menshevik section of the party, advocated such use of the Duma. Eventually he overcame the at first almost unanimous Bolshevik resistance; the continued revolutionary depression made the need for change increasingly obvious.
Except to the hard-core "otzvoists". Their ultra-leftism, threatening to reduce the revolutionary party to self-isolation and unrealism, was linked with a retreat into mysticism. They tried to develop socialism as a sort of religion. Eventually they were expelled from the Bolshevik faction.
The Menshevik reformists, the "Liquidators", unlike the otzvoists who were their mirror opposites, wanted to confine themselves entirely to open work within Tsarist legality, liquidating the underground party. Legal trade unions were now possible, and on this basis they increasingly argued, in effect, for the creation of a working-class party of reforms.
Lenin wanted to make the fullest use of all possibilities for legal work, such as in the Duma and the unions, but never to limit either the activity or the propaganda of the workers' party to what Tsarism permitted. That would have been to surrender the ideological, political and organisational independence of the working class.
Once again, an apparently technical question of organisation represented really crucial issues, as the eventual evolution of the liquidators into full-blown reformists demonstrates.
"The proletariat is revolutionary only insofar as it is conscious of and gives effect to (the) idea of the hegemony of the proletariat. To preach to the workers that what they need is 'not hegemony but a class party' (the slogan of Livitski, a liquidationist) means to betray the cause of the proletariat to the liberals; it means preaching that Social Democratic labour policy should be replaced by liberal labour policy". (By a "class party", the liquidationists meant a party sociologically working class and narrowly confined to bread-and-butter working class issues within existing society).
The struggle on both fronts culminated for Lenin and the Bolsheviks in the Prague conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party at the beginning of 1912. Together with a group of "Pro-Party Mensheviks", the Bolsheviks decisively cut off the Liquidators. Thereafter the RSDLP was essentially the old Bolshevik faction.
Now, after years of depression and isolation, the Russian labour movement began to revive, particularly after the shooting of striking workers on the Lena Goldfields. In 1912 Lenin moved from Paris to Cracow (in Russian-ruled Poland), to be as near as possible to the struggle in Russia. The Bolsheviks began to reap the rewards of their combination of legal and illegal work. In 1912 they began to publish Pravda as a legal daily paper.
International socialism — war and the national question
Much of Lenin's theoretical work at this time was focused on the national and colonial question. One of Lenin's major contributions to Marxism was his clarification of this. Russia had rightly been called the 'prison house of nations', with non-Russian nationalities outnumbering Russians in the Tsar's empire. What policy should Russian Marxists adopt towards Russia's subject nations?
They took a 'consistently democratic' stand, advocating self-determination for nations and for fragments of peoples who felt nationally oppressed. The preservation of existing state boundaries was no concern of the working class.
Lenin insisted that the road to international working class unity lay through the fullest rights of nations to a separate existence at will. National oppression poisoned the relations of workers in both the oppressed and oppressor nations. It was imperative that the revolutionary party of the oppressor nation accept and fight for the national rights of the oppressed nations. Conversely, the revolutionary parties of the workers of the oppressed nations and peoples would oppose the chauvinism and narrow national exclusiveness of the bourgeoisie and petty bourgeoisie of their nations, fighting in this way for international working class unity.
In contrast to this, the Marxists of that other prison house of nations, the Austrian Empire, redefined the right to self-determination of nations as the right to mere cultural freedom within the borders of the existing state, which were regarded as sacrosanct. Lenin pointed out that this policy of "cultural national autonomy" merely perpetuated nationalism, and in no way helped international working class unity.
Lenin wrote a number of pamphlets and articles to combat the Austrians on the right and also an ultra-left tendency personified by Rosa Luxemburg, who maintained that, for example, recognition of Poland's right to self-determination was a futile and retrograde step because Poland and Russia had been economically integrated.
This question eventually fused with the problem of the world-wide struggle against imperialism. Lenin demonstrated that it was precisely in the period of the highest stages of capitalism that there would be a whole wave of wars of national liberation against imperialism. He argued that revolutionaries everywhere, and especially those in the imperialist countries, must support the oppressed nations and stand for their right to break out of the empires which oppressed them and set up their own states.
Admitting that political independence would be limited by the imperialist world economic relations now dominant, Lenin argued that the answer to the economic domination of imperialism was workers' revolution on a world scale, but consistent democracy on the national question was an irreplaceable part of the programme of socialism. His writings of that time are full of denunciations of those who did not understand that the right of nations to self-determination would still be a vital issue even after the socialist revolution.
In future decades, when the Stalinist USSR, with about half its population non-Russians, became the largest prison-house of nations on earth, and the lack of national self-determination became a dominating feature of life in countries like Poland, the national question became once again one of the most explosive issues in Russia and Eastern Europe. Lenin's policy on the national question became an essential part of the answer to Stalinism there.
The national question took on new sharpness as World War One loomed. Lenin had participated in the congresses of the international socialist movement, though he had concentrated heavily on Russian affairs. Now, in 1914, when the World War broke out, the whole international socialist movement splintered into nationalist sections. Instead of the international brotherhood of the working class against war to which the International had repeatedly pledged itself, the outbreak of war produced fratricidal slaughter.
The same artillery fire that lit up the corpse-littered battlefields now highlighted the real situation within the international labour movement, which had become rotten with careerism and reformism. Social Democrats became "social chauvinists" overnight, supporting their national governments in the war. Jules Guesde, a leader of the French socialists, even became Minister of War.
Russia was one of the few countries where the majority of socialists did not spring to "defend the fatherland", though even here a social chauvinist wing emerged, headed by Plekhanov.
For Lenin the most crushing and unexpected blow was the fate of German Social Democracy, which also supported the imperialist war. This party, representing over four million voters, went over massively to chauvinism. What shocked Lenin was the fact that Karl Kautsky, the revered "Pope of Marxism", and the man whom Lenin had regarded as his teacher for the previous two decades, refused to echo the words of the revolutionary left, led by Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht: "The enemy is at home! Turn the imperialist war into a civil war". Instead, he began to rationalise for the renegades.
Kautsky's betrayal, masked by chatter about disarmament conferences, drew from Lenin a number of brilliant articles which exposed the social chauvinists, including those who had been pillars of "Marxist orthodoxy" during the debates with the "revisionists" like Bernstein.
Now Lenin turned to a complete examination of the whole of the preceding period of the Marxist labour movement. He set about digging down to the very roots of the rottenness that had corrupted both the theory and practice of the parties of the Second International.
He bitterly rejected and combated the shallow programme of the Kautskys that after the war they should "reconstruct the Second International".
He exposed how the daily life of the Second International parties had led them gradually to accommodate and intermesh with the bourgeois state, much as the liquidators had tended to in Russia. He reworked his way through the whole literature of Marxism, relating it to the whole experience of the class struggle.
He uncovered and, in a series of famous pamphlets like The State and Revolution (1917), proved that the "orthodox" Marxists like Kautsky had for years falsified, vulgarised and bowdlerised the real teachings of Marxism on the state, the class struggle and the proletarian revolution. Implacably Lenin struggled to understand, expose and eliminate from the labour movement the baseness, loathsomeness and vileness of social-chauvinism and 'Kautskyism'.
This was the only way to cleanse the labour movement and rebuild a working class international on firmer foundations. Gradually, small groups of revolutionaries began to make contact and prepare the revival. A conference of revolutionary socialists was held in Zimmerwald in Switzerland in 1915, and another in Kienthal in 1916.
While the ravages of war seemed to stifle all political life, its very barbarism and the conditions it imposed on the working masses both at the front and at home provided the leaven for revolution. As Engels, predicting the world war as long before as 1887, had said: "Eight to ten million soldiers will mutually massacre one another and in so doing devour the whole of Europe ... Only one result is absolutely certain: general exhaustion and the establishment of the conditions for the ultimate victory of the working class."
In Russia at the outbreak of war what had been a growing movement of the working class was suddenly stifled. The Bolshevik deputies in the Duma were arrested for opposing the war. But within a short period, the collapse, the slaughter, the famine of the war revived the movement of opposition of the working class.
On 22 February 1917 a wage dispute at the giant Putilov works in Petrograd sparked off a lock-out which within the week had generated a mass movement of striking workers, supported by mutinying troops and sailors. The slogans demanding higher wages were soon replaced by ones demanding "Bread", "Down with the autocracy", and "Down with the war".
The leadership of the movement was quickly taken over by the leaders of the Left in the old Duma, Kerensky, Chkheidze and Skobolev. The Soviet that been so important in the revolution of 1905 was reborn.
And, as a symbolic portent of the coming situation of dual power, it met in the Tauride Palace (the parliamentary buildings) on the 27th, the day the Tsar dissolved the Duma.
A Provisional Government was soon called into office with Prince Lvov as Prime Minister. But on the same day the Soviet issued its Order No. 1 urging the setting up of more Soviets, particularly in the army and navy, and instructing workers, soldiers and sailors not to obey any orders unless countersigned by the Soviet.
Lenin arrived in Russia, in Petrograd itself, in April. He was greeted by Chkheidze, then the chairman of the Soviet, who warned Lenin about the dangers of disunity now that the democratic revolution could be fulfilled. But Lenin ignored these pompous, yet anxious words.
He turned to the people gathered around and announced: "Dear comrades, soldiers and workers. The piratical imperialist war is beginning to become a civil war throughout Europe ... The Russian revolution accomplished by you has prepared the way and opened up a new epoch. Long live the world-wide socialist revolution."
The Bolshevik leaders there at the Finland Station to meet him were shocked at what Lenin had said. Some of them must have thought he had gone mad or — as indeed he had — gone over to Trotsky's view that the Russian revolution must take the course of combining the democratic and socialist revolutions under the leadership of the working class.
Lenin, who had the marvellous capacity to combine concrete analysis and realism in every situation with rigid adherence to principle, had seen the possibilities of full proletarian victory. Really, he merely developed previously worked-out ideas on the motive forces of the Russian Revolution to their logical conclusion.
The October Revolution
Both Bolsheviks and Mensheviks had believed that the revolution possible in Russia was a bourgeois revolution like that of France in 1789. They differed in that the Mensheviks deduced mechanically that the revolution would be led by the big bourgeoisie.
Concrete as ever in analysis, Lenin insisted that the bourgeoisie would not, and did not wish to, carry out the bourgeois transformation of Russia in a revolutionary way — as opposed to the 'Prussian road' of a slow transformation front above in alliance with the landowners. One reason was their intense fear of the working class, especially after the experience of 1905. Therefore the bourgeois revolution would have to be made by the peasantry in alliance with the working class.
Trotsky agreed with the Bolsheviks, but argued that such a worker peasant alliance, led by the working class, could not stop at completing the tasks of the bourgeois revolution, but would go on to carry through working class socialist measures. It was inconceivable that the working class could take power and yet not look to its own class interests and concerns.
To the argument that Russia was not ripe for socialism, was too backward, etc., Trotsky replied that the revolution would not finish even with workers' victory in Russia: that would be the starting point in a linked chain of proletarian revolutions which would lead to the workers' conquest of power in the advanced capitalist countries. This was the theory of Permanent Revolution.
Slowly, step by step, Lenin had arrived at the same position as Trotsky. And he had done more than Trotsky. He had built a party that, once he had rearmed it to understand the new possibilities, would be able to ensure that the perspective of workers' power in Russia was more than a mere possibility.
The Bolshevik leaders who resisted Lenin were relapsing into a neo-Menshevism because of inertia and uncritical repetition of yesterday's formulae without reference to today's realities. "The truth is concrete", insisted Lenin. Marxism was a method for analysis of the world, not dogmas and sacred texts.
Once again the party had to be shaken up. In a short time Lenin shook it up rallying the working-class rank and file against the 'old Bolshevik' leaders. | <urn:uuid:6f5536bb-320f-41bc-932c-3cd8c033170c> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://www.workersliberty.org/story/2010/03/15/lenin-and-october-revolution-0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386163065790/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204131745-00018-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972372 | 7,291 | 3.53125 | 4 | The extract provides a detailed historical account of Lenin's life and his role in the Russian Revolution, but it lacks direct discussion of soft skills and their application in a practical context. However, it does touch on aspects of leadership, critical thinking, and problem-solving through Lenin's experiences and decisions. The text primarily focuses on historical and political analysis rather than soft skills development. Therefore, the score is justified as it reflects the extract's limited coverage of soft skills.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 613,323 | 0 |
There is so much inspiration inside this door. It is one of a few at the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park. Rosie the Riveter, of course, takes center stage inside.This National Historical Park, after all, is about Rosie, the women who were the workforce that carried the country when their menfolk were fighting in the war abroad. The one thing that touched me the most, however, the activity that had tears running down my cheeks, was the Park Ranger Program, Of Lost Conversations, presented by the National Park Service’s oldest Park Ranger, Betty Reid Soskin, who spoke about her experiences as a young African American woman during WWII. She also related her family’s experiences in a changing and growing nation starting with her great grandmother who was born a slave in Louisiana, to her mother whose work choice was limited by segregation, to Betty’s getting a job as a clerk which was pioneering for African American women. She spoke of the strides achieved for equality, and responding to the challenges of keeping what have been achieved in place.Betty’s 95 years of experience shows in her words. She knows what it was like when people were separated based on color and gender. She values the changes that the sacrifices of Martin Luther King, Jr and Rosa Parks have brought, and is contributing through her work to keep the changes alive.
I didn’t have any expectations visiting the National Historical Park with the longest name; but I came out of its door inspired. | <urn:uuid:4a905de8-045c-44b1-a8f0-35d9ce3ff007> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | https://deetravelssite.wordpress.com/2017/04/27/thursday-doors-rosie-the-riveter-wwii-home-front-nhp-california/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320368.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20170624235551-20170625015551-00636.warc.gz | en | 0.982179 | 314 | 2.640625 | 3 | The extract scores high for its thoughtful discussion of emotional intelligence, leadership, and critical thinking, as embodied by Betty Reid Soskin's experiences and storytelling. It promotes cultural awareness, intercultural fluency, and historical context, highlighting the importance of equality and social change. The narrative encourages empathy and reflection, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of complex social issues.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 294,119 | 1 |
Support 2YC Students with Disabilities
This module was developed by Virginia McLaughlin, Sharon deFur, Elizabeth Auguste, and Amanda Armstrong. (2015). School of Education, The College of William & Mary.
Disability, or differing ability, is a natural part of human existence. As faculty or instructors, we are in a position to minimize challenges that a disability might create for our students who live with disabilities, and to then help these students change their college stories from struggling to success. As a community, the field of geoscience has demonstrated proactive leadership in the area of open access to all interested students. Major efforts include the development of the Consensus Statement Regarding Access and Inclusion of Individuals Living with Disabilities in the Geosciences (see below) published by the American Geosciences Institute, and the work of organizations like the International Association for Geoscience Diversity.
This website offers ideas and support for fostering access and inclusion of students living with disabilities, with particular emphasis on those studying geoscience at two-year colleges (2YCs).
AGI's Consensus Statement Regarding Access and Inclusion of Individuals Living with Disabilities in the Geosciences (June 2015)
The geosciences are central to understanding the interaction between the Earth system and humankind, and are vital to global economic and social development. As a community, it is important that we are inclusive, welcoming, and open to all members of society. The geosciences face challenges in securing the workforce necessary to meet the needs of the coming decades. To increase talent and diversity in the geoscience workforce, opportunities for more inclusive learning and professional development must be developed that enable all geoscientists to advance academically and professionally, including those living with disabilities.
The member societies of the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) are committed to promoting educational and career opportunities to all geoscientists through proactive efforts that engage individuals with disabilities and reduce barriers to full inclusion, in accordance with any relevant national regulations. Consequently, we, as the representative leadership of geoscientific professional societies and organizations, seek to embrace, empower, engage and sustain the participation and retention of individuals living with disabilities within all sectors of the geoscience community.
As an inclusive geoscience community, supportive of the needs of all current and future geoscientists, we agree to:
- Encourage the development of flexible learning environments and inclusive curricula, including in the classroom, laboratory, and field that are conducive to developing the skills of geoscientists of all physical, sensory, or cognitive abilities.
- Foster the participation and support the retention of geoscientists who live with disabilities in academic communities, our professional organizations, and the workforce.
- Promote accessible pathways for students with disabilities to transition into geoscience careers that maximize their unique perspectives, competencies, and abilities.
- As a representative society, ensure that career and professional development opportunities are made available to geoscientists with all abilities to support life-long growth, and by extension, promote inclusion and act as an example for other organizations.
Regardless of the disability, each student has a unique set of strengths, talents, and needs. Understanding something about the range of disability and treating each student as an individual will help you support them toward success.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), in concert with other laws, directs college and university faculty to provide eligibility-based and reasonable accommodations to college students with documented disabilities.
Understanding challenges associated with disabilities in the classroom as well as potential strategies to help students learn will increase your confidence that your teaching can reach all students and contribute to their success in your course.
Students with disabilities can be successful in college courses, programs, and careers when performance expectations are conceptualized inclusively. Your willingness to incorporate Universal Design practices will ensure access for a broad range of learners and minimize the need for additional individual accommodations. This webpage describes instructional adaptations you might make.
American Geosciences Institute. (2015). Disability consensus statement. Retrieved from http://www.americangeosciences.org/community/disability-consensus-statement
The International Association for Geoscience Diversity. (2015). The International Association for Geoscience Diversity. Retrieved from http://www.theiagd.org/ | <urn:uuid:2c9364b1-04a5-4e44-bc79-73a498fd6273> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://serc.carleton.edu/sage2yc/disabilities/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370515113.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20200403154746-20200403184746-00455.warc.gz | en | 0.931655 | 888 | 3 | 3 | The extract scores high for its discussion of inclusivity, accessibility, and support for students with disabilities, demonstrating a strong emphasis on empathy and cultural awareness. It provides practical applications and resources for faculty to create inclusive learning environments, promoting professional development and digital literacy. However, it lacks direct discussion of other soft skills like leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 843,224 | 1 |
Monitoring your child's contact with his or her surrounding world
Do you need to be a superhero with x-ray vision and eyes in the back of your head to be a careful monitor? Of course not. You don't need to be with your child every minute of every day, either. Being a careful monitor combines asking questions and paying attention, with making decisions, setting limits, and encouraging your child's positive choices when you aren't there.
When your child is young, monitoring seems easy because you are the one making most of the decisions. You decide who cares for your child; you decide what your child watches or listens to; you decide who your child plays with. If something or someone comes in contact with your child, you're usually one of the first to know.
Things may change as your child gets older, especially after school begins and into the pre-teen and teen years. As kids begin to learn about their own personalities, they sometimes clash with their parents? personalities. A parent's ability to actively monitor is often one of the first things to suffer from this clash.
Parents need to monitor their children's comings and goings through every age and stage of growth.
Being an active monitor can be as simple as answering some basic questions:
- Who is your child with?
- What do you know about the person(s) your child is with?
- Where is your child?
- What is your child doing?
- When will your child be home/leaving?
- How is your child getting there/home?
You won't always have detailed answers to these questions, but it's important to know most of the answers, most of the time.
You may also want to keep these things in mind when being an active monitor:
- Open the lines of communication when your child is young and keep those lines open.
It seems obvious, but honest communication is crucial. When your child is young, talk openly about things you do when you aren?t with your child; then ask your child what he or she does during those times. As your child gets older, keep up this type of communication. Both you and your child have to take part in open, two-way communication.
- Tell your child what thoughts and ideals you value and why.
For instance, if being respectful to adults is an ideal you want your child to have, tell him or her; even more importantly, tell him or her why you think it's important. Don't assume that your child knows your reasons for valuing one practice or way of behaving over another.
- Know what your child is watching, reading, playing, or listening to.
Because TV, movies, video games, the Internet, and music are such a large part of many of our lives, they can have a huge influence on kids. Be sure you know what your child's influences are. You can't help your child make positive choices if you don't know what web sites he or she visits or what he or she reads, listens to, watches, or plays.
- Know the people your child spends time with.
Because you can't be with your child all the time, you should know who is with your child when you're not. Friends have a big influence on your child, from pre-school well into adulthood. Much of the time, this influence is positive, but not always. With a little effort from you, your child might surround him or herself with friends whose values, interests, and behaviors will be "pluses" in your child's life. Your child also spends a lot of time with his or her teachers. Teachers play a vital role in your child's development and overall well-being, so get to know your child's teachers, too.
- Give direction without being rigid.
In some cases, not being allowed to do something only makes your child want to do it more. Is the answer just plain "no" or does it depend on the circumstances? "Yes, but only if..." is a useful option when making decisions.
To find out how some parents use monitoring in their daily parenting practices, visit the section that relates to your child's age. Or you can read on to learn about mentoring.
|A special note to those of you with pre-teens or teenagers4,5
Keep in mind that even if you're the most careful monitor, your child may have friends and interests that you don't understand or don't approve of. You may not like the music she listens to, or the clothes he wears, or the group she "hangs out" with. Some of these feelings are a regular part of the relationship between children and adults. Before you take away the music or forbid your child to see that friend, ask yourself this question:
Is this (person, music, TV show) a destructive influence?
In other words, is your child hurting anyone or being hurt by what he or she is doing, listening to, wearing, or who he or she is spending time with? If the answer is "no," you may want to think before you act, perhaps giving your child some leeway. It's likely that taking music away, not letting your child watch a certain show, or barring your child from spending time with a friend will create a conflict between you and your child. Make sure that the issue is important enough to insist upon. Think about whether your actions will help or hurt your relationship with your child, or whether your actions are necessary for your child to develop healthy attitudes and behaviors. You may decide that setting a volume limit for the radio is better than having a fight about your child's choice of music.
Being your child's mentor can keep your child from being hurt by encouraging him or her to act in reasonable ways. Now let's think about mentoring. | <urn:uuid:aac03d10-9d94-4b43-b604-b1432c2be4ab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.seabhs.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=4731&cn=82 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698017611/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095337-00089-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970424 | 1,198 | 3.25 | 3 | The extract provides guidance on monitoring a child's interactions and activities, emphasizing open communication, setting limits, and encouraging positive choices. It touches on basic communication and teamwork concepts, such as active listening and collaboration between parents and children. However, the content primarily focuses on parenting skills rather than directly developing soft skills like leadership, critical thinking, or intercultural fluency.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 76,115 | 0 |
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