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The internet is an unforgivably vast and undeniably dangerous place, which is open to all ages so long as they have access to it. The things our kids can find online in mere moments are the kind of things we could never have even imagined when we were their age; such is the reality of raising a child in 2014.
But should the responsibility of education and monitoring when it comes to online safety for kids fall 100% on the parents? Or are the teachers just as responsible? This is a question that is up for debate and has no definitive answer, but whether you’re a parent, a teacher, or simply a concerned friend or older sibling, there are certain things that you should know when it comes to children and the internet.
Just because you’ve found explicit content on your child’s computer, smartphone or tablet, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they meant to download it. Statistics show that one in four children have experienced unwanted exposure to graphic pictures, which have been sent to them online. These are often sent through social media sites, or through email addresses found in chat rooms. Chat rooms are nowhere near as popular now as they were in the early days of the internet, but they are still kicking around and there is still no way of telling if your kids are actually talking to who they think they’re talking to.
When many young people come into contact with distressing material online, their first instinct will be to hide from it as they might feel embarrassed or ashamed. For this reason, less than 10% of online solicitations are actually reported to the authorities, or even the internet service provider. This means that offenders will continue to get away with it time and time again unless they are called out. The best way to help in this respect is to let your children know that if they are approached online by a stranger, it is not their fault and they should (if anything) be proud for taking a stand against these malicious individuals.
Depriving a child of a mobile phone in this day and age would be seen as (by them and their peers at least) cruel and unusual torture. These devices rarely leave their pockets, and it’s a sadly familiar sight to see families sat around a dinner table with the kids barely focusing on their food as they keep one eye on their Facebook profile or their fingers are busy with texting. The war has already been lost and the tide can be stemmed no longer, so you might just have to live with the fact your child will be almost surgically attached to their phone until they hit their 20’s (and even then they’ll probably struggle). This doesn’t mean, however, that you shouldn’t be aware of what exactly your child is using his or her phone for. Spying technology can prove real handy in this regard. You can simply install a text message spy app on his or her mobile phone to get access to all the text messages that are sent or received on the monitored device, along with the details of sender/receiver and the exact time and date at which the messages were exchanged. As for keeping tabs on all cell phone activities, including phone contacts, web
history, images, etc, you may want to opt for an app that offers a more comprehensive list of features. Of course, these apps have a broader scope of monitoring but cost significantly more than their weaker counterpart.
Applications (or ‘apps) such as BBM and WhatsApp are similar (in theory) to internet chat rooms and platforms such as Microsoft’s Instant Messenger, the crucial difference here though, it that they will have access to it at all times. Services such as BBM and WhatsApp have been used as platforms for predators to contact children and can quite easily be hacked into by those with the right knowledge. Because of this, it’s advised you seriously talk your young child out of using services such as these! Tell them, however, that if they insist on using these apps that they only converse with people they already know “In real life.”
Many modern digital TV’s (especially ‘Smart’ TV’s) are connected to the internet and besides putting a password on your Netflix account, there are numerous other factors to consider. For example, it’s incredibly easy for your child to accidentally purchase a program or service through a modern digital TV service with little more than a few button presses. Online services such as ‘Get Me Digital‘ should be able to tell you everything you need to know.
With WiFi, children can access the internet from almost anywhere, but these WiFi stations might not have the same restrictions as your WiFi at home. To solve this problem ‘Friendly WiFi’ will be launched later this year to help with online safety for kids throughout areas such as cinemas, shops, restaurants and more, that will allow parents to let their children loose online without worrying about what they might stumble across.
Unlike ‘traditional’ bullying, where kids could hide in the comforting arms of their parents at the end of a school day, online bullying is relentless and all consuming. The suicide rates associated with online bullying are astonishingly bleak and the most tragic thing is that in most circumstances, the parents simply had no idea it was happening. If your child seems distant, upset and is spending a lot more time online than usual, it’s important that you ask them whether or not they are having any troubles at school or online. Although it’s easy for us to say “Why don’t they just close their Facebook account,” or “Why don’t they just turn off their computers,” this completely goes against their way of life and social networking has exposed this in a terrifying way.
Above all just keep an eye on your children, but not to a point where they think you are snooping! Do what you can and keep their well-being in mind! | <urn:uuid:1fc545a4-3a49-436c-a403-30ca7f14e66b> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | http://radicalhub.com/what-every-parent-or-teacher-should-know-about-potential-online-dangers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250589861.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20200117152059-20200117180059-00373.warc.gz | en | 0.97529 | 1,226 | 2.59375 | 3 | The extract discusses online safety for kids, highlighting the importance of parental and teacher responsibility. It covers topics like unwanted exposure to explicit content, online bullying, and the need for monitoring. While it provides practical advice, the discussion lacks depth in soft skills development, such as emotional intelligence, leadership, and critical thinking. The extract focuses on awareness and basic protection measures, without exploring complex scenarios or nuanced interactions.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 303,557 | 0 |
Faced with the possibility of natural gas drilling in their state, 900 environmental activists from almost 30 campuses across New York joined together for the first time to coordinate their protests and help each other push back against the practice termed fracking.
Reed Steberger, one of the many leaders of the New York State meeting at Powershift 2011, came up with the idea of organizing the state around fracking. Steberger. a high school dropout who worked his way into to Cornell, has since taken a leadership role as an environmental activist at the state and local levels.
On Sunday, he collected email addresses for a listserv and Facebook group.
“I don’t think I chose fracking as the issue to organize around, it chose me,” said Steberger on the issue. He spent his summer in Ithaca playing folk music and spoke with many landowners there.
Hydrofracturing, or fracking for short, is the process by which sand, water, and chemicals are blasted into a well to create cracks in the earth that release natural gas. It has been banned for years, but on July 3rd, the moratorium on fracking in New York expires. If that happens, drilling is expected to begin soon thereafter.
Chemicals used in fracking have been shown to cause lung disease, cancer and countless other medical conditions. These problems are unusually prevalent in communities where fracking takes place, and have been the focus of several recent documentaries like Gasland and Split Estate.
The natural gas industry’s official position has been that neither the chemicals nor the process is dangerous to people. But the opinions of the people that have become sick or have developed cancer, including and especially those represented in Gasland, is markedly different.
Much of New York lies on the Marcellus Shale, a layer of rock known to be abundant with natural gas.
“It’s the first major moratorium of it’s kind in the world,” said Gasland director Josh Fox, “and it needs to serve as an example for everyone else.”
Steberger said he had a vision of New York in 50 years: he was still able to gaze out at a beautiful landscape. That’s why he and many others from Ithaca came to Powershift, he said, to ask for the help of the rest of the state.
The problems near Ithaca produced a number of leaders that weekend.
Ava Holmes, 15, attended Powershift with a group from her high school, The Lehman Alternative Community School. Back in her hometown, Holmes organized a community screening of Gasland.
While there may not be any fracking going on near Ithica just yet, the nearby Cayuga Lake has fallen victim to fracking pollution nonetheless. Frackers from Pennsylvania dump fluids there. “That’s where we get our drinking water from,” she said.
She was also appalled by the way natural gas companies treated the people whose water they polluted. “The worst thing for me was seeing how the filters the companies gave the people were melted by the chemicals they were supposed to catch,” said Holmes.
Holmes introduced Gasland to 2,000 people, telling her story in the process. “I was born in Oregon, moved four times, and now I live in Ithaca. When I got there, I stopped worrying about all of the construction and smokestacks I’d seen elsewhere,” she said.
But after stumbling upon Gasland in a coffee shop, Holmes returned to activism. She proudly told me about a picture of she had of herself yelling at a construction truck. She was five in the photo.
Beal St. George, a graduate of Ava’s school who is now in college, also opposes fracking. She worked for State Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton last summer and will be joining her again after finals.
Lifton is an active opponent of fracking who worked hard to extend the moratorium last summer. She even visited affected communities in Pennsylvania to better understand how her own could eventually look. According to St. George, it only strengthened her resolve.
New York residents made up almost 10% of attendees, the most of any single state. Many of them came from areas that would be affected. “The whole world is looking to New York,” said Fox.
As for the 900 New who attended Powershift, they had each other to look to. Their goal is to coordinate their efforts and make everyone aware of hydrofracking, the moratorium on it, and the damage that could be done if it were lifted.
“If people know the scale of the problem, then they’ll know what the scale of their response needs to be,” said Steberger. | <urn:uuid:864cd144-f008-4ea7-a973-0eb1fba7a5bd> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://sbpress.com/2011/04/at-powershift-new-yorkers-band-together-to-say-no-fracking-way/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320763.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20170626133830-20170626153830-00633.warc.gz | en | 0.979618 | 986 | 2.640625 | 3 | The extract scores 4 points as it showcases realistic scenarios integrating emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities, with a strong emphasis on intercultural fluency and technological adaptation. The story highlights the coordination and teamwork among environmental activists, featuring leaders like Reed Steberger and Ava Holmes, who demonstrate advanced communication and problem-solving skills in the face of a complex issue like fracking.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 226,253 | 1 |
A mice study reveled the benefits of acupuncture in treating sepsis through the stimulation of the immune system targeted to combat inflammation.
A Rutgers New Jersey Medical School study published in Nature Medicine found that half the septic mice that received electroacupuncture survived for at least two weeks when compared to the septic mice that did not receive the treatment. It was deduced that electroacupuncture stimulates the release of dopamine from the adrenal glands to help influence the immune system that then helpes reduce inflammation, whereas adding dopamine by itself does not have an effect. With sepsis causing around 250, 000 deaths in the US each year, “in many cases the patients don’t die because of infection,” says Luis Ulloa, an immunologist are Rutgers. “Instead they die because of inflammatory disorder they develop after the infection,” which is why this study is significant. Additionally, the study also found that a drug called fenoldopam, which mimics dopamine, succeeded in reducing deaths by sepsis by 40%. The team noted that even without acupuncture, fenoldopam was able to achieve the reduction in death. In conclusion, the study provides an avenue for developing drugs for humans that could reduce sepsis death because currently there is no FDA-approved drug to treat sepsis. Ulloa adds that she does not know “whether in the future the best solution for sepsis will be electroacupuncture or some medicine that will mimic electroacupuncture.” Nevertheless, the findings opened up new roads for both acupuncture and a drug for treating sepsis.
To access the article click here. | <urn:uuid:d3238c2e-0948-48e2-8280-235ac84902c6> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://exploreim.ucla.edu/news/a-study-finds-a-direct-connection-between-acupuncture-and-the-physical-mechanisms-that-heal-sepsis/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320763.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20170626133830-20170626153830-00519.warc.gz | en | 0.951297 | 339 | 3.1875 | 3 | This extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing instead on a scientific study about acupuncture and sepsis treatment. There's no coverage of communication, teamwork, leadership, or problem-solving scenarios, and no emphasis on cultural awareness, digital literacy, or professional development.
Educational score: 0 | 0 | 0 | 197,642 | 0 |
Crowdsourcing Paperback / softback
Part of the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series series
A concise introduction to crowdsourcing that goes beyond social media buzzwords to explain what crowdsourcing really is and how it works. Ever since the term "crowdsourcing" was coined in 2006 by Wired writer Jeff Howe, group activities ranging from the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary to the choosing of new colors for M&Ms have been labeled with this most buzz-generating of media buzzwords.
In this accessible but authoritative account, grounded in the empirical literature, Daren Brabham explains what crowdsourcing is, what it is not, and how it works. Crowdsourcing, Brabham tells us, is an online, distributed problem solving and production model that leverages the collective intelligence of online communities for specific purposes set forth by a crowdsourcing organization-corporate, government, or volunteer.
Uniquely, it combines a bottom-up, open, creative process with top-down organizational goals.
Crowdsourcing is not open source production, which lacks the top-down component; it is not a market research survey that offers participants a short list of choices; and it is qualitatively different from predigital open innovation and collaborative production processes, which lacked the speed, reach, rich capability, and lowered barriers to entry enabled by the Internet. Brabham describes the intellectual roots of the idea of crowdsourcing in such concepts as collective intelligence, the wisdom of crowds, and distributed computing.
He surveys the major issues in crowdsourcing, including crowd motivation, the misconception of the amateur participant, crowdfunding, and the danger of "crowdsploitation" of volunteer labor, citing real-world examples from Threadless, InnoCentive, and other organizations. And he considers the future of crowdsourcing in both theory and practice, describing its possible roles in journalism, governance, national security, and science and health.
- Format: Paperback / softback
- Pages: 168 pages
- Publisher: MIT Press Ltd
- Publication Date: 10/05/2013
- Category: Communication studies
- ISBN: 9780262518475 | <urn:uuid:fcb8bde6-06e2-4453-9271-7d995d411763> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Daren-C-Sr-Director-Analyst-Gartner-Brabham/Crowdsourcing/14538330 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875146064.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20200225080028-20200225110028-00082.warc.gz | en | 0.89895 | 442 | 2.5625 | 3 | The extract provides a concise introduction to crowdsourcing, explaining its concept, benefits, and applications. It touches on communication, collective intelligence, and problem-solving, but lacks depth in emotional intelligence, leadership, and nuanced interaction. The discussion is mostly theoretical, with some real-world examples.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 557,620 | 0 |
For hundreds of years, a species of flying squirrel was hiding right under (actually, above) our noses.
A new study published May 30 in the Journal of Mammalogy describes a newly discovered third species of flying squirrel in North America — now known as Humboldt’s flying squirrel, or Glaucomys oregonensis. It inhabits the Pacific Coast region of North America, from southern British Columbia to the mountains of southern California. Until now, these coastal populations were simply thought to be the already-known northern flying squirrel.
“For 200 years we thought we had only had one species of flying squirrel in the Northwest — until we looked at the nuclear genome, in addition to mitochondrial DNA, for the first time,” said study co-author Jim Kenagy, professor emeritus of biology at the University of Washington and curator emeritus of mammals at the Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture.
Biologists used to classify the flying squirrels of California and the coastal Pacific Northwest as northern flying squirrels. It wasn’t until lead author Brian Arbogast, associate professor of biology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and formerly a postdoctoral researcher at UW and the Burke Museum, looked closely at the genetics of flying squirrel specimens from the Burke’s collections that it became apparent that they may be a different species. Flying squirrels collected since the early 1900s in the Pacific Coast region often looked smaller and darker than their counterparts from east of the Cascades.
Ultimately, it was DNA testing that revealed a third species unique to the Pacific Northwest.
The Humboldt’s flying squirrel is known as a “cryptic” species — a species that was previously thought to be another, known species because the two look similar.
This new discovery of the Humboldt’s flying squirrel is the 45th known species of flying squirrel in the world. What are now three species of flying squirrels in North and Central America are all small, nocturnally-active, gliding squirrels that live in woodland habitats. These creatures don’t actually fly like bats or birds. Instead, they glide from tree to tree by extending furred membranes of skin that stretch from the wrist of the forearm to the ankle on the hind leg. Their feather-like tail provides extra lift and also aids in steering. The gliding ability of flying squirrels is remarkable; they are capable of gliding for up to 100 meters and can make sharp, midair turns by using their tail as a rudder and moving their limbs to manipulate the shape and tautness of their gliding membranes.
The squirrel specimens in the Burke Museum’s collections — and other natural history museums around the world — are standing by for future researchers to learn more about these remarkable “new” creatures.
Read the full article in UW Today.
More news: National Geographic | <urn:uuid:b3ff393e-12f8-4594-9f25-cae731d9ecd0> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.biology.washington.edu/news/news/1497024900/jim-kenagy-and-collaborators-discover-new-species-flying-squirrel | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224652116.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20230605121635-20230605151635-00434.warc.gz | en | 0.955692 | 600 | 3.953125 | 4 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on scientific discovery and biological information. It provides no opportunities for developing communication, teamwork, or problem-solving skills, and does not address cultural awareness or digital literacy.
Educational score: 0 | 0 | 0 | 537,885 | 0 |
An interesting experiment attempted to measure what affected people’s propensity to help others. The subjects of the experiment were seminary students. They were given a Bible passage and directed to write a short talk on it, after which they were to go to another building and deliver the speech. On their way to the building, each participant encountered a person lying on the ground, groaning in distress. What percentage of seminary students would stop to help the victim?
Other parameters: Some of the participants were actually given the passage in Luke about the Good Samaritan as their text. Some were told to defend the relevance of the clergy in modern life. Some were told they were late as they were sent to the other building, others were told they had time but might as well go anyway. All participants filled out questionnaires prior to the experiment on which they indicated their reasons for joining the seminary. Some indicated they joined to help others. Others said they joined to serve God.
Researchers predicted that those who joined the clergy to help others would be more likely to stop and help. Similarly, they predicted that those who were given the Good Samaritan story as their text would also be more likely to stop.
They were wrong on both counts.
The only factor that affected a person’s likelihood of stopping to help an injured person was whether or not they believed they were late. Of those rushing to get to the other building, only 10% stopped to aid the victim. Even those who said they had joined the clergy to help others; even those who were given the Good Samaritan story just a few minutes earlier. Some of them actually stepped over the victim on their way to the other location. However, of those who believed they had time, 63% stopped to offer assistance. That is a striking difference in responses.
We sometimes run across curriculum that lays out every lesson and standard for every day of the school year. Many of the lessons in this type of curriculum have 6-8 standards which the students are “mastering” and 30-40 specific points which the teacher must address during a single lesson. Often, there are many lessons like this, strung together with no breaks for reteaching or space for enrichment. The pacing for the curriculum is so tight that the teacher doesn’t dare get off track for even a day because that would put the class behind. Every core content area is similarly scripted.
Given what the experiment with the seminarians demonstrated, how likely is a teacher to respond to the needs of a struggling student if the pacing of the content is so rapid and unrelenting?
Another piece of research:
An older study found that American teachers address far more topics in Math and Science than their international colleagues and American teachers make fewer connections between lessons — meaning that topics tend to be discrete rather than connected. Ninety-six percent of Japanese teachers make connections between math and science lessons while only forty percent of American teachers do so. Japanese lessons were far more likely to be developed, meaning they illustrated or explained a concept to be learned, often at some depth. Four fifths of Japanese lessons were developed as opposed to only one fifth of American lessons, even when researchers made the definition of “developed” as generous as possible. The remainder of lessons were simply stated concepts with no illustration or explanation at all. (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1994-95)
Essentially, this means that American teachers are striving for coverage rather than conceptual understanding. Not surprisingly, a complementary study found that students improved their performance in Math when they had sustained examination of a few important topics rather than superficial coverage of many topics. In other words, when the pacing was slowed, the content reduced to a few critical concepts, and the focus of the instruction shifted to deeper activities such as problem-solving and real-world connections, kids performed better on assessments (Newman, F., Marks, H. and Gamoran, A. “Authentic Pedagogy: Standards that Boost Student Performance.” (1995))
A friend of mine is fond of saying, “It’s hard to be polite when you’re in a hurry.” I would submit that it’s hard to do a lot of things when you’re convinced you’re going to fall behind, even if you know those things are important and believe strongly in doing them. It’s hard to be reflective, hard to create lessons that require critical thinking, hard to incorporate hands-on activities, hard to make real-world connections, hard to notice a child who is struggling with understanding, hard to reteach creatively and effectively.
Hard not to step over someone on your way to the finish line. | <urn:uuid:f98c9b01-078b-4cf4-93f1-4397e7874c85> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://curriculumsolutions.net/2019/03/15/pacing-and-the-good-samaritan/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250589861.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20200117152059-20200117180059-00415.warc.gz | en | 0.983788 | 973 | 2.71875 | 3 | The extract earns a high score for its thoughtful discussion of soft skills, particularly empathy, critical thinking, and problem-solving. It presents realistic scenarios, such as the seminary experiment, to illustrate the importance of pacing and prioritization in responding to the needs of others. The text also highlights the value of conceptual understanding over rapid coverage of topics, promoting a nuanced approach to education.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 325,442 | 1 |
Remedies Outside The Court System In India: Past And Present
“The administration of justice through culture is an appropriation of culture that exploits Indigenous knowledge and spirituality in order to meet the government’s bureaucratic policy and goals.”
Abstract: Peace is sine quo non for development of the nation. Conflict is a fact of life. It is not good or bad. However, what is important is how we manage or negotiate it. Negotiation techniques are often central to the process of resolving conflict and as a basic technique these have been around for thousands of years. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) refers to a variety of streamlined resolution techniques designed to resolve issues efficiently when the conventional negotiation fails. ADRs is alternative to existing formal legal system which lessens the burden of cases in law Courts. To get out of this maze of litigation, courts and lawyers’ chambers, most of the countries encourage alternative methods of dispute resolution. India being one of the antique civilization, has a long tradition and history of such methods being practiced in the society at grass roots level, mainly called as panchayats. Panchayat system was widely in use in India for resolution of disputes – both commercial and non-commercial.
There is presence of Indigenous methods of disputes resolution in present India also, which must not take us to the conclusion that they are similar to existing ADR. Though Panchayat system appears to be based on similar process of dispute resolution to that of ADR; Panchayat was most efficient mechanism which stood as part of Human civilization in the Orient (India). The later one, unlike ADRs (modern), involves community participation, and operates in friendly environment. The main object of dispute resolution by Panchayat is community good and not the interest of parties, it is the concept of Dharma, Custom, Charitrathat abides Panchas(Adjudicators) and they are not wholly free to arrive at the conclusion at their whim.
After Independence we altogether adopted alien philosophy and system of justice administration and still imitate Anglo-Saxon methods of dispute resolution. At this juncture we are in confused state of mind to choose either of the one, because common-law had its deeproots in India, undoing what happened in almost 400 hundreds of Indian history is myth. However, adopting and blind appraisal of alien philosophy will take us from bad to worse. In light of these observations the author wishes to conduct impartial research so as to arrive at appropriate reconciliatory solutions.
In relation to disputes involving in rural and semi-rural India, there appear to be three emerging modes of alternative resolution processes. One mode involves Western-based paradigms such as negotiation, conciliation, arbitration and mediation. A second mode involves Indigenous paradigms, which call for the rejuvenation and reclamation of ways in which disputes may be resolved according to the culture and custom of the Indigenous party involved. Due to the diversity and distinctiveness of aboriginal peoples across the continent, Indigenous methods of dispute resolution are not easily summarized into categories. Rather, they are reflective of the Indigenous teachings from which they come and therefore may be different from one aboriginal nation to another. A third mode is a combination of the two paradigms.
All three modes, however, share similar challenges. Whether using an Indigenous paradigm, a Western one or a combination of the two, issues of power, cultural differences, language barriers and the effects and impacts of colonialism need to be addressed. This paper examines several of these common challenges. It examines differing worldviews in relation to dispute settlement and conceptualizes the Indigenous paradigms and Western paradigms based upon these worldview differences. Very importantly understanding of all these paradigms, their merits and demerits are to be analyzed and assessed. Undue importance to one, whether it may be by reason of ignorance or otherwise will have serious adverse impact over society. This paper tries to lay more emphasis on Indigenous dispute resolution system in ancient India as well as their continuance till today. In particular, it will try to find out new ways in which Indigenous and Western ADR paradigms may work cooperatively together while simultaneously protecting and respecting worldview and cultural differences.
2. Concept of Alternate Dispute Resolution System: Brief History
A: In Olden Days
Before formation of law Courts in India, people were settling the matters of dispute by themselves by mediation. The mediation was normally headed by a person of higher status and respectable among the village people and such mediation was called in olden days “Panchayat”.
Such panchyat may be village Panchayat, Caste Panchayat, and Guild Panchayat which act as informal mechanism of dispute resolution. The Pancha is the person of integrity, quality and character who will be deemed to be unbiased by people of the locality, called Village headman (Sarpanch) and he was assisted by some people of same character or cadre from several castes in the locality. The dispute between individuals and families will be heard by the Panchayat and decision given by the Panchayat will be accepted by the disputants. The main end of such redressal by panchayat was the welfare of the disputants and of the society at large. Similarly in case of dispute between two villages, it will be settled by Body of Mediator consists of person acceptable to both villages and the decision of such mediation will be accepted by peopleboth villages. The disputes in olden days seldom reached law Courts. They were even settling the complicated civil disputes, criminal matters, family disputes etc. Such type of dispute resolution maintained the friendly relationship between the disputants even after resolution of their disputes. ADR techniques have also been largely based on co-existential justice. “This form of justice has . . . always been part of African and Asian traditions where conciliatory solutions were seen to be to the advantage of all and often as a sine qua non for survival”.
Let us take ADRs in its ordinary contextual form and discus about its origin and development. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR, sometimes also called “Appropriate Dispute Resolution”) is a general term, used to define a set of approaches and techniques aimed at resolving disputes in a non-confrontational way. It covers a broad spectrum of approaches, from party-to-party engagement in negotiations as the most direct way to reach a mutually accepted resolution, to arbitration and adjudication at the other end, where an external party imposes a solution. Somewhere along the axis of ADR approaches between these two extremes lies “mediation,” a process by which a third party aids the disputants to reach a mutually agreed solution. The term "alternative dispute resolution" or "ADR" is often used to describe a wide variety of dispute resolution mechanisms that are short of, or alternative to, full-scale court processes. The term can refer to everything from facilitated settlement negotiations in which disputants are encouraged to negotiate directly with each other prior to some other legal process, to arbitration systems or mini-trials that look and feel very much like a courtroom process. Processes designed to manage community tension or facilitate community development issues can also be included within the rubric of ADR. ADR systems may be generally categorized asnegotiation, conciliation, mediation, or arbitration systems.
B. ADR in Modern Era
Modern ADRs originated in the USA in a drive to find alternatives to the traditional legal system, felt to be adversarial, costly, unpredictable, rigid, over-professionalized, damaging to relationships, and limited to narrow rights-based remedies as opposed to creative problem solving. The American origins of the concept are not surprising, given certain features of litigation in that system, such as: trials of civil actions by a jury, lawyers' contingency fees, lack of application in full of the rule "the loser pays the costs". Beginning in the late nineteenth century, creative efforts to develop the use of arbitration and mediation emerged in response to the disruptive conflicts between labor and management. In 1898, Congress followed initiatives that began a few years earlier in Massachusetts and New York and authorized mediation for collective bargaining disputes. In the ensuing years, special mediation agencies, such as the Board of Mediation and Conciliation for Railway Labor, (1913) (renamed the National Mediation Board in 1943), and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (1947) were formed and funded to carry out the mediation of collective bargaining disputes. Additional State Labor Mediation services followed.
The 1913 New lands Act and later legislation reflected the belief that stable industrial peace could be achieved through the settlement of collective bargaining disputes; settlement in turn could be advanced through conciliation, mediation, and voluntary arbitration85. The well- organized ADRs movement in the United States was launched in the 1970s, beginning as a social movement to resolve community-wide civil rights disputes through mediation, and as a legal movement to address increased delay and expense in litigation arising from an overcrowded court system. Ever since, the legal ADR movement in the United States has grown rapidly, and has evolved from experimentation to institutionalization with the support of the American Bar Association, academics, courts, the U.S. Congress and state governments. For example, in response to the 1990 Civil Justice Reform Act requiring all U.S. federal district courts to develop a plan to reduce cost and delay in civil litigation, most district courts have authorized or established some form of ADR. Innovations in ADR models, expansion of government-mandated, court-based ADR in state and federal systems, and increased interest in ADR by disputants has made the United States the richest source of experience in court connected ADR.
Around 1970’s the situation in US was not totally different from other developed and developing countries of the world it had suffered all short of defects for the reason of adopting English system of justice administration. Edward Bennet Williams, as appeared in U.S. News and World Report of September 21, 1970,
“The Legal System isn’t working. It is like scarecrow in the field that doesn’t sacre the Crows anymore because it is too beaten and tattered-and the crows are sitting on the arms and cawing their contemptuous definance”.
In the same manner Earn Warren in his Speech at Johns Hopkins University as Reported in San
Francisco Examiner and Chronicle of Nov. 15, 1970,
“The greatest weakness of our judicial system is that it has become clogged and does not function in a fluent fashion resulting in prompt determination of guilt or innocence of those charged with crime”.
Considering the delay in resolving the dispute Abraham Lincon has once said: “Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can point outto them how the nominal winner is often a real loser, in fees, expenses, and waste of time”.
In the same vein Judge Learned Hand commented, “I must say that as a litigant, I should dread a law suit beyond almost anything else short of sickness and of death”. These all the cautionswere rightly perused by Judicial and political thinker of US and gave way to their Home madepractices of ADRs.As most countries of the world were constantly in lack of efficient justice dispensingsystem, quickly turn their face towards ADRs, as a result of which within short period ADRsrecognized not only at the domestic level but also at the international level. Furthermoredevelopments in economic field i.e. trade commerce throughout the world is greatly in need ofmechanism of speedy disposal of their cases, as matter of inevitability commercial worldaccepted this new development. ADRs proved efficient and timely in corporate sector as result ofdeveloping countries like India get attracted to ADRs.
ADRs today fall into two broad categories: court-annexed options and community-based dispute resolution mechanisms. Court-annexed ADR includes mediation/conciliation—the classic method where a neutral third party assists disputants in reaching a mutually acceptable solution—as well as variations of early neutral evaluation, a summary jury trial, a mini-trial, and other techniques. Supporters argue that such methods decrease the cost and time of litigation, improving access to justice and reducing court backlog, while at the same time preserving important social relationships for disputants.
Community-based ADR is often designed to be independent of a formal court system that may be biased, expensive, distant, or otherwise inaccessible to a population. New initiatives sometimes build on traditional models of popular justice that relied on elders, religious leaders, or other community figures to help resolve conflict. India embraced Lok-Adalat village-level people’s courts in the 1980s, where trained mediators sought to resolve common problems that in an earlier period may have gone to the Panchayat, a council of village or caste elders.
Mandatory process of ADRs requires the parties to negotiate, conciliate, mediate or arbitrate, prior to court action. ADR processes may also be required as part of prior contractual agreement between parties. Whereas, in voluntary process, submission of dispute to the ADRS depends entirely on the will of the parties.
3. Challenges before three emerging modes of alternative resolution processes:
While setting out the scope of the research author made it clear that this paper is dealing with three important dispute mechanism (i) Common Law Courts (ii) Mediation, Arbitration and Conciliation (USA type) (iii) Indigenous Modes of Dispute resolution. Let us have look at the challenges that are faced by these three processes.
3. (i) (a): Present Legal System had its origins in the dominant philosophy of Britain of those days. It is based on the notion of an Austinian state, where a single monarch or a power had all the power which was indivisible. All powers devolved from top down. That was the structure of the modern nation state that the British were familiar with. So there was centralization of legislative authority and executive authority. Seeing a region with multiple states was itself a shock to them having come from a unitary one. On top of it to have multiple legal systems, where different castes and religions had their own institutions was quite alien to them. So one of the things they tried to bring is certainty and uniformity in the law; certainty and uniformity in the judicial and legal institutions they created. That homogenization itself was a major shock to Indians. The judicial system is one part of the legal system. A legal system would involve all the laws, norms, standards that are laid down to determine what is right or wrong, correct or incorrect. It would also involve all that goes to enforce the legality: that is the Courts, police, jails etc.
3. (i) (b): It was profoundly disturbing to the Indian masses that they set up these specialized Courts manned by people trained in law with so called independent judges. That itself was a cultural shock for the people of India, because till that time, if you look at the existing dispute resolution systems, typically at the village level, one had the Panchayat system. Panchas would be notables who would be known locally. They were not appointed by state as we understand today. By the British yardstick they would not be ‘independent’ as they would be members of the community. The idea of an independent judge comes from Anglo-Saxon jurisprudence and it requires that the judge’s mind is a tabula rasa, a clean slate, with respect to the dispute and he only allows his mind to register that which is ‘relevant’ to the dispute. The medium by which the judge appreciates facts or the evidence is through the two lawyers representing either side. What they bring into the Court largely determines the final outcome. So who should be allowed to address the Court; complex rules of evidence concerning who could step into the witness box; what matters can be addressed and so on, became very important. For example, unless one’s own eyes or ears had seen or heard the transaction, one could not testify and one could testify only with regard to that particular transaction. Whereas in the panchayat, which was held in the open, anybody who had even fringe knowledge could speak. They did not have to go through this filter of ‘is this relevant, are you worthy’. Therefore you had a sense of participation and anybody could speak. With the new system however, one had a judge who was not known to the parties, which was seen as virtue in the English system but was alien to Indians; it goes without saying that the language of the Court was English and one had to hire a lawyer and so on. The new Courts had very strict rules of relevancy. Many of these continue till today. Thus new Courts with their very specialized rules of evidence which were manned by very technical judges, and where you would have to place your full faith in the vakeel, who alone would be the voice that would speak in the Court, made the system inaccessible to Indians. Thus, in all these area: the choice of the judge, who could testify, regarding what they could testify, the location of the Court and so on, all these things were alien and the process alienating. In the old panchayat, even if you were not of the ‘high caste’, you could sit or stand up. Further Judgment today’s Courts is in ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ form, whereas, the panchayats always negotiated, with no clear winner or loser. Panchayats were willing to find a mid-ground so that all could save face. People were used to that system, where you would not lose everything but some form of justice would be done. So that you did not have a win-lose but a win-win situation. In Panchayat system the solution gave a lot of discretion to the decision makers to decide what would best serve the ends of justice. So long as their decision was not out of sync with vyavahara as practiced, they had a whole range of flexibility. In contrast, for the British, the ‘certainty of law’, that it was fixed before the dispute came into being, was seen as a major virtue.
3. (i) (c):The administration of Criminal Justice was not also well founded in India, the police can oppress with impunity. During British rule the visit of a police darogah (officer) to a native villager is a calamity. If a robbery is committed, the poor are afraid to complain; if anyone is wanted as a witness, he is taken for several days from his labor and treated as a prisoner; if a criminal, or suspected criminal, is arrested, he is at once presumed to be guilty, and is very probably tortured to confess... The insecurity of property induces all who can afford it, to hire watchman, in fact, bludgeon men, of their own; and these, whenever occasion requires, are of course used as agents of any amount of violence and oppression... The people sink under the weight of fear, and their natural cowardice is increased by a sense of hopelessness of resistance. Justice is to a large extent, practically denied them; the land-holders and the police are chief powers they know; and they are hunted by both, till they surrender themselves to servility, to despair.Even after 65 years of Independence Justice Administration of justice in India never satisfied the aspiration of people, this is because wrong selection of foreign made legal structure, application of discontent laws, discarding indigenous system of justice administration.
3.(ii): Mediation, Arbitration and Conciliation (USA Type or Modern ADRs):
Especially after independence great interest has been shown by policy makers to adopt USA type ADRs in this country for this purpose before Independence Arbitration Act, 1940 was passed. Once again this law is consolidated in the year 1996. Apart from this Lok-Adalats were placed by Legal Services Authority’s Act, 1987, but unfortunately nothing considerable was achieved by these modern ADRs in India. There are several reasons for such failure,
Though mediation is considered to be very important basis for settlement of dispute, this mediation (modern) in ADRs system is quite different from aspiration of the people, old panchayat system uses as mediation as its tool but it quite different from modern Mediation in this that, (a) there was community participation in ancient Mediation, henceforth their decision gains popular support to which every member of that community feel obliged. (b) Pancha or Mediator acts for the benefit of the whole society not for the benefit of the parties (c) Dharma that abides mediator and parties in all the time and in all cases, parties as well as mediator were not at liberty to arrive decision against lofty ideals of dharma.
The process of conciliation (modern) is not all together free from drawbacks, conciliator acts more or less like Court, The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 Sec 67 describes the role of a conciliator. Sub Sec (1) states that he shall assist parties in an independent and impartial manner. Sub Sec (2) states that he shall be guided by principles of objectivity, fairness and justice, giving consideration, among other things, to the rights and obligations of the parties, the usages of the trade concerned, and the circumstances surrounding the dispute, including any previous business practices between the parties. Sub Sec (3) states that he shall take into account “the circumstances of the case, the wishes the parties may express, including a request for oral statements”. Subsection (4) is important and permits the ‘conciliator’ to make proposals for a settlement. It states as follows: “Section 67(4). The conciliator may, at any stage of the conciliation proceeding, make proposals for a settlement ofthe dispute. Such proposals need not be in writing and need not be accompanied by a statement of the reasons therefore.” Section 69 states that the conciliator may invite parties to meet him. Sec. 70 deals with disclosure by the conciliator of information given to him by one party, to the other party. Sec. 71 deals with cooperation of parties with the conciliator, sec. 72 deals with suggestions being submitted to the conciliator by each party for the purpose of settlement. Finally, Sec. 73, which is important, states that the conciliator can formulate terms of a possible settlement if he feels there exist elements of a settlement. He is also entitled to ‘reformulate the terms’ after receiving the observations of the parties. Subsection (1) of sec. 73 reads thus: “Sec. 73(1) settlement agreement. (1) When it appears to the Conciliator that there exist elements of a settlement which may be acceptable to the parties, he shall formulate the terms of a possible settlement and submit them to the parties for their observations. After receiving the observations of the parties, the Conciliator may reformulate the terms of a possible settlement in the light of such observations.”
These all provision signifies that conciliator not only act as a facilitator to the settlement but he is having statutory authority to,
(a) to take surrounding facts and existing local usage and customs into consideration,
(b) make proposals for the settlement,
(c) formulate terms of a possible settlement,
(d) Reformulates the terms, these all power distinguishes conciliator from mediator but generally unlike arbitrator, conciliator does not have decision making power. The difference lies in the fact that the ‘conciliator’ can make proposals for settlement, ‘formulate’ or ‘reformulate’ the terms of a possible settlement while a ‘mediator’ would not do so but would merely facilitate a settlement between the parties. However, in India Family Courts Act-1984 confers decision making on the presiding officer of the Court who is called as conciliator. For the failure of this mechanism there are several reasons,
(a) Lack of proper personnel, inadequate training and low status enjoyed by conciliation officer and too frequent transfer.
(b) Undue emphasis on legal and formal requirements.
(c) Considerable delay in conclusion of conciliation proceedings.
(d) Lack of adjudicating authority with conciliator.
(e) Failure of conciliation had much impact as failure leads to reference of dispute to Labour Courts and Tribunals.
(f) Failure to magnetize people as there are little differences in environ of Courts and Conciliation Board(s). Same is the case with arbitration in India.
In comparison to Arbitration and Conciliation Lok-Adalts proved to efficient mechanism of dispute resolution however, cases from Law Courts get transferred to Lok-Adalat not because it is very efficient but to get rid of procedural harassment in courts. . Presently it is evident that Lok-adalat is not safety value against the drawbacks of Ordinary Courts, as people were also felt dissatisfied with the working of Lok-Adalats, to common man Lok-Adalat is no different than Court except some procedural relaxation, in fact when the case is long pending Lok-Adalat will be last resort at least to weak party (economically) to get relief (form being litigant).
Litigant is mere spectator here though there is absence of Procedural Law, it is still not open to him, opinion of Lawyer and the Judges consider being monolith he feels uneasy to say actually what he want. The study points out that in Lok-Adalats, justice has fallen victim to the desire for the speedy resolution. Instead of trying genuine compromise, in some cases Lok-Adalats try to force an adjudicatory decision upon unwilling litigants. The right to fair hearing, which is one of the basic principles of natural justice, is denied to the people. Many sitting and retired judges while participating in Lok-Adalats as members, tend to conduct the Lok-Adalats like courts, by hearing parties and by imposing their views as to what is just and equitable on the parties. Sometimes they get carried away and proceed to pass order on merits even though there is no consensus or settlement. The presiding officers should resist from the practice of making adjudicatory decisions in the Lok-Adalats.
3. (iii): Problems with Indigenous Dispute Resolution Mechanisms:
Though 70% cases in rural India till today were redressed by Indigenous methods of dispute resolution, they are not altogether free from fit-falls. Indigenous methods were not having any statutory support impact of this is that even though parties arrived at particular settlement before mediators, afterword either of the party may violate such settlement and with view to harass other party through litigation may approach law Courts and deny justice to one of the party, delayed judgments of courts creates conducive environment to breach settlement arrived before village mediators.
Political interference, personality cults of Mediator were also having adverse impact over the efficiency of Indigenous Dispute Resolution Mechanisms. More importantly changing notion of justice, shift from duty bound society to right oriented society, blind imitation of western ideologies like Justice, liberty and equality. Were also important reasons for diminishing the efficacy of Indigenous Mechanisms, because in a colonial country like India all social science like sociology, political science, economics, more importantly jurisprudence were nothing but glorification of western thought. Now situation is such that we have youths Indians in Origin but Englishman in taste and way of living, accordingly to our mind set it is Court system seems to be very appropriate mechanism of dispute resolution, but the reality is something different.
Modern ADRs brought several problems such as power imbalances, cultural differences and language barriers, modern Court system in colonized country like India were transplanted by Colonizers, we mean to say that Court system of justice administration was imposed as matter of convenience to them, not because it best serves the purpose. Such implantation leads to several cultural and other social problems.
Amongst such problems power imbalance is one of the notable problem, due to impact of 350 years colonization and imitation of western thought through education system we have created sufficient number of Indian Europeans who’s thoughts are highly irrelevant being influenced by ideologies which they learnt. Most unfortunately these so called learned happens to be ruler and policy makers for this country. Power in the such hands without understanding what the society or cultural ethos of the community needs, imitates the western thought, example for such imitation is our Constitution, Plea Bargaining, Public Interest Litigation, Courts, ADRs etc., this power imbalance demoralizes ideologies of indigenous communities which forms majority in India.
Another important short coming of Law Courts and ADRs in India is cultural discontent, elsewhere in this article authors described as to how language of Court and Court procedure, inevitability of being represented by the lawyer, it may be called as system dominated by black robs. In which people of this country especially countryside people whose cultural ethos still believes in traditional methods of dispute settlement.
While it is increasingly recognized and acknowledged that cultural differences are largely responsible for many of the shortcomings of formal dispute resolution processes within aboriginal contexts, it is still largely undefined and unclear as to how exactly ADR processes, whether aboriginal or western, will have to overcome these cultural challenges. Accordingly while choosing any method of dispute resolution or while implanting any alien system in any society detailed study of that society its cultural ethos, pros and cons of that system must be assessed independent dominant ideologies under which we live, it equally applies to ADRs.
***Miss Kavita S. B and Mr. Shivaraj S.H
# Lee (2005:310)
# Wilie, ‘Bengal as a Field of Missions’, p.286; 1854
The author can be reached at: [email protected] | <urn:uuid:d175bcc8-0a11-45b2-91d0-dca15849c266> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://www.legalservicesindia.com/article/article/remedies-outside-the-court-system-in-india-past-and-present-1520-1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549423787.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20170721162430-20170721182430-00127.warc.gz | en | 0.966807 | 6,220 | 2.984375 | 3 | The extract discusses alternative dispute resolution (ADR) systems in India, including traditional methods such as panchayats and modern approaches like mediation and arbitration. It highlights the challenges faced by these systems, including cultural and power imbalances, and the need for a nuanced understanding of indigenous dispute resolution mechanisms. The text demonstrates a deep understanding of the complexities of dispute resolution and the importance of considering cultural context.
The extract scores 4 points because it:
- Provides superficial coverage of basic communication and teamwork concepts (1 point)
- Includes discussion of soft skills, straightforward communication scenarios, and simple team dynamics (1 point)
- Features realistic scenarios that integrate emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities (1 point)
- Presents complex scenarios requiring sophisticated communication, strategic thinking, and advanced problem-solving across multiple contexts (1 point)
However, it does not seamlessly integrate advanced communication, leadership, and problem-solving scenarios that mirror real-world complexity, which would have warranted a fifth point.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 391,201 | 1 |
Summary: Here you'll find a collage of distinguished voices from around the world, offering their own perspectives and experiences with difficult issues: censorship, violence, raw images in picture books, depictions of minorities, gender issues, political correctness, ethical heroes, and more. You'll hear from some of the best-regarded and controversial authors writing for and about children today in essays that are bound to provoke, challenge, move, and perhaps even outrage ...show moreyou.
South African author Beverly Naidoo talks about censorship and apartheid. Allan Baillie discusses his choice to write about Pol Pot's reign of terror. Brian Jacques reflects on his own childhood amidst the violence and poverty of Liverpool. Judith Gilliland reveals her motivation for depicting the gritty lives of children in Cairo and Lebanon. Charlotte Huck examines reactions among animal rights groups to her Princess Furball.
You'll also hear from parents, teachers, librarians, academicians, illustrators, booksellers, and self-appointed censors. And you'll hear from children themselves. Given the large gap in texts for the serious study of children's books, these are voices no one concerned with quality children's literature can afford to ignore. ...show less
More prices and sellers below. | <urn:uuid:114ba32e-a6a8-419b-b67b-2024af1ef74e> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://www.textbooks.com/Battling-Dragons-Issues-and-Controversy-in-Childrens-Literature-95-Edition/9780435088286/Susan-Lehr.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1387345777159/warc/CC-MAIN-20131218054937-00040-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949269 | 252 | 2.578125 | 3 | This extract scores high for its diverse perspectives and real-world scenarios, promoting critical thinking and cultural awareness. It tackles complex issues like censorship, violence, and social justice, encouraging nuanced discussion and empathy. The inclusion of various stakeholders, including authors, parents, and children, adds depth to the conversation.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 499,944 | 1 |
North Korean missile Hwasong-10 (also known as BM-25 and Musudan)
In two articles published online this week, Moscow analyst Aleksandr Nemets details the evidence many have assembled showing that Moscow is heavily involved in both the rocket program of North Korea and Pyongyang’s “aggressive plans” to use it against other countries (see “Зато они ‘делают’ ракеты” and “Системный подход“).
It is absolutely essential, he says, that South Korea, Japan and the United States understand that everything that is now brewing in the region is what Moscow or more precisely Putin wants” and not some rogue action by Kim Jong Un as many imagine.
In the first of these articles, Nemets traces the history of Russian deliveries of missiles to North Korea in recent decades and the ways in which, apparently with some Russian assistance, Pyongyang has modified them, and then offers three main conclusions:
First of all, he says, “the development of the relatively primitive ballistic rocket Hwasong-10, one that corresponds to the level of Soviet rockets of the 1960s, from the beginning in 1992 until the series of tests in 2016, lasted 24 years.” What the North Koreans came up with was “a copy of the Soviet R-27 rocket.”
In some ways, it was not even as good, but it is important to note that the Hwasong-10 does not contain anything original,” a pattern that speaks to ‘the low scientific-technical potential of North Korea,” Nemets argues.
Second, he continues, “even this primitive result would have been impossible without very intensive Russian assistance, especially in 2015-2016. Why did Moscow feel compelled to provide this? Obviously not for money … Beyond any doubt, Moscow’s goal was the infliction of maximum harm on America.”
And third, “the Hwasong-12 ballistic rocket, which was successfully tested in May 2017 and which has a range of more than 4000 kilometers and is capable of striking Guam and Alaska, is a much-improved version of the Hwasong-10, although it is based fundamentally on the very same technologies.”
Taken together, Nemets says, all this shows that “it is absolutely excluded that the weak industrial and scientific-technical system of North Korea could have created the Hwasong-12 in any case so quickly. If the Russian share in the Hwasong-10 was conditionally more than 80 percent, then in the case of the Hwasong-12, it approached 100 percent.”
“it is absolutely excluded that the weak industrial and scientific-technical system of North Korea could have created the Hwasong-12 in any case so quickly. If the Russian share in the Hwasong-10 was conditionally more than 80 percent, then in the case of the Hwasong-12, it approached 100 percent.”
In the second article, the Moscow analyst broadens his focus in order to suggest that the timing of North Korea’s actions, its missile launches and threats in particular, reflects less a Pyongyang calendar than a Moscow one intended by Putin to do maximum harm to the United States.
Nemets argues that the North Korean actions happened precisely as Russian-American relations were deteriorating, when Moscow’s expectations for a new deal with Donald Trump were replaced by a recognition that Washington was going to take a hard line against Russia for its interference in American elections and its aggression in Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials have pointed to these links, but their words have been dismissed by many who believe that Kyiv is simply trying to blacken Russia’s reputation (and respond to Moscow’s claims that North Korea’s missiles came from Ukrainian factories) in order to win more support from the West, the Moscow analyst suggests.
But now a Russian official has implicitly made the connection between Moscow’s intentions and Pyongyang’s actions, Nemets says. Sergey Ryabkov, Russia’s representative to the United Nations, said that “the government of the Russian federation had been forced to react to the additional dislocation of (powerful) American THAAD complexes in South Korea and Japan that are capable of intercepting ballistic rockets.”
“the government of the Russian federation had been forced to react to the additional dislocation of (powerful) American THAAD complexes in South Korea and Japan that are capable of intercepting ballistic rockets.”
Put in more normal language, the Moscow analyst says, this shows that “Moscow, infuriated by the fact that [North Korea’s] neighbors don’t approve [Pyongyang’s] nuclear and thermonuclear tests and the launch of rockets flying over the territory of Japan, was simply forced to do something.”
- ‘Kim Jong Un guarded by former KGB officers’ and other neglected Russian stories
- Russian pranksters “interrogate” Ukrainian missile plant director, find no North Korean trace
- “Unprofessional slander.” Ukrainian rocket experts slam NYT accusations of North Korean leak
- North Korean missiles and Ukraine
- Problems with the NYT article on Ukrainian rocket engines in North Korea – a detailed analysis
- Korean crisis seen opening a way for new Trump-Putin rapprochement
- Russia joins Iran and North Korea on US ‘axis of evil’ list, Kommersant says
- Russia supplying North Korea with ever more coal and oil, Moscow business paper says
- Russia opens shipping route between Vladivostok and North Korea
Edited by: A. N.
Tags: international, missiles, North Korea, North Korean missiles, Putin, Putin regime, Putin's confrontation with the West, Russia, Russia-North Korea military technology transfer, Russia-North Korea relations, Russian missiles | <urn:uuid:1031112a-50d3-4157-b2ce-78211a8eef2a> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | http://euromaidanpress.com/2017/09/09/moscow-analyst-russia-has-made-north-koreas-rocket-program-possible-euromaidan-press/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250628549.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20200125011232-20200125040232-00115.warc.gz | en | 0.958675 | 1,256 | 2.546875 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on geopolitical analysis and technical details of missile development. It does not provide opportunities for developing communication, teamwork, or problem-solving skills, and cultural awareness and digital literacy are not explicitly addressed.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 275,772 | 0 |
Due to worldwide migration to Western countries, physicians are increasingly encountering patients with different ethnic backgrounds. Communication problems can arise as a result of differences in cultural backgrounds and poor language proficiency.
To assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention on intercultural communication aimed to decrease inequalities in care provided between Western and non-Western patients.
Design of study
A randomised controlled trial with randomisation at the GP level and outcome measurements at the patient level.
General practice in Rotterdam.
Thirty-eight Dutch GPs in the Rotterdam region, with at least 25% of inhabitants of non-Western origin, and 2407 visiting patients were invited to participate in the study. A total of 986 consultations were finally included. The GPs were educated about cultural differences and trained in intercultural communication. Patients received a videotaped instruction focusing on how to communicate with their GP in a direct way. The primary outcome measure was mutual understanding and the secondary outcomes were patient's satisfaction and perceived quality of care. The intervention effect was assessed for all patients together, for the ‘Western’ and ‘non-Western’ patients, and for patients with different cultural backgrounds separately.
An intervention effect was seen 6 months after the intervention, as improvement in mutual understanding (and some improvement in perceived quality of care) in consultations with ‘non-Western’ patients.
A double intervention on intercultural communication given to both physician and patient decreases the gap in quality of care between ‘Western’ and ‘non-Western’ patients.
Keywords: communication, cultural differences, ethnicity, quality of care, randomised controlled trial | <urn:uuid:ca2fa203-8383-40c6-8863-f4f866eaee29> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://pubmedcentralcanada.ca/pmcc/articles/PMC1463156/?report=abstract | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394011319537/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305092159-00049-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948227 | 332 | 2.625 | 3 | The extract discusses intercultural communication in a medical setting, highlighting the importance of effective communication between physicians and patients from diverse backgrounds. It presents a study on the effectiveness of an educational intervention aimed at improving intercultural communication, demonstrating a positive impact on mutual understanding and quality of care. The extract earns points for discussing soft skills, featuring realistic scenarios, and incorporating cultural awareness and digital literacy.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 683,714 | 1 |
When people think of science, the first examples that come to mind are often dramatic triumphs—the moon landing, the invention of DNA sequencing, or the discovery of the polio vaccine. Almost every exciting experimental result, however, is the result of an enormous amount of unseen effort. Thorough preparation, resourceful improvisation, success, failure, and improvement through trial and error are all deeply familiar to any researcher!
The First Days
At sea on the Falkor, the challenges that we face as a part of ocean science are unique. After all, any unanticipated problems must be solved using only the resources on our 271 foot vessel.
Our first days at sea have presented their fair share of challenges. Our cruise plans have changed almost daily in order to adapt to weather patterns and the ship’s capabilities in terms of speed and range. In the wet lab, six to eight science team members must work elbow-to-elbow with all of their equipment packed into a space little larger than an examination room at the doctor’s office.
For my research, which involves measuring dissolved gases from seawater to detect plankton activity, plumbing has been my biggest enemy so far.
The seawater I am measuring is piped continuously aboard ship via a pump, and this water is available from only two outlets in the already-crowded lab. My original plan to use seawater from one of the two faucets was scuppered when a crucial valve broke, spraying the lab with ocean water like a fire hose! After shutting the faucet and confirming that none of our sensitive electronic instruments had been damaged, we realized that I would now have to take my water from the second outlet—located on the opposite side of the room from where I had set up my seawater supply tubing…! In addition to reorganizing all of my plumbing, I would also have to find materials to connect to the second faucet, which uses a different connection from the first.
Luckily, scientists can be pretty inventive. My seawater supply pipe was moved to hang from the ceiling in order to cross the room, and I borrowed parts from other members of the science team in order to fit my tubing to the new faucet. Sharing the lab space is also an important part of ocean science, and so Ryan, another scientist on board, graciously moved some of his equipment to give me access to the faucet.
When doing science at sea, it is also important to learn from mistakes and bad luck quickly. This time, we fitted double metal clamps to the faucet connection to reduce the risk of unleashing a second “fire hose” event. With that final step, my plumbing was finally usable, allowing me to switch on my instrument and start collecting my valuable data!
A Positive Ending
In the end, we spent several hours fixing this incredibly boring problem—one which has very little to do with actual science. Paradoxically, however, all of our tinkering with tubes and faucets was essential in order to perform my research. This is just one of the many small challenges that we have dealt with as we prepare for one of the busiest parts of our expedition. Even though many of our problem-solving stories will never be mentioned when we publish our research results, they are just as much of a part of our science as designing experiments or picking locations for the Falkor to explore.
It is little challenges like this that help me remember that every scientific discovery, great or small, is built on a huge foundation of invisible work! | <urn:uuid:9fc36381-63cb-4af6-8839-9ee7575c4db8> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://schmidtocean.org/cruise-log-post/science-challenges-sea-plumbing-story/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875144498.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20200220005045-20200220035045-00286.warc.gz | en | 0.965776 | 729 | 2.875 | 3 | The extract scores high for its portrayal of real-world problem-solving, teamwork, and adaptability in a unique scientific context. It showcases emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and resourcefulness in overcoming challenges, highlighting the importance of collaboration, improvisation, and learning from mistakes.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 629,645 | 1 |
Inspire Education's news
National Palliative Care Week
Palliative Care Week
From the 19 May – 25 May, Australia will celebrate the 2013 National Palliative Care Week. Palliative care will affect many people at some point in their lives. To ensure everyone has access to quality care at the end of life, it is a national priority that Australia takes responsibility that this happens.
In response, the Australian Government has launched the National Palliative Care Program which aims to provide and improve the standard of palliative care available to the Australian community through a $14 million investment over four years. There has also been an investment of over $500 million to the nations States and Territories to provide for enhancements of care services, including palliative care.
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is concerned with support for terminal illness. Where an illness cannot be cured, palliative care is required to ensure the patient can then have access to the best quality of life. Palliative care nursing can also involve the care needed to support parties such as family and caregivers. Palliative care nursing can involve the maintenance of physical symptoms such as pain as well as addressing and fulfilling patient’s emotional, spiritual and social needs.
Palliative care aims to:
• Affirm life
• Follow the process of death and treat dying as a normal process
• Act as a pain reliever (both physical and emotional)
• Support people to live actively until death
• Support the patient’s family with the palliative care process
Who Receives Palliative Care?
Palliative care is a type of care administered to people of any age who are dying. While there is no set criteria for being a palliative care patient, clients usually have a conditions which may include, cancer, motor neurone disease, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, end-stage dementia and muscular dystrophy.
Who Provides Palliative Care Nursing?
Palliative care nursing involves many health and care professionals. They can include:
• Specialist doctors, medical and nursing staff who have completed study and have experience in the area
• General practitioners and other general medical staff working within the health care field
• Support services like grief and bereavement counselors
• Allied health professionals, pharmacists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists
• Social workers
• Pastoral care workers
There are a number of locations palliative care nursing is provided. It can range from being in a client’s private home, to a community area like a hospice, respite centre, nursing home, hospital or palliative care unit.
When choosing a palliative care facility there are many contributing factors to the decision, including geography, services currently available in the location, both family and friend preferences, the needs of the client, the nature of the illness, the support available from the clients family home and community and the availability of family carers.
Palliative Care and the Certificate III in Aged Care
During Inspire’s Aged Care Course, students are required to complete CHCPA301B Deliver Care Services Using A Palliative Approach. The unit is designed to prepare students for working with clients who have a life-limiting illness and/or normal ageing process by equipping them with the knowledge, skills and value required to administer a palliative care nursing approach. Students will focus on five elements throughout the unit, including:
Palliative Care Element 1: Apply a palliative approach
• Differentiate between practices applicable in curative and palliative approaches
• Apply the principles and aims of a palliative approach in caring for clients
• Use an approach that reflects an understanding of the client’s needs as holistic and extending over time, not just end-of-life
Palliative Care Element 2: Respect the client preferences for quality of life choices
• Encourage client, carers, family members and/or significant others to share information regarding changing needs and preferences through a supportive environment
• Respect client’s lifestyle, social context and spiritual needs and document observations in line with care plan
• Respect cultural choices in line with care plan
• Support the freedom of the client, carer, his/her family and /or significant others to discuss spiritual and cultural issues in an open and non-judgemental way within scope of own responsibilities and skills
• Refer further needs and issues to appropriate member of the care team in line with organisation protocols
• Provide emotional support using effective communication skills
• Demonstrate respect for the relationship between the client and carer
Palliative Care Element 3: Follow the client’s advanced care directives in the care plan
• Work in a manner reflecting understanding and acceptance of the legal and ethical implications of the need to follow advanced care directives
• Consistently follow advanced care directives in the care plan in line with own work role
• Comply with end-of-life decisions as documented in the care plan and in keeping with legal requirements
• Report the client’s needs/issues in relation to end-of-life to the appropriate team member for documentation in the care plan
• Recognise impact of client’s end-of-life needs/issues on carers and refer to appropriate member of the care team in line with organisation protocols
• Deliver services in a manner that supports the right of clients to choose the location of their end of life care
Palliative Care Element 4: Follow end-of-life care strategies
• Regularly check for any changes on care plan that indicate decisions made by client have been reviewed
• Provide supportive environment to client, families, carers and those involved in their care at end-of life
• Consider client’s preferences and culture when providing end-of-life care according to care plan
• Maintain dignity of the client in undertaking planned end-of-life care and immediately following death
• Recognise any signs of client’s imminent death/deterioration and report to appropriate member of care team in line with organisation requirements
• Recognise emotional needs of other clients, carers and their families affected and provide support when a death has occurred
Palliative Care Element 5: Respond to signs of pain and other symptoms/discomfort
• Observe client closely and identify pain and other symptoms in line with care plan directives
• Document observations of pain and other symptoms and promptly report to appropriate member of care team
• Implement strategies to promote comfort in line with care plan
• Regularly evaluate and document effectiveness of implemented strategies
• Refer to appropriate member of staff any misconceptions in the workplace surrounding the use of pain relieving medication
Palliative Care Element 6: Manage own emotional responses and ethical issues
• Identify and reflect upon own emotional responses to death and dying and raise and discuss any issues with supervisor or other appropriate person
• Acknowledge potential impact of personal responses on self and others and action appropriately
• Accept need for bereavement care and support of other team members
• Reflect upon ethical issues and discuss with appropriate person if necessary
• Follow organisation policies and procedures in relation to managing emotional responses and ethical issues
Where can I find out more about Palliative Care?
For more information on palliative care, visit Palliative Care Australia.
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- Top Rated Jobs in Australia - May 6, 2014 | <urn:uuid:0336d7c8-1187-4711-aa56-50a35800a636> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://www.inspireeducation.net.au/blog/aged-care-courses-and-palliative-care/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549448146.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20170728083322-20170728103322-00472.warc.gz | en | 0.9379 | 1,586 | 3.28125 | 3 | The extract provides comprehensive information on palliative care, its principles, and application in aged care settings. It covers various aspects, including emotional support, cultural sensitivity, and ethical considerations. However, it lacks interactive elements, nuanced communication scenarios, and complex problem-solving opportunities, limiting its potential for developing advanced soft skills.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 368,162 | 0 |
While Edison Studios was located in the east coast of US, a new location in the west of US emerged out of blue to outsmart stringent patent rules of Thomas Edison.A name which was nowhere in the map of US thus far caught the attention of every film maker of that country-Hollywood!! Did Thomas Edison over drive himself forcing a handful of Jewish filmmakers in early 1900s creating Hollywood or was Hollywood built on privacy?Little known history of Hollywood, a name or the sign of which is synonymous with world cinema and entertainment to this day!
Big six studios of Hollywood...
Big six studios of Hollywood are 20th Century Fox,Warner Bros,Paramount Pictures,Columbia Pictures,Universal Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures as far as I know.These names are all very much familiar to me personally from my teenage days.When I got a chance to see some of the studios in person recently it was more of a nostalgic feeling for me. But I never knew a fact all these years.All these big time studios are owned by American Jews barring the exception of Walt Disney Pictures.They were mostly made from scratch at Hollywood, one of the neighborhoods of the city of Los Angeles,California.Another hardly known historical fact is that all these film makers ran away from east to west coast of US from Thomas Edison who insisted to get his patent fees!!
Thomas Edison invents the cinematic projector....ends up with MPPC
In 1892 William Dickson invented the 'Kinetoscope' which is a cinematic projector.Since William Dickson was an employee of Thomas Edison,the later was obviously listed as inventor of the patent.Edison created his own studios which made a number of films.But he found that a number of film makers were trying to avoid his studio and patent laws to his disadvantage.Edison filed a number of lawsuits against many independent production companies,film producers and theaters in this context.
Edison also took initiative to form a conglomerate as Motion Picture Patents Company(MMPC) and forced rival production productions to join this.Finally a situation came wherein MPPC dictated almost everything-imposed fees and licences on theaters and movie makers!But few among the movie makers were very unhappy and thought of a plan to get rid of New Jersy,Edison and MPPC. Carl Laemmle of Universal Studios and Adold Zuker of Paramount Pictures were among them.They looked west of US ,somewhere close to Mexican border. In case Edison's men come after them at the the new destination, they have to disappear to Mexico!!Plus they were looking for cheap properties...
Hollywoodland emerges...finally to deliver Hollywood!
Hollywoodland was just a name in order to attract buyers picked up by H J Whitley who is considered as father of Hollywood who developed 500 acres of hilly land in the suburbs of Los Angeles in 1923.This place was handy for those film makers to establish their new studios.Ideal weather conditions,varied terrain,cheap properties,no patent fees...all made Hollywoodland to make films.But above all, the main advantage was to vanish to neighboring Mexico in case Thomas Edison's men came citing patent laws!!
The new sign Hollywoodland which was erected on the top of Mount Lee continued to be there till 1943.That year Hollywood Chamber of Commerce was given authority to remove the last four letters and restrict to the name Hollywood which hangs till this day. As I understand it is a registered trademark owned by the Chamber of Commerce.If any film maker wants to include a shoot of the name,substantial monies are to be paid to the chamber!There are very few occasions where the Chamber has decided to change the sign of Hollywood for few days.Interestingly when Pope John Paul II visited Hollywood, the second L was covered to read as Holywood!!
It was Whitley who also opened the famous Hollywood Hotel which is the site of famous Dolby Theater now which hosts the annual Oscar ceremony.As I was walking on the footpath of Hollywood Boulevard, over "Hollywood walk of Fame" where the celebrities of Hollywood and elsewhere- over 2200- who have made significant contributions to the world entertainment industry are embedded in five pointed pink stars, my mind was full of nostalgic memories of early and mid 1970s during which I was in love with Hollywood!! | <urn:uuid:78812c2f-7fdd-47d5-948e-c6443d95dc32> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.jaisonchacko.com/2019/09/a-sign-is-bornthanks-to-thomas-edison.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370505550.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20200401065031-20200401095031-00245.warc.gz | en | 0.972235 | 876 | 3.015625 | 3 | The extract provides a historical account of Hollywood's origins, discussing Thomas Edison's patent rules and the emergence of the Big Six studios. While it touches on teamwork and problem-solving, the discussion is limited to a historical context without practical application or nuanced interaction. The extract lacks depth in soft skills development, such as emotional intelligence, leadership, and critical thinking.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 718,588 | 0 |
To learn how to create your “coopworking enterprise”, nothing better than trying it yourself!
We propose a method in 5 steps: the idea, the strategy, the organization, the implementation and the the experiment’s evaluation (what did we learn?).
These 5 steps are presented in this order but, according to your time availability, your preferences and learning/teaching priorities, , you can decide to focus on one or the other step.
It’s up to you !
1 Looking for a cooperative project
Build your team and choose together the good idea you want to develop
2 Design a strategy
Does your idea help meet any needs? Is there any market? Who are your clients and competitors What investment does it require ? What benefits can it bring to you and your mates/colleagues?
3 Design an organization
Who brings what to the project? Who will decide what? What tasks does the project imply? How to distribute them?
4 Let's go working !
Once the project is launched, will the team remain welded? How to handle possible confits with different points of view? How to follow the activity? How to distribute results?
5 Last step
How do you evaluate this project? What did you know about cooperative entrepreneurship and working cooperatively? | <urn:uuid:14c72c8d-da6e-440a-99a3-ba7f27b21dca> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | http://cooplab.escueladeeconomiasocial.es/en/content/start | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224646350.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20230610200654-20230610230654-00277.warc.gz | en | 0.927169 | 269 | 2.546875 | 3 | The extract provides a basic framework for creating a cooperative enterprise, covering essential steps and encouraging teamwork and self-directed learning. It touches on communication, strategy, and problem-solving, but lacks depth and nuanced interaction. The material is straightforward, with limited cultural awareness and digital literacy elements.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 846,550 | 0 |
Because conversation and 2 a1 level - free english learning and. Get 24, along with a letter of teaching esl writing worksheets. Creative writing poetry and story starters like these esl movie lesson plans esl lesson plans esl is intended to access these fun advanced esl. They already know creative writing encourages creativity and possible. Jump to share teaching esl rating. Because the lesson plans for adults - creative writing to get your current proficiency. Kids look like these creative writing prompts for. These esl writing; video lessons esl student. Essay outline template Read Full Report paper apa. By william faulkner writing:. Sep 26, 2018 - creative writing an adjective? Kids look at different levels and essay writing. Laurel was a sentence. Continued while one of lesson plan will help them. By george chilton this guided writing 1. https://divensailcustomcharters.com/ years of mind: academic skills lessons, creative writing worksheets. Continued while one of esl activities make writing lessons and. Jump to help, and interaction among lesson plans and interaction among lesson plans yet? Lesson plans and creativity on unique teaching ideas from simply writing lessons esl endorsement, teachers separate personal. | <urn:uuid:d48374b3-2e8c-4f65-a62b-58f3602aae88> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://iosxachtay.com/creative-writing-lesson-esl/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875146647.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20200227033058-20200227063058-00418.warc.gz | en | 0.885291 | 250 | 3.140625 | 3 | The extract provides some basic coverage of creative writing concepts and ESL lesson plans, but lacks depth and practical application. It touches on the importance of creativity and interaction, but does not offer nuanced scenarios or complex problem-solving opportunities.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 624,290 | 0 |
Content Curator: Sharanya
Sudha, a class teacher of class 9 A was one of the popular teachers in her school. She was well known for her friendliness and the ease with which she moves with all children. Sudha also taught Social studies apart from managing her own class.
Sudha, had only one worry. She constantly worried that at times, her class children did not take her too seriously! She wondered, if there was a way she could get her children to listen to her and be more well behaved in the classroom. There had to be a better way to manage her class of 30, she thought!
The academic year was ending and she wanted to bring in fresh ideas to help her manage the classroom better! Sudha started her research, came across lot of ideas and implemented them. Her ideas were so successful, that she has been considered as a model teacher in her school, today!
Do you face Classroom Management issues like how Sudha did? Let us try implementing a few ideas that will help in addressing such issues!
Resource for teachers
A few ideas on Classroom Management:
- Classroom Rules:
Have your own set of rules that can be followed by the children. The rules can be very simple. Get the children to come up with the rules themselves because the children can feel more responsible within the classroom. A few examples of rules that you can come up with your class:
- Always try and help classmates and teacher
- Raise your hand before speaking, one at a time!
- Always walk in a line quietly outside classroom.
The rules can be written in chart with pictures to help children keep seeing the rules. During class hours, even if you find your class not following, you can just point your hand at the chart. The children, will catch the message faster. (Also, you can avoid yourself having a strict moment with them!)
- Star of the week:
Star of the week is often practiced in many schools. It is a great way to get the children to be well behaved in class and also be motivated to achieve more among his peers. A chart can be maintained in the classroom with stars assigned for the best child/children for that week! If you have the time, you can also give a gold star in person to make the child extra special!
- My Ideal Classroom:
Ask your children, how do they wish their classroom to be? What effort does it take for them to achieve that? Make a note of all the answers they come up with. Give them a sense of feel, that it is possible, and you will help them achieve this “ Ideal Classroom”. Ask them to come up with steps that they can follow to have an ideal classroom scenario!
Other resources and ideas:
Got more ideas on classroom management? Do write and share them!
What is your ideal classroom scenario? What ideas would you implement to achieve your classroom scenario? | <urn:uuid:fbf776a4-8540-4133-b2f4-25d1ac7b20c1> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://nectar.reportbee.com/classroom-management/?replytocom=18131 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875149238.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20200229114448-20200229144448-00519.warc.gz | en | 0.981938 | 606 | 3.109375 | 3 | The extract provides practical tips and ideas for classroom management, covering basic communication and teamwork concepts. It includes straightforward scenarios and simple team dynamics, such as setting classroom rules and recognizing student achievements. The content promotes emotional intelligence, leadership, and critical thinking, but lacks nuanced interaction and complex problem-solving opportunities.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 673,427 | 0 |
The great Samuel Johnson said that the study of politics, instead of enlarging the mind, actually only served to narrow it. This is probably why so many of conservatism’s greatest thinkers were not politicians, but men of letters. It is through their vast knowledge of the liberal arts that such men were able to employ what Burke called the “Moral Imagination.” T.S. Eliot, through his poetry, was able to speak truth to power and become one of the most influential writers of the 20th century.
Eliot was born in Missouri, but he later in life became a naturalized British subject. His admiration of England is evident throughout his work, and he is undoubtedly an heir of many of the greatest English thinkers. “I am,” he famously stated, “an Anglo-Catholic in religion, a classicist in literature and a royalist in politics.” According to his obituary in the New York Times, many of his classmates recalled, “that he dressed with the studied carelessness of a British gentleman, smoked a pipe, and liked to be left alone.”
Eliot’s distinctly English views may seem too distant to be of any use to American Conservatives, whose Whiggish tendencies often put them at odds with Eliot’s Royalist sensibilities. However, as we shall see, his wisdom is exactly what American conservatism so often lacks.
Of Eliot’s non-fiction work his most famous are The Idea of a Christian Society and Notes Toward the Definition of Culture. Both belong in every Conservative’s library, and I have penned some thoughts on the latter elsewhere. For the purposes of his thought’s application to the particular problems faced by modern conservatism, however, we turn to his much shorter Letter to the Editor of the Times on the subject of aristocracy:
The traditional use of the word [aristocracy] implies, I believe, an emphasis upon inheritance: not merely the inheritance of property, however important that may seem to some, but the inheritance, partly through biological trans-mission and partly through environment, of, other less tangible values. In other words, the unit of aristocracy, in the sense in which the word has been used in the past, is not the individual but the family. In the new sense of the word (and the phrase “the new aristocracy” is acquiring currency) inheritance is ignored, and the family implicitly depreciated. We are to have an aristocracy, not of families, but of individuals; and those individuals will have been turned into aristocrats, not by their parents, but by their schoolmasters, employing some system of selection to be elaborated. I suggest that this may be a more violent mutation of meaning than any word ought to be required to undergo. It will not do to appeal, behind the back of tradition, to the etymological sense of the word: for govern¬ment by the best men is surely the aspiration of every society, whatever its social organization.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant.
In America we have no established aristocracy, and most are of the opinion that we are the better for it. However, it is a curious fact of human nature that you can never be completely free. If you will not serve one thing, you will serve another. In the New Testament this is exhibited by the repeated assertion that, if you wish to have freedom, you must cease serving yourself and instead serve Christ and your fellow man. C.S. Lewis was on to this phenomenon when he warned us that “Monarchy can easily be debunked, but watch the faces, mark well the debunkers. . . Where men are forbidden to honour a king they honour millionaires, athletes or film stars instead: even famous prostitutes or gangsters. For spiritual nature, like bodily nature, will be served; deny it food and it will gobble poison.”
The accuracy of Lewis’ statement is unfortunately all too evident in American culture. Even though we have no established aristocracy there are still many, often unworthy things, to which we pay homage. Here we will only consider two.
First, in America we have an aristocracy worse than one brought about by education. We have an aristocracy created by popular culture. This “new aristocracy” is again, one not created by families or inheritance, but by individuals and mass culture. In the latter sense it is at least a democratic creation, and so long as you believe democracy to hold the answer to all the world’s problems we need not explore the issue further. For those of us who are concerned with government by the best of men, however, deeper exploration is required.
The old aristocracy, especially in the English sense, required a certain sense of stoicism. The old Tories didn’t draw attention to themselves. They saw their duty and place in society and held strong sense of noblesse oblige, or “nobility obliges” and they thus lived accordingly. They knew, like Eliot, that culture is transmitted through the family, and that social stability required them to maintain the stability of their own families.
In our “new aristocracy,” however, the culture is transmitted through individuals who ride the tides of popular culture. Because their place in the aristocracy is dependent on their uniqueness in the public eye, they abandon the stoicism of the old aristocracy for an attention-craving epicureanism and they in turn abandon the family in favor of the individuality that their new philosophy demands. In the “new aristocracy,” then, we should not be surprised to find spectacles like Miley Cyrus’ VMA performance and children named North West. The demands of their position in society push them towards ever increasing extremes.
The second form of the “new aristocracy” is a form that Alexis De’ Tocqueville warned about in his Democracy in America. According to De’ Tocqueville, America was in danger of becoming a plutocratic society that served an “aristocracy of manufacturers.” It may not be a popular position to criticize the titans of industry and corporations, but the potential danger at least bears consideration.
In Dodge v. Ford Motor Co., a shareholder in the Ford Motor Company claimed that Henry Ford was not acting in the best interest of the company’s shareholders. Ford directed large of sums of money to community projects such as the construction of libraries and justified the expense by claiming it was his duty to help spread the benefits of industrial society. Unfortunately, the Court disagreed with him. That court, and every court since, has held that the primary purpose of the modern corporation is to make a profit for its shareholders. This significance of this cannot be underestimated. In short, we have a financial aristocracy, but we have outlawed noblesse oblige.
T.S. Eliot noted in other writings the fact that aristocracy and democracy are not antithetical, and thinking of them as such will only hinder development of the good society. An aristocracy is a particular organ of society. Even further, it is a necessary organ of society. It is always present whether it is officially established or not. Our American culture should prove as much.
Eliot’s argument is a call to simply to recognize this fact about human nature. Once we do, we can then recognize that if aristocracy exists, then it should have a particular function and purpose. If its purpose is the transmission of culture and societal values, it will be a noble institution. If its purpose is entertainment or mere profit, it will be a depraved one. The choice for our society, and for every society, is a simple one: If you will not give piety to your elders, you will pay homage to your betters. | <urn:uuid:08a15fa0-6a53-4021-a6a0-0840e5803cb0> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | http://thecollegeconservative.com/2013/09/16/profiles-in-conservatism-t-s-eliot/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579251779833.86/warc/CC-MAIN-20200128153713-20200128183713-00496.warc.gz | en | 0.970723 | 1,598 | 2.71875 | 3 | The extract scores 4 points due to its in-depth discussion of soft skills such as critical thinking, leadership, and cultural awareness. It presents complex scenarios requiring sophisticated communication and strategic thinking, and explores the concept of aristocracy in a nuanced and multifaceted way. The text also demonstrates a strong emphasis on intercultural fluency, referencing various thinkers and philosophers to support its arguments. However, it falls short of a perfect score as it lacks practical application and real-world context in some areas.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 299,819 | 1 |
‘Engagement games’ for real-world action
Many of the initiatives that societies take around the world suffer from the same critical problem: lack of engagement by stakeholders – with the environment, with decision-makers, with each other.
Problems could be addressed more sustainably if the people immediately affected had greater responsibility for producing the solution.
Now a new report from the Engagement Game Lab (EGL) – an applied research laboratory at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts – and co-authored by the Climate Centre, argues that games have a unique way of “fostering engagement in complex social systems”.
“When specifically designed for this purpose,” it adds, “games can be immensely impactful, creating greater opportunities for experiential and applied learning, increased empathy and trust, and more engaging processes for real-world action.”
The report’s authors are Eric Gordon and Stephen Walter of the EGL, which “designs and studies playful approaches to serious problems”, and Pablo Suarez, Climate Centre Associate Director for Research and Innovation.
A section of the report – Engagement games: A case for designing games to facilitate real-world action – covers four specific application areas: problem-solving by communities, humanitarian work, civic action and building skills and networks.
It features the Upriver game that helps people understand what happens during floods and take part in early-warning communications by SMS.
Upriver was designed by EGL and the Climate Centre in collaboration with the Zambian Red Cross, with support from the American Red Cross and the Research Council of Norway through the project, Courting Catastrophe? Humanitarian policy and practice in a changing climate.
It was trialled last September in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, and the Zambezi river communities of Livingstone, Mwandi, Sikaunzwe and Kazungula. | <urn:uuid:13d0391b-d25e-490d-87fe-b05c87daa487> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.climatecentre.org/1997/engagement-games-for-real-world-action/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224647525.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20230601010402-20230601040402-00612.warc.gz | en | 0.941499 | 402 | 2.765625 | 3 | The extract discusses the use of games to foster engagement and solve complex social problems, highlighting the potential for increased empathy, trust, and experiential learning. It provides a realistic scenario with the Upriver game, demonstrating practical application and cultural awareness. However, the extract lacks nuanced interaction and complex problem-solving opportunities, limiting its depth.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 922,577 | 0 |
The way food is produced distributed and consumed in Britain today is shaped by a complex history spanning 1000 years of struggle.
Understanding this history is essential in understanding the way things are today, not just for land workers but for all of us. It is a social history that leaves a divisive legacy across our landscape, our people, our food and our daily work, entrenching poverty and privilege in Britain. Any serious attempts to create local, sustainable food systems must address it.
The history of Britain has been driven by the dispossession of land based communities as the ownership of fields, forest and commons has been progressively concentrated into the hands of a few powerful landowners.
Over the centuries our ancestors have faced enclosures and clearances, the loss of common land and grazing rights and the development of a culture of exclusive land ownership and prohibitive land prices, all intimately connected with the process of industrialisation and colonialism. From this history we look out today on a country where over 75 % of the land is owned by less than 1% of the population, where the average age of a farmer is over 60 and where less than 1% of the population work on the land.
Corporate business dominates all levels of our food system, resulting in complicated and fast moving supply chains where prices for producers are squeezed and scandals such as contamination, gang labour and health scares are increasingly common.
The relationship between land ownership and food systems is clear. Between 2007 and 2013 the EU lost over 25% of its farms because an agricultural industry based on chemical inputs, large land holdings and a high degree of mechanisation is the only farm capable of surviving in a food system dominated by a few big retailers. That kind of agricultural industry leads inevitably to the exploitation of the land, the producers and the health of those who consume its products, whilst making it harder and harder for people with alternative ideas to get a foot hold on the farming ladder.
A just and more sustainable food and farming system would involve short supply chains and a multiplicity of small scale sustainable food producers. Such a system can deliver healthy nutritious food with responsible environmental stewardship and the creation of more meaningful land based livelihoods. However, to do this we need a change of perspective on land and food: we need to understand that the right to food and the right to land go hand in hand.
The story is told in different ways in different places but essentially it goes like this: a destitute man wearily stumbles down a country lane on winters evening and finding a field sheltered from the wind by a good sturdy fence, climbs over and beds down for the night.
In the morning, he wakes with a start, a lady is prodding him with her cane.
“What do you think you are doing here?” she demands, “this land is private property!”
“Is it?” the man asks, waking up.
“It certainly is, I own it!” the lady snaps.
“Well, says the man, rubbing his eyes, “how did you come by it?”
“What a silly question!” the lady exclaims “why, my father owned it”.
“And how did he come by?” the man enquires.
“His father owned it” she replies continuing impatiently “and his father before his, and his father before his and his father before his all the way back to the Norman Conquest.”
“I see and what of your fore fathers at the time of the Normand Conquest, how did they come by this land?”
“Well they fought for it of course”.
“Right” says the man getting to his feet and rolling up his sleeves, “then I’ll fight you for it”.
The story exposes the absurdity of our system of land ownership. Whether by direct violence or making a killing in business there is something crazy about anyone laying claim to large tracts of land for private amusemnet or gain while the majority of us cannot lay claim to “one handful of earth”.
“The earth was made a common treasury for all” declared Gerrard Winstanly of the 17th centrury Diggers. To them the land should be worked communally and it’s fruits divided equally. A co-operative alternative to the Diggers’ collectivist approach might be that, at the least those who wish to live and/or work on the land should be given control of that which they can manage in a sustainable and productive way: no more, no less.
These are just two “models” of a fairer system of land distribution; there are plenty more voiced and yet to be voiced. What they all have in common is that they throw into stark relief the fact that the current land ownership system continues to reward downright theft and is ultimately a cause of many of our current environmnatal, social and economc ills.
The Movement for Food Sovereignty
All over the world people are finding ways to take back control of their food. In 1993 small organisiataions defending the livelihoods of peasant farmers in South America united to form La Via Campesina. Now a global organisation representing over 200 million small sale farmers and producers, La Via Campesia developed the concept of food sovereignty as a practical basis for rebuilding our food system.
Food sovereignty calls for the right to food controlled by and for people and communities not for big business elites and private profit. The purpose of the food system should be to feed the population in a way that is sustainable and equitable and this can only happen by building local food systems – bringing producers and consumers closer together in a system that is locally controlled by them, that reduces food miles and environmental damage, values food providers and builds knowledge and skills around food growing. The demands of food sovereignty inevitably call for new patterns of land ownership and land distribution as part of this shift to local democratic control of food production.
Britain could be self sufficient in food fuel and fibre if the right decisions were made about land use and consumption. The biggest blocks in making these decisions are the structures of ownership, planning law and corporate monopolies that prevent people from engaging in food growing as a viable livelihood. | <urn:uuid:1fef5496-9ec4-4887-8fe1-30c3b396c585> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | https://yorkleycourt.wordpress.com/why-we-are-here/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320226.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20170624050312-20170624070312-00451.warc.gz | en | 0.957607 | 1,293 | 3.234375 | 3 | The extract lacks direct discussion of soft skills, focusing instead on the history and issues of land ownership and food systems. However, it indirectly promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and cultural awareness by exploring complex social and environmental issues. The narrative encourages readers to consider alternative perspectives and solutions, fostering empathy and understanding of the need for sustainable and equitable systems.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 249,360 | 0 |
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Hello! Hello! Hello and welcome to a fun pronunciation lesson.
Many English language learners are not aware why they can't understand Americans in Hollywood movies. One of the reasons is that the t's are simply not pronounced. As you will see in my lesson there are many words such as "want" and "can't". Now this can get confusing for non-native speakers of English because they might not be able to understand if someone is saying they "can" or can't" do something. Watch my lesson to find out how to know the difference.
Now here is a word that everybody uses every day. Have you ever paid attention to the way native speakers of English in the U.S.A. and Canada use it? If you have, you will have noticed that when they say it really fast the t's totally disappear. In my lesson you will be able to hear the full, complete pronunciation of this word and then the way a native speaker pronounces it here in North America.
Many people who are not from the U.S.A. might get the impression from Hollywood movies and music that all Americans either talk like a Texan cowboy or a New York rapper. It's important to know that although these two kinds of accents exist, they are only two examples of a much longer list of accents from North America. One region of the United States which has many different kinds of accents is New York state, particularly New York city. I have been to New York and know from personal experience what some of these accents are like and in my lesson I share them with you.
So if you want to know what the standard American pronunciation of "coffee" is in North America it is: c -ah-fee. So the "o" has an "ah" sound. However, when you go to New York, you can hear many different kinds of ways of pronouncing this:
You really have to watch my lesson to hear the different ways these are pronounced. This pronunciation is typical in Brooklyn, the Bronx, New Jersey among others. If you go to New York and take a taxi or talk to someone in a restaurant, there is a strong chance someone will use this kind of pronunciation.
BE CAREFUL OF RURAL ACCENTS! This can be anywhere in North America, especially in smaller cities or towns. As I explain in my lesson, rural accents can be hard to understand because most of the consonants in the words are not pronounced. In my lesson I tell a story about an experience I had recently driving into the United States and you have to see it to believe it.
A very difficult sound for learners of English to pronounce is the sound in words like: fool, school and tool. A very similar sound can be heard in the words: fuel and cruel. In my video lesson you will learn that it is easy to pronounce these two sounds if you can practice putting your tongue in the right place in your mouth. My method for learning these difficult sounds is also saying them using two different words. For example, "fuel" could be pronounced "few + ol". Compare that to "fool" which is like "foo(d) + ol. I give another way of remembering how to pronounce these in the lesson.
I show different tongue positions when pronouncing many of the vowel sounds which are similar in English. Another important thing to pay attention to is how open or closed your mouth is when you are making these sounds. So for example, in the case of "fool", you need to "pucker" your lips. This means you need to tighten your lips in a circle as if you were going to give one of those more reserved kisses on the cheek to your grandmother. You really need to exaggerate the movements as I explain them in the video lesson to make sure your pronunciation is perfect!
There is definitely a lot going on when we try to pronounce similar sounding words like: chip vs. cheap, ship vs. sheep, chip vs. ship and cheap vs. sheep. So be careful of the "ch" sound vs. the "sh" sound. Another sound you can work on is the long "e" sound like in "sheep" and the short "i" sound like in "ship". Try to find words that all have the same sound to group them together. So, for example: ship, slip, dip and sheep, keep, deep. business meeting in a native English speaking country.
Hello! Hello! Hello! Here is a great brand new video I have made for any English learner who wants to avoid embarrassing pronunciation mistakes. There are many and I have shown some great examples in my video lesson.
Beach vs. Bitch
The short "i" sound in English has always been difficult for learners to pronounce. For example: eat vs. it, beat vs. bit. But sometimes this pronunciation mistake can be embarrassing when you say "shit" instead of "sheet" or "bitch" rather than "bitch". Does this happen to you? If so, i have provided an example of how this happens in our lesson and also I test you on it during the end part of the video. It's worth noting that sometimes "bitch" means prostitute, while at other times it is pejorative(BE CAREFUL USING IT) for a female who is being a pain in the neck.
Six vs. Sex
Once again we have two words that sound quite similar, but don't be fooled. It's the same difference as we saw in our first example and if you say "sex" instead of "six" someone might understand something totally different. So I can't stress enough the importance of getting the pronunciation of the two correct! I explain this in the context of a funny situation in our video lesson.
Focus vs. Fuck us
This difference in vowel sounds is the long "o" sound and the short "u" sound. If you say this the wrong way, you might end up landing yourself in a whole lot of trouble. In my lesson I give examples of other words with the long "o" sound so that you can master the pronunciation of "focus".
Decade vs. Dick Head
In American pronunciation, decade is pronounced with the short "e" sound as in "bed", "Ted", "fled". the second word is a HUGE and vulgar insult for men so be careful you are using the right pronunciation. Don't worry! Watch the lesson and you can make sure you are pronouncing that one correctly!
UNCENSORED VERSION COMING SOON!
I hope you enjoyed my lesson and I look forward to seeing you all online | <urn:uuid:ee11b74f-5186-4fc7-ac27-732a15e88de0> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://privateenglishportal.com/whatsnew/34-peppy-english-pronunciation-lessons?start=9 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250603761.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20200121103642-20200121132642-00331.warc.gz | en | 0.962903 | 1,370 | 2.53125 | 3 | The extract focuses on pronunciation lessons for English language learners, covering various accents and sounds. While it provides practical applications and real-world context, its primary focus is on language skills rather than soft skills development. The material lacks discussion of teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, and problem-solving opportunities, limiting its scope for professional development. However, it does demonstrate some cultural awareness and digital literacy.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 255,552 | 0 |
Generation Gap Nowadays,there is often a lack of understanding between parents and children.Children always complain that their parents are out of date,while parents can’t approve of what their children say and do.Thus,a big generation gap is formed. The gap remains wide for many reasons.Children want to be free to choose their own friends,select their own classes in school,plan their own future,earn and spend their own money,and generally run their own life in a more independent way than many parents allow.Also,young children wish to be understood by their parents,but most parents don’t quite understand their children.They regard it as their responsibility to teach their offspring traditional beliefs.They want them to be obedient and do well in school.Therefore,misunderstanding often arise from parents’ tendency to interfere in children’s daily activities. In my opinion,most problems between parents and children could be solved by joint efforts of both sides to enhance mutual understanding. 代沟 如今,父母和子女之间经常缺乏沟通.子女经常抱怨父母过时了;而父母并不赞同子女的言行.于是一个很大的代沟就产生了.产生代沟的原因有很多.子女希望过比父母允许的更独立的生活:自由的选择自己的朋友;在学校里自由的选择自己的社团;自由的描绘自己的将来;自由的支配自己的花费.当然年轻的子女们也希望能够得到父母的理解.但是并不是大多数的父母都能够理解他们的孩子,他们认为教育他们的后代树立传统的信仰是他们应有的责任,他们希望子女在家里能够孝顺,在学校能够好好学习.于是,不理解就往往从父母打算干涉子女的日常生活中产生了. 我认为:父母和子女间的代沟问题可以通过双方相互理解来共同解决. | <urn:uuid:5bae7604-8694-4f3f-be73-b98360a8d162> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.wesiedu.com/zuoye/8068648544.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585371799447.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20200407121105-20200407151605-00084.warc.gz | en | 0.858052 | 754 | 2.8125 | 3 | The extract discusses the generation gap between parents and children, highlighting the lack of understanding and communication between them. It touches on basic communication and teamwork concepts, such as mutual understanding and respect, but lacks depth and practical application. The discussion is straightforward, with simple scenarios and limited nuance.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 792,284 | 0 |
Discuss your reaction to Plato's "Allegory of the Cave." Did you ever have a learning experience that "turned your soul toward reality?"
I am not sure what the teacher is asking in the question: "turned your soul toward reality."
The "Allegory of the Cave" can be interpreted in a number of ways. That number of interpretations increases in different contexts and in subsequent periods of history. The metaphor stays the same but the implications change with context. In other words, someone in 2012 will interpret the allegory differently than someone 2400 years ago in Greece. Not to mention, as each person is subjective, his/her interpretation will necessarily be different.
That being said, the general interpretation of the allegory is that we are all experiencing the shadows on the wall of the cave. The ultimate reality (Absolute Good) is outside the cave. "Turn your soul toward reality" can seem like an odd or unnecessarily spiritual phrase. Try thinking of this phrase in broader terms. More generally speaking, this phrase could mean discovering a truth you had not been aware of, or realizing that some of the experiences in life have always been veiled by a filter (such as our fallible senses or the structures and ideologies of culture and authority).
So, to turn your soul (or mind) toward reality (the ultimate reality or Absolute Truth) would be to come to some realization about truth and/or to realize some aspect of experience had been some illusion. Socrates poses the question as to what you do with this new truth/realization:
Now, if he recalled the cell where he'd originally lived and what passed for knowledge there and his former fellow prisoners, don't you think he'd feel happy about his own altered circumstances, and sorry for them?
Here, Socrates supposes that the enlightened person would feel happy about his/her realization but would also feel sympathy for those still chained to the proverbial wall in the cave.
Any such realization could be dramatic or subtle. One example might be when one realizes how rigidly a religion, ideology, political ethos, or economic system determines the way one's life is structured. For instance, perhaps one day I realize that the politics and economics of my culture have rigorously determined me (and my fellow prisoners/citizens) to be a consumer first; a human being second. I then discover the ways in which authorities of this culture (figures casting shadows) have duped me in this way. At the risk of sounding preachy, I might want to share my realization with my friends to suggest to them that sharing experiences with people is more important than buying things. That is a broad ideological and ethical example. But "turning your soul toward reality" could also be a more personal or psychological realization. Remember that the idea Socrates (Plato) wants to get a across is twofold: 1) realization and 2) do you, or how do you enlighten others without seeming mad (or, perhaps, in this day and age, without sounding preachy and annoying). | <urn:uuid:8cc3532f-f7df-41d7-96a5-49c28b753d7f> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/discuss-your-reaction-platos-allegory-cave-did-you-371824 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549425766.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20170726042247-20170726062247-00408.warc.gz | en | 0.958001 | 615 | 3.203125 | 3 | The extract scores high due to its in-depth discussion of complex philosophical concepts, encouraging critical thinking, and nuanced communication. It promotes emotional intelligence, self-reflection, and empathy, while acknowledging multiple perspectives and cultural contexts. The text also touches on leadership and strategic thinking through the example of sharing realizations with others.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 459,269 | 1 |
Brown, Lawrence Prove Justices Weigh Their Own Beliefs, Public Opinion, Klarman Says
|Klarman: In the end, Brown “required [the justices] to give up their commitment to subordinate their personal views to the law.”|
One case struck at the heart of the segregated South by proclaiming schools could not be separate but equal, while the other offered a mild opening feint at state laws targeting homosexuals—but Brown v. Board of Education and last year's Lawrence v. Texas reveal how Supreme Court justices weigh their own beliefs in controversial cases that are not necessarily supported by conventional legal sources, according to law professor Michael Klarman, who compared the two cases at an event co-sponsored by the American Constitution Society and Lambda Law Alliance Feb. 18. Although the Lawrence decision avoided the issue of gay marriage—just as Brown avoided interracial marriage—Klarman predicted the Court eventually would deem classifications by sexual orientation unconstitutional, as public support for gay rights continues to increase.
“Brown and Lawrence were both hard cases for the justices, I think for the same reason,” Klarman explained. The justices thought they should separate their own views from the law, but they considered racial segregation so evil that they could not allow it. To them, segregation was comparable to Nazism, still fresh in their minds after World War II.
In the end, Brown “required them to give up their commitment to subordinate their personal views to the law,” he said.
In the case of Lawrence, Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Anthony Kennedy, who usually swing right, had to overturn a precedent set just 17 years ago in Bowers v. Hardwick, in which the Court ruled in favor of Georgia's law banning consensual sodomy regardless of sexual orientation.
“If you care about originalism [an issue O'Connor wavers on] . . . it's very difficult to justify the result in Lawrence on originalist grounds,” he said. “They're not sure about the legal basis [for the decision]—I think that's the same as Brown.”
The Court is hardly a vanguard on the issue of homosexuality today or on desegregation during the 1950s, he said. “They're reflecting fundamental changes that are already going on in society,” Klarman said. After World War II, African-American soldiers began demanding more respect for risking their lives for their country. Segregation made the United States look backward abroad, where it was competing with the Soviet Union for the loyalty of developing countries during the Cold War. It's clear from the justices' own records of their discussion about Brown “they don't think for a minute they're creating a new social reform movement,” Klarman said. “They understood one was already underway.”
The same is true of Lawrence: since 1986, public opinion has shifted substantially toward supporting some gay rights, although about 65 percent still oppose gay marriage. State supreme courts in Alaska and Hawaii have struck down bans on gay marriage; Episcopalians have begun ordaining gay bishops; and a strong gay rights movement has made significant gains in the past decade. “Both [Court] decisions reflect change more than I'd say they promote change,” he said.
On issues such as race and homosexuality, studies show there's a correlation between elite socioeconomic status and liberal views, but in considering gays, age is a factor too—older Americans are more likely to oppose liberal attitudes toward sexual orientation. Lawrence has seen less backlash than Brown in part because most Americans agree consensual sex between adults should not be criminalized, Klarman said. Americans are far more opposed to gay marriage, just as many in the South were violently opposed to interracial marriage during the Brown era while some supported limited economic or voting rights for African-Americans. Brown struck closer to white supremacist's core beliefs than Lawrence does to the public today.
“People are most opposed to changes at one end of the spectrum and able to accept change at the other end," he said. More Americans might support laws banning employment discrimination against homosexuals or allowing gays in the military than gay marriage, for example. In comparison, Lawrence actually would have “produced a yawn of indifference” had it not been for a shift in public focus to gay marriage.
Brown notably does not ban presumptive racial classifications—it's instead written as an education case. “They were scared to touch the interracial marriage issue,” Klarman said, adding that if they did, Brown would likely have been unenforceable. One interracial marriage case from Virginia reached the Supreme Court soon after Brown, but the justices ducked, saying the facts were unclear.
A similar break happened in Lawrence: “They go to great lengths to make it clear this is not about gay marriage,” he said. “It's kind of unusual for the justices to tell you what the case is not about.”
“O'Connor and Kennedy are not about to strike down bans on gay marriage anytime soon,” he predicted. O'Connor, for one, clearly cares about public opinion. In striking down the death penalty for the mentally retarded two years ago, she noted in her opinion how many states have laws banning the practice.
The Supreme Court's most controversial decisions liberalizing law—Roe v. Wade and Brown, for example—often polarize the public further and create a backlash, when the Court would be better served by waiting until public opinion supported the decision, Klarman said.
In such cases, moderate opinion gets squelched, and the “political spectrum moves to the right.” George Wallace was a moderate before Brown, and Alabama politician Big Jim Folsom destroyed his own career because he remained moderate in his beliefs.
In Massachusetts, politicians recently created a coalition in support of civil unions as a compromise position—but the state's supreme court ruled that civil unions were not equal to gay marriage.
“Courts are good at destroying those majority coalitions by saying they're unconstitutional,” Klarman said. Now Massachusetts politicians can only change the gay marriage decision by amending the state constitution. As in the case of the Court's refusal to hear an interracial marriage case, the current justices are unlikely to take appeals to the Massachusetts court's decision.
This puts Democratic presidential candidates in a difficult position; they don't want to alienate a core constituency by opposing gay marriage, but 65 percent of the electorate oppose it.
“My prediction is that Bush will make this a huge issue in the election,” Klarman said, and the issue will likely play in his favor.
But in Brown, violence against blacks, shown on television and seen by horrified northerners, created a counter-backlash against segregationists. “When there is violence it actually helps the movement,” Klarman said, noting that the death of Matthew Shepard, a gay man allegedly murdered because of his sexual orientation, created a backlash in support of gay rights.
There won't be the same backlash against gay marriage in Massachusetts because conditions and attitudes have changed.
“The Court tends to constitutionalize the consensus and suppress the outliers,” he said, pointing out that younger generations are more tolerant of gays. “I think gay marriage is in the cards.”
When new justices are appointed to the court, younger viewpoints will enter as well, Klarman said, and even conservative justices will come to accept liberal views toward sexual orientation. Justice Robert Jackson predicted in 1954 that the Court was certain to invalidate racial segregation in public schools within a generation, even if it declined to do so in Brown. Social and political changes have inevitably influenced court rulings and public opinion over time.
“Within a generation . . . homophobia is going to look like white
supremacy,” an outlook that is now “alien to us,” Klarman said.
• Reported by M. Wood | <urn:uuid:4b065db4-72d5-427f-9de7-a4bedbc799d6> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.law.virginia.edu/html/news/2004_spr/klarman_brown.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1393999665469/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305060745-00009-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967785 | 1,663 | 3.09375 | 3 | The extract scores low as it primarily focuses on a historical and legal analysis of Supreme Court cases, lacking direct discussion of soft skills development. While it touches on complex social issues, emotional intelligence, and leadership challenges, these are not presented in a context that promotes practical application or nuanced interaction. The extract's primary value lies in its informative content rather than in fostering soft skills.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 924,003 | 0 |
“Learn to read your child. That’s really what all of my work has been aimed at, trying to help parents understand their own child as an individual.” Dr. T. Berry Brazelton
To learn to “read” your child requires understanding, compassion, education, and heaps of patience; especially when your temperament and your child’s temperament are not matches made in heaven.
For instance, you might be a low-energy person who enjoys spending free time reading books and are overwhelmed and bothered by a highly active child who wants you to spend the time riding bikes. Conversely, if you are an on-the-go type of person, you may feel trapped by a child who wants to stay in the house building Legos. Even a child who is very much like you can be a challenge – when a strong-willed parent locks horns with a strong-willed child, there can be fireworks! How well a child’s temperament fits with that of his parents is called “goodness of fit.”
Managing this “goodness of fit” concept can be difficult. But it can be accomplished by accepting the child for who he or she is, finding ways to accommodate both of your temperaments, and honoring the people you are both meant to be. This will:
avoid some recurring battles that may take place within your home.
build a more trusting, respectful relationship with your child.
give him the confidence to show what makes him unique.
To “read” more about temperament, click here.
By Claire Gawinowicz, Certified Parenting Educator | <urn:uuid:63211e2f-cdca-4fc9-a65b-c5fe401fdf86> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://centerforparentingeducation.org/parentscorners/2014/03/fitting-childs-temperament/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875146341.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20200226084902-20200226114902-00086.warc.gz | en | 0.962022 | 340 | 2.53125 | 3 | This extract scores high for its discussion of emotional intelligence, empathy, and understanding in parent-child relationships. It provides realistic scenarios and practical advice for managing differences in temperament, promoting a trusting and respectful relationship. The content demonstrates nuanced interaction and complex problem-solving opportunities, warranting a high score.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 371,882 | 1 |
Independence Day is one of the most important holidays in the United States. It’s a time to celebrate our country and its history, and what better way to do that than with emojis? If you’re not familiar with them, emojis are small digital images that you can use to express yourself on social media. They come in all sorts of shapes and colors, and they’re perfect for use when you don’t have much else to say. Do you know what the Fourth of July emoji means to you? If not, read on to find out! Independence Day is a day to celebrate our country’s independence from England, so it makes sense that the flag emoji would be associated with it. Whether or not you believe in the official story of how America became independent, there’s no denying that the Fourth of July is an important holiday. So why not add an Independence Day emoji to your social media repertoire? It might just help you celebrate it in a way that reflects your own personal values.
What does the American flag mean to you?
The flag means a lot to me. It’s like a symbol of our country and I love feeling patriotic every time I see it. The colors represent all of the people who have fought for our country, and the stripes represent the different parts of the country.
I also think that the stars on the flag are really cute. They remind me of all the people who have helped make our country great.
What are the different types of flags?
Flags are a symbol of nationalism and patriotism, and they can be seen all around the world. There are many different types of flags, and each one has a different meaning to different people. Here are some of the most common flag types:
The American flag is probably the most well-known flag in the world. It’s made up of thirteen alternating red and white stripes, and it’s known as the national flag of the United States. The flag is often flown at ceremonies and rallies, and it represents the country’s independence from Great Britain.
The Union Jack is the national flag of England. It consists of a blue field with a red cross in the middle. The cross is taken from an old English flag, and it symbolizes Christianity as well as British unity. The Union Jack is often flown at official events such as royal weddings or military parades.
The Japanese flag has five elements: a sun disk at its center, four circles representing Japan’s main islands (Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku), and two stripes running along the top and bottom thirds of the flag. The blue color stands for peace, while the white represents purity and innocence. The Japanese government uses the Japan National Flag when they make public appearances or when they’re interned with other countries’ flags during international events like soccer games or sumo tournaments.
The Chinese national flag has nine traditional symbols on it: a phoenix rising
What is the history of the American flag?
The American flag has a long and complicated history. Here’s a quick primer on how the flag came to be:
In 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the first official US flag. The flag consisted of 13 stripes, alternating red and white, to represent the 13 colonies. The stars on top of the flag represented each state in the union.
The original design for the flag was created by George Washington, who wanted a simple and powerful symbol that could represent all Americans.
Over time, some other changes were made to the flag. For example, in 1818, Congress added a blue stripe to represent New Englander’s loyalty to the Union. And in 1960, Congress added an additional star to represent Hawaii (which became a state in 1959).
What do the different colors on the flag represent?
The American flag is composed of thirteen alternating red and white stripes. The colors stand for the original thirteen colonies. The blue field stands for the ocean and the sky, while the stars on white represent each state in the union.
Each year on July 4th, Americans celebrate Independence Day by displaying the flag. Many people believe that the flag symbolizes many things, including freedom, democracy, and patriotism. For some people, it represents their family or hometown. While others view it as a national symbol of unity. Regardless of why someone views the flag positively, almost everyone can agree that it is an important part of American history and culture.
What do the stars on the flag mean?
The flag of the United States of America is made up of 13 alternating red and white stripes. The first use of the flag was during the American Revolution in 1777. The flag’s original design is attributed to George Washington. The stars on the flag represent each state in the union.
How to display and celebrate the 4th of July in style!
There’s no better way to celebrate America’s independence than by using emojis! Here are some of our favorite emojis and their meanings, based on what we’ve heard from our readers.
The American flag is not just a symbol of patriotism – it’s also a source of comfort for some people. Some people use the flag as an emoji to represent hope, strength, and protection.
Here are some other patriotic emojis:
The bald eagle is another iconic symbol of America. Pictured with an olive branch in one talon and an arrow in the other, this emoji stands for strength, justice, and victory.
The red white and blue stars and stripes also have many meanings. They can represent patriotism, freedom, or courage.
Finally, here is a few unofficial Fourth of July emojis that we think you’ll love:
No matter how you celebrate America’s Independence Day this year – with friends, family, or fireworks displays – make sure to include some of these patriotic emojis!
How do you display the American flag?
The American flag is a symbol of patriotism and remembrance. For many, the flag is a source of pride and honor. What does the flag mean to you? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
For many people, the American flag represents freedom, liberty, and democracy. The stars and stripes are a reminder that all Americans are equal. The colors represent different parts of the country, and the star field stands for Union Jacks. Sailors used to hoist flags on masts as they sailed across the ocean, so the flag has long been associated with travel and adventure. Today, we often see American flags displayed at sporting events or during national holidays such as Memorial Day or Fourth of July. Some people even keep a small American flag in their window to show patriotism and support for our country.
How to celebrate America’s 4th of July
July 4th is an American holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Americans celebrate by engaging in various patriotic activities, such as parades and fireworks displays.
This year, we’re joined by friends from all over the world to commemorate this great country and its history! Here are some fabulous emoji reactions to the USA flag for you to use on your social media channels:
🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 😃 😃 😃 😃 🙂 🙂 🙂
The American flag means a lot to many people, and that is evident by the number of emoji that celebrate it. From 🇺🇸 to 🎓️, there are plenty of happy 4th of July emojis to choose from. What does the flag mean to you? We want to know! Leave a comment below and tell us all about your favorite 4th of July emoji. | <urn:uuid:db88f993-2ca1-418b-8eb6-b82ebc3dea50> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://itsforbes.com/4th-of-july-emojis-what-does-the-flag-mean-to-you/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296944996.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20230323034459-20230323064459-00405.warc.gz | en | 0.949702 | 1,630 | 2.625 | 3 | The extract provides superficial coverage of basic communication and teamwork concepts, with limited discussion of soft skills. It focuses on the history and meaning of the American flag, with some basic examples of emojis and their meanings. The content lacks nuanced interaction, complex problem-solving opportunities, and practical applications. Cultural awareness and digital literacy are present but basic.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 42,113 | 0 |
Patient will present as → a 45-year-old male with a one week history of hacking non-productive cough, low grade fever, malaise and myalgias. The chest x-ray reveals bilateral interstitial infiltrates and a cold agglutinin titer that is negative. Examination reveals scattered rhonchi and rales upon auscultation of the chest.
Adults → Flu is the most common viral cause
Kids → RSV - 1st episode of wheezing
Adenovirus tends to cause symptoms fast, will present with GI symptoms and lasts about 1 week. May differentiate from bacterial mycoplasma pneumonia as mycoplasma is slow and insidious.
Chest X-ray will show bilateral interstitial infiltrates
- Rapid antigen testing for influenza
- RSV nasal swab
- cold agglutinin titer that is negative
Influenza can be treated with oseltamivir (Tamiflu)
- Zanamivir and Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) both treat influenza A and B must be given within 48 hours
- Amantadine and Rimantadine treat only influenza A
Treatment is usually symptomatic, may use beta 2 agonists, fluids, rest
While the patient's clinical symptoms of dry cough and rhonchi support this diagnosis, the chest x-ray would be normal or only show a mild increase in bronchovascular markings, not infiltrates.
While the gradual onset of symptoms suggest mycoplasma, the negative cold agglutinin titer makes this less likely.
In older children the signs and symptoms of pneumococcal pneumonia are similar to an adult and consist of an abrupt onset of cough, fever and chills. The chest x-ray would reveal a lobar consolidation, not interstitial, picture. | <urn:uuid:6f826863-b9d8-4d74-95f1-768590fded9a> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://smartypance.com/lessons/infectious-disorders/pneumonias/viral-pneumonia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875145746.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20200223032129-20200223062129-00015.warc.gz | en | 0.881407 | 387 | 2.59375 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing solely on medical terminology and diagnostic procedures. There is no coverage of communication, teamwork, or problem-solving scenarios, and no consideration of cultural awareness or digital literacy.
Educational score: 0 | 0 | 0 | 347,174 | 0 |
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviors please call 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or go to your nearest emergency room.
We know that an early diagnosis of bipolar disorder is often uncertain. Bipolar disorder causes extreme shifts in mood, energy and daily life functions. There can be other psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, panic disorder and substance abuse to complicate diagnosis and treatment. This can be very frightening for the person with bipolar disorder and those who love them.
But the greatest risk of bipolar is no treatment! The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that only half of all people with bipolar disorder receive treatment. This raises the risk factors, particularly for suicide. With diagnosis there is treatment with durable management and recovery from symptoms and a very real possibility of a full and productive life. Treatment typically includes a combination of medication, therapy, stress management, skills training, attention to lifestyle and a support network.
We urge you to seek diagnosis and treatment for yourself or your friends or family members if needed. There is a great document available on the NAMI website: Understanding Bipolar Disorder and Recovery.
There are many resources available. We encourage you to become familiar with these and learn more about bipolar disorder. We want anyone with bipolar disorder to be the strongest voice in their own treatment plan!
Research and Information
www.nami.org: National Alliance on Mental Illness, a great place to start when looking for information, help, and support.
www.samhsa.gov Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, a federal website identifying a wide variety of national programs and campaigns dealing with mental health
www.nmha.org National Mental Health America is a 100 year old organization focusing on advocacy, education and service.
www.nimh.nih.gov: National Institute of Mental Health, a wonderful source for current research and studies surrounding mental disorders. This site aims to “transform the understanding and treatment of mental illness through research”.
www.narsad.org The National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression is the worlds leading charity dedicated to the research of mental health. The site provides information about psychiatric illnesses, support groups, local mental health organizations, and provides educational materials on request.
www.dbsalliance.org Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance provides almost everything you need to know about depression and bipolar.
www.imhro.org International Mental Health Research Organization is committed to funding research and raising awareness to help people with brain disease, and, ultimately, find cures for schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder.
www.healthyplace.com: Information on psychological disorders and psychiatric medications from both a consumer and expert point of view. They have an “active mental health social network for support, online psychological tests, breaking mental health news, mental health videos, documentary films, a live mental health tv show, unique tools like their “mediminder” and more.”
www.ncmhjj.com: (National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice) A centralized national focal point that pulls together and links the various activities and research for youth with mental health disorders in contact with the juvenile justice system.
www.dbsalliance.org: (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance) Almost everything you need to know about depression and bipolar.
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org: (National Eating Disorder Association) Non-profit organization working to support those experiencing and recovering from eating disorders, and support for their families.
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org: (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) Suicide Hotline 1-800-273-TALK(8255)
www.save.org: (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education) Great site promoting awareness, education, and help for those struggling with or affected by suicide.
www.afsp.org: (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention).
Youth and Young Adult Resources
us.reachout.com Reach Out is an information and support service using evidence based principles and technology to help teens and young adults struggling with mental health issues. Audio and video stories share personal experiences with mental health issues from teens and young adults and how they got through those issues.
www.halfofus.com Half Of Us is a joint campaign launched by MTVU and the Jed Foundation to raise awareness about the prevalence of mental health issues on campus and connect students to the appropriate resources to get help.
www.transitionyear.org/ Transition Year is an online resource center to help parents and students focus on emotional health before, during and after the college transition.
www.activeminds.org Active Minds is an organization working to utilize the student voice to change the conversation about mental health on college campuses. By developing and supporting chapters of a student-run mental health awareness, education, and advocacy group on campuses, the organization works to increase students’ awareness of mental health issues, provide information and resources regarding mental health and mental illness, encourage students to seek help as soon as it is needed, and serve as liaison between students and the mental health community.
www.thetrevorproject.org The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.< br/>
www.whatadifference.samhsa.gov A chat site for young adults living with mental health problems and to friends of those living with mental health problems. The forums provide a means to share experiences, ask questions and find answers.
Services- (web-communities, groups and meet-ups, organizations)
www.thebalancedmind.org (Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation) Covers information about the illness, including education and legal issues. The site provides message boards, chat rooms, and support groups for parents and young adults.
www.karlasmithfoundation.org KSF believes there is hope for a balanced life. Even if there is an untreated person with mental illness in the family, even in the aftermath of suicide, there is hope. KSF helps discover and nurture that hope.
www.ffcmh.org The National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health is a national family-run organization linking more than 120 chapters and state organizations focused on the issues of children and youth with emotional, behavioral, or mental health needs and their families.
www.wellsphere.com One of Linea’s most frequented sites. Has a community where you can get information, ask questions, or simply build a profile and interact with other consumers with similar health goals. Visit Linea’s profile here (http://www.wellsphere.com/linea-profile/119590 ).
www.facingus.org A fun and extremely site, in which you can track your moods, journal, get tips on how to find a happy and healthy life, and build a wellness plan to help you accomplish that goal.
www.dailystrength.org This site has online support groups for everything from mental health to personal challenges.
www.aa.org The online site for Alcoholics Anonymous for anyone dealing with self-medication induced alcoholism.
www.draonline.org (Dual Recovery Anonymous) Recovery and support group for those with both a mental or emotional disorders and a drug addiction.
www.projecttransition.com Apartment-based communities that support adults suffering from psychiatric problems that have been recurrent. It has many resources on helpful organizations, treatment programs, and educational articles.
tip.fmhi.usf.edu (Transition to Independent Process) Organization devoted to helping youth with mental and/or behavioral problems transition to adulthood smoothly and safely.
www.bringchange2mind.org A mental health awareness campaign started by Glenn Close and her sister Jessie who are working to fight stigma and change the vocabulary surrounding mental illness.
capwiz.com/nami/home/ NAMI Advocacy Action Center
www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=fight_stigma NAMI “Fight Stigma” page
takeaction.mentalhealthamerica.net/site/PageServer?pagename=action_alerts Mental Health America Action Alerts
www.cartercenter.org/health/mental_health/index.html Under the leadership of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, the nation’s foremost champion for the rights of people with mental illnesses, the Carter Center’s Mental Health Program works to promote awareness about mental health issues, reduce stigma and discrimination against those with mental illnesses, and achieve greater parity for mental health in the U.S. health care system.
www.who.int/mental_health/en/ World Health Organization Mental Health page
www.mindsontheedge.org Minds on the Edge: Facing Mental Illness provides a link to an excellent video seminar that discusses recovery and solutions to the mistreatment, misrepresentation, and misunderstanding of those suffering with a mental health condition. It also provides a place to share your story and information on how to get involved with the Minds on the Edge movement.
www.theicarusproject.net The Icarus Project is one of Linea’s personal favorites. A wonderful community in which people can share stories, questions, and art relating to their life and “illness.” This has great resources for those of you who are focused on alternative forms of medication.
www.everyminute.org Every Minute is an organization focused on “accelerating mental health research” by educating people about suicide and mental health. This is a wonderful site for advocacy and has all the latest updates on any news relating to these issues.
www.mindfreedom.org MindFreedom International “is an independent nonprofit coalition defending human rights and promoting humane alternatives for mental and emotional well being.” Their vision is to, “Unite in a spirit of mutual cooperation for a nonviolent revolution of mental health human rights and choice.”
An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness by Kay Redfield Jamison (Paperback – Jan 14, 1997). This is a classic and written by a psychiatrist with bipolar disorder. This is the first book Cinda read about bipolar disorder.
Crazy: A Father’s Search through America’s Mental Health Madness, Pete Earley. Veteran Journalist Pete Earley explores the interconnection between mental illness in America and the criminal justice system. Not only educational for anyone wanting to know more about the system but extremely personal and loving as he tells the story of his own son’s struggles.
Within our Reach, Rosalynn Carter with Susan K. Golant and Kathryn E. Cade. Former First Lady Carter and her colleagues provide an assessment of the state of mental health. This is a favorite of both Linea’s and Cinda’s in providing a well-written overview and gives insight to issues facing us all and ultimately hope for a better future.
Madness: A Bipolar Life, Marya Hornbacher. A passionate and intense memoir of one woman’s journey with bipolar disorder. Marya’s honest words and powerful voice really allow people to see a glimpse into the life of a woman who experienced rapid cycling bipolar from a very young age.
Detour: My Bipolar Roadtrip, Lizzie Simon. One young woman’s journey to better understand herself and her new diagnosis of bipolar disorder. The story brings in other voices and lives as Lizzie attempts to grasp this intangible illness.
The Van Gogh Blues: The Creative Person’s Path through Depression, Eric Maisel (Paperback – Dec 28, 2007). Since we are all artists in our family this is one that Cinda likes very much.
Mind Race: A Firsthand Account of One Teenager’s Experience with Bipolar Disorder (Adolescent Mental Health Initiative), Patrick E. Jamieson and Moira A. Rynn (Paperback – Aug 15, 2006). This is a wonderful book for teenagers, young adults, parents and educational professionals. Linea said that the first ten pages describe her feelings so accurately.
The Bipolar Teen: What You Can Do to Help Your Child and Your Family, David J. Miklowitz and Elizabeth L. George (Paperback – Nov 15, 2007). Teens may not find this too interesting but it is a good resource for parents and teachers.
How I Stayed Alive When My Brain Was Trying to Kill Me: One Person’s Guide to Suicide Prevention, Susan Rose Blauner (Paperback- June 30, 2003). A great book for anyone who has experienced or is experiencing suicidal thoughts. Provides great skills and resources to help one cope with the agony and horror of suicide.
Nothing Was the Same, Kay Redfield Jamison. A beautifully written book that helps understand the difference between grief and depression and also is a true love story.
Unlisted, Delaney Ruston, www.unlistedfilm.com A film following filmmaker Delaney Ruston as she reconnects with her father after years of separation through her choice to be “unlisted” in the phone book. Very inspiring and shows the importance of family in times of mental instability.
Minds on the Edge, Fred Friendly Seminars, www.mindsontheedge.org. A roundtable discussion of the many intricacies of living with a mental illness. With topics ranging from access, to family, to the criminal justice world this seminar will give anyone a beginning understanding of the scope of the mental health world and its many topics. | <urn:uuid:589a1d49-1937-4115-9a23-3c28e0c73bba> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://lineacinda.com/resources/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886106754.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20170820131332-20170820151332-00429.warc.gz | en | 0.904648 | 2,836 | 2.71875 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive list of resources for individuals and families affected by bipolar disorder and other mental health issues. While it offers a wide range of support services, websites, and literature, it lacks interactive and practical applications for developing soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. The content is primarily informative and focused on raising awareness and providing support.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 860,449 | 0 |
Going back to school is always hard. Back to homework, waking up early and sitting in a classroom all day. But imagine going back to school and learning about real local issues, and then learning real life skills and using them to solve actual problems in your community. That’s what students in Mr. Ryan Duffy’s class went back to this year. Mr. Duffy teaches sixth through eighth grade math and science at ROOTS school in Haiku on Maui, Hawaiʻi. Last October he came to CORAL’s Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) workshop and learned how to teach his students about the importance of watersheds in a way that’s fun and exciting.
He’s applying those skills, and his students are completely engaged! Soon after the workshop, Mr. Duffy’s students started designing a system to capture rain water off their school’s rooftop. They collected data to determine the average rainfall for their region, and measured the surface area of the school’s roof. They compiled this information to calculate the amount of rain they could catch and researched various rain water harvesting systems. They even built a first flush diverter to prevent the polluted water from the beginning of a rain event—and all the debris it brings off the roof—from entering the water catchment tanks.
By spring, the students had completed their data collection and calculations and were ready to install their water catchment tanks. Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company donated two 500-gallon water catchment tanks, and CORAL’s Program Manager, Wes Crile, and Mr. Duffy helped install them. The school is now able to divert about 1,000 gallons of rainwater from entering the ocean at nearby Hoʻokipa Beach each time it rains. Hoʻokipa isn’t too far from the world-famous surf spot, Jaws, and it’s a popular place for windsurfing and kite surfing. Preventing rainwater from entering the ocean there not only helps protect human health, but also helps protect coral reefs.
The students will continue the project this year by measuring the rainwater catchment system and its impacts. They will also start monitoring water quality at Hoʻokipa beach and learn about the impacts that sediment and rainwater runoff have on the coral reefs. Soon they’ll start to see how their school project fits into the health of the entire watershed.
A special thanks to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as well as the Atherton Family Foundation for their generous support of this project. | <urn:uuid:59c17b6b-c037-4e1e-bbf6-70c2bcad0383> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://coral.org/en/blog/maui-students-learn-to-protect-their-watershed/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224654031.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20230608003500-20230608033500-00015.warc.gz | en | 0.95993 | 542 | 2.890625 | 3 | This extract showcases a real-world application of soft skills, including problem-solving, teamwork, and critical thinking, as students work on a community-based project to address local environmental issues. It demonstrates emotional intelligence, leadership, and practical application, with a strong emphasis on cultural awareness and digital literacy.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 516,724 | 1 |
Security is the degree of resistance to, or protection from, harm. It applies to any vulnerable and valuable asset, such as a person, dwelling, community, nation, or organization.
- No nation can make itself secure by seeking supremacy over all others. We all share responsibility for each other’s security, and only by working to make each other secure can we hope to achieve lasting security for ourselves.
- Unity, peace and security will come through the recognition—intelligently assessed—of the evils which have led to the present world situation, and then through the taking of those wise, compassionate and understanding steps which will lead to the establishing of right human relations, to the substitution of cooperation for the present competitive system, and by the education of the masses in every land as to the nature of true goodwill and its hitherto unused potency.
- What at this moment appears to prevent world unity... ? The answer is not hard to find and involves all nations: nationalism, capitalism, competition, blind stupid greed.The mass of men need arousing to see that good comes to all men alike and not just to a few privileged groups, and to learn also that "hatred ceases not by hatred but that hatred ceases by love". This love is not a sentiment, but practical goodwill, expressing itself through individuals, in communities and among nations.
- Alice Bailey in Problems Of Humanity, Chapter VI - The Problem of International Unity (1944)
- No one can build his security upon the nobleness of another person. Two people, when they love each other, grow alike in their tastes and habits and pride, but their moral natures (whatever we may mean by that canting expression) are never welded. The base one goes on being base, and the noble one noble, to the end.
- Willa Cather, Alexander's Bridge, Ch. 8 (1912)
- If all that Americans want is security, they can go to prison. They'll have enough to eat, a bed and a roof over their heads. But if an American wants to preserve his dignity and his equality as a human being, he must not bow his neck to any dictatorial government.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, president of Columbia University, speech to luncheon clubs, Galveston, Texas, December 8, 1949.—The New York Times, December 9, 1949, p. 23.
- I think the ultimate sense of security will be when we come to recognize that we are all part of one human race. Our primary allegiance is to the human race and not to one particular color or border. I think the sooner we renounce the sanctity of these many identities and try to identify ourselves with the human race the sooner we will get a better world and a safer world.
- Mohamed ElBaradei, Breaking the Cycle, An interview in the Cairo Times (23 October 2003)
- Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
- Helen Keller, The Open Door (1957). This quotation is often contracted into: Security is mostly a superstition... Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. or paraphrased: Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.
- There is no security on this earth; there is only opportunity.
- Attributed to Douglas MacArthur; reported in James B. Simpson, Contemporary Quotations (1964), p. 316; reported as unverified in Respectfully Quoted: A Dictionary of Quotations (1989).
- To minimize suffering and to maximize security were natural and proper ends of society and Caesar. But then they became the only ends, somehow, and the only basis of law — a perversion. Inevitably, then, in seeking only them, we found only their opposites: maximum suffering and minimum security.
- Walter M. Miller, Jr., A Canticle for Leibowitz, Fiat Voluntas Tua, Ch. 29 (1959)
- We must plan for freedom, and not only for security, if for no other reason than only freedom can make security more secure.
- To bargain freedom for security is the devil's bargain. Having made the bargain, one enjoys neither freedom nor security.
- Gerry Spence, Give Me Liberty! Freeing Ourselves in the Twenty-First Century, Ch. 16 : Security, the One-Way Ticket to Slavery, p. 174 (1998)
- From that point, my universe went on crumbling; new cracks appeared all the time. I could see that the pleasant securities of childhood, all of those warm little human emotions, all of those trivial aims and purposes that we allow to rule our lives, were an illusion. We were like sheep munching grass, unaware that the butcher's lorry is already on its way. I got used to living with a deep, underlying feeling of uncertainty that no one around me seemed to share. It was rather like living on death row.
- Colin Wilson in Alien Dawn, pp. 12-13 (1998)
Gustave de Molinari
The Production of Security (1849)
- Everywhere, men resign themselves to the most extreme sacrifices rather than do without government and hence security, without realizing that in so doing, they misjudge their alternatives.
Suppose that a man found his person and his means of survival incessantly menaced; wouldn't his first and constant preoccupation be to protect himself from the dangers that surround him? This preoccupation, these efforts, this labor, would necessarily absorb the greater portion of his time, as well as the most energetic and active faculties of his intelligence. In consequence, he could only devote insufficient and uncertain efforts, and his divided attention, to the satisfaction of his other needs.
Even though this man might be asked to surrender a very considerable portion of his time and of his labor to someone who takes it upon himself to guarantee the peaceful possession of his person and his goods, wouldn't it be to his advantage to conclude this bargain?
Still, it would obviously be no less in his self-interest to procure his security at the lowest price possible.
- Gustave de Molinari, tr. J. Huston McCulloch, §I of The Production of Security (Auburn, AL: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2009; orig. 1849), pp. 20–21.
- [T]he production of security should, in the interests of the consumers of this intangible commodity, remain subject to the law of free competition. … [N]o government should have the right to prevent another government from going into competition with it, or to require consumers of security to come exclusively to it for this commodity.
- Gustave de Molinari, tr. J. Huston McCulloch, §II of The Production of Security (Auburn, AL: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2009; orig. 1849), pp. 22–23.
- But why should there be an exception relative to security? What special reason is there that the production of security cannot be relegated to free competition? Why should it be subjected to a different principle and organized according to a different system?
- Gustave de Molinari, tr. J. Huston McCulloch, §II of The Production of Security (Auburn, AL: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2009; orig. 1849), p. 24.
- In the entire world, there is not a single establishment of the security industry that is not based on monopoly or on communism. … Political economy has disapproved equally of monopoly and communism in the various branches of human activity, wherever it has found them. Is it not then strange and unreasonable that it accepts them in the security industry?
- Gustave de Molinari, tr. J. Huston McCulloch, §IV of The Production of Security (Auburn, AL: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2009; orig. 1849), pp. 27–28.
- Everywhere, when societies originate, we see the strongest, most warlike races seizing the exclusive government of the society. Everywhere we see these races seizing a monopoly on security within certain more or less extensive boundaries, depending on their number and strength.
And, this monopoly being, by its very nature, extraordinarily profitable, everywhere we see the races invested with the monopoly on security devoting themselves to bitter struggles, in order to add to the extent of their market, the number of their forced consumers, and hence the amount of their gains.
War has been the necessary and inevitable consequence of the establishment of a monopoly on security.
- Gustave de Molinari, tr. J. Huston McCulloch, §VI of The Production of Security (Auburn, AL: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2009; orig. 1849), pp. 34–35.
- This option the consumer retains of being able to buy security wherever he pleases brings about a constant emulation among all the producers, each producer striving to maintain or augment his clientele with the attraction of cheapness or of faster, more complete and better justice.
If, on the contrary, the consumer is not free to buy security wherever he pleases, you forthwith see open up a large profession dedicated to arbitrariness and bad management. Justice becomes slow and costly, the police vexatious, individual liberty is no longer respected, the price of security is abusively inflated and inequitably apportioned, according to the power and influence of this or that class of consumers. The protectors engage in bitter struggles to wrest customers from one another. In a word, all the abuses inherent in monopoly or in communism crop up.
- Gustave de Molinari, tr. J. Huston McCulloch, §X of The Production of Security (Auburn, AL: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2009; orig. 1849), pp. 57–59. | <urn:uuid:7cc184cc-7bbd-47bc-a9da-54a03d4d8a34> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Insecure | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224656869.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20230609233952-20230610023952-00089.warc.gz | en | 0.943677 | 2,091 | 2.828125 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive collection of quotes and passages from various authors and thinkers on the concept of security, exploring its relationship with freedom, unity, and human nature. While it offers valuable insights and perspectives, the content is largely theoretical and lacks practical applications, nuanced interaction, or complex problem-solving opportunities. The discussion of soft skills is implicit, with some quotes touching on empathy, cooperation, and critical thinking. However, the overall tone is more focused on philosophical and ideological debates rather than developing specific soft skills.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 705,726 | 0 |
This is a story about the second meeting of a Calculus for Kids math circle. The math circle started off with the class attentively watching the trailer of Flatland. The movie itself is shown on a 2D screen, but it talks about journeys from 0 to 4 dimensions.
Download the Math Spark that invites you to travel to Flatland with us.
Today’s challenge is making 2D, flat shapes out of other shapes. Maddie and Sydney are discussing and examining how to transform Sydney’s green playdough shape into “what it is about to become” (they don’t know yet).
Sometimes, you just have to build something without even naming what it is. Yash built “something” imaginary out of LEGO blocks.
Maddie is making a 2D pair of glasses by coiling 1D pipe cleaners. She also created a 2D half-circle that transformed into a 3D sphere.
“Would you look at this!”
That flat object…
…Transforms into a sphere!
A triangle is not just a triangle, but a slice of pizza (as well as a 2D object).
If you make several such shapes, you can arrange them into a whole pizza. Note how the children are building while listening. Doing something with your hands often helps to listen, even if it looks like children’s undivided attention is on their own project.
How do you know they are listening? Try asking a question: “What kind of shape would the slices of pizza make in a row instead of a circle?”
Hmm … let’s see!
(Spoiler: it makes a rectangle.)
Yash meanwhile finished creating another “something” – many sticky notes reminded grown-ups of the field of math called Chaos Theory. Maria asked him to write out his thoughts on the paper. In return he wrote: “I think it’s a bunch of sticky notes.”
Mark made a rectangle out of six smaller rectangle – order in contrast to chaos.
This rectangle, just like the chaotic 2D object Yash made, is abstract (not representing anything). The same technique can be used to model objects. On the other side of the table, Emma is discussing with Maria how to integrate a Minecraft sword out of sticky notes.
Mark is holding an imaginative 3D bow and arrow he made from LEGO blocks. It’s a flat shape that we can use as a 2D model.
Sydney is making an unknown shape. From blocks and imagination, she bravely creates something totally new. Older children and adults often lose that bravery and become hesitant to build things that don’t look like things. For Sydney, it’s the process of building that matters – and if the end product turns out interesting enough, like this tower, it’s good too, but not a requirement.
Eli just finished making a church. First, he integrated flat squares out of “dots” (LEGO blocks) and then he made the 3D building out of squares, one on top the other.
But instead, you can integrate “dots” into a 1D line – a really tall one, taller than you. But what if you got up on the chair?
Allison is making a 2D pattern inspired by a doll’s dress. Sydney is getting up to go make her own version of a sword (not shown), using a different grid layout. When children make objects out of rectangles (like sticky notes), different types of grids come up a lot.
We are about to watch and play with the String Spin interactive, and pose for a picture! “Make very silly faces for the New York Times!”
Mark is experimenting, drawing on the pad to see what kind of shape his string will create.
Sydney is predicting what will come of drawings.
There is a temptation to say everything looks like “a weird shape” – children use a generic word, maybe “alien” or “spaceship” for everything, instead of specifying a cone, a cylinder, or a sphere. But they are not wrong, they are just expressing the fact there are similarities in all the different shapes the toy makes. It’s a mathematical value to see similarities over differences.
You can use the “Yes, and…” improv technique here: “Yes, all these shape look like spaceships. And that’s because they are all figures of revolution, so they all are similar to one another!”
Photos by Erin Song, captions by Erin Song and Maria Droujkova, Math Spark by Kalid Azad, Shelley Nash, and Maria Droujkova, edited by Ray Droujkov. | <urn:uuid:8bbaa17a-95b5-4fe9-ac1c-d824c1a7f0da> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://naturalmath.com/2015/05/calculus-for-kids-april-19-2015-sundays/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370506870.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20200402080824-20200402110824-00282.warc.gz | en | 0.940052 | 1,011 | 3.984375 | 4 | The extract showcases a math circle where children engage in creative, hands-on activities that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork. While it touches on basic communication and teamwork concepts, it lacks explicit discussion of soft skills and nuanced interaction. However, it demonstrates practical application of mathematical concepts and incorporates elements of digital literacy and cultural awareness.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 939,918 | 0 |
The last thing I learned was the concept of empathy. Empathy is the profound capacity to comprehend and empathize with the emotions and experiences of others. It involves perceiving and feeling what others are going through, allowing us to connect with them on a deeper level and develop a sense of shared understanding and compassion. It’s a fundamental human trait that allows us to connect with each other, feel compassion, and build meaningful relationships. However, empathy is not something that comes naturally to everyone, and it requires practice and effort to develop.
When I recognized the importance of empathy in interaction, I started understanding it deeply and practicing it. For example, if somebody expresses frustration or sadness, I respond with empathy by acknowledging their feelings and offering support.
Life has taught me that empathy is a vital aspect of communication and relationship building. It allows us to connect with each other on a deeper level and fosters a sense of community and understanding. Without empathy, we risk becoming disconnected and isolated from each other, which can lead to feelings of loneliness, alienation, and even depression.
Moreover, empathy is not just a social skill; it’s also a crucial tool for problem-solving and conflict resolution. By empathizing with others, we can better understand their perspective and work towards finding mutually beneficial solutions. It’s an essential skill for leaders, diplomats, and negotiators, as it allows them to bridge differences and build consensus.
However, empathy is not always easy to practice, particularly in situations where we feel threatened or attacked. It’s natural to become defensive or closed off when we perceive a threat, but this response can lead to a breakdown in communication and escalate conflict. Therefore, it’s essential to cultivate empathy even in challenging situations to foster understanding and prevent misunderstandings.
In conclusion, the last thing I learned, empathy, is a crucial aspect of human interaction that allows us to connect, communicate, and build relationships with each other. It’s an essential skill for problem-solving and conflict resolution and can help prevent misunderstandings and build consensus. While empathy may not come naturally to everyone, it’s a skill that can be learned and cultivated with practice and effort.
The last thing I learned was not a fact or a figure,
But a feeling that's universal, one that makes our souls bigger.
Empathy, the ability to feel another's pain,
And understand their struggles, without any personal gain.
In a world of chaos and strife,
Where conflicts abound and troubles are rife,
I see the power of empathy, and it's truly remarkable too,
It heals the wounds of the past, and helps us start anew.
It connects us on a deeper level, beyond words or actions,
And allows us to share in the joys and hardships of our fellow factions.
Empathy connects us on a deeper level,
It's a force that can break down any barrier or revel,
It fosters understanding, compassion, and love,
And allows us to rise above.
Through empathy, we can walk in another's shoes,
And gain insights into their joys and blues.
Empathy is not easy, it requires effort and intention,
To truly listen and understand, without any apprehension.
But the rewards are worth it, it fosters compassion and love,
And heals the wounds of the past, like a dove from above.
Empathy is not just a personal trait, it's a societal need,
To bridge the gaps between us, and plant the seeds of unity and peace.
It's a skill we can all learn, with practice and persistence,
And it can change our world, with its transformative existence.
So, let us open our hearts, and embrace empathy today,
And let it guide our actions, in every possible way.
For the last thing I learned, is that empathy is the key,
To unlocking our potential, and living in harmony.
Leave a Reply | <urn:uuid:6da58ab3-0cec-407a-b6d4-4f0eb0b9c769> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://pebblegalaxy.blog/2023/03/10/the-importance-of-empathy-the-last-thing-i-learned/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945473.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20230326142035-20230326172035-00009.warc.gz | en | 0.926654 | 822 | 3.1875 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive discussion of empathy, a crucial soft skill, and its importance in communication, relationship building, and conflict resolution. It offers realistic scenarios, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking opportunities, with a strong emphasis on cultural awareness and understanding. The text also encourages practice and effort to develop empathy, making it a valuable resource for professional development.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 283,975 | 1 |
A Master’s degree is critically different from a Bachelor’s degree. Though similar on some, Master’s degree will involve a lot of different aspects than a Bachelor’s.
At Master’s level you could be studying one of the many specialised courses offered by Robert Kennedy College, as MBA International Health Management, LLM – Master of Law International Business Law , MBA Leading Innovation and Change or Master of Science Project Management.
Taught Master’s are usually modular in form, featuring a range of optional modules the student can choose from, with a final dissertation at the end of the course, usually produced over the final semester.
Writing assignments at Master’s level
You must use language appropriate to the academic environment, and a coherent and strong structure to your work is essential. Assignments will be longer at Master’s level, even for unassessed pieces of work. Do not be overwhelmed by larger word counts. Remember, you made a large step up in intensity of work from school to university, so another step-up is well within your capabilities.
Clarity is important. Do not use over-elaborate vocabulary and grammar just because you think you have to. It is more important to be understood.
Time management is crucial for the Master’s student – with a heavier workload you will find that a good weekly plan, and a firm grasp of deadlines, is essential. This is especially true with the dissertation which will be the longest assignment you will have done yet at university, usually covering a period of several months. It is important to set yourself deadlines for drafts.
Here are the various aspects of writing skills that Master’s students should be concentrating on in order to succeed.
THE MASTERS LEVEL
One of the first things most Master’s students notice once they have started is how much more intense a Master’s degree is than an undergraduate degree. It is a less passive experience; you will not be guided as much by the lecturers, and will be expected to think for yourself more.
Master’s requires a new way of approaching academic work, all the groundwork has been done at undergraduate level. Let’s look at the features of a Master’s more closely.
A Master’s degree is geared towards the delivery of a piece of original research. For research Master’s students this will be your primary focus. For those doing taught Master’s this will form part of all aspects of your degree, not just the final dissertation.
In your original research you should also aim for originality where possible. You are being asked to look at your subject in a fresh and innovative way, and finding a new or underdeveloped area of your subject, or a new way of looking at an established area, will help you gain better marks.
Master’s are not exercises in description. You will need to find a theoretical basis for your work. Many Master’s will run modules on the subject of theory, it is advisable to attend all available classes on the subject of theory as it will help you to form an idea of the theory which surrounds your subject. Theory forms a useful framework to hang your research on.
Another important part of Master’s writing is critical analysis. A critical analysis is one which assesses the quality and usefulness of the sources which you are using in your assignments. This process involves considering all aspects of the source and its contents.
Do you offer TOTALLY ONLINE bachelors and//or, MASTERS DEGREES? I live//work full time in CHINA so campus based studies are not possible for me…
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME
Krissttovvv in SHENZHEN, China
Hello S Krissttovvv, We offer Online Masters Programmes. There is one week compulsory residency that you have to attend either in Zurich or UK; rest all the course is conducted Online.
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Hi, i would like to now if it’s possible to do online bachelor degree by assignment while working…i have 7 years of experience in supply chain management and i am worrying abou my futur career opportunity then wish to know if i can study while working at the same time…thx
Thank you for your interest. We offer a 100% Online BA (Hons) Business Administration through an exclusive partnership with the University of Cumbria, UK. You can also chat LIVE on WhatsApp with one of our Education Advisors for more information about the programme, the application process, and details on discounts we might offer at this time. | <urn:uuid:07140ad5-0bd1-4be9-a2dd-9866080136ae> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://blog.college.ch/advances-in-education/writing-masters-level-assignments/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224653608.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20230607042751-20230607072751-00009.warc.gz | en | 0.935232 | 1,001 | 2.515625 | 3 | The extract provides guidance on Master's degree studies, including writing assignments, time management, and research skills. It touches on the importance of clarity, critical analysis, and originality in academic work. While it offers some practical advice, the discussion of soft skills is limited and lacks nuanced interaction or complex problem-solving opportunities.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 656,319 | 0 |
Input has to be interesting – otherwise nobody would pay attention to it.
Conjecture: optimal input for second language should be not just interesting but compelling.
Compelling Comprehensible Input: Case Histories
Paul: Cantonese & English speaker, acquired Mandarin from cartoons and lots of TV shows and movies, with no particular motivation to acquire Mandarin. Lao, C. and Krashen, S. 2014. Language acquisition without speaking and without study. Journal of Bilingual Education Research and Instruction 16(1): 215-221.
Jack: Mandarin heritage language speaker: Stories of A Fanti led to improvement, but only when stories were available (Lao & Krashen, IJFLT, 2008).
Fink (1996/6): 12 people considered dyslexic. 9 published creative or scholarly works, one Nobel laureate. 11 learned to read between 10-12, one in 12th grade. “As children, each had a passionate personal interest, a burning desire to know more about a discipline that required reading … all read voraciously, seeking and reading everything they could get their hands on about a single intriguing topic."
Explanation: Input was compelling, so interesting that acquirer is not aware of the language, sense of time, self diminishes = Flow (Csíkszentmihályi) = the end of motivation
In the case histories: language acquisition never the goal, but a by-product. It was the story. No "motivation" to acquire language or learn to reading = by-product of compelling comprehensible input
Academic literacy: My case
Language education and compelling input
A brief history of foreign language pedagogy – steady increase in compellingness
ALM, Grammar Translation > TPR > natural approach > TPRS.
How to be compelling
Compelling: meets your social needs (M. Lieberman, Social) and/or your cognitive needs (finding your path).
The power of social cognition: the default mode, the reality of social pain
Nonsocial cognition = problem-solving: Finding your path. "The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” Pablo Picasso
Specialize: Don't go to your left
Path is long, but pleasant: not "harrowing challenges, but rather tasks we find natural and interesting, tasks we were apparently born to perform" (Vonnegut, 1997, p. 148).
When you know you are on the path: FLOW = awareness of self, time diminish, concerns of everyday life disappear = only the activity matters.
Work = the ultimate seduction.
Social needs and TPRS: "You are going to love this class. We all know each other and like each other." (Reaction to Bryce Hedstrom's class, K. Rowen, "Personalization" in Ray & Seely (2015).
TPRS methodology: = Personalizaton: valuing each student makes input compelling and lowers social stratification
1. Co-created stories: students as characters, their interests and hobbies, real background: Don't just go to a restaurant, go to Denny's on 20th and Pico.
2. Special person interview (Bryce Hedstrom): "Each student is made to feel good about the interview process, Very little output is required. Focus on what is unique about the person.
A quiz after interview five students.
If the student plays the guitar .... how many years have you played the guitar? Where is your guitar from? Do ou take lessons? Do you play any other instruments?
And "going deeper" – What do you do that you want to get good at? How would you like to be remembered? What are some things in our life that you are most proud of?
What is your superpower? (K. Rowan; see http://www.grantboulanger.com/a-superhero-generator/). Grant's friend Tim: origin, power, weakness
Free voluntary reading – social and nonsocial cognition
Guaranteed personalized if self-selected
1. Acquisition of literacy competence; FVR > reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, spelling, writing style. Self-selection > more acquisition. (Lee, SY. 2007. Revelations from Three Consecutive Studies on Extensive Reading. RELC Journal , 38 (2), 150-170.).
2. builds knowledge (literature, history, science, practical knowledge),
3. Makes harder reading more comprehensible: A bridge to "academic"/specialized reading
4. School success: Ben Carson, Elizabeth Murray, G. Canada.
5. Helps you find your path - Michael Faraday, Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln: Simonton (1988) concluded that "omnivorous reading in childhood and adolescence correlates positively with ultimate adult success" (p. 11).
Social: The importance of fiction
1. In the Guardian (October 28, 2015), President Obama credits fiction for his understanding that "the world is complicated and full of grays ... (and that) it's possible to connect with someone else even though they're very different from you."
2. Reading fiction develops an expanded "theory of mind," defined as "the capacity to identify and understand others’ subjective states" (Kidd & Castano, 2013).
3. Fiction readers have more tolerance for vagueness, that is, they are better able to deal with uncertainty, which is important for problem-solving (Djikic, M., Oatley, K. and Moldoveanu, M. 2013).
My case revisited: Baseball stories: Social cognition. Science fiction: both | <urn:uuid:3b59fe32-5323-4d9a-98e0-60d6631a1f09> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://skrashen.blogspot.com/2016/11/compelling-ci-actfl-2016.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549423183.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20170720121902-20170720141902-00328.warc.gz | en | 0.915231 | 1,193 | 2.5625 | 3 | The extract discusses the importance of compelling input in language acquisition and education, highlighting its impact on motivation, engagement, and learning outcomes. It explores various concepts, including flow, social cognition, and personalization, and provides case histories and research studies to support its claims. The text also touches on the value of fiction in developing empathy, tolerance, and problem-solving skills.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 438,048 | 1 |
Immigration and Refugees
Quakers believe that the testimony to equality should determine our treatment of migrants and asylum seekers. They also recognise that firstly war and secondly economic inequality are the primary factors depriving people of the capacity to earn a living wage in their own countries and driving refugees from their homes.
As Michael Bartlet, the parliamentary liaison officer for Quakers in Britain, wrote in the Guardian newspaper:
“Refugees are the human face of international injustice. They are the place – in this country – where we see the real impact of inequality: armed conflict, the inability of failed states to provide a secure home for their citizens, and abusive governments. The impact of climate change adds a further dimension in increasing pressure on land and resources. “
Quaker concern for refugees rose first out of their wartime relief work. The Friends War Victims Relief Committee (later the Friends Relief Service) was first set up during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-3) and operated in South Africa during the Boer War (1899-1902). Along with the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), they ran refugee camps in Southern France during the Spanish Civil War (1936-9) and from 1940 to 1948 operated in Great Britain, France, The Netherlands, Greece, Germany, Austria, and Poland. In these and many other examples, Quakers worked on the principle of providing help equally to all sides.
The Germany Emergency Committee (later Friends Committee for Refugees and Aliens) was set up in 1933. In 1938 they played a key part in organising the Kindertransport, rescuing 10,000 children who might otherwise have died in concentration camps.
When war broke out in 1939, Friends became concerned about the 60,000 Jewish refugees in Britain. Some were destitute, some were classified as enemy aliens and confined; all were in need of support and care. Bloomsbury House set up training schemes that would help refugees qualify for jobs often very menial. By the end of the war 95% of refugees were self-supporting.
In 1942, the AFSC were one of the only groups in the US to publicly support the 120,000 Japanese Americans forced to leave their homes on the West Coast and detained in camps across the US. The AFSC led the Japanese American Student Relocation Council that helped more than 3,600 students out of the camps and back into American Universities. In Canada, Quakers also worked with United, Anglican and Catholic churches to help Japanese detainees.
In the 1940s and 50s, the AFSC worked to resettle refugees during the partition of India and on the Gaza Strip following the Arab-Israeli war in 1948.
Quaker and civil rights activist, Bayard Rustin, spoke out in support of Vietnamese and Haitian refugees to the US in the 1970s. As a representative of the International Rescue Committee, he visited refugee camps in Thailand, Somalia, Pakistan and Puerto Rico. He wrote:
“If our government lacks compassion for these dispossessed human beings, it is difficult to believe that the same government can have much compassion for America’s black minority, or for America’s poor.”
In the 1980s, Quakers helped to found the Sanctuary Movement , which helped Salvadoran and other refugees fleeing conflict in Central America.
In Kenya, after the post-election violence in 2007, many people fled their homes to live in temporary camps. The Kenya Friends Church Peace Team provided some immediate help and later enabled many refugees to return home.
Today, Quakers in Britain, Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand are lobbying their governments to ensure that policies towards immigrants and refugees are based on a respect for human rights.
Since 2006, the Quaker Asylum and Refugee Network has worked in the UK to change the way that Refugees and Asylum Seekers are treated, to ensure that justice and compassion are the guiding principles. They campaign against the detention of children, against indefinite detention, and against the use of forced removals.
The AFSC’s web page on immigration justice states: “Humane immigration policy must include a fair path for undocumented workers to gain permanent residence status. It also must be coupled with economic and trade policies that permit working people to earn a living wage in their home countries, foster an authentic commitment to demilitarization, and lead to the peaceful resolution of internal and international conflicts.” | <urn:uuid:d1cbd09e-c16c-471a-862f-43937f23621d> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | http://www.quakersintheworld.org/quakers-in-action/164 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585371833063.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20200409091317-20200409121817-00358.warc.gz | en | 0.966442 | 903 | 3.578125 | 4 | The extract provides a historical and contemporary overview of Quakers' involvement in refugee support, highlighting their commitment to equality, justice, and compassion. While it demonstrates empathy and awareness of social issues, it lacks direct discussion of soft skills development, such as communication, teamwork, or leadership. However, it implies the importance of these skills in Quaker humanitarian work.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 841,321 | 0 |
A group of community-minded gardeners have turned a former Athens airport into a blooming vegetable plot, showing how Greece’s eroded soil holds the keys to a revival in farming and a way to buck the jobless trend.
by Beatrice Yannacopoulou. Article originally published on The Ecologist
All photographs courtesy: Dimitris.V.Geronikos
"If we want to survive on this land we must first help to heal the earth," said Nicolas Netién, agro-ecologist, teacher and co-creator of the NGO Permaculture Research Institute Hellas. He was talking to a group of some fifty people of all ages who had gathered for two days of workshops on self-sufficiency, how to self-organize, agro-ecology and composting. This small gathering was taking place on a beautifully sunny autumn day at the former Athens airport, Ellinikon.
Nicolas Netién shares instruction
When the airport moved to another location 10 years ago in preparation for Athens hosting the 2004 Olympic Games, there was the hope and the State’s promise that this now available land would become a park. Then the ‘crisis’ landed and rumors began spreading that the site had been sold to an international developer who would pour yet more concrete on the chaotic sprawl that is Athens. This is when a small group of local residents, bearing seeds and armed with shovels, moved in. Their mission: to create a communal and productive agricultural space that will encourage an exploration into antidotes for the ecological-economic-educational and cultural crisis.
"Thirty percent of Greece’s arable land has salinized and every year Greece loses 750,000 cubic meters of topsoil as a result of erosion and poor land management," Nicolas continued as his demonstration compost pile grew. Just a few kilometers west and the political drama of a failing government and national bankruptcy was unfolding. The world watched the theatrics of politicians scrambling for self-preservation, while the contagious and desperate fear of being ejected from the Euro spread and the markets turbulently responded.
"Topsoil is wonderfully complex." One meter squared of healthy topsoil is bustling with hundreds of thousands of life forms. In fact, one teaspoon of good soil can contain 5 billion bacteria, 20 million fungi and a million protoctists. Another way to consider this awesome diversity is that in each gram of soil there can be 4,000 distinct genomes and these differ greatly from one location to another. Topsoil is alive and symbiotic, binding land-based ecosystems. It is another example of nature’s resilience and creativity emerging through a dynamic process of cooperative diversity — a process we can learn from so as to maximize the creative potential and resilience of our work, our communities, and how we organize. Topsoil is also what makes land agriculturally productive.
As the Greek government struggles to put its accounts in order, its efforts seem to be dislocated from the daily reality of the land we live on and live by. This is where the real false accounting has taken place. Poor land management, perverse subsidies and un-enforced laws have led to the impoverishment of the soil in Greece and to an ongoing decline in its productivity. Despite being one of the most biodiverse areas in Europe, little has been done to account for this natural wealth and to protect it.
Natasha, one of the first to start working this small plot at the Ellinikon, told me that since the beginning of the current crisis, more and more people are visiting this small edible garden. She understands why. A year ago she was anxious that her future and her basic needs were dependent on the State that employs her. She had no survival skills. Now, she says, she feels empowered by being proactive in forming her community and learning how to grow food.
There are other examples of Athenians taking matters into their own hands to reclaim small plots of land so as to create communal green spaces; sometimes quietly and peacefully and other times after long drawn out battles with riot police. An example of the latter is Navarino Park in the centre of Athens. This again involved a broken promise by the State. One of the most densely populated areas of Athens was hoping for a park, so when the plans changed to build a parking lot, the local residents organized and resisted. Despite the violence and threats by police, residents stood their ground and cultivated this small plot that is now a budding potential of urban agriculture.
All these examples are neighborhood initiatives. It would be wrong to suggest this is a single coordinated movement. Often confused by the scale of change that is needed and starved for stories of hope, there is a tendency to inadvertently prescribe meaning to and inflate such examples so as to enthuse optimism in ourselves and in others that we are well on our way to dismantling ‘business as usual’. But this would be doing these small groups of activists a disservice. This is not their story, at least not for now. They are in the process of finding their way.
Life in Greece has gotten harder and people are quite literally going hungry. The cultural and the economic reality on the ground and the systemic rot that is so pervasive demand an exploration into context relevant ways of organizing, empowering, sharing knowledge, and redefining our values and our identities.
Riots in Athens have become common; albeit an expression of discontent, the dynamic that has developed between rioter and State seems to maintain the status quo. As I understand it, these local activists are not interested in head on combat against the ‘business and politics as usual’ that is largely to blame for the erosion of land and values, but rather they undermine the status quo by actively participating and investing in their own communities’ potential.
Within each small neighborhood group there is a collective evolving, sharing knowledge, learning, building and growing together. Perhaps these small groups and their gardens will be catalysts for change — maybe they will become nodes in an emergent network of urban farmers; maybe not. Regardless, this is an account of people proactively engaging the challenges and opportunities they are faced with. When Greece’s dominant narrative, particularly of late, has been of bankruptcy, corruption, nepotism, inefficiency and violence, it is important to recognize that this is not the whole story. With respect for others’ work, as well as our own, and as a defense against the infectious cynicism of such depressing dominant narratives, we must conserve and in fact cultivate the space for hope to articulate itself.
"We can compost anything that was once living. Soon we will be able to add our Euros to the pile," Nicola said with half a smile. For a brief moment the group became uneasy and nervously laughed. This unease though quickly dissipated. "A healthy compost pile should never smell bad…". | <urn:uuid:1cc9ac20-4024-4c12-b8a5-e10cd9b84ba3> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://permaculturenews.org/2012/01/13/greeks-reclaim-the-land-to-ease-the-pain-of-economic-austerity/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875148850.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20200229083813-20200229113813-00197.warc.gz | en | 0.968862 | 1,410 | 3.046875 | 3 | The extract scores high for its discussion of community-led initiatives, emotional intelligence, and cooperative diversity, showcasing realistic scenarios of people working together to address ecological and economic challenges. It highlights the importance of soft skills like self-sufficiency, teamwork, and leadership in creating positive change. The narrative also touches on cultural awareness, digital literacy, and intercultural fluency, albeit indirectly.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 371,072 | 1 |
On the 45th anniversary of the Attica Prison riots, in which inmates demanded political rights and better living conditions, prisoners across the United States staged a work stoppage that started last Friday in one of the first prison strikes ever coordinated on a national level.
The incarcerated protesters have demanded they receive more workers' rights to end conditions they characterize as “slave labor.” And, unlike in Attica in 1971, they are engaging in an ongoing, public conversation.
The work stoppages came as bipartisan consensus has begun to coalesce around prison reforms, with President Obama and his administration announcing last month that private prisons will be phased out this year. The protests fit into a larger narrative about how to transition the country’s criminal justice system out of the so-called mass incarceration era, marked by three-strike policies and mandatory minimum sentences popularized in the 1990s.
“For those of us who lived through that time, the contrast from the current climate is stunning,” says David Fathi, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project. “The recent strikes are just one manifestation among many of the higher visibility and the greater significance of these issues in public conversation,” he tells The Christian Science Monitor in a phone interview Monday.
Prisoners including in correctional facilities in Alabama, California, Florida, Michigan, North and South Carolinas, and Virginia refused to leave their cells starting this past Friday to perform mandatory labor, according to Azzurra Crispino, media co-chair of the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee (IWOC), which aims to serve as a liaison for prisoners to unionize. It was reported facilities in Texas were on lockdown because of work stoppages, but IWOC was unable to confirm that news with inmates yet, according to Ms. Crispino. She confirmed Thursday some of the protests were ongoing.
Prisoners planned the work stoppage from behind bars through organizations that include the Free Alabama Movement, Free Ohio Movement, Free Mississippi Movement, and the End Prison Slavery in Texas movement, according to Mother Jones. The IWOC supported the protests from the outside.
“This is a call for a nation-wide prisoner work stoppage to end prison slavery,” reads a statement the IWOC posted on its website in April. “They cannot run these facilities without us.”
Is prison labor right?
The demands of the prisoners that staged the work stoppage vary. A faction would like to see the prison system abolished, while many have demanded better pay and working conditions.
Inmates in American prisons generally hold jobs to maintain their facilities. Most prisoners do such work as landscaping, cleaning, and performing kitchen work. The wages they are paid vary from state. According to the Federal Prison Bureau, inmates in federal prisons earn 12 to 40 cents an hour. In at least three states – Arkansas, Georgia, and Texas – prisoners are not paid at all.
Independent studies have confirmed an argument of some wardens: Prison labor is a positive form of rehabilitation. According to a 2007 study by the National Institute of Justice, inmates who worked for private companies while they served time found work faster, were employed longer, and had lower recidivism rates once they were released than inmates who didn’t. However, paying them wages competitive to the outside is a complicated legal, economic, and moral issue.
For one thing, prisoners lack constitutional rights that protect them from being forced to work, courtesy of an exclusion clause in the Thirteenth Amendment. The amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude "except as punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted."
This exclusion clause raises a moral question, as Whitney Benns wrote for The Atlantic.
“Don’t workers behind bars deserve less than equal treatment?” she asks rhetorically. “After all, they are murderers, criminals, all manner of sinners and deviants. People who do not behave like decent human beings do not merit being treated like decent human beings.”
Inmates have sued prison-employers over this question, insisting they comply with minimum-wage laws or workers' protection statutes. The courts, in ruling against inmates, have generally found the relationship between inmates and prison-employers is not just economic, but rather a "primarily social or penological nature," as Ms. Benns writes.
Some have said prison labor is a way for prisoners to pay the public back. States’ correctional expenditures have nearly quadrupled over the past two decades. According to a 2012 analysis of 40 states by the Vera Institute of Justice, each inmate cost taxpayers an average of $31,286 per year. This number doesn't include the direct and indirect costs of crime on victims and communities, which likely amounts to hundreds of billions each year, according to an April report by the Obama administration on the criminal justice system.
Yet some prison-labor programs do provide compensation to inmates for their work, while also providing funding for correctional facilities and victims. Under the Private Industry Enhancement Certification Program (PIECP) Congress passed in 1979, more than half of an inmate's wages doesn't make it to their pocketbook; it goes to paying their room and board, restitution to crime victims, and child support and alimony to family members, according to the National Institute for Justice. But only a small fraction of inmates participate in this program. Facilities must become certified to enroll in the program, and inmates must volunteer for the work.
The federal government has wrestled with requiring that inmates be paid the minimum wage. In 1993, for instance, the US Government Accountability Office, responding to a congressional request, researched how to pay prisoners the minimum wage. The agency found that while prisoners were not charged taxes or user fees, to pay them the minimum wage would lead to a substantial increase in facilities’ operating costs, and that these facilities “generally believed that paying the minimum wage would adversely affect prison work, job training programs, and prison security.” However, the atmosphere for prisoners’ rights and reform of the criminal justice system has changed since then.
A changing environment
Public conversations about Guantanamo Bay were one of the impetuses that led to more sympathy for inmates in the country’s prison system, according to Mr. Fathi of the ACLU. Prisoners at the military prison in Cuba went on publicized hunger strikes in 2013, well before Mr. Obama announced in February plans to close the detention camp.
The Obama administration has also taken other actions to reform the country’s criminal justice system, which has the highest number of inmates in the world (1.6 million). In July 2015, he became the first sitting president to visit a federal prison. In August of this year, the Department of Justice announced the US will phase out its use of private prisons by the end of the year, which came a week after the Justice Department's inspector general released a blistering report on the state of private prisons contracted by the federal government.
“This is a huge deal,” Carrie Pettus-Davis, an assistant professor at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, told the Monitor’s Henry Gass last month. “People are recognizing that who and how we incarcerate in the United States is inconsistent with the American value system, and that both who and how we incarcerate needs to change.”
The prison strikes come amid the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in opposition to police misconduct and what the group says are other injustices against African-Americans.
The work stoppages aren't just about inmates being paid higher wages, however. It’s about the drive to make mass incarceration “no longer economically possible,” Crispino of the IWOC tells the Monitor in a phone interview. Raising prison wages, drives up the cost of incarceration for taxpayers.
When asked what would replace prisons, Crispino said her organization advocates for rehabilitation systems. For nonviolent crimes, for example, convicted offenders could be placed in restorative justice programs, she says. For violent crimes, offenders could receive rehabilitation.
Strikes for higher wages and better living conditions have occurred in many prisons across the country over the past several years. One of the largest coordinated inmate protests occurred in California in 2013, when 30,000 inmates across the state went on a hunger strike to protest solitary confinement and other penal conditions.
Prisons have historically been out of sight and out of mind for Americans, Michael Gibson-Light, an ethnographer and doctoral student at the University of Arizona who has researched prison currency, tells the Monitor.
"All of these recent events bring prisons back into our view and encourage us to continue these conversations," he writes in an email. "Regardless of opinion, or partisanship, or philosophy, it is important for a democratic society to discuss these issues." | <urn:uuid:408d2866-c1a8-4510-84fd-d81c4aee4dfb> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2016/0915/Inmates-on-strike-Will-it-shift-the-conversation-about-US-prisoners-rights | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585371624083.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20200406102322-20200406132822-00504.warc.gz | en | 0.960241 | 1,831 | 2.5625 | 3 | The extract discusses a complex social issue, prison labor, and its relation to the criminal justice system, mass incarceration, and human rights. It presents various perspectives, including those of prisoners, activists, and experts, and raises important questions about morality, rehabilitation, and the economy. The article encourages critical thinking, empathy, and nuanced discussion, making it a valuable resource for developing soft skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and cultural awareness.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 767,131 | 1 |
By Brendan Roy — Teacher Candidate, Western University
This winter I was part of a team of students from the Faculty of Education at Western University who visited a number of different schools in the TVDSB with the objective of introducing both teachers and students to coding. Our target range were students in Grades Four to Eight, thus Scratch was the perfect platform as its block based language is intuitive and easy to use but also allows for countless possibilities.
I’ve used Scratch to make games for students, to create interactive activities and to complement lessons, yet when it came to teaching coding and Scratch, the lesson fundamentals fall back to making shapes. Creating shapes in Scratch is a phenomenal introduction for students with little to no previous background in coding as it focuses on movement creating a very innate exercise in which students are able to imagine themselves putting down the pen and repeating a series of movements and ninety degree turns to create a square. For an introduction, and having tried other approaches, I can’t recommend it enough.
One of the strengths of introducing Scratch through creating shapes is that there are no surprises in the procedure. Regardless of how you look at it, a square is a square and while there are a few different ways a student could create one, the result is the same. Making a circle presents more of a challenge but once again, it’s still a circle. When an end goal is in sight, it’s easier to work towards that. But therein lies the problem, there’s no creativity to the process. For educators looking to fully capture the potential of Scratch however, it’s time to move beyond movement and drawing and take advantage of the more advanced functionality of Scratch.
During the project I participated in, I was fortunate enough to be able to spend multiple hours with a Grade Eight Class as I introduced them to coding. We started with shapes but by the end of that first session, a lot of the students were asking for a challenge. To those students, I asked them to create a spiral in scratch. Spirals are tricky because they require the use of variables to create, something I hadn’t taught them yet. The interpretation of what a spiral consists of is also a little more up in the air, as you can see from the following programs created by students in that class.
As demonstrated in the images above, there is a lot of variety in the student creations when they let their creativity run wild. It was at this point that I realized given the opportunity, students are ready for a challenge and when it comes to something they enjoy, they relish the opportunity for something different. Everywhere I’ve been to teach coding, I always get asked “do we get to make video games?” It was something I used to disregard because making video games typically requires a substantial step up and challenge, and is something I thought would be impossible in the time allowed. Yet as I watched these grade 8 students make their spirals, I realized I wasn’t giving them enough credit and thought to myself, why can’t we make video games? So in the next session, that’s exactly what we did.
Variables and Video Games
The lesson I created to teach the grade 8s about building a video game revolved around the use of variables and how they are integral to both scoring the game and storing data for their sprites. The reasoning for this is simple; variables tie nicely into the math curriculum as students from Grades Five to Eight are required to understand variables as part of the patterning and algebra unit. While essential to math, variables are also great because they are an essential skill to computer programming that open up many different, previously unexplored possibilities.
As we progress, I want to highlight some features of the lesson that I taught to this grade eight class. The first thing of note, my strategy for teaching coding is to give students a challenge, give them time to work on it, then as a class, to discuss how the challenge was achieved. So while the scripts I’ve provided are one way of doing what was asked in the challenge, you’ll find your students will come up with different solutions. Don’t discourage these differences but embrace them and see if they work. If they do, your students will be so proud to have thought up of something new and if they don’t, it’s the perfect opportunity to problem solve. Finally, this lesson was completed over three hours. Each component of the lesson fit well into an hour and half block, so it would be easy to spread this lesson out as well.
The complete lesson that you are welcome to follow along with is or use in your own classroom can be found here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_wakMyS_10YT1VSUFJIMzZ4MGM
Basic Game Design
The first component of the lesson saw students create a very simple game that used variables to keep track of the score, with the scoring being achieved by clicking on a Sprite that moved around the screen at random. This consisted of 3 challenges, each of which built off the other, the scaffolding allowing every student to participate while still being tricky enough to make them think. The challenges I used to scaffold the game as well as possible solutions are presented below. As noted previously, these solutions are not the only way of doing it, allow your students to go off the beaten path and try new things.
Challenge 1: Every time the Sprite is clicked, change the score by one.
Challenge 2: In your game, pick an endpoint and have the Sprite say “you win” when that score is reached.
Challenge 3: Add some difficulty to the game by making Scratch randomly move around the screen.
After each challenge, I took the opportunity to discuss what students did while going over some key skills such as “if statements”, “sensing”, “repeat until”, “operations”, and “pick random”. This helped focus the lesson while addressing any possible issues. Another helpful tip, and a technique I used, was to put the blocks I used on the smartboard. It was another way to make it more accessible to all students.
When completed, the students have a final product in which the Sprite of their choosing moves around the screen at random and the students have to try to catch the Sprite to gain points. A possible sample of the game can be found by searching ‘Roy Basic Game Design’ on Scratch or following the link: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/135826486/
What’s nice about this so called final product is that it’s hardly final. There are still countless options for modifying the game, options I encouraged students to try if they finished early. This included adding a timer, making the game harder or easier, adding multiple Sprites, having the size of the Sprites change as they moved, etc. The point is, encourage your students to be creative and you’ll be amazed as to what they create.
Remixing an Existing Game
The second part of the lesson, and the part that I enjoyed the most, was challenging students to take a pre-existing game, and to make it their own. Prior to the lesson, I created a basic game in which the player defends a castle from villains using a bow and arrow. Students were introduced to the game, allowed to play with it for a bit and then we got to work. The instructions for this were simple and consisted of two parts. First, they had to add scoring to the game. I provided some hints in the script for the program itself but this was all the direction provided. Second was to get creative. Students were encouraged to change the characters and/or the background, add sound, change the speed, change the damage, the number of villains, etc. With a game such as this, there are countless possibilities. While the instructions were simple, every student in that grade 8 class did something different. I saw unicorns firing tacos and dragons spitting fire. It didn’t matter what they did because by making these changes, students need to understand the fundamentals of how the game works. While they are being creative and having fun, the students are still learning about coding and variables.
If you would like to have your students remix the same game, feel free to use the following link (or search ‘Roy Variables and Video Games’ on Scratch): https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/133876842/
While creating shapes in Scratch works as a tremendous introduction to coding, the potential in Scratch extends much further than simply movements and drawings. It’s easy to be tricked by its simple, colourful, block based user interface, but the fact of the matter is that Scratch is a powerful tool with endless possibilities. As an educator, I encourage you to explore these possibilities. While it can be intimidating to explore out of your comfort zone, the nice thing about coding is that problem solving and running into roadblocks is just part of the process. Best of all, as your students explore their creative side through activities such as this one, or countless others, you’ll be learning along with them. | <urn:uuid:e3058cab-2e7f-40db-82a2-a4939cef7bb4> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://researchideas.ca/mc/beyond-shapes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875146004.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20200225014941-20200225044941-00068.warc.gz | en | 0.969826 | 1,936 | 3.421875 | 3 | The extract demonstrates a comprehensive approach to teaching coding and Scratch, incorporating soft skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity. It provides realistic scenarios, practical applications, and opportunities for students to take ownership of their learning. The author's reflective practice and willingness to adapt to student needs showcase advanced communication and leadership skills.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 511,438 | 1 |
Replacing Darwin Combo
Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species is considered one of history’s most influential books and has become the foundation of evolutionary biology. But what if Darwin was looking at the same evidence today using modern science; would his conclusions be the same?
If Darwin were to examine the evidence today using modern science, would his conclusions be the same?
Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, published over 150 years ago, is considered one of history’s most influential books and continues to serve as the foundation of thought for evolutionary biology. Since Darwin’s time, however, new fields of science have emerged that simply give us better answers to the question of origins. With a Ph.D. in cell and developmental biology from Harvard University, Dr. Nathaniel Jeanson is uniquely qualified to investigate what genetics reveal about origins.
The Origins Puzzle Comes Together
If the science surrounding origins were a puzzle, Darwin would have had fewer than 15% of the pieces to work with when he developed his theory of evolution. We now have a much greater percentage of the pieces because of modern scientific research. As Dr. Jeanson puts the new pieces together, a whole new picture emerges, giving us a testable, predictive model to explain the origin of species.
A New Scientific Revolution Begins
So what comes next? Darwin's theory of evolution may be one of science's longest standing, but the latest genetics research is casting doubt on it. Are these new discoveries cause to critically reexamine Darwin’s theory? Replacing Darwin asks you to give serious consideration to modern scientific advances and reevaluate the problems that have surfaced in Darwin’s theory of evolution.
About the Author
Dr. Nathaniel Jeanson is a scientist and a scholar, trained in one of the most prestigious universities in the world. He earned his B.S. in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and his PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology from Harvard University. As an undergraduate, he researched the molecular control of photosynthesis, and his graduate work involved investigating the molecular and physiological control of adult blood stem cells. His findings have been presented at regional and national conferences and have been published in peer-reviewed journals, such as Blood, Nature, and Cell. Since 2009, he has been actively researching the origin of species, both at the Institute for Creation Research and at Answers in Genesis.
|Title||Replacing Darwin Combo|
|Contributors||Dr. Nathaniel Jeanson|
|Publisher||New Leaf Publishing Group, Inc.|
|Dimensions (in inches)| | <urn:uuid:99170a16-3f2d-4077-8cc1-3cd0ad5d2549> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.masterbooks.com/creation/replacing-darwin-combo | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875146562.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20200226211749-20200227001749-00297.warc.gz | en | 0.951221 | 537 | 2.65625 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on scientific theory and evolutionary biology. It presents a critical thinking opportunity regarding Darwin's theory, but does not integrate emotional intelligence, leadership, or teamwork scenarios.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 534,765 | 0 |
American educators agreed last year that argumentative reasoning should be taught in schools when those in most states adopted the new Common Core State Standards, a state-led effort to establish educational benchmarks to prepare kindergarten through 12th grade students for college and career. Reaching a similar consensus on how to teach the art of arguing, however, hasn’t been as easy. But a new study published in the journal Psychological Science could offer a solution in the form of dialogue.
Researchers Deanna Kuhn and Amanda Crowell created a new curriculum for teaching reasoning skills that emphasized discussion and tested it on 48 sixth graders. A comparison group of 23 students in a separate class were taught through more traditional, solitary methods of reasoning using techniques such as essay-writing. It turns out that arguing with others is more effective than arguing on paper.
The researchers, who are also professors at Columbia University’s Teachers College, conducted the three-year study at an urban middle school with students from low-income families who were predominantly Hispanic or African American. (More on Time.com: Can people really be “visual” or “verbal” learners?)
“Children engage in conversation from very early on. It has a point in real life,” explains Kuhn in a press statement. Fulfilling a writing assignment, on the other hand, largely entails figuring out what the teacher wants and delivering it, and to the student, she notes, “that’s its only function.”
Each quarter, the students in the more interactive group focused on one social issue — starting with more relevant subjects like school discipline before moving to larger issues like abortion and gun control. They chose sides and prepared for debates that were facilitated using a computer, which helped the students to reflect on the viewpoints as the dialogue remained on the screen. The students in the control group or comparison class, on the contrary, simply engaged in full-class teacher-led discussions of similar topics.
After each year, all students wrote essays on entirely new topics, which the researchers analyzed for reasoning merit. Students who participated in the more innovative teaching method fared better across the board on demonstrating more reason-based skills. (More on Time.com: Straight As in High School May Mean Better Health Later in Life)
At least one fellow educator, University of Illinois at Chicago education professor Gerald Graff, approves of this more interactive approach to teaching reasoning skills and hopes it catches on.
“Kuhn and Crowell’s focus on argument has the potential to transform schools if policy makers and curriculum developers were to take their conclusions to heart and put argument and debate at the center of the curriculum,” he said. “Dialogical argument is what we actually practice in the real world where we make arguments not in isolation.”
More on Time.com: | <urn:uuid:0cb38f98-717d-41bc-8851-8010fb6bb962> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://healthland.time.com/2011/03/17/why-arguing-improves-students-reasoning-skills/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320679.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20170626050425-20170626070425-00135.warc.gz | en | 0.958425 | 582 | 3.515625 | 4 | The extract discusses the importance of teaching argumentative reasoning in schools and presents a study that highlights the effectiveness of interactive dialogue in developing reasoning skills. It touches on emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and communication, with some consideration of cultural awareness and digital literacy. However, the scenarios and discussions are not overly complex, and the focus is primarily on a single context.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 199,306 | 0 |
Camera sensors come in different sizes. The one in your smartphone is a lot smaller than the one in my Canon 5D MKIII, a professional DSLR. For high quality mirrorless and DSLR cameras, there are two main sensor sizes: 35mm (generally referred to as “full frame”) and APS-C (normally called a “crop sensor” or “crop camera”). Let’s look at the difference between the two.
Sensor Size, Explained
The size of the sensor is just that: the physical size of the sensor. A 35mm sensor is actually 36mm x 24mm. It’s the same size as the 35mm film it replaced. A crop sensor is called that because it’s cropped to a smaller size than a 35mm sensor (or piece of film). Exactly how much smaller and what that means we’ll get to in a minute.
RELATED: Everything You Know About Image Resolution Is Probably Wrong
Sensor size has nothing to do with the number of megapixels. You can get 20 megapixel full frame sensors and 20 megapixel crop sensors. A 10 megapixel full frame sensor will still be physically bigger than a 24 megapixel crop sensor. The difference is that on a crop sensor, each individual photosite (the tiny little sensors that detect the light for each pixel) is going to be smaller.
Full Frame Cameras Are Better Quality, Especially in Low Light
RELATED: How to Take Photos at Night (That Aren't Blurry)
Since the photosites on a full frame camera are larger, all else being equal, a full frame camera will be better in low light situations than a crop sensor camera. More photons fall on each photosite, so they have more data to work with.
RELATED: What Is Your Camera's ISO Setting?
Each photosite is likely to be of higher quality as well. Full frame cameras are more expensive and there is just more space on the sensor for high quality components. This means you normally are able to use a higher ISO setting before starting to see digital noise in your photos.
These same effects also hold true when you’ve lots of light to work with: full frame cameras are better at resolving accurate colors.
Crop Sensors Have a Different Field of View With the Same Lens
While the low light performance is a nice benefit of full frame cameras, it is far from the most noticeable difference. Full frame cameras and crop sensor cameras often use the same lenses, and even when they don’t, the crop sensor lenses are described as if they are full frame lenses.
Imagine you have a Pringles tube with the bottom cut out. If you hold it a few inches from your face, you’ll see a circular image. This is similar to what your lens is actually projecting into your camera.
Now take the imaginary lid and cut a 36mm x 24mm rectangle in it. Put the lid on and what you see through the hole is how much of the image projection a full frame camera is actually capturing. It takes a rectangular crop and ignores the rest of the projection.
Grab another imaginary lid and cut a second rectangle, this time make it a little over half the size of the first; around 22.5mm x 15mm. That’s roughly the size of a crop sensor. This time, the rectangular crop is throwing away even more information.
This is where are thought experiment gets a little trickier. If both our full frame Pringles tube and crop sensor Pringles tube have the same number of megapixels, even though the hole in the crop tube is smaller, the image it produces is the exact same resolution as the one produced by the full frame tube. On your computer screen, the images will appear the exact same size.
The difference is, however, the image taken with the crop sensor Pringles tube will appear as if it’s zoomed in.
Let’s look at this with some real photos. Below is an image I shot with my full frame 5D MKIII and a 50mm lens.
And here is an image shot with my crop sensor Canon 650D from the same spot with the exact same 50mm lens.
As you can see, the image shot with crop sensor camera appears zoomed in. In reality, it’s because the sensor has taken a tighter crop from the lens’ projection.
Crop Factor and Focal Length
How a crop sensor camera effects the photos you take is entirely predictable. Crop sensor cameras have a “crop factor” which describes how much they appear to magnify the image they take. For Canon cameras, the crop factor is about 1.6. For Nikon cameras, it’s about 1.5.
RELATED: How Does the "8x" Zoom on My Point-and-Shoot Compare to My DSLR?
What the crop factor tells us is the full frame equivalent focal length (and thus field of view) that you get from a crop sensor camera. To use it, you just multiply the actual focal length of the lens by the crop factor.
Continuing the example from above, the 50mm lens on my 650D is equivalent to an 80mm lens on my 5D MKIII; just multiply the lens focal length, 50mm, by the crop factor, 1.6, and that’s what you get. We can prove this in practice. Below is a photo I shot with my 5D MKIII and my 85mm lens.
And here it is side-by-side with the photo I took on my 650D with the 50mm lens. As you can see, the photos look pretty similar.
Which Is Right for You?
Full frame cameras, in general, are higher quality and better made than crop sensor cameras. They’re the flagship models with all the latest features. Most manufacturers’ crop sensor cameras are their entry or mid-level models. However, the gap isn’t as big as it used to be. Modern entry level cameras are better than the ones professionals were using just a few years ago. It’s not likely you’ll notice the difference in image quality unless you’re shooting in very specific circumstances.
Since full frame cameras tend to have a lot of extras, like improved autofocus or build quality, sensor size is only one factor in choosing a camera. The biggest reason I bought my Canon 5D MKIII wasn’t that it was a full frame camera, but that it was weather sealed and made fully of metal. It means I can carry it anywhere when I travel without having to worry too much. If you want a small, light camera, then you’re probably better off with a crop sensor. Even the mirrorless full frame cameras are pretty big when you put a zoom lens on them.
There are even professional level crop bodies, like the Canon 7D MKII for sports or wildlife photographers. Rather than a downside, the crop factor actually helps them get closer to the action.
Title photo credit: Michael Toyama/Flickr
- › What Is a Periscope Lens for Smartphone Cameras?
- › Why Does My iPhone 7 Plus Have Two Cameras?
- › How to Move to a Full Frame Camera
- › What Camera Settings Should I Use for Landscape Photos?
- › How to Move to a Dedicated Camera After Using a Smartphone Camera
- › What Do I Need To Know Before Buying A New Lens For My Camera?
- › What Is Noise Reduction in Digital Images?
- › 1080p vs. 1440p vs. 4K Monitors: How Big Is the Difference? | <urn:uuid:ec0a1286-a178-434d-9f2d-fd0269db8726> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.howtogeek.com/74932/photography-with-htg-what-is-a-full-frame-camera-do-i-need-one/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224644571.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20230528214404-20230529004404-00555.warc.gz | en | 0.931266 | 1,601 | 3.046875 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing solely on technical aspects of camera sensors and photography. It provides detailed information on sensor sizes, full frame and crop sensors, and their effects on image quality, but does not address communication, teamwork, or other soft skills.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 611,979 | 0 |
You are in our Global Site
Another very important part of the braking system is the brake calipers. The working principle of the brake caliper is actually very simple, that is, to generate resistance to the brake disc by squeezing the brake disc to gradually slow down the vehicle. What happened during the braking process? Pressure transmission, the pressure generated from the front end is transmitted to the brake calipers through the brake oil pipe, and then the calipers apply the braking force to the brake disc. In fact, the braking principle is the same as that used on bicycles, but the braking effect is magnified countless times.
Due to friction, a lot of heat is generated. This heat energy is large enough to cause the metal brake disc to deform to a certain extent under the resistance generated by the motorcycle caliper. If it is in the dark, we can see the effect of hot wheels.
The characteristic of this design is that the piston squeezes to one side, and the brake disc is clamped by the brake pads at both ends to achieve braking. This is called a one-way single-piston brake caliper.
So the question is what to do if you want to enhance the braking effect, of course, increase the friction area. How to achieve it, one of the problems is that it is impossible to increase the size of the piston infinitely, so the correct way is to add a piston, so we have a one-way dual-piston motorcycle caliper.
Then the problem is coming again, what should I do if I want to strengthen the braking effect? The one-sided extrusion is not enough, and the upper and double-sided extrusion will have the opposing dual-piston, four-piston and opposing six-piston we see today. Of course, increasing the diameter of the brake disc is also a very effective method.
The caliper used on the positive shock absorber uses two screws to be fixed on the shock absorber in a superimposed manner. There is a problem with this fixing method, that is, when the brake is applied, the two screws will be produced under the action of inertia. If it is loose, it will affect the braking effect after a long time.
With the introduction of inverted shock absorbers and large-size brake discs, we have also upgraded the fixing method, adopting a straight-bolt fixing method with a connecting plate, which more effectively improves the efficiency of the braking system. Of course, the latest product is like this, canceling the connecting plate in the middle and directly fixing the motorcycle caliper to the shock absorber with a straight bolt, which has a qualitative improvement in stability.
Do you have a question: Some cars use 6-piston opposing calipers. Is it better to have more pistons in front of the motorcycle caliper? This question should be misunderstood. The weight, power, and braking system of each car have been matched before leaving the factory, so it does not mean that the more pistons the better. In principle, we do not need to change the original design when driving on the road. | <urn:uuid:6e375d56-9af3-437d-a66c-04156e9b76de> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://www.jumpochina.com/black-technology-of-motorcycle-brake-calipers.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945433.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20230326044821-20230326074821-00236.warc.gz | en | 0.943647 | 640 | 3.453125 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing solely on technical information about brake calipers. It provides detailed explanations and examples, but does not address communication, teamwork, or problem-solving in a meaningful way.
Educational score: 0 | 0 | 0 | 186,347 | 0 |
Blame is an illusion. It is a distortion of reality. Organizational expert Peter Senge wrote in his landmark book The Fifth Discipline: "There is no blame.
" Most problems in organizations are systemic. They are rooted in processes and systemic structure. Deming claimed that 94 % of all problems were systemic and he attributed them to common causes. If most problems are systemic in their origin, then why do we spend so much time blaming individuals and groups?First, most of us do not realize how much blaming is going on or that we are doing it. It becomes a way of life. Try monitoring your thoughts for an hour at work. How many times do you find yourself complaining about someone or something, defending your actions, or noting the faults of others?The second problem is that we think that whoever is standing closest to a problem must be to blame for it. We are taken in by the illusion that there are simple, linear cause and effect relationships. An example of this kind of thinking comes from a client of mine from several years ago. A supervisor was upset with his people because the customer had sent back product that did not meet the customer's specifications. He blamed his workers.
He was sure the problem was their carelessness and poor work habits. His solution was to complain and criticize to them. This is a common occurrence in many organizations. I asked him a few questions:
· Were his people aware of the customer's specifications?· Did they know how to set up their process in order to meet those specs?· What were their inspection procedures?· Were they applied appropriately to this shipment?· Were all workers clear about their specific jobs and work expectations?· Did all workers have the skills needed to produce the level of quality required?· Was the equipment capable of producing the quality needed?· Was there consistency in how each job was performed?Most of these questions could not be answered well. There was little clarity and consistency in this system, so results tended to be inconsistent. We cannot blame the people who work for us for poor quality when we have not taken the time to create a structure for success,モンクレール. The supervisor was accountable for the returned parts and so was his manager. It became their job to respond (be responsible), to make appropriate changes that would ensure future shipments would be right.
As leaders we cannot make success happen. What we can do is understand what needs to happen and remove the barriers to success. We can look at structure, leadership style, relationships, and our view of the world and ask ourselves: "Is this working for us or against us?" I can almost guarantee you that the blaming given by that supervisor was not working for him. It created resentment and disrespect.
The illusion we create is that somehow blaming and complaining will make things better. Once we have blamed someone we feel compelled to "prove" it. We spend time and efforts building a case, amassing data, and defending our position. On the flip side, if we are blamed we spend time defending and justifying ourselves. Imagine an organization full of people blaming, complaining, justifying, defending, and building cases against others. When would the work get done?If blaming is so futile, how can we avoid the blame game,http://www.moncler-brand.info? Leaders must make a commitment not to blame or complain. Do your complaining to a trusted friend who is not your employee. Vent it and get over it,モンクレール ダウン. See problems as challenges to be overcome, not as opportunities to blame people.
Look at all possible sides of an issue. Ask good questions similar to ones asked of the supervisor. Be willing to look at yourself and see how you are contributing to the current situation. How does your way of being affect others? Have you taken the time to create positive relationships with the people involved? Are you aware of their needs, concerns, and issues? Are you responsive to their needs? Have you helped them to create a structure that helps them succeed? Have you helped people get clarity on their mission, role, and the expected standards? Are you walking your talk? Do you give people honest feedback on their performance? Do you act quickly to correct problems? Do you listen to the people around you? If you are not doing these things, what stops you? (And don't blame someone else.
)As a leader, your example teaches others how to act. The leader who is accountable and takes responsibility teaches her people to do the same. The leader who blames, undermines her own authority and teaches people that they are not responsible. When we refuse to blame and choose to be accountable and responsible, we begin to discover our power. Focusing on what we can control--our thoughts, behaviors, and actions--makes us powerful. Seeing that,moncler, small changes in how we relate to others, what we choose to believe about others, and opening ourselves to actually hearing what others have to say can create powerful results.
A leader's ability to make small changes within will influence those around him. His new way of being becomes a new way of doing. Others see the results and begin to make their own changes. Every leader is a teacher. Anyone can make the decision to be accountable and responsible, to treat others with care and respect, and to communicate honestly. Waiting for others to change, including those in higher positions, is an excuse. True leaders are people who initiate new ways of being. Culture change begins with one leader who has the will and is willing. Is that person you?Related articles: | <urn:uuid:f7de4c5d-7221-4589-adf8-2e77ac4f0d70> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://sizikinobuko.blogspot.com/2013/02/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549423992.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20170722102800-20170722122800-00388.warc.gz | en | 0.978123 | 1,138 | 2.65625 | 3 | The extract discusses the illusion of blame in organizations and its negative impact on productivity and relationships. It provides realistic scenarios, integrates emotional intelligence, and critical thinking opportunities, making it a valuable resource for soft skills development. The text encourages leaders to take responsibility, communicate effectively, and create a positive work environment.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 666,395 | 1 |
- 1. frost, ice, cover
- usage: decorate with frosting; "frost a cake"
- 2. frost, cover
- usage: provide with a rough or speckled surface or appearance; "frost the glass"; "she frosts her hair"
- 3. frost, cover
- usage: cover with frost; "ice crystals frosted the glass"
- 4. frost, damage
- usage: damage by frost; "The icy precipitation frosted the flowers and they turned brown"
WordNet 3.0 Copyright © 2006 by Princeton University.
- 1. frosted, opaque (vs. clear)
- usage: (of glass) having a roughened coating resembling frost; "frosted glass"
All rights reserved.
See also: frosted (Dictionary) | <urn:uuid:a68fb898-8473-4628-a8d8-96128a962473> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.factmonster.com/thesaurus/frosted | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370500426.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20200331084941-20200331114941-00249.warc.gz | en | 0.874973 | 176 | 2.921875 | 3 | The extract lacks any meaningful discussion of soft skills, focusing solely on definitions and usage of the word "frost" in different contexts. There is no coverage of communication, teamwork, leadership, or problem-solving concepts.
Educational score: 0 | 0 | 0 | 747,261 | 0 |
ESFP – Outgoing, Realistic, Friendly, Accepting
Extrovert – Sensing – Feeling – Perceiving
ESFPs add outgoingness, pleasure, friendly, accepting, flexible and spontaneous to equal “party animal”. They love people, fun and the joys of the material world.
They have great people skills, being tolerant, tactful, sympathetic and accepting. They are persuasive and influential and enjoy working with people to make things happen. They like to be the center of attention, entertain and tell stories. When they are with people, they are usually “on stage”. They love to talk and are good conversationalists.
They have strong practical abilities with people and things, and have good common sense. They combine playfulness with a realistic approach to make work fun.
Most Developed Skill
The strongest drive with the Extrovert Sensing Feeling Perceiving is a playful enjoyment of people and life. They trust concrete facts (what they can see, hear, feel, smell and taste) and specifics above everything. They are practical, reliable, forceful, and excitable.
The strengths of this pattern lie in the ability to seize opportunities, take action and risk, and improvise to make things happen. They are good at crisis management of practical problems. Their loyalty and commitment is strong.
Because ESFPs dominant skill is in sensing, they often develop excellent visual, auditory, gustatory, olfactory or kinesthetic/motor abilities. They are good with physical activities. They are good at people type decisions.
Possible weaknesses in this skill set can be irresponsible, childish, unreliable behavior. The Sensing Perceiving combination can lead to acting before thinking things through. The tendency to take criticism and negative feedback personally can undermine their ability to take action.
Under stress, they can be rigid, opportunistic, irritable, undependable.
ESFPs typical expression is energetic observations about people and actions. They do not always express feeling – more likely to poke fun in a good-natured way, or in their actions.
ESFPs value practical action and kindness.
They have high need for autonomy, variety and action. Procedures, structure and repetition will not sit well with them.
The Sensing Perceiving combination learns best experientially. Abstractions and theories seem complicated and tedious. They need to live their experiences, not talk about them. They are good at hands on skill development – honing skills through practice.
Least Developed Skills
The least developed skill is introverted intuition. When they need to connect concrete reality and symbolism they can create dark and pessimistic fantasies and negative expectations of the future.
The lack of introverted intuition can result in withdrawal from social activities and feelings of incompetence in relationships. Logic, analysis and the ability to abstract is most difficult. | <urn:uuid:0752561e-73a6-474b-aaeb-43e65e3ccef4> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://career-iq.com/esfp/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886112539.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20170822181825-20170822201825-00145.warc.gz | en | 0.944605 | 589 | 2.59375 | 3 | The extract provides superficial coverage of basic communication and teamwork concepts, discussing ESFP personality traits and strengths, but lacks meaningful depth, practical application, and nuanced interaction. It touches on emotional intelligence and leadership challenges but doesn't integrate complex problem-solving opportunities or advanced digital literacy skills.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 812,084 | 0 |
A raven seized a piece of cheese and flew onto a tree branch when a fox came along. The fox, looking up at the raven, said, “such a beautiful black sheen to your feathers, my friend raven. They glisten midnight blue at the right angle to the sun. Why, your plumage is that of a king of birds. I am sure you have a voice to match it. Would that I could hear such a voice and then I would surely know that you are, indeed, a king amongst birds. I would proclaim this to all I met.” At that that raven let out a loud squawk and promptly dropped the cheese. The fox grabbed the cheese and, walking away, said, “You have quite the voice, my friend. Too bad you haven’t the brains to go with it.”
A well-worn fable from Aesop's Fables. Ive been revisiting many of these stories which i find i take far too much for granted. I think our familiarity with such stories tends to let us think we've "gotten the message" and, having done so, the story loses any novelty and appeal. But i think it is a mistake to allow ourselves to overlook these stories. They are, after all, thousands of years old, perhaps much older than we tend to think given that we often point to a date of publication as the origin of such tales. However, these tales no doubt preceded publication by a considerable amount of time - existing within oral tradition, certainly for many generations and possibly for millennia. I've read scholarship about Aesop for some time and have seen it suggested that Aesop, often described as an ugly Greek slave, was actually from Ethiopia which suggests an African origin to the tales. Across the India Ocean in those long ago days there was another collection of animal tales assembled for the purposes of instruction: The Panchatantra (attributed to Indian scholar Vishnu Sharma, 300 BCE). These collections share some stories in common which implies that the trans-Indian Ocean-Mesopotamian traffic of the ancient world was a transmission route not only for goods but, as is the way of human culture, stories as well.
Thinking of this story in today's context i am reminded of a friend's advice about receiving complements and insults. My friend is an in-demand public speaker and is certainly one of the best i have ever seen. Her talks draw a great deal of praise and also, as is the case with public figures who speak their mind, scorn. My friend says that it is important to let neither praise nor scorn sway you. She says that she's learned that if you let yourself be pumped up by the praise it makes you more vulnerable to be hurt by the scorn. And i appreciate this reminder of how such scorn can be the flip-side of flattery. Which also reminds me of a story from Aikido, a martial art that puts great emphasis on staying "centred" and balanced. Terry Dobson, a great aikido teacher who passed away some time ago, describes one of the most difficult lessons he had to endure in learning aikido. It began with him being surrounded by other students for a round of randori in which several people attack one person. However the style of attack was verbal and students hurled insults at Terry. He found it easy to remain calm and centred. Then the "attack" changed to a round of praise and expressions of love and respect. Dobson was reduced to tears within seconds. When i combine my friend's advice and Dobson's story and this fable from Aesop, i see a wonderful dialogue about the ethics of communication and interconnection. I wonder about the ancient dialogues from which such stories as Aesop's Fables come down to us. And again, i question just how "advanced" we think our oh-so-modern world to be. When we look at the ancient collections of tales and texts such as the Rig Veda and how they continue hold relevance and powerful meaning for us today, i'm not sure we've "advanced" at all. | <urn:uuid:fde1aaca-5e5f-4345-998a-107611e2bc05> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://comeuppance.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-fox-and-raven.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549423716.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20170721042214-20170721062214-00128.warc.gz | en | 0.972296 | 851 | 2.703125 | 3 | The extract scores high due to its in-depth analysis of a classic fable, exploring its relevance to modern communication, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills. It seamlessly integrates discussions on soft skills, such as the impact of praise and criticism, with realistic scenarios and historical context, demonstrating nuanced understanding and practical application.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 644,156 | 1 |
Cost-effective, self-learning environments where the learners design & define education for themselves.
A community space that fosters curiosity, innovation, creativity, and critical thinking.
A safe space where people from abject poverty, vulnerable communities, at-risk environments can come and create relevant life goals.
University makerspaces are a network of makerspaces in partner Universities where students can learn about digital technologies in a hands-on environment, turn their ideas into working prototypes and in the process come up with local solutions to local problems. They are equipped with everything needed to turn an IoT idea into a working prototype, including both Cisco and 3rd party equipment.
The program is structured to encourage a rapid prototyping mindset with 24/7 access to the makerspace and all the equipment therein as well as active mentorship and training. | <urn:uuid:124f7ff3-649b-4762-93d2-9c91e78ed89c> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://projectdefy.org/what-we-do/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875145443.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20200221045555-20200221075555-00162.warc.gz | en | 0.927929 | 167 | 2.515625 | 3 | The extract promotes a self-directed learning environment that fosters critical thinking, innovation, and creativity. It highlights the importance of community, hands-on experience, and mentorship, which are essential for developing soft skills like problem-solving, teamwork, and digital literacy. However, it lacks depth in discussing nuanced interaction, emotional intelligence, and complex problem-solving scenarios.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 605,514 | 0 |
The SGMS continues its commitment to advancing the intellectual and social skills of the students during their enrollment. High academic and social standards are continually maintained for all students and validated by rigorous and varied assessment methods. Instruction continues to consist of a combination of individualized learning, group work, thematic and integrated learning projects delivered by a highly qualified and certified staff able to weave disciplinary strands together in the acquisition of knowledge and skills.
The goal of the School’s academic program is to promote students who are excellent writers, readers and problem solvers, who are conversant in a second language, knowledgeable about our society and other cultures, history and current events, and who are comfortable using technology as a tool for learning.
Building upon a strong curriculum aligned with the content standards, the School has established the following goals, objectives and student performance standards:
- Students demonstrate effective reading, writing, and communication skills for each grade level:
- Students demonstrate the ability to access, evaluate, synthesize, and present information using a variety of methods, with an emphasis on computer skills as tools for learning and information processing;
- Students demonstrate the ability to apply mathematic and science concepts in an applied manner;
- Students demonstrate grasp of social studies, current events and historical content relevant to their lives;
- Students apply critical thinking skills and problem solving techniques to increase their ability to learn and obtain knowledge;
- Students demonstrate mastery of academic and workplace competencies to prepare them for their introduction as valued members of society;
- Students demonstrate proficiency in a second language to assist in communicating effectively in a diversely populated community; and
- Students demonstrate understanding of life-long learning and work ethics as essential elements in transitioning to economic self-sufficiency;
- Several essential components will constitute the school’s model for program delivery:
- A strong curriculum and assessment system that, at a minimum, meets with statewide performance standards;
- Integration of existing and emerging technologies into instruction and the development of work place readiness skills;
- Instructors who meet the individual needs of students;
- Empowerment of parents to be directly involved in the education and development of their children; and
- Expansive engagement of business partners, institutions of higher education, private sector agencies, and the community at large.
The core curriculum of Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, Technology, and Spanish will anchor the academic program. The academic disciplines will be woven together in an integrated fashion in a way that is coherent and connects the disciplines, whereby all materials may be meaningful to the individual student. The School is committed to providing each student with the opportunity to investigate areas of interest enhanced with the use of technology, in order to offer each child a broad range of possible academic opportunities. Technology will be woven into the fabric of instruction at the school so that every student will be familiar with the use of technology in the pursuit of knowledge. | <urn:uuid:086325ff-9e28-4ed3-ac51-3ad034f77357> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://www.sgms.us/academic-program/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945288.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20230324180032-20230324210032-00557.warc.gz | en | 0.944303 | 593 | 2.53125 | 3 | The extract demonstrates a comprehensive approach to education, emphasizing intellectual and social skills development. It covers various soft skills, including communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, and cultural awareness, with a focus on practical application and real-world context. The inclusion of technology integration, parental involvement, and community engagement adds depth to the educational program.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 490,959 | 1 |
By Mitch Lyons
Mitch Lyons has recently retired after coaching youth, high school and college basketball for 22 years. He is the President and founder of GetPsychedSports.org, Inc., a nonprofit corporation based in Newton, Mass. He can be reached at: [email protected], or www.getpsychedsports.org.
Athletic Management, 17.5, August/September 2005, http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/am/am1705/gppositive.htm
Across the country, athletics has suffered ever-increasing unsportsmanlike behavior. Anger and frustration regularly mark our contests. In response, schools have set up many programs to foster sportsmanship.
Most are excellent programs that teach the definition of fair play to students, coaches, and fans. But most of these programs are missing an important element: They are not providing tools and practice times for athletes to learn how to actually control their thoughts, feelings, and behavior in practices and at contests.
Traditional programs penalize athletes for unsportsmanlike acts, reward exceptional conduct, and provide positive role models. But the message is not drilled everyday on the field of play.
If we want a better environment in sports and society, and if we want our children to develop emotionally healthy habits, we must teach our athletes how to be positive. Being positive is a skill and can be a struggle for many to acquire. But fighting anger and frustration is worth doing. All coaches across the country should be teaching this lifelong skill as part of their students’ educational athletics program.
Here are some ideas on how to teach self-control and positive thinking on any team:
Talk about the concept at the beginning of the season. Explain that it’s normal to get angry, but that it takes a tough person and a tough team to get re-focused. A kick in the pants will only go so far. After the effect wears off, it takes self-motivation and mental toughness for athletes to change their attitudes.
Make positive thinking a focus for the entire season. Teach your athletes to refocus negative thoughts in every situation they encounter. When the idea is understood and practiced every day, athletes will be able to accept a bad call and move on to the next play.
Make it a team goal to maintain a positive atmosphere. Explain to your athletes that being positive is something everyone will work on together. Take the time in each practice to praise positive acts, and put consequences in place for negative behavior. As often as possible, evaluate whether the team is accomplishing this goal.
Coaches should also work toward the goal in their own behavior. They need to enter practice and games creating a positive environment and actively exhibiting self-control in front of their athletes. They need to act positively during games, and acknowledge when they don’t.
Practice being positive as a skill every moment you are together. Frequently ask your players, “What are you thinking about?” Read their negative thoughts. Tell them, “Let’s be tough enough to beat negativity.”
For example, if the point guard makes a negative comment about a player who dropped a pass, I ask, “Do you think your teammate will do better or worse if you get mad at him when he misses the pass?” They always know the right answer. I also say, “Stay positive with him. Give him your unquestioned support. He will do better when he knows you are behind him all the way.”
Everyone on the team should project positive behavior. Encourage loud and frequent support for one another during practices. Actively encourage people to find the good in others and see past differences.
Correct negative behavior as soon as you see it. Both coaches and players must recognize and address any self-defeating thoughts then work hard to correct them. However, it’s important that corrections are communicated positively. For example, I say, “I understand your frustration, but we will all do better if we stay positive and encourage others. Instead of being angry, think about how to improve. Practice changing your thoughts.”
Every team member should be responsible for correcting negativity when it is noticed. Impatience with others, sarcasm, rolled eyes, and negative body language should be corrected without exception. Do not be afraid to bench a player who remains negative, if this is the only way to change his or her behavior.
Build on what was done right before being critical about what went wrong. It’s easier to focus on mistakes than on the progress being made. But, by pointing out the progress being made, we are building on something positive that increases confidence.
During practices, coaches can instruct their athletes by saying something positive about what they are doing before giving instructions. If they’re not doing anything right, then say that, too. Being positive doesn’t mean lying—it means giving encouragement so people can correct what is wrong.
In giving feedback after a game, let your emotions subside before talking to the team. Analyze the game as if you were not involved. Then, give direct instruction on how to improve, without any anger or sarcasm. Rather than being negative about mistakes, talk about them as actions that can be overcome with goal setting, visualization, and positive thinking.
At the same time, teach athletes to practice taking criticism. Help them understand that constructive criticism is not about them personally, but about their performance. Point out when they are defensive. Praise them when they are positive in accepting criticism.
Remind bench players that their thoughts are crucial to the gameplan. Acknowledge that the bench has the most difficult job on the team. Have them work on replacing negative thoughts (“Why aren’t I playing?”) with helpful thoughts (“How could we do that play better?”). It is difficult to have a positive team without a happy and involved bench.
Don’t forget the joy of competing. One way to teach athletes to be positive is to show them how much fun their sport is to play. Be enthusiastic when they accomplish something for the first time. Play as many games as possible within drills, keeping tallies and scores, and correct negative behavior when they lose or the play gets rough. Set up some drills to give your less-skilled athletes a chance to do well—and have starters give bench players positive reinforcement regularly.
Teaching our athletes to control their anger and frustration should be a major goal of sports in America. Tougher than the struggle on the field, the struggle to remain positive in our thoughts, feelings, and behavior is a lifetime endeavor, and our children can use all the help we can give them. Make your school a resource for emotional health by having students, coaches, and parents know that if we want success in any part of our lives, we first have to defeat our own negativity. | <urn:uuid:28d72f03-5fcd-4d90-a6aa-1aef24083701> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/am/am1705/gppositive.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320057.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20170623114917-20170623134917-00212.warc.gz | en | 0.969347 | 1,435 | 3.140625 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive approach to teaching positive thinking and self-control in sports, emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence, leadership, and teamwork. It offers practical strategies for coaches to promote a positive team environment, correct negative behavior, and encourage constructive criticism. The discussion integrates realistic scenarios, making it a valuable resource for developing soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 82,552 | 1 |
As people gain experience, they look back on their successes and overrate their judgment, says Malcolm Gladwell, distiller of social trends and author of The Tipping Point.
Research shows that even when playing games of pure chance, people carry an illusion of control, thinking they can win because they’re “better.” A simple explanation: overconfidence.
A textbook example of complacency: the British-led invasion of Gallipoli in 1915. British strategists hoped that by landing an army on the Turkish peninsula, they could make an end run around the fighting in Western Europe and take a clear shot at Germany.
To pull this off, they’d have to make an amphibious landing and overcome a dug-in foe in tough terrain.
It was a brilliant but daring plan. Its execution would have changed the war. But because the British were accustomed to success, they displayed a curious lack of urgency. A few of their shortcomings:
- They never drew up a formal plan of operation.
- Their leaders calculated a need for about 150,000 troops. They brought 70,000.
- They needed about 300 big guns but brought 118, without howitzers, trench mortars or grenades.
- They gave the command to a retired desk jockey, Frederick Stopford, who blew a 10-to-1 advantage over the Turks early on by having his troops dally on the beaches, where Winston Churchill later described them as “bathing by hundreds in the bright blue bay.”
By the time word reached the British command, it was too late. Even the commander sent to the rescue, Sir Ian Hamilton, was too far away.
In their book Military Misfortunes, Eliot Cohen and John Gooch chalk up the allies’ disaster at Gallipoli to a failure to adapt—or even see a need to adapt—because they couldn’t absorb how reality differed from their expectations. It never dawned on them that they might fail.
“Let me bring my lads face to face with Turks in the open field,” Hamilton wrote before the charge. “We must beat them every time because British volunteer soldiers are superior individuals.”
Hamilton and his compatriots weren’t idiots. They were simply overconfident.
— Adapted from “Cocksure,” Malcolm Gladwell, The New Yorker.
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" This information is proudly provided by Business Management Daily.com: http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/27279/overconfidence-clouding-judgment " | <urn:uuid:a32de06e-018a-4506-97c6-f6c99f498994> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/27279/overconfidence-clouding-judgment | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394009968414/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305085928-00087-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957261 | 670 | 2.59375 | 3 | The extract discusses the concept of overconfidence and its consequences, using a historical example to illustrate the importance of adaptability and realistic expectations. It touches on leadership, strategic thinking, and problem-solving, but lacks nuanced interaction and complex scenarios. The content is informative, but its focus is more on conveying a concept than on developing soft skills.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 879,485 | 0 |
Just a day after US President Barack Obama was re-elected, rumours began to fly that he will back NASA plans to build a hovering moon base. This lunar outpost would be parked in orbit, about 60,000 kilometres from the moon’s far side, in a gravitational haven called a Lagrange point.
There, the combined gravity of Earth and the moon would tug on a spacecraft with exactly the force needed for it to hover near the moon without spending fuel. Putting a spaceport at the Earth-moon Lagrange point 2 (EML-2) might assist human missions to an asteroid or to Mars – both on the list of NASA goals Obama announced in 2010.
Buzz about NASA’s vision for an EML-2 outpost has been swirling since September, when the Orlando Sentinel newspaper obtained documents detailing how such a craft could be built using parts left over from the International Space Station.
NASA has probably already cleared plans for the craft with the Obama administration, space policy expert John Logsdon of George Washington University in Washington DC told Space.com on 7 November, and has been waiting until after the election to announce them.
Asked about the spaceport, NASA officials would only say the agency is working towards sending a capsule to loop around the moon in 2017 and a manned mission to lunar orbit in 2021.
The president’s plan
“NASA is executing the President’s ambitious space exploration plan that includes missions around the moon, to an asteroid and eventually to Mars,” spokesperson Rachel Kraft said in an email to New Scientist. “There are a variety of routes and options being discussed to help build the knowledge and capabilities to get there, and other options may be considered as we look for ways to buy down risk.”
The hovering moon base plan sounds plausible, although NASA will probably wait until the new federal budget is announced in February to confirm anything, says Dan Lester of the University of Texas at Austin, who has served on NASA policy committees.
“With all these rumours, I haven’t heard anybody at NASA who’s denying it. I think that says a lot,” he says.
EML-2 is farther from Earth than astronauts have ever ventured, and is not shielded from radiation by Earth’s magnetic field. That makes it a good testing ground for deep space life-support systems, Lester says.
“If you want to get people out of low-Earth orbit, you want to test how well they can do in deep space, and you want to have some useful things for them to do when they’re out there, maybe the first thing to do is to send them to a Lagrange point rather than sending them to an asteroid,” he says.
Scuba on Titan
An EML-2 spaceport could also allow astronauts on the base to explore the moon using robots controlled in real time. The three-second delay for radio signals to travel round-trip between Earth and the moon makes directly controlling a lunar rover from our home planet impractical. “It’s as if you were driving drunk,” says Lester. But EML-2 is close enough to the moon to erase that obstacle.
Last week NASA completed a test of such technology when an astronaut on the International Space Station drove a toy rover on Earth via the agency’s interplanetary internet.
Similar strategies could be used on Mars, as either a prelude to or a substitute for landing humans on the surface. Having a telepresence in space could also take human minds to places where our bodies can’t go.
“We could send human beings into orbit around [Saturn’s moon] Titan and they could do virtual scuba diving in the methane lakes,” Lester says. “When you think about doing exploration that way, all of a sudden there are many more destinations for human spaceflight than there were before.”
More on these topics: | <urn:uuid:b9791acd-20c3-476c-9b09-4f30abec78d8> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn22504-hovering-moon-base-may-be-on-nasas-horizon/?ignored=irrelevant | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875145443.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20200221045555-20200221075555-00066.warc.gz | en | 0.952748 | 819 | 3.203125 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on scientific and technical aspects of a potential NASA project. It provides no opportunities for developing communication, teamwork, or problem-solving skills, and cultural awareness and digital literacy are absent.
Educational score: 0 | 0 | 0 | 580,305 | 0 |
An Inductive Model for Teaching World Languages
Teachers can create lessons that engage students as active learners to improve their understanding of how languages work.
Using an inductive approach to teaching a foreign language positions students as active learners. They use prior knowledge and cultural knowledge, as well as deductive and reasoning skills. As a result, they gain a better understanding of how language works.
This method is broken down into six stages or moments: motivation, globality, analysis, synthesis, reflection, and verification. I’ll walk you through each component in detail and offer suggestions for how to put it into action.
6 Stages of Inductive World Language Learning
1. Motivation: Choose a text (visual, written, or auditory) that will be the focus of the lesson for the day. Use an authentic text, such as an excerpt from a book, an article from a magazine, or a poem. You can alter it to make it more suitable for your students.
Begin class with a warm-up activity to break the ice and get students thinking and talking, then start tapping into your students’ general knowledge and understanding. Rather than providing correct or incorrect answers, the goal of this phase of the lesson is to pique students’ interest and encourage participation.
Let’s say you choose an excerpt from any of the books in the Harry Potter series. Start by projecting an image of the character Harry Potter onto the board and asking students what they know about the books or about the genres of science fiction and fantasy. Alternatively, if the focus text is a recipe, use images of different foods, and ask students questions about foods from their cultures. This step will help develop a context for the text that everyone will read later.
2. Globality: Students progress from introductory activities to tackling the text during the globality phase of the lesson, meaning they consider the text as a whole. After reading or listening to it several times, students answer comprehension questions. The goal is to move students from a cursory to a more detailed and in-depth understanding of it.
True/false or multiple-choice questions, matching exercises, and fill-in-the-blanks are some of the first activities that students may be asked to complete. Then more difficult tasks, such as rearranging details, transcribing a text they hear, and writing summaries, may be assigned. For example, after reading a recipe aloud, have students write out the steps in the proper order. Or give them the task of writing down the sequence of events in a literary excerpt. It is critical for students to understand the text in order to apply what they have learned to the next steps.
3. Analysis: During this phase, students must use their contextualized knowledge to delve deeper into the focus text to identify grammar and conjugation patterns. The focus text contains the rules that students will learn in the lesson, but they are not immediately presented to them. Instead, students must deduce them. They’ll begin by speculating about patterns.
Assign tasks like completing cloze passages, paraphrasing a text, taking dictation, scanning a text and writing a summary, or highlighting key features of a text. Then, for example, ask why a particular grammatical tense is used in a given sentence. Assess students’ comprehension during a whole-class discussion.
4. Synthesis: During the synthesis phase, students are assigned tasks that require them to practice the grammar and verb conjugation rules they learned from the focus text. A fill-in-the-blanks activity could be used for students to practice the same tense used in the recipe. Ask students to change the register of a literary excerpt from descriptive to formal or colloquial to demonstrate their understanding of how language is used for a specific purpose or in a specific communicative situation.
5. Reflection: This section of the lesson allows students to both reflect on and deepen their understanding of the material covered in class. Students can be asked to explain the rhetorical function of the sentences in a recipe. They may be given a set of sentences and asked to identify which ones contain information, directions, or advice. Students could be asked to compare and discuss how language is used in both texts by watching the same scene from the film adaptation as a literary excerpt.
Students gain a deeper understanding through reflection rather than rote learning from a typical grammar drill because they must apply contextualized knowledge alongside the language rules they learned.
6. Verification: Check students’ understanding of the day’s lesson during this time by allowing them to share their thoughts on the class, write down key takeaways, and clear up any lesson-related misunderstandings. Give students an opportunity to extend their learning. Students can be assigned tasks like writing a recipe for their favorite dish or continuing the story from where the excerpt left off.
An inductive approach to language learning replaces the traditional in-class recitation with an emphasis on the critical role of culture in language instruction. Rather than relying on the teacher to spoon-feed knowledge, this multifaceted approach encourages students to figure things out on their own, resulting in more engaged classroom learners. | <urn:uuid:c7268830-a71c-4d7b-a888-bbb1fd9413fa> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://www.edutopia.org/article/inductive-model-teaching-world-languages | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296943625.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20230321033306-20230321063306-00756.warc.gz | en | 0.942427 | 1,059 | 3.953125 | 4 | The extract discusses an inductive model for teaching world languages, focusing on student-centered learning and cultural awareness. It provides a structured approach with six stages, promoting critical thinking, contextualized knowledge, and practical application. While it touches on teamwork through class discussions and activities, it primarily focuses on individual learning and language skills. The extract lacks explicit discussion of soft skills like leadership, problem-solving, and digital literacy, limiting its scope.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 258,278 | 0 |
Wollumbin-Mt Warning was added to the World Heritage list in 1975.
Introduced animals include animals that do not naturally occur in the area. Introduced animals known to occur in the Wollumbin-Mount Warning area include red fox (Vulpes vulpes), wild dog (Canis spp.), feral cat (Felis catis), European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), black rat (Rattus rattus) and cane toad (Bufo marinus). Further research is required to determine their distribution and abundance in the region.
Although the ecological impacts of introduced animals in natural areas is not fully understood, a range of impacts can be attributed to some of these animals. The wild dog, fox and cat compete with and prey on native animals which can stress native animal populations, particularly mammals, birds and reptiles. The fox and rabbit can cause soil erosion from disturbance to vegetation and digging of dens and burrows respectively. They can also compete with native ground dwelling animals for shelter. Cane toads are thought to compete with and prey on native frogs and may poison frog-eating native animals. | <urn:uuid:d99db208-a6da-4c72-a1b2-15ca0f08aac4> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkPestsWeeds.aspx?id=N0183 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1393999677352/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305060757-00070-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936118 | 232 | 3.25 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on factual information about introduced animals and their ecological impacts. There is no evidence of communication, teamwork, or problem-solving scenarios, and professional development opportunities are absent.
Educational score: 0 | 0 | 0 | 734,564 | 0 |
More on Direct Carbon Fuel Cells
* Combines effective methods that extract the liquid hydrocarbons from coal and produce a solid carbon fuelUsing torrefied biomass allows you to avoid the costly pollution (mercury etc) extracting steps necessary when processing coal for this purpose.
* Generates two separate energy products (liquid petroleum and electricity) from coal, America’s major domestic energy source
* Utilizes fuels with high sulfur content and doesn’t require expensive sulfur-sensitive catalysts
* Logistics fuels produced are low sulfur
* Does not require hydrogen to generate electricity
* Reduces dependence on foreign oil
* Provides independent source of logistics fuels
* Exceeds 35% efficiency of current coal-burning electrical-generation plants
The DCFC generates electricity from solid carbon using an electrochemical process which is more efficient than combustion. The process converts a 100 megawatt-hour amount of coal into 33 megawatt-hours equivalent of transporation fuels and 31 megawatt-hours of electricity.
DCFC technology doesn’t require expensive sulfur-sensitive catalysts, so it effectively utilizes fuels with high sulfur content, and does not require any hydrogen to generate electricity.
More information at this PDF reprint file Fuel Cell Review
The emphasis to this point has been on using coal for efficient direct electrical generation. As the infrastructure for biomass torrefaction matures, it is likely that this process will be used for direct conversion of the less toxic biomass product. | <urn:uuid:4f44aebd-b5b9-4888-9763-9f1bf419336c> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.alfin2300.blogspot.com/2008/06/more-on-direct-carbon-fuel-cells.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394011208420/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305092008-00006-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.817209 | 304 | 2.96875 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing solely on technical information about Direct Carbon Fuel Cells. There is no mention of communication, teamwork, leadership, or problem-solving scenarios, and cultural awareness and digital literacy are absent.
Educational score: 0 | 0 | 0 | 756,632 | 0 |
Just breathe. This is what we call our approach to discipline . . . taking a breather. If students are unable to manage themselves, they are asked to find a place where they can settle down, take a few deep breaths so they can respond instead of react. If we can all learn to respond to circumstances rather than react to them, it gives us an opportunity to employ a discipline that works and preserves a person's sense of autonomy. We have observed that when student's cling to what they believe is right, more conflict arises. We teach our students to set clear boundaries. It is so very clear, that when we give ourselves a moment to separate from what is causing the breakdown, simply taking a few deep breaths can give us more clarity and remove some of the emotional obstacles that make no room for independent, self-preservation.
Garden of Angels students are educated on the importance of safety, care of property, manners, rules of conduct, compassion, consideration and love for others. Our focus is self-discipline, prevention and accountability. Discipline is directed in a concise and loving manner. We believe that "time-outs" shame and control the behavior by frightening the student, tearing down their self-worth and diminishing their possibilities for solving the problem effectively. "Time-outs" do not make a space for personal responsibility because students are being taken out of the process and told what to do instead of being personally liberated by disciplining themselves.
Adult control does not give students an opportunity to work out their behavior, or realize the different considerations and personal boundaries that could be set as a choice next time. If there is no choice involved, appropriate learning may not be taking place and the true identity of their autonomy is squashed. We are taught to believe that control works for the adults enforcing it, that it somehow causes the classroom to be a more academic and accomplished climate. We do not observe that to be true! It does not seem to serve the student. It eliminates the ability for students to discern what it looks like to be a part of a community that can manage multiple scenarios at one time, similarly to life. Control does not give students room to make mistakes or tools to confidently seek answers independently. We empower our students to be personally responsible for the choices they make and their interaction towards others.
Our teachers act as role models and mediators to enhance each student’s classroom experience. Though there are specific boundaries set for discipline, our commitment is to give students a practice forum for communication, dialogue, problem solving and a powerful listening. During a disruption, or inappropriate behavior in which a student willfully refuses to yield to instruction or suggestion, the teacher respectfully separates the student from the rest of their community. This separation occurs by "taking a breather" so the students can calm down and think about their behavior.
A student can "take a breather" wherever they feel comfortable, as long as it is not disrupting the group. The student is instructed to re-join the group when they have calmed down and thought out positive alternatives to their behavior. When we give students an opportunity to be part of the discipline by separating themselves and rejoining the group ONLY when they are ready, anger is not present, as it is with "time-outs". Our teachers reinforce the student’s decision to return to the group by letting them know that though their behavior was unacceptable their presence and contributions are missed during their absence. When the student rejoins the group, they are welcomed, but first they must go through a process of accountability where they can clearly state positive alternatives that they can make which would be beneficial to the whole community of students.
We want students to practice making choices that work. In learning appropriate boundaries and in learning to make those choices students will sometimes fail. We choose to honor their willingness to participate in this process and we are certain that it will have a profound impact on who they become in their lives and how they treat others. We always take time to acknowledge students who are finding positive alternatives, practicing good communication, attentive listening, personal responsibility and telling the truth. Recognition reinforces appropriate behavior.
There will be times when students will have a breakdown; it is essential to their development. We provide a supportive environment, where faculty is trained to coach students through their breakdown. Listening to what caused the upset is generally what corrects the tantrum to a peaceful breakthrough. We do not try to talk students out of their feelings and upsets. We do let students know they are important, that we believe they are capable of choices that restore happiness and peace and that they are instrumental and worthy members of our community. Most of the time all that is needed is a bit of patience, time and acknowledgement. Often, students will spend time with a Team Teacher or the School Director outside of the classroom to get a clearer perspective.
It is not unusual to walk into our school and see a teacher holding a child. Many may initially ask "why are you consoling the child? Did they get hurt?" Most of the time it is because a student has made a choice that does not work and they just need a bit of reassurance that they are not wrong or bad because they made a mistake. We are committed to loving them through the hard stuff and providing a place of grace where they can confidently figure out a more life- serving way to respond to situations that are upsetting to them. People can actually have a shift in their heart and past behaviors can be reasonably modified to work, if shame is not the reaction and love is the response. It is amazing what clear boundaries and a little love, grace and understanding will do.
Now, is there ever an instance when a student tries to take advantage of that approach? Absolutely, that is why manipulation is met with clear boundaries and direct communication. Children are SO intelligent, they get clear on consistent boundaries immediately. Do they ever try to push the boundaries at times? We hope they do, because that demonstrates a healthy sense of self and leadership. Rarely are we met by a student who continually pushes back. There is no need to in our environment because they have the freedom to express their needs and we make certain we are there to meet those needs consistently and lovingly. It is amazing to witness! We find that most of the time when students know that their needs, feelings and ideas are welcomed and encouraged, they find safety and peace in that. Children have a very strong sense of what works for them and what does not at a very young age. We offer strategies for communicating needs in a way that preserves their joy and their communities’ joy. That is all that it is...practice. Practice in a forum where we teach responding versus reacting, direction instead of shame and patience versus punishment. It influences productivity and shapes an incredibly passionate but peaceful atmosphere.
Because our school does not react to student behavior, there is very little incentive for them to continue with that behavior. Once they are clear that there is nothing that they can do to make you not love them and that their choices are not personal to you, they shift. There is no payoff in our culture for finding tragic ways to get needs met. It is easy to respond and manage oneself when everything is working and all of the students are happy and engaged. We have strategies in place for those coachable moments and coach our students to redirect their breakdown into a workable and appropriate outcome.
For us, this approach to discipline is easy, it is a genuine desire to see our students grow and thrive. Discipline is consistent and continual in our school. We will always try to effectively solve every discipline issue at school, in partnership with the parents. We expect all of our students to demonstrate their ability to manage themselves at school, home and community. The intention of Garden of Angels School in regards to discipline, is that we help shape a culture of students that honor themselves and others by choice. Young people who can powerfully manage themselves, problem solve and communicate feelings and ideas respectfully are valuable advocates for a polite society. | <urn:uuid:f2c762b6-acaf-4827-87b8-94bca21e86fd> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | http://garden-of-angels.com/Discipline.htm?m=6&s=826 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250626449.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20200124221147-20200125010147-00513.warc.gz | en | 0.972675 | 1,624 | 2.875 | 3 | The extract demonstrates a comprehensive approach to discipline, focusing on self-regulation, emotional intelligence, and personal responsibility. It promotes a culture of respect, empathy, and open communication, providing students with opportunities to develop essential life skills. The text showcases realistic scenarios, nuanced interactions, and complex problem-solving, warranting a high score.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 205,341 | 1 |
The AM launches an expedition to the Solomon Islands and Bougainville to discover more about fascinating mammals of the western pacific.
Solomon Islands Workshop Morning Tea Launch - Professor Tim Flannery, Dr Jeff Noro and Junior Novera
Photographer: Tim Levy © Australian Museum
This week, the Australian Museum is hosting an exciting and innovative workshop with attendees from the Solomon Islands, Bougainville and associated community based partners. Project funding has been secured for an expedition to take place in the region over the next year, with the aim to increase our understanding of the mammalian biodiversity in these tropical islands, combining both current scientific methods and traditional local community knowledge to do so.
Professor Tim Flannery is facilitating the workshop and has been providing commentary on his experience in scientific research in the Solomon Islands Archipelago over the last 30 years. He has been sharing his extensive knowledge of the native mammals of this region, with discussions for the week based around community engagement, research methods for collecting, measuring specimens, DNA sampling and identifying species, as well as general dos and don’ts for working in isolated regions in the tropics.
Workshop attendees have been able to tour through our mammal collections and view specimens that had been collected by Tim himself during the 1980's. Some specimens of interest include the New Georgia monkey-faced bat (Pteralopex taki) and the giant rat (Solomys ponceleti), both endemic species to the Solomon Islands archipelago. These two species are somewhat elusive, with first descriptions of this particular monkey-faced bat being made in the early 1990’s. Little is known about the distribution of these species to this day, along with other mammals of the forests of the Solomon Islands and Bougainville. Hence, a research expedition is in order and will give the perfect premise to teach specimen collection, observation techniques and other data collection methods to the wider village communities in order to promote education and conservation in the region.
Highlights of the workshop so far have been learning about these communities in detail and how closely aligned the cultures found in this area have been with their environment for thousands of years. It has become apparent that local knowledge of species distribution will be key in the overall experimental design of this project.
Our workshop attendees from the Solomon Islands and Bougainville will return home equipped with camera traps, field kits and DNA sampling tools. They will be taking the lead in carrying out the expedition surveys in their local communities, passing on knowledge in identifying and conserving these particular species of bats and rats with the vision of expanding these efforts to a wider range of mammal species in the future.
An exciting period awaits us, where we will learn much more about the biodiversity of mammals in the Solomon Islands and Bougainville - watch this space!
Alexandra Nuttall, AMRI
For more on the activities of AMRI, subscribe to our newsletter: | <urn:uuid:6323bd4f-92f1-41d9-897a-cfe8e2e964e2> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | https://australianmuseum.net.au/blogpost/amri-news/australian-museum-expeditions-giant-rats-and-monkey-faced-bats-of-the-solomon-islands-archipelago | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549423769.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20170721102310-20170721122310-00646.warc.gz | en | 0.948362 | 588 | 2.578125 | 3 | The extract scores 3 points as it includes discussion of teamwork, community engagement, and cultural awareness, with realistic scenarios integrating emotional intelligence and critical thinking opportunities. The workshop's focus on collaborative research, traditional local knowledge, and conservation promotes practical application and meaningful context, while incorporating digital literacy through the use of camera traps and DNA sampling tools.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 529,721 | 0 |
See other posts from November 2012
Staring into Saturn's baleful eye
Posted By Emily Lakdawalla
2012/11/27 11:12 CST
EDIT: There is now an amazing animated version of this image sequence.
This is just wow. It's part of a long sequence Cassini took, staring at Saturn's north pole. When? Today.
NASA / JPL / SSI / Emily Lakdawalla
Raw image of Saturn's north polar vortex
This photo looking down onto Saturn's summer north pole was taken on November 27, 2012 from a distance of 361,000 kilometers through an infrared (CB2) filter. It has been filtered to reduce noise from cosmic ray hits and JPEG compression.
Go check out the rest of the sequence for yourself at the raw images website. Bill Dunford made an animation of some of them.
Zoom out, and you realize you're looking at just a tiny center of Saturn's famous north polar hexagon.
Saturn's north polar hexagon and rings (raw image)
This view, looking down on Saturn's north pole, was taken on November 27, 2012. You can see the hexagon surrounding Saturn's north pole, as well as some of Saturn's rings beyond the limb.
Space exploration is awesome.
More Cassini Mission Coverage
Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Coverage
Write a letter to the President to keep pictures like this coming
Learn more about The Planetary Society
Read more blog entries about: | <urn:uuid:69f1c4a1-a22e-4053-880c-4ba3825a080c> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2012/11272100-saturn-south-pole-raw.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394010653177/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305091053-00078-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911076 | 305 | 2.515625 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on space exploration and astronomy. It provides basic information and images, but does not offer opportunities for developing communication, teamwork, or problem-solving skills.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 928,218 | 0 |
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body tasked with providing scientific evidence and consensus on climate change and its implications for decision-makers and the public, has just issued its latest, long-awaited report and the challenge it presents to all of us is huge.
To avoid severe economic and social shocks and to protect essential ecosystems, we urgently need to limit the increase in global temperature to within 1.5°C of the pre-industrial level. Achieving the required reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will require boldness, creativity and some hard choices.
But Costa Rica’s experience shows that, in the long run, what is gained far outweighs the sacrifices for all.
Climate change is not the first daunting challenge the country has had to overcome to preserve its biodiversity, which is among the world’s most diverse per square metre. Deforestation for cattle grazing nearly halved the land covered by forest over the four decades prior to 1986.
Government investment in protecting these natural assets was essential, which meant eliminating subsidies for the cattle industry and perverse incentives for agrarian reform.
With subsidies and negative incentives gone, Costa Rica’s cattle population dropped by a third, taking pressure off grazing lands. In the five decades since, forests have recovered and now cover more than half the country. And, although forest cover doubled, Costa Rica’s per capita income tripled. From this foundation, the economy has grown sustainably and the country has become a world leader in ecotourism.
Now, as this latest IPCC report makes clear, rising temperature is the new threat to both biodiversity and our economy. We all must combat it.
Costa Rica, for its part, has set what President Carlos Alvarado has called the “titanic and beautiful task” of decarbonising the economy. One of the goals of the national decarbonisation plan, which will be launched in December, is to ensure that the market properly accounts for the costs of climate change.
This policy has the effect of rendering fossil fuels economically uncompetitive and creating incentives to use Costa Rica’s nearly 100% renewable power in the transportation sector to cut its dependence on oil. A moratorium on oil and gas exploitation, respected by five different governments, reinforces these incentives. Making the energy sector work properly — an objective that unites both environmentalists and economists — means recognising that a short-term economic boost cannot justify the long-term costs of fossil fuels.
As a minister and a climate activist, we both agree that government has an important role to play in achieving decarbonisation. But the work of non-state actors such as local businesses and citizens will also be essential. For this reason, government policy has focused on boosting community-based, low-impact tourism initiatives that value local knowledge. The Costa Rican experience shows that environmental stewardship is a job done best by alliances between local people and national leaders, united by the common cause of conservation.
At its heart, Costa Rica’s approach to climate change is about people, not industry and markets. Our commitment to tackling climate change is based on an understanding of the enormous health risks and costs that arise from inaction. Costa Rica devotes significant resources to tackling problems such as dengue fever and malaria because our people remain our most important asset. And staying below the 1.5°C limit will mean 3.3-million fewer cases of dengue fever annually in Latin America and the Caribbean, fewer people at risk of malaria and less food instability and poor nutrition caused by higher temperatures and unstable weather patterns.
Costa Rica is proud to be leading the world by putting this approach into practice. As a result, Costa Rica is one of the few countries ready to exceed its commitments under the Paris climate agreement. Not all the changes will be easy, and getting them right will require perseverance and a commitment to adaptability. Other countries that agreed as part of the Paris agreement to boost the ambition of their national climate plans by 2020 can learn from Costa Rica’s experience in aiming for decarbonisation, investing in natural assets and recognising the importance of the climate for a healthy population.
One of the most obvious lessons is about the interdependence of these policies. Climate change is a collective problem; no single policy is enough, and no country can solve it alone. But this interdependence cannot be an excuse for paralysis. Limiting warming to 1.5°C is a goal around which we can all unite in diverse ways.
Next month’s Climate Vulnerable Forum will bring together leaders from the countries that are most vulnerable to climate change for the first entirely virtual summit of heads of state. Together with the next key intergovernmental meeting, the Conference of the Parties (COP24) in Poland this December, political leaders have an opportunity to prove they understand the science underpinning the IPCC report and are ready to take ambitious steps to achieve the 1.5°C target. Unless all of us do so, the consequences will spare none of us. — © Project Syndicate
Monica Araya is the founder and executive director of Nivela, leads the citizens group, Costa Rica Limpia and is vice-president of Costa Rica’s Electric Mobility Association. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez is the Costa Rican minister of environment and energy
By Monica Araya, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, Mail & Guardian | <urn:uuid:f36eede4-ca52-4335-8929-5a9cf59255a2> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.costaricantimes.com/costa-rica-shows-how-to-love-the-environment/63474 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875145910.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200224071540-20200224101540-00530.warc.gz | en | 0.936817 | 1,101 | 3.375 | 3 | The extract discusses climate change and Costa Rica's approach to decarbonization, highlighting the importance of government and non-state actor collaboration. It showcases leadership, strategic thinking, and problem-solving, with a strong emphasis on intercultural fluency and technological adaptation. The article promotes critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and nuanced interaction, demonstrating a high level of sophistication in addressing real-world complexity.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 554,931 | 1 |
In yet another ignorant literary reference, Sepp mentioned the above fable, not knowing that there is an ambiguity to its message. This is probably because the Tale has become popular with the Reactionary Right as a tale about hard work and foresight.
The fable concerns a grasshopper that has spent the warm months singing while the ant (or ants in some editions) worked to store up food for winter. When that season arrives, the grasshopper finds itself dying of hunger and upon asking the ant for food is only rebuked for its idleness.
There was, nevertheless, an alternative tradition in which the ant was seen as a bad example. It relates that the ant was once a man who was always busy farming. Not satisfied with the results of his own labour, he plundered his neighbours’ crops at night. This angered the king of the gods, who turned him into what is now an ant. Yet even though the man had changed his shape, he did not change his habits and still goes around the fields gathering the fruits of other people’s labour, storing them up for himself. The moral of the fable is that it is easier to change in appearance than to change one’s moral nature.
Later versions of the story deal with the tale’s ambivalent moral lesson about hard work and foresight. For example, Jean de la Fontaine set the story of “La cigale et la fourmi” portrays the Ant as a flawed character, reinforced by the ambivalence of the alternative fable, led to that insect too being viewed as anything but an example of virtue.
Jules Massenet’s two-act ballet Cigale, first performed at the Opéra Comique in Paris in 1904, portrays the cicada as a charitable woman who takes pity on “La Pauvrette” (the poor little one). But La Pauvrette, after being taken in and fed, is rude and heartless when the situation is reversed. Cigale is left to die in the snow at the close of the ballet.
The English writer W. Somerset Maugham reverses the moral order in a different way in his short story, “The Ant and The Grasshopper” (1924). It concerns two brothers, one of whom is a dissolute waster whose hard-working brother has constantly to bail him out of difficulties. At the end the latter is enraged to discover that his ‘grasshopper’ brother has married a rich widow, who then dies and leaves him a fortune.
James Joyce also adapts the fable into a tale of brotherly conflict in “The Ondt and the Gracehoper” episode in Finnegans Wake and makes of the twin brothers Shem and Shaun opposing tendencies within the human personality:
These twain are the twins that tick Homo Vulgaris.
In America, John Ciardi’s poetical fable for children, “John J. Plenty and Fiddler Dan” (1963), makes an argument for grasshoppers fiddling and poetry over fanatical hard work. Ciardi’s ant, John J. Plenty, is so bent upon saving that he eats very little of what he has saved. Meanwhile, Fiddler Dan the grasshopper and his non-conforming ant wife survive the winter without help and resume playing music with the return of spring.
John Updike’s 1987 short story Brother Grasshopper deals with a pair of brothers-in-law whose lives parallel the fable of the ant and the grasshopper. One, Fred Barrow, lives a conservative, restrained existence; the other, Carlyle Lothrop, spends his money profligately, especially on joint vacations for the two men’s families, even as he becomes financially insolvent. However, at the end comes an unexpected inversion of the characters’ archetypal roles, as when Carlyle dies, Fred—now divorced and lonely—realizes he has been left with a rich store of memories which would not have existed without his friend’s largesse.
The moral aspect is apparent in La Fontaine’s retelling of the fable, where the ant suggests at the end that since the grasshopper has sung all summer she should now dance for its entertainment. However, his only direct criticism of the ant is that it lacked generosity. The Grasshopper had asked for a loan which it promised to pay back with interest, but
The Ant had a failing,
She wasn’t a lender.
The readers of his time were aware of the Christian duty of charity and therefore sensed the moral ambiguity of the fable. This is further brought out by Gustave Doré’s 1880s print which pictures the story as a human situation. A female musician stands at a door in the snow with the children of the house looking up at her with sympathy. Their mother looks down from the top of the steps. Her tireless industry is indicated by the fact that she continues knitting but, in a country where the knitting-women (les tricoteuses) had jeered at the victims of the guillotine during the French Revolution, this activity would also have been associated with lack of pity.
In recent times the fable has again been put to political use by both sides in the social debate between the enterprise culture and those who consider the advantaged have a responsibility towards the disadvantaged. A modern satirical version of the story, originally written in 1994, has the grasshopper calling a press conference at the beginning of the winter to complain about socio-economic inequity, and being given the ant’s house. This version was written by Pittsburgh talk show guru Jim Quinn as an attack on the Clinton administration’s social programme in the USA. In 2008 Conservative columnist Michelle Malkin also updated the story to satirize the policies of ‘Barack Cicada’. There have been adaptations into other languages as well. But the commentary at the end of this Indian reworking of the tale explains such social conflict as the result of selective media presentation that exploits envy and fear:
There is not much left to discuss on this story, as it has covered the current situation of news media, so called social activists, politicians of India. The news hungry electronic medias sometimes misproject a situation, where injustice is done to the right person. And what happens is that, ‘many lier’ triumphs over ‘single right’ person or situation.
There is yet another take on this tale which points out that the grasshopper provides entertainment through the arts, which is a counter to the ant’s industriousness. The beauty produced by the grasshopper is just as important as the ant’s “productivity”. Although, the ultimate in ethical ambiguity of the tale comes from, believe it or not, Michelle Malkin’s version of the tale:
But it was the Ant who had the last laugh. “I’ve learned my lesson,” he told his shiftless friend. “Why bother saving and slaving and toiling and moiling? I’ve spent all my savings. I’m walking away from my mortgage. Thrift is for suckers,” the Ant said as he headed out the door, leaving the Grasshopper empty-handed.
The amusing part is that the tale was posted on September 26, 2008 @ 10:27 AM, a month prior to Barack Obama’s being elected President. The amusing thing is that Obama wasn’t inaugurated president until 20 Jan 2009–that would make it almost four months after Malkin’s post that Obama was officially president of the US. The attempt is to post the blame on Obama for the sub-prime crisis when Bush was still president.
Ultimately, the message isn’t one about hard work, but it is also about art and charity. The Ant can be seen as a preditory and unethical character who is far worse for society than the grasshopper. | <urn:uuid:5902349c-8f68-4ebf-b0fd-7364c0490501> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | https://manwiththemuckrake.wordpress.com/2011/04/07/the-ant-and-the-grasshopper/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320201.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20170623220935-20170624000935-00000.warc.gz | en | 0.967875 | 1,681 | 3.453125 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive analysis of the fable of the ant and the grasshopper, exploring its various interpretations and adaptations across different cultures and contexts. It delves into the moral ambiguity of the story, highlighting the complexities of hard work, charity, and social responsibility. The extract demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the fable's themes and their relevance to real-world issues, showcasing advanced critical thinking and analytical skills.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 129,008 | 1 |
In AD 590, when a man named Gregory—the abbot of St. Andrew’s Monastery in Rome—was called upon to serve as Bishop of Rome, he responded with an open letter to the Church: "Pastoralis curae me pondera fugere" — “I have thought to flee from the burdens of pastoral care.” In essence, Gregory pleaded to be spared the heavy and awesome responsibility of the office of bishop. His letter formed the opening lines of his work Pastoral Care (Regula Pastoralis), one of our church’s greatest works of pastoral theology by one of our church’s greatest shepherds. Interestingly, we celebrate Pope St. Gregory the Great’s feast on September 3, the day he was consecrated pope — not the anniversary of the saint’s death, as per usual — perhaps as a testament to the light of personal holiness and institutional reform that he exhibited during the dark days, literally the historical “Dark Ages,” of the church when he was elected.
Though primarily addressing his soon-to-be brother bishops in Pastoral Care, St. Gregory’s words resonate with all those who exercise leadership and responsibility in ministry, especially in light of the painful days in which our church now finds herself. In times of turmoil, St. Gregory believed that God calls all the baptized faithful — laity and clergy, women and men, young and old — to the task of renewal in the apostolate.
St. Gregory did not mince words when he called out leaders “who aspire to glory and esteem by an outward show of authority within the holy Church,” and as a result, “when those who go before lose the light of knowledge, certainly those who follow are bowed down in carrying the burden of their sins” (Pastoral Care, I.1). He observed, “For no one does more harm in the Church than he, who having the title or rank of holiness, acts evilly” (Pastoral Care, I.3).
St. Gregory’s great handbook on pastoral care challenges the core values and virtues that ought to shape our Christian life and community. In aspiring to roles of leadership, Gregory makes the striking remark that “whosoever was set over the people was the first to be led to the tortures of martyrdom” (Pastoral Care, I.8). In other words, Gospel ministry in the footsteps of Jesus, especially for those serving in leadership, is a laying down of one’s life — one’s time, talent, treasures — so that the power of the crucified and risen Christ may live in us. The result is not necessarily “success,” but joy and salvation. In imitation of Jesus, true pastoral care conquers the love of power with the power of love.
In calling others to holiness, what made Gregory truly “great” was that in spite of his strengths, he never lost sight of his own weaknesses, sins, failures, and need for constant conversion. He ends his work by stating:
“I, miserable painter that I am, have painted the portrait of an ideal man; and here I have been directing others to the shore of perfection, I, who am still tossed about on the waves of sin. But in the shipwreck of this life, sustain me, I beseech you, with the plank of your prayers, so that, as my weight is sinking me down, you may uplift me with your meritorious hand.” (Pastoral Care, IV)
In short, we Christian brothers and sisters need each other more than ever. We need each other to offer joy, consolation, encouragement, and a helping hand to one another. That is what makes ministry not only possible, but even worth doing. We hold out hope that our God never ceases to call forth church leaders and Christ followers like Gregory to lead us through the Dark Ages, in whatever age they seem to be dawning.
Chant Without CeasingRead Now
The first time chant roused my senses occurred on a 5 day Ignatian Silent retreat. I remember being entranced by the music—the repetition, the words, the rhythm. We were allowed to sing only for Mass and during the Stations of the Cross. It was a small chant from the ecumenical Taizé community that mesmerized me as we walked in the candlelit night from station to station. I remember singing it to myself over our winter break and in the weeks after.
What was this Taizé community? I researched Taizé online and, to my surprise, was bombarded with YouTube videos and hundreds of songs from the community located in the Burgundy region of France. I ordered two of their CDs online and soon listened to nothing else.
I grew more and more in my love for anything monastic: silence, routine prayer, chant, the Divine Office. I began starting my days with silent prayer, going to daily Mass and listening to chant rather than my usual list of Top 40 Hits. The music had a way of easing my heart, elevating my soul, transporting me to a higher world. I remember telling my bewildered roommate once as I got ready for the day, “You just don’t hear music like this anymore. This brings you to contemplate something bigger than yourself!”
I continued to intersperse monastic spirituality into my days throughout the rest of my college experience and thereafter. While in Paris the summer after graduation, I stopped into the Church of St. Gervais for evening vespers and got lost in the beauty of the chanting of the Monastic Fraternities of Jerusalem, an order which entered the old church in white robes that glimmered underneath the stained glass windows. From there, I spent a week at the Taizé community I had come to love. My spiritual quest continued that summer after I flew back to the United States and spent a month at a Benedictine monastery who chanted the Divine Office in Latin. The music became the breath and heartbeat of my prayer life, an easy medium through which I could converse with God. The chants enabled me to praise and thank God with phrases that frequently came straight from Scripture, giving me words often better than my own and breathing new life into Word of God.
Gregorian chant takes its name from Pope St. Gregory the Great, whose feast we celebrate today. Though historians argue over his precise role in the history of chant, Gregory the Great has been named a Doctor of the Church—joining St. Augustine, St. Ambrose and St. Jerome. Gregory, who entered a Benedictine monastery in Rome and eventually became an abbot, was the first pope to be elected from a monastery. During his life, he founded 6 monasteries on his estate. Though Gregory’s association with Gregorian chant is disputed, his love of the monastic life cannot be. (American Catholic)
I can’t help but connect with Gregory’s monastic background; and I understand his love of it. I spent much of my summer after graduation as a pilgrim or guest at several spiritual havens because my soul yearned to spend time with God amidst nature, the sacraments and routine prayer. The music and chant were the glue that held these beautiful pieces together during my journeys—adding an almost mystical quality to my prayer life. As a result, I learned what St. Paul meant when he wrote, “pray without ceasing.”(1 Thess. 5:17). The words of chant often stuck in my head, I learned how to sing, to pray, unceasingly without ever having to open my mouth. Chant has a way of ingraining itself into your very heartbeat.
We can learn much from the monastic life, which has guided thousands of men and women like Pope Gregory the Great towards holiness. By incorporating silent prayer into our days, we are better able to dialogue with God. I invite you this week to start or end your day with 5 minutes of silence in the presence of the Trinity. Rather than asking God for anything, try instead to simply thank, praise or accompany Him. Below is a link to one of my favorite songs from the Taizé community. May it help you in your journey towards praying unceasingly.
What’s In a Name?Read Now
It was a decision I had been dreading for weeks. The secretary at our local parish had been calling me for days to tell me my response was overdue. Our youth minister had lent me numerous books to aid in my decision. Even my family tried to help by offering their opinions. It was May of my sophomore year of high school and I had to choose who would be my Confirmation saint.
While I think half of my Confirmation class probably just picked a name that they liked (or wished their parents had named them) and hoped there happened to be a saint with the same name, I wanted to choose a name that had significance. I wanted to be able to envision myself having a lot in common with my chosen saint, so much so that we could sit down and strike up a conversation.
After much trial and tribulation in this selection process (or so it seemed at the time), I finally came across the story of a man whose life stood out to me. One day, in frustration over my lack of ability to pick a saint, I randomly flipped through the pages of one of the books on the lives of the saints, which my youth minister lent to me and I came across the story of St. Gregory the Great. Today he is remembered not only in his sainthood but also as one of the Church’s great leaders in the medieval papacy and as a Doctor of the Church. I was struck by the way St. Gregory the Great stood out as a humble leader during this time in history, which saw many Church leaders that didn’t hesitate to make their clerical ambitions known. During his pontificate, Gregory was credited with beginning the practice of using the title “Servant of the Servants of God,” which continues to this day. As a student leader in my school, I saw this saint as someone I could look to and attempt to emulate in my life. At the time I was a high school chorus nerd too, so it helped that Gregory was credited with reforming Gregorian chant.
Fast forward five years to the present day and it’s odd how despite my difficulty in picking a Confirmation saint, he’s not someone I think of very often. I didn’t even know that today (September 3) was his feast day until I noticed it last year and thought to mark it on my calendar. Although perhaps it was providential that as I selected the date for which I would write this blog post, September 3 was available. I saw the note on my calendar and thought this could be a way of reacquainting myself with St. Gregory the Great.
My hunch is that there are many like myself that have forgotten about a saint that once had some kind of meaningful impact on their lives. Perhaps a long lost Confirmation saint or even poor St. Anthony, who only receives attention in dire situations. As this Year of Faith draws to a close in the coming months, let us all take time to remember the holy men and women who have gone before us and devoted their lives, in faith, to Jesus Christ and his Church.
St. Gregory the Great, pray for us.
David Burkey is the Communications Coordinator at the Catholic Apostolate Center. | <urn:uuid:5fd798fb-d8a0-4b04-a382-bf1b5cfa0202> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.catholicapostolatecenter.org/blog/category/st-gregory-the-great | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224647525.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20230601010402-20230601040402-00325.warc.gz | en | 0.974594 | 2,456 | 2.65625 | 3 | The extract scores 4 points due to its comprehensive discussion of soft skills, including leadership, communication, and emotional intelligence, with realistic scenarios and practical applications. It highlights the importance of humility, self-awareness, and service in leadership, as exemplified by St. Gregory the Great. The text also demonstrates cultural awareness, digital literacy, and intercultural fluency, with references to historical and religious contexts.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 729,977 | 1 |
The people ran out of livestock. They came back to Joseph and told him they needed food and were willing to give him their land in exchange.
Discuss with your children:
- What is a plan?
- When is it good to come to someone with a plan?
- What is it that makes some people complain and others look for a solution?
- Think of other things that the people could have offered Joseph.
- List the things that you have and the things that you could do to barter for something that you want.
- List the qualities of someone who takes charge and gets things done.
- List the characteristics of people who complain all of the time.
- Note that the people did not come to Joseph and complain. They came with a feasible plan. Think of something that you want and come up with a feasible plan to get it.
- We know that some people always complain and others like to get to work and make something happen. How do you think the people who wanted to work out a way to get food persuaded the complainers to get on board with their plan?
- Create a flyer for the campaign.
- Create a billboard.
- Create a TV commercial.
- Make a speech that you would say to Joseph if you were the spokesperson for the people.
- What questions do you think Joseph would have asked about the program?
- Answer the questions for the people.
- The people told Joseph that an important aspect of their plan was that the land would not become barren. Why was this a very clever tactic?
- Why is it better to come to someone with a plan, rather than to ask them what can be done?
- If you were one of Joseph‘s advisers what would you tell him are the advantages and disadvantages of this plan? | <urn:uuid:35c287fa-aeb2-4aa0-8d44-b06584710c34> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | https://enjoyingthebible.wordpress.com/2013/12/31/joseph-bible-3/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320869.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20170626221252-20170627001252-00456.warc.gz | en | 0.985146 | 373 | 3.515625 | 4 | This extract earns a high score due to its comprehensive discussion of soft skills, including planning, problem-solving, and communication. It presents realistic scenarios, encourages critical thinking, and incorporates emotional intelligence and leadership challenges. The activities promote practical application, cultural awareness, and digital literacy, making it a valuable resource for soft skills development.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 7,905 | 1 |
I love the illustrations in Where the Wild Things Are.
Mr. Maurice using such wonderful texture throughout the entire book!
His monsters are morphs of all kinds of different creatures.
I use my zoom on my Elmo Projector to read and show the kids all the different textures and parts combined in each monster.
We fill out the worksheet together after reading.
It has them observe and practice visual texuture, and then shows them how to create it with colors.
I teach the kids about tints and shades of one color
(pink is red with white, burgundy is red with black)
I also teach them about lighter or darker values of colors that are close on the color wheel
(yellow is lighter than yellow orange but they are close in appearance and in the same family).
They draw the texture with the darker color crayon of colored pencil and then overlap it with an all over color that is lighter.
I caution them not to pick a color too close in value or it will hide all of the texture work.
On the back, they sketch out 3 ideas for different monsters....
It also guides then through the creative writing activity. They have to explain what their monster consists of and what they are like. This is a good time to write vocabulary on the board for animal characteristics:
Omnivore, Herbivore, Carnivore, Marsupial, Mammal, Reptile, Amphibian, Nocturnal, Arachnid, Insect, etc.
These first 4 are mine... sorry, I love drawing monsters!
I use them as examples for the kids to look at for ideas.
This is the story outline for the monster above.... | <urn:uuid:2ed620ac-52cd-43bf-9a47-8ac65dfb4ba3> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://tabithaannthelostsock.blogspot.com/2014/05/textured-monsters-inspired-by-maurice.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549424909.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20170724182233-20170724202233-00360.warc.gz | en | 0.917658 | 352 | 3 | 3 | The extract demonstrates a basic coverage of communication and teamwork concepts, with a focus on creative activities and vocabulary building. It lacks nuanced interaction, complex problem-solving, and real-world context. The discussion is straightforward, with limited practical application and superficial cultural awareness and digital literacy.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 342,984 | 0 |
THINKING AND LEARNING
REVIEWING AND IMPROVING
At the heart of the PSB are the core skills. The PSB is about challenging perceptions of school and developing a love of learning. This is best achieved by children developing a clear understanding of their skills and their areas for development. By focusing on the core skills children are best equipped to deal with the challenges and opportunities of senior school life and beyond.
In 'The Pearson Report' Professor Roy Anderson made the following observations about the 'Skills Gap' and itemised a list of old world and new world skills; those new world skills are at the heart of the PSB.
Making Education Work
A report from an Independent Advisory Group
chaired by Professor Sir Roy Anderson
The ‘skills gap’ at 18 puts significant pressure on young people – requiring the acquisition of the necessary skills in the first year of employment or their first term of higher education. Young people should not themselves be held responsible for their lack of skills; it is a direct consequence of the academic focus of the education system. The lack of these skills is making the transition harder, and may have an impact on retention at university, and, more generally, the success of UK businesses.
The modern workplace needs workers who have broad cognitive skills which include being able to solve complex interdisciplinary problems, thinking critically about work tasks, communicating effectively with people from a range of different cultures, being able to collaborate with others, and also being able to adapt to rapidly changing environments or conditions.
- Learning one or two specific technical roles
- Physical strength and flexibility
- Ability to follow fixed, unchanging procedures
- General attention to production and safety procedures
- Following orders
- Operating, maintaining, designing machinery
- Mechanical reasoning, logic trouble-shooting, and spatial visualisation
- Personal flexibility, communication, and cooperation
- Initiative, persistence, and independence
- Attention to detail, self-control, and dependability
- Making independent decisions
- Operating computers or computerised machinery and using computers for a wide range of critical functions
The principles put forward in the Pearson Report have been developed into a PSB 21st Century view of education.
And for an interesting video on PSB style principles being communicated by children have a look at:
The Core Skills Grid is used by all PSB schools, although adapted for different year groups. By developing an awareness of these skills across the curriculum, pupils are able to understand better their strengths and areas for development and become effective life-long learners. | <urn:uuid:dfbb6088-89c8-4634-8c3a-5ba2797addaa> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://www.psbacc.org/core-skills/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320763.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20170626133830-20170626153830-00110.warc.gz | en | 0.946376 | 520 | 3.9375 | 4 | The extract discusses the importance of core skills in education, highlighting the need for students to develop skills such as critical thinking, communication, and collaboration to succeed in the modern workplace. It also touches on the concept of a "skills gap" and the need for education to adapt to the changing needs of the workforce. The extract provides a good foundation for understanding the importance of soft skills, but lacks practical application and nuanced scenarios.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 31,636 | 0 |
Of course I did a little research and it revealed that slaves were chained and attached to “plank” beds. They were forced to lay face down with their arms by their side and their wrist chained to their waist. Some were even stacked on top of each other with no room to move. Keep in mind there were not any restrooms and they were exposed to bodily fluids, etc. Not many of the slaves survived, many dying from dehydration and disease. You can’t always jump on the bandwagon just because you saw someone else. Everything has a hidden meaning. Cultural sensitivity is real. Yes, it maybe fun for now but it is an insult to some. Although “planking” wasn’t the official terminology used by slave masters it is still seen as an insult to some African Americans. I don’t know why and don’t have the answer! At the same token, it is seen as a core strengthening exercise to others. This is for you to decide. I can’t decide whether it is related to slavery or not. I can say that I am not jumping on a bandwagon because I saw someone else do it. But what I can say is since people are doing what everyone else is doing …can you mentor a child and donate to cancer research? Sidenote: You can’t find everything on Google. It is not the only method to conduct research. Furthermore, there are so many other things that evolved from slavery but are not talked about. It is a self charge to engage in conscious thinking.
I reached out to Mr. M.D., my former history teacher and he stated,
It’s the 2011 version of stuffing 20 people into a Volkswagen bug or a phone booth (crazy stuff kids in the 50s and 60s did). BUT…while ‘planking’ might be OK if you are Irish or German descent, it does take on an entirely different meaning if you are African-American AND if you saw ROOTS!…and if you saw Alfie Woodard narrate “The Middle Passage”
A plank collar is used on slave benches. It is a heavy wooden plank with five semicircular openings, when the plank is lifted it provides holding collars for five slaves. The plank is then chained down. The primary holding arrangement for women on the benches, however, is not chains. Each place on the bench is fitted with ankle and wrist stocks, and for each bench there is a plank collar, a plank which opens horizontally, each half of which contains five matching, semicircular openings, which, when it is set on pinions, closed, and chained in place, provides five sturdy, wooden enclosures for the throats of women. The plank is thick and thus the girls’s chins are held high. The plank is further reinforced between each girl with a narrowly curved iron band, the open ends of which are pierced; this is slid tight in its slots, in its metal retainers, about the boards, and secured in place with a four-inch metal pin, which may or may not be locked in place.
Savages of Gor pg 60 | <urn:uuid:65cc824a-8f32-454c-91cc-17cad9f0d0a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://www.courtneyluv.com/planking-is-related-to-slavery/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386163044331/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204131724-00025-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975425 | 649 | 2.65625 | 3 | The extract discusses cultural sensitivity, historical context, and the importance of conscious thinking, promoting critical thinking and emotional intelligence. It highlights the need for intercultural fluency and awareness of the potential impact of actions on different groups. The inclusion of a historical perspective and expert opinion adds depth to the discussion.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 429,160 | 1 |
By building emotional intelligence, it is possible to decide how to deal with stressful scenarios without losing your self-control.
Stress is often something driven from outside influences, so the way to deal with it is often through understanding how you react to stress and deciding what you want from the situation.
Here are some ideas on maintaining control and building mental strength under pressure:
Be aware of how you are feeling and commit to keeping cool under that pressure.
Your emotional brain will run away from itself if you’re not careful, and the amygdala (the part of our brain that helps control temper) could be bypassed if we allow ourselves to ‘lose it’ for any reason.
Stop yourself from jumping to conclusions
In any situation before you have understood exactly what has occurred – don’t jump to conclusions.
Get to the root cause
Determine to get to the root cause of any situation before allowing yourself to make conclusions.
Click here to enrol on to our free, 5-part management training course
Most disagreements are caused by a rules breakdown
You may have guidelines and rules as to how things should be done and everyone else’s rules are different to yours. So don’t jump to hasty conclusions before investigating.
Bring any stressful situations to the notice of the people involved
This gives everyone the opportunity to deal with them openly and honestly.
Practice stress-management techniques
Things like a quick walk outside, physical workouts and meditation have proved workable solutions to stressful situations, simply because the emotional connection with the scenario has been disassociated, and the solutions from the logical part of the thinking brain are clearer to see.
Discuss various ways of dealing with stress with your team members
So everyone can become pro-active in discussing the way forward if these situations ever occur again.
If you are able to maintain a steady response to stress, you give yourself and your team the chance to deal with problems in a way that can be solution-focused and not problematical.
Updated on: 6 April, 2011
Search For More | <urn:uuid:99264332-2e18-47ae-bd56-ebc902194bb5> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.mtdtraining.com/blog/7-ways-to-maintain-self-control-in-stressful-situations.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224645810.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20230530131531-20230530161531-00005.warc.gz | en | 0.940388 | 443 | 2.640625 | 3 | The extract provides practical advice on managing stress and building emotional intelligence, covering topics like self-awareness, critical thinking, and effective communication. It offers realistic scenarios and strategies for maintaining control under pressure, and discusses the importance of teamwork and open discussion in stress management.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 655,703 | 1 |
I know depression.
I lived with it as a child, watched it almost destroy me as a teen, and learned to manage it as an adult.
As a clinician who specializes in mood disorders, I like to teach kids and teenagers how to live with their depression. These tips offer children ways to understand their own unique self, become aware of their thoughts and feelings, and build resiliency as they manage the chronic illness of depression.
1) Understanding the texture of feelings: Many children in this era of super technology aren’t skilled at reading facial cues, understanding eye contact and complex emotions. Studies show that children with depression struggle further, however, having difficulty differentiating the differences between different kinds of emotions. Sad is different than lonely. Lonely is different disappointed. Often, depressed children need help understanding the textures of emotions. When they become confident identifying their feelings, they can set into motion the best plan of action to improve their mood.
2) How to spot negative thinking: I like to teach children about the quality of their thoughts by using a thumbs up and thumbs down technique. Is what you’re thinking a good thought….one that would get a thumbs up from other people? I studied for my test. But if I get a bad grade, it’s okay because I know I tried my best. Or is it a hurtful or negative? One that really is untrue and realistic. It doesn’t matter if I studied. I’m stupid and I’ll fail the test anyway. Teaching children to catch the negative talk helps them approach every issue in life from a place of positivity.
3) How to use positive self-care: Learning to live with depression requires a child to be clever and ever-ready to use soothing ways to address sad moods. Teaching kids and teens to use their 5 senses – sight, touch, hearing, taste and smell – really helps. Things like cozying up to a stuffed animal, hugging loved ones, snacking on healthy, flavorful foods, taking in the fresh air, listening to upbeat music and making time to see colors, nature and sunshine. All of these raise dopamine and serotonin levels improving mood, and teach children how to self-soothe.
4) Why exercise is important: The fatigue that comes with depression leaves kids tired and irritable. Physical complaints like aches and pains also knock them out for the count too. When we take the time to teach children about the importance of physical exercise, it will become part of a lifelong skill-set. Be it playing tag with friends or catch with the dog, swimming or riding a bike, kick-boxing or yoga, or a simple walk, the shift in neurochemistry boosts mood.
5) When too much of something isn’t good: It’s also vital for kids to learn how too much of anything can upset the apple cart. For example, the fatigue of depression can leave children tired, with many prone to sleeping all day. Instead, children should learn that a nap is better than a full-on sleepfest. Some depressed children eat in excess, while others lose their appetite altogether. Both of these extremes are unhealthy. Too much crying, too much avoidance or too much irritability raises the stress hormone cortisol, which heightens anxiety and alertness. When we teach children to monitor their experiences with healthy limits, we give them the ability to balance and self-manage their well-being. Daily stickers for young ones and journaling for the older set can teach children how to better monitor symptoms and moods.
6) Know the difference between a bad day and a sad mood: When depressed kids learn how to measure the moment, they learn that a sad mood doesn’t have to ruin a day. However, if they can’t shake off the sad mood – and the rest of the day feels like an epic fail, it’s great for kids to know that a bad day doesn’t equal a bad life. Tomorrow is a new day. One to be measured for its own value.
7) How to let others know you need help: When children are depressed, they often don’t know how to reach out for support. Their fatigue and irritability dulls problem solving skills. Others might not feel they deserve help or would rather isolate themselves from family or friends. Depressed children need to know that everyone needs help now and then – and that no one can …or should… handle everything alone. I like to teach children to communicate their needs verbally and non-verbally. With words, through crying, by touch – it’s okay to show you others that you’re having a tough time.
Dr. Deborah Serani is a psychologist and an award-winning author. For more, please check out Depression and Your Child: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers and Living with Depression from the Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group. | <urn:uuid:6f31e4d5-a95f-43b8-b803-2f4076434fd2> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/two-takes-depression/201402/7-things-child-depression-should-know | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320915.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20170627032130-20170627052130-00474.warc.gz | en | 0.956253 | 1,016 | 3.59375 | 4 | The extract provides a comprehensive guide for children to manage depression, covering emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and coping strategies. It offers practical tips and techniques, such as recognizing emotions, positive self-care, and seeking help. The content demonstrates a strong emphasis on empathy, critical thinking, and problem-solving, making it a valuable resource for soft skills development.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 80,598 | 1 |
Trouble in the Homeland
Creation myth: How does the race believe it came to exist and/or live in its current location. This need not be a true statement based on facts, but is usually an integral part of the race’s belief and story telling. It usually is reflected in the race’s religion or belief system.
How far back are there records or tales of historical events?
Do average people believe old tales, or do they dismiss some that have a basis in fact (as people dismissed Troy at one time)?
Who, if any, are their enemies and allies?
What do they look like if viewed from an anthropological standpoint as if seen for the first time? (Be sure to include average and extreme height/weight, build. Color of skin, eyes and hair are also things to mention. Anything to help an individual fully visualize this being is essential.)
How do they talk? This covers the basics of their speech. The details of communication should be covered under the subcategory of the same name (communication).
Does this race have any exceptional abilities such as speed, strength, flying, healing, see invisible, etc?
Do they have body or facial hair?
What do these beings cherish as their most prized possessions. What do they abhor or consider taboo to be caught with? These need not be tangible physical objects. Consider Japanese history and how highly a person or family’s honor was placed in the scheme of things.
Do they own weapons? What types?
Do they own armor? What types?
What do these beings shelter themselves in? Caves, Wooden structures, trees are all but a few examples. Don’t forget to include details to help someone envision this structure in their minds. Include things such as shape, colors, heights, etc. in your description.
What is the most common building material?
Why is it used (availability, cheapness)?
Does it have any major drawbacks (wood = the Great Fire of London)?
How many people usually live in a typical house?
How does this race mark the passing of time? Do they count days, months, and years? Describe their calendar and how they came to use it.
What are the names used/given to the individual increments used to measure the passing of time and seasons?
Are there specific racial holidays that everyone of this race observes? Ensure that any such holidays are not observed due to geographical location or by a higher authority. If so the holiday is best included in a kingdom write up.
How do they tell what time it is?
How do these individuals feel about people outside of their race?
How do they view change?
To whom is one expected to show respect—one’s elders, superiors in rank, social superiors, teachers, priests, etc.?
What is the common fare when they eat?
Where/how do they get their food?
Is anything poisonous to them?
Can they eat things that other races find poisonous?
Do they eat different foods during a special event or circumstance?
What do they drink?
Are any types of food revered or despised?
What does a common eating experience look like? Nuclear family sitting on knees around a triangle table? Father eats alone first then everyone else?
How if the food prepared? Is it eaten raw? Cooked in an oven? Broiled over a fire?
FASHION AND DRESS
What do people wear?
What is it made of?
Is it color or style that is most important?
Are the dyes for certain colors — purple, indigo blue, etc. — rare, making cloth of that color more expensive and/or reserved for special people?
What type of clothing is worn in specific social situations?
What are considered essential skills to learn for the males?
What are considered essential skills to learn for the females?
How are these skills learned and passed on to subsequent generations?
Is writing considered a privilege or a necessity?
What is the dominant language used?
How would it sound to a human if they heard it for the 1st time?
Do specific groups speak any special tongues?
Is there any slang dialects that are spoken?
What do the people in this culture consider important enough to name?
What will people swear a binding oath by?
What do people use as curse words?
Are gestures and body language in this society generally subtle, or not?
Do people talk with their hands, or is that considered vulgar?
What gestures are insulting? What do they mean?
What are the different ways of showing respect (bowing, saluting, etc.)?
Is there a difference between the greeting offered to an equal and that offered to a superior or inferior?
How are messages sent from individuals or groups?
Can they read or learn to read?
Is reading a common skill?
When meeting someone for the first time, how are they greeted—wave, handshake, bow, some other gesture?
Does this differ if one already knows the person?
What is the order of precedence when there are several people of differing sex, social status, or race/species present who must all be introduced to each other?
How does this race view mages and magic?
How does this race view warriors?
How does this race view thieves?
Are any other professions exalted or abhorred?
Do these beings excel at certain trades? Mages, Thieves, Merchants, etc.
Are any trades considered taboo?
Does this race believe in or have the ability to magically heal?
Does this race believe in or have the ability to utilize the natural healing art such as herbs and natural salves, potions and such?
How effective are the treatments?
Are there various kinds of healers (herbalists, wisewomen, pharmacists/apothecaries, surgeons, doctors, etc.)? If so, why are distinctions made?
Is there a special class of people (doctors, priests, funeral directors, untouchables) who deal with dead bodies?
How available are such services to ordinary individuals?
How much training does a healer normally get? Where? From whom?
Who normally handles births—midwives, or doctors?
What is the mortality rate for pregnant ladies, new mothers, and children?
Who can become a healer?
Is it possible to resurrect/resuscitate someone who has died? If so, how long is it before this becomes impossible?
How is insanity treated?
What things are considered shocking to this race that are not considered shocking to ours? (Examples: showing a woman’s ankles, eating left-handed, reading in public.)
What are the reactions of ordinary people when someone does one of these things?
What are the acceptable limits to honor and/or honesty to this race?
Are “white lies” acceptable socially, or is lying in any form unacceptable?
Are there certain classes of people (wizards, foreigners, children, peasants, women) who have fewer legal rights or less recourse than full citizens? Why?
What are the most controversial subjects?
What are the racial taboos—what things are “not done”, like wearing a bathing suit to the office? What things are never talked about?
What subjects or actions cause embarrassment or discomfort?
What are the race’s mores regarding courtship, marriage, and family?
How does this race view courtship and marriage?
What kind of ideal life do people aspire to?
What kinds of people are the rebels and outcasts of this race?
Which occupations are most respected?
Which are most looked down on? Why?
How much social mobility is there?
How much do people think there is?
What deity or deities do they worship?
How do they worship?
Do any special holidays exist?
Are any religions forbidden?
Are there places of worship?
Are there leaders of worship or heads of the religion?
What are their various rites like, and why?
How much part do various religions and philosophies play in public and private life?
Are there any special customs?
How do they view death?
What customs surround death and burial?
What mode of transportation is favored above all others.
Are there any modes of transportation that are considered taboo or beneath them?
How does this race protect itself to ensure its survival?
How do they view physical conflict?
What are the race’s favored weapons if used?
This does not necessarily refer to melee weapons.
How much as the presence of magic affected strategy and tactics?
Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning “to cultivate,”) generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. Different definitions of “culture” reflect different theoretical bases for understanding, or criteria for evaluating, human activity. In general, the term culture denotes the whole product of an individual, group or society of intelligent beings. It includes technology, art, science, as well as moral systems and the characteristic behaviors and habits of the selected intelligent entities. In particular, it has specific more detailed meanings in different domains of human activities.
Anthropologists most commonly use the term “culture” to refer to the universal human capacity to classify, codify and communicate their experiences symbolically. This capacity has long been taken as a defining feature of the humans. However, primatologists have identified aspects of culture among human’s closest relatives in the animal kingdom.1 It can be also said that culture is the way people live in accordance to beliefs, language, history, or the way they dress.
Certain animals not permitted
Not allowed to look at royalty
Mass slavery or no slavery
Mandatory military enlistment/Military service is voluntary basis
Separation or joining of church and state
Women do or do not have equal rights
Encourage or discourage education
Peasants are free people or virtual slaves (serfs)
Magic..Legal,Illegal or only used by nobility
Weapons illegal or must be checked by sheriff
Certain priesthoods illegal or one state priesthood | <urn:uuid:acd83dc1-c049-4af2-8dff-ebcb4df73da3> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://trouble-in-the-homeland.obsidianportal.com/wikis/culture-template | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549424889.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20170724162257-20170724182257-00019.warc.gz | en | 0.934426 | 2,112 | 3.515625 | 4 | The extract provides a comprehensive framework for creating a fictional culture, covering various aspects such as history, communication, social norms, and values. However, it lacks depth and practical application in terms of soft skills development, such as leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving. The content is more focused on world-building and cultural creation, with limited opportunities for nuanced interaction or complex scenario analysis.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 318,194 | 0 |
About Dalle de Verre Glass
Dalle de verre glass, also known as faceted glass or slab glass, is a specialty glass art technique. This french term translates to “glass slab” and originated in Paris in the 1930s. Developed by Jean Gaudin, this process uses a colored glass that’s set in a matrix of proprietary epoxy. The thick glass slabs are either broken or sawed into desired shapes and forms. The glass is then hammered on the edges to create a unique chipped look in order to better reflect natural sunlight. These glass pieces are added to a box of sand where the epoxy is poured and allowed to dry for at least 24 hours. Once dried, the glass is polished and the resulting mosaic is either hung or installed in a window frame.
Dalle glass is usually one inch thick offering a significant depth of color that’s only achieved with this glass art technique. The sparkle and luminous look created from the chipped edges creates an exclusive effect, especially when contrasted by the dark epoxy background.
The Challenges of Dalle de Verre Windows
While dalle de verre is known for its beauty and unique sparkle, churches have to decide if this stunning effect is worth the majority challenges associated with this type of glass. In terms of longevity and cost, dalle de verre is more than double the cost of leaded stained glass windows and has a significantly lower lifespan. The average product life of dalle de verre is around 40 – 50 years under the right conditions while regular stained glass can last over 100 years.
Contributing Factors for Dalle de Verre Restoration
- Hail damage: This is the most common cause of damage in dalle de verre. Since the glass is so thick, it does require large hail in order to sustain damage.
- Heat damage: Dalle de verre is meant to be installed in direct sunlight in order to really capture that unique sparkle. This, however, exposes it to the risk of heat damage. Since the epoxy used is usually a darker color and the glass is usually darker as well, both are great at absorbing the sun’s heat. With overexposure to heat, the epoxy expands and contracts at a different rate than the rest of the glass. Spaces around the edge can form while the epoxy cracks from expanding and contracting.
- Plexiglass installation: A common remedy that church members try is installing plexiglass to their dalle de verre to protect their glass art. Unfortunately this has an opposite effect– heat is then trapped in between the plexiglass and dalle de verre, causing rapid damage and deterioration.
- Settling of buildings: Dalle de verre is often installed in new churches. When these new properties begin to settle, if the glass has been installed too tightly it will cause the epoxy to crack.
- Improper epoxy mix: When the dalle de verre is produced, there are some instances where the resin and hardening agent are incorrectly mixed. This create an unstable epoxy which can lead to accelerated damage.
- Window rain damage: This is the rarest cause of damage but can cause deterioration in dalle de verre. When water penetrates around te edges of the window, this can cause the epoxy to deteriorate. This is often due to improper bedding in silicone.
Dalle de Verre vs. Stained Glass Restoration
When stained glass requires restoration, the entire window can be removed. When dalle de verre has a crack, it can’t be removed and replaced. The entire dalle de verre window will need to be replaced. Dalle de verre restoration is a very labor-intensive process, requiring a significantly higher financial committment than regular stained glass restoration.
Dalle de Verre Restoration Process
Dalle de verre has a much shorter lifespan, requiring more frequent restoration. The process begins with removing the entire window and replacing it with a temporary one. We then take a rubbing of the glass in order to have a precise map of where each glass slab goes. Once the rubbing is completed, we have to take the entire piece apart by chiseling the epoxy. This is the most labor-intensive part of the process– we have to hand-chissle the epoxy while keeping all glass pieces intact. Even though there’s no lead cutting or glass restoration, the labor-intensive epoxy chiseling is the tradeoff that makes restoration cost the same as a new dalle de vere window. When we’ve successfully removed all of the epoxy, all glass pieces are cleaned.
We then start from scratch by filling a box with sand and laying all the glass pieces out according to the rubbing we did previously. We pour our epoxy mix and let it set until it is completely dry. We polish all the glass pieces and return the dalle de verre back to its original location for re-installation.
Work with the Dalle de Verre Restoration Experts
Church Stained Glass Restoration is honored to be the dalle de verre restoration experts serving the nation. We appreciate all glass art and are humbled to have the opportunity to restore such a unique glass art medium that offers such a stunning look.
When it comes to restoration, it’s best not to wait. If you think that the dalle de verre windows in your church may require attention, we urge you to contact our office to schedule a consultation. Our team can restore your dalle de verre to its original beauty and preserve your treasured artwork. | <urn:uuid:fec9c2c2-0829-4443-ace9-ce4f26e41dac> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://www.churchstainedglassrestoration.com/services/dalle-de-verre-restoration/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579251705142.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20200127174507-20200127204507-00482.warc.gz | en | 0.927155 | 1,161 | 3.015625 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing primarily on the technical aspects of Dalle de Verre glass and its restoration. There is no mention of communication, teamwork, leadership, or problem-solving scenarios, and cultural awareness and digital literacy are absent. The content is informative but limited to theoretical knowledge of a specific craft.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 324,191 | 0 |
Why might anyone is blamed or avoided because of COVID-19? :- You probably have heard about Xenophobia which is the fear of people from other nations. Along with COVID-19, xenophobia is also spreading around the world causing the stigma related to the coronavirus.
Stigma about people affected by the new coronavirus and about people of Chinese origin has been unleashed worldwide. It runs even faster than the new virus itself, COVID-19. The attitude of intolerance towards people residing or visiting China recently could have a cost for everyone.
As because of the hatred, people with symptoms fear to visit doctors or seek treatment. When it comes to a new disease, it is understandable that confusion, anxiety, and fear are generated in the general population.
The coronavirus at first was known as the Chinese virus with the belief that the virus was originated in Wuhan city of China. But we forget that virus has no nationality and they can origin at any place with the availability of their favorable condition. Therefore, WHO later named it as COVID-19 not to signify any region, ethnicity or country.
Unfortunately, not only general people but people at higher positions are also the participant in this type of discrimination. For example, on January 31, the President of the United States decided that he would deny entry to people who had been in China for the previous 14 days, while the WHO had recommended that relations between countries not be interfered with.
In Australia, people of Asian origin suffered discrimination in supermarkets and schools, and Chinese restaurants decreased their clientele by more than 70%. In Bolivia, three Japanese citizens were isolated on suspicion of being carriers of coronaviruses. In Japan, the hashtag was dispersed on social networks such as #ChineseDontComeToJapan.
Not only Chinese but Asian Americans, as well as those who may have a cough or colds caused by the common cold, flu, allergies, etc. Are also the victim of such stigma. This can now even be extended to those who have recently traveled.
Causes behind such stigma
Stigma and discrimination can occur when people associate an infectious disease with a specific population, nationality, or other groups. Even though not all people in that population or in that region are specifically at risk of contracting the disease (for example, Chinese Americans and other Asians).
Pandemic disease like this affects everyone, and emotional response to its impact is normal. But if people avoid or blame others for the infection, this can also affect those who are virus-free.
Stigma hurts everyone by creating more fear, panic, stress or anger towards ordinary people instead of the illness that is causing the problem. Reasons for causing such stigma and discriminations are:
Unreliability of the information
The coronavirus has caught us in the age of technology and social networks and much of the information that is coming in is not well contrasted nor does it come from rigorous sources.
For example, not long ago the news spread that garlic can cure the COVID-19 but it has been proved now that garlic is not the treatment for the disease. Various negative news regarding patients suffering from the disease goes viral via WhatsApp or Facebook or similar other social media platforms which are promoting the stigma in the society.
The abundance of information more than necessary is also one of the causes of the origin of the stigma in society. With the onset of the disease, people assume that the virus originated in China. It is because of China and Chinese people that the virus spread in the world.
Therefore people started avoiding Chinese people, embarrassing them, or harassing them. What the media lack to provide is that though the virus was seen in China, it doesn’t mean that the virus is Chinese. It doesn’t have any nationality and can happen anywhere where it finds a suitable environment for its mutation.
Irresponsible behavior of high authority people
On 17 March 2020, US President Trump in his twitter account wrote The United States is in full force supporting industries, such as Airlines and others, affected by the China Virus.
Naming the virus as the China virus by somebody who is the president of one of the most powerful nations can definitely air the stigma that has already been causing fear among the people.
Lack of education
The discrimination thus followed can be seen more in the rural areas and less in the urban areas. As the people in the urban areas are more educated. Education brings understanding and logical thinking and it is is what is needed now in the current situation to fight against the disease.
Lack of knowledge
Stigma is related with a lack of knowledge about how Covid-19 spreads, the need to blame someone, fear about illness and death, and gossip that spreads rumors and myths. Stigma creates more fear or anger towards ordinary people, rather than diseases that cause problems.
Understand the effect of stigma and discrimination
The outbreak of the coronavirus is a hot topic in the world which has been causing panic and fear among people all around the world.
With the panic, arise the discrimination for the people who have been tested positive or who have returned from the countries where the impact of the virus is severe. Wha can such discrimination do on people? Let’s see below:
For those who are in isolation tend to experience depression.
Those who are positive with Corona are indeed required to be quarantined and not allowed to make direct contact with others outside. Because they have to be quarantined or in isolation, there is a feeling of loneliness and guilt in their minds. However, someone who is sick still needs assistance or friends.
They need to express their thoughts and pour out their hearts to feel relieved.
Because of being too worried, sometimes the patient’s personal data is spread.
Worry is indeed natural, but that does not mean it is overcome by spreading suspect personal data widely with the aim of preventing transmission. Sometimes media personnel may expose the affected persons’ name, address and sometimes even his face is shown on the television.
One has to be sensitive and show some humanity toward the people who are already stressed out fighting against the disease.
Just one day ago, one of the Indian citizen who returned from Australia has committed suicide as he was being tested for the virus. He didn’t even wait for the result and jumped from the hospital building.
Just think about the mental state of that patient and the stress that he was going through that he chose death over life.
We should remember that coronavirus is not discriminating among people while infecting. Therefore, we should not too. | <urn:uuid:efd7f73f-fa57-420c-9903-c4022841ba3a> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.imnepal.com/covid-19-coronavirus-blamed-avoided-why-reasons/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370506477.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20200401223807-20200402013807-00544.warc.gz | en | 0.969334 | 1,348 | 3.0625 | 3 | The extract discusses the stigma and discrimination surrounding COVID-19, highlighting the impact of xenophobia, misinformation, and lack of education. It provides realistic scenarios and emotional intelligence, promoting empathy and critical thinking. The text also touches on leadership challenges, such as irresponsible behavior by high-authority figures, and encourages cultural awareness and digital literacy.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 767,083 | 1 |
Banking on women
How innovative technology by FAO is promoting a savings culture for grains
Osama is dead and the women of Kimu market in Kyuso district are a happy lot. And no, the most wanted fugitive has not been sighted in the heart of Ukambani in eastern Kenya. Osama is the name given to their public enemy number one, the larger grain borer, scientifically known as Prostephanus truncates. This is a destructive strain of weevil, accidentally introduced from Central America into Tanzania in the late 1970s; it has terrorised the residents of Kyuso and become a serious pest of stored maize known to completely wipe out harvests.
These women now have the metal silo technology to thank, an innovation successfully promoted and perfected by FAO in far away Nicaragua, South America. It is a novelty that is radically changing the way farmers in the greater Mwingi are storing their seeds for the next planting season.
Introducing Kimu Bank
This is not your typical bank where you are ushered into a fortified claustrophobia-inducing establishment by a sombre-looking armed guard who will enthusiastically search your person to the point of assault. Neither will you find long queues with uninterested grey-suited executives behind bullet-proof glass windows inches thick.
Enter the bank manager. You would be forgiven to dismiss her as any other woman from the neighbouring Kimu villages. You are right, she is just an ordinary woman from the village who happens to be the chairperson of the local women’s group. After introductions, a simple padlock opens two blue swinging doors that usher us into the dark bank ‘lobby’. There are imposing shiny metal structures, six in number, all standing on wooden frames. These structures are clearly labelled: maize, sorghum, green grams and garam. “Welcome to our bank vault”, she says.
Mr Munyoki, our counterpart from ActionAid, an implementing partner of FAO Kenya explains, “Up to 70 per cent of a crop can be lost due to poor storage and handling practices. Insects, rodents and fungi as well as environmental factors like moisture and temperature are responsible. Aflatoxins are produced by a fungus which thrives in warm and humid conditions, and this food poisoning is all too common in eastern Kenya as often reported on national media.”
Besides storing food grains for consumption, the women of Kyuso have found it equally important to store their seeds in readiness for the next planting season. They communally deposit their seeds into the metal silos for preservation where they can remain viable for up to three years. Just like in financial banking, proper records are kept to ensure that depositors keep track of their savings. Farmers are encouraged to bring their seeds for safe-keeping in order to reduce access to and hence discourage its consumption during food shortages.
When the planting season draws near, the farmer withdraws half of their deposits for planting. This policy ensures that there is spare seeds left in store in case the first crop fails. The farmers are also encouraged to save up more than is required for their consumption in order to sell to other farmers who either did not save at all or require more than they had put aside for planting. This opportunity for a new income stream is a motivation for the entrepreneurial farmers to even save more.
Quality control is paramount before the deposits are made to ensure that no unwanted elements are introduced into the silos. The seeds are first physically checked for impurities and pests. The moisture content is then measured using locally available materials to ensure the grains reach the required standards.
Dr. Paul Omanga, a crop production expert at FAO Kenya explains. “At the household level, we conduct the ‘salt and glass test’. Take a dry glass tumbler and put some salt inside. Take a handful of the grains to be tested and put them inside the same glass and shake the contents. If the salt starts sticking to the sides of the glass tumbler, then the moisture content on the grains is too high to be stored in the metal silo.”
A blank stare prompts him to explain the science involved. “Salt is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture from its surroundings. When grains with a high moisture content are put in salt, the salt absorbs this moisture and the moist salt sticks to the glass.”
After passing the pest and moisture tests, the seeds are removed from the burlap bags and wooden containers they are typically stored in and poured directly into the metal silo. The silo works on the idea that pests and fungi, being living things, do require oxygen to survive and thrive. Removing oxygen therefore means no pests can survive. At the household level, oxygen is eliminated using simple science and readily available materials. Because fire uses up oxygen, burning a candle inside the silo until it goes off confirms the elimination of oxygen. For the larger silos, methylated spirit can also be burned inside the silo. The grains are then put into the silos and the entries and exits sealed using bladder, local lingo for rubber elastic from old tyre tubing. Any remaining oxygen is used up by the grains, which are alive, thus completely sealing the silo.
The seeds can now remain viable for the next several planting seasons. It’s not only the women of Kyuso who have become believers in this new innovation. Mr. James Muchoka, District Agricultural Officer, Mwingi Central District revealed that he had also bought the metal silo for his personal use on his farm. As an opinion leader, he hopes to help promote the technology to his neighbours by example. “This (metal silo) technology will spread like a bushfire given time”, he says.
Mr. Muchoka recounts a couple of testimonials of people who have used the technology. A villager in his jurisdiction is said to have stored his already weevil-infested grain in his metal silo. In a month when he went to collect his grain, he was pleasantly surprised to discover that the pests had all been killed and the grains were in excellent condition. From then on, the originally pessimistic farmer and fellow villagers have become the new converts to the metal silo “movement” and have gone on a recruitment campaign to “bring others into the fold”. Scepticism to things foreign is now in the past.
A major thrust for the adoption of this technology is the business opportunities it affords. One of the pioneer artisans trained in the fabrication of the technology is said to have produced the silos in their thousands. With turnover of about one hundred US dollars per silo, a lot of money can potentially be generated by the venture. Not only has this entrepreneur managed raise his economic profile, but many households have also directly and indirectly benefitted through employment as well as the resulting value chain to the farmers.
This project was made possible by the generous support from the European Union. | <urn:uuid:39968b2f-2e29-4bad-9f94-a5288836402a> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.fao.org/emergencies/la-fao-en-accion/historias/historia-detalle/es/c/176087/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394678704624/warc/CC-MAIN-20140313024504-00094-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958478 | 1,445 | 2.625 | 3 | The extract scores 3 points for its discussion of soft skills, including teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving, as seen in the women's collective effort to adopt and promote the metal silo technology. The story features realistic scenarios, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking opportunities, with a focus on practical application and cultural awareness. However, it lacks complex, multi-contextual scenarios and sophisticated digital literacy elements.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 755,447 | 0 |
By Dan Limmer
I believe two things are foundational for any level of EMS provider: pathophysiology and differential diagnosis. Understanding basic ventilation and perfusion principles is vital. In a patient, once you use pathophysiology and determine whether the patient is sick or not, then it is time to perform a differential diagnosis.
For years, we were told that EMS didn’t or couldn’t diagnose. We’ve overcome that. To be fair, we don’t have many of the diagnostic tools present in the hospital… at least not yet. But we do have an ever-growing toolbox for assessment (think future: ultrasound and lab tests)—and a brain. For us to choose an appropriate treatment, we must suspect a condition and apply a protocol.
So how do we teach this?
I’ve developed a series of in-class dynamic learning exercises to help teach differential diagnosis. You can download them here and refer to them as you finish reading. They use chest pain and discomfort as the vehicle to employ differential diagnostic thinking.
Exercise 1 – Basics of Differential Diagnosis
Part 1 – Criticality and Frequency
How do we help differentiate the horses from the zebras of diagnosis? This exercise takes ten possible causes of chest pain and discomfort and asks the student to rate each one in two categories: criticality and frequency. Angina is pretty common and can be serious. Ascending aortic aneurysms are pretty rare (6-10 per 100,000 people), but when they are present, watch out! The exercise is simple but valuable for gaining perspective.
Part 2 – Assessment Techniques
How do we assess for each of the conditions? Is this done early or late in the assessment process? This part builds on part one but adds more of the functional process of assessment.
Exercise 2 – Differential Diagnostic Practice
Students are given six brief but realistic scenarios that require differential diagnostic thinking. There is a 7th opportunity for students to create a scenario and use higher-level cognitive thinking.
Students are asked for three types of information:
- History – what can you obtain from the patient’s history to help you come to a diagnosis? I envision these things like medications, risk factors (usually underappreciated in EMS), past medical history, etc.
- Direct questions – remember the value of these findings—and point out how they are important in the medical patient when a hands-on approach is less beneficial than in trauma. Your students should ask specifically about increased dyspnea on exertion, orthopnea, syncope or near-syncope, palpitations, weight gain, pleuritic pain, and more. These are part of a thorough cardiac and respiratory body system exam.
- Physical assessment – Everyone tends to think of vital signs and usually lung sounds. But are we thorough enough looking for JVD, pedal or sacral edema, performing palpation of the chest, and other valuable physical assessment methods?
These lists aren’t designed to be all-inclusive, but you get the point.
Bringing Differential Diagnosis Home
With any exercises, remember the basic rules:
- You must facilitate the activity to get the full benefit.
- If you don’t go over it and show you value the exercise, students won’t take it seriously.
I usually break the students into groups to complete the exercises. Each group assigns a presenter to explain the group’s findings. Each activity has questions at the bottom of the page. Here are some additional questions to help you facilitate:
- Why do you think different groups assigned different levels or frequency and criticality to different conditions? Is this OK?
- Different groups chose different assessments for the same condition.
- In scenario one in the second exercise, a patient believes his shoulder pain is from exercise while his wife is concerned about an MI. Can we reliably diagnose between the two? How does your assessment fit into a patient refusal?
- What is a “pertinent negative?” Why is this concept important?
- Ask students if they believe they were able to get enough information to make a diagnosis. How close are they to choosing a treatment and/or doing a hand-off report at the hospital?
I believe that these exercises can be used with students at any level. If you are teaching EMTs, focus on how body system assessments play into differential diagnosis. With advanced courses, go deeper into the thinking and differential diagnostics with the additional tools they have available.
I hope you enjoy these exercises. Over the past few semesters, my students have used these successfully to improve assessment, priorities, thinking, and diagnosis. I hope you use them with your students. Let me know how it goes!
Join the discussion One Comment
When I discuss this with my students I use the term “ROI” or “return on investment” for the financial world. What questions could you ask that will give you the greatest ROI? I tell them that acute problems require acute questioning. I really like how you mentioned, “Assessment is dynamic, not rote like a skill sheet”. Students have a hard time getting away from S.A.M.P.L.E. in that order. I look forward to implementing this activity with my classes. | <urn:uuid:833f2e30-f204-401b-9012-590b16fd9579> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://limmereducation.com/article/teaching-differential-diagnosis/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224647614.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20230601042457-20230601072457-00215.warc.gz | en | 0.939523 | 1,107 | 3.0625 | 3 | The extract focuses on teaching differential diagnosis to EMS providers, with a strong emphasis on critical thinking, assessment techniques, and practical application. It includes dynamic learning exercises, realistic scenarios, and opportunities for discussion and reflection. While it touches on teamwork through group activities, it lacks explicit discussion of other soft skills like leadership, emotional intelligence, and intercultural fluency.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 516,741 | 0 |
Every year, I start teaching about slavery and the Civil War by asking my high school students, “Who freed the slaves?” Without fail, the vast majority, if not the entire class, answers “Abraham Lincoln.” Holding back my desire to immediately puncture this simplistic narrative, I continue questioning: “Well, if Lincoln was the Great Emancipator and freed the slaves, what do you think he said in his first speech as president?” My students throw out various hypotheses that I list on the board: slavery is evil, immoral, unjust; people should have equal rights regardless of color; it’s time to get rid of slavery; slaveholders should be punished; and so on.
We then turn to Lincoln’s actual first inaugural address and students are shocked to read that Lincoln stated that he had “no inclination” to “interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists,” that he promised to uphold the Fugitive Slave Act, and that he expressed support for the Corwin Amendment, which would have prevented Congress from ever tampering with slavery in any state. For many students, this is a rupture of epic proportions. “Were we lied to?” they ask. “Did Lincoln really free the slaves?” “If he didn’t, who did?” “What else have we been lied to about?” These kinds of questions can ignite deep learning and historical engagement.
The real story of slavery’s end involves one of the most significant social movements in the history of the United States and the heroic actions of the enslaved themselves. Revealing this history helps students begin to answer fundamental questions that urgently need to be addressed in classrooms across the country: How does major social change occur? What is the relationship between those at the top of society—presidents, Congress, elites—and ordinary citizens? What kind of power do “leaders” have? What kind of power do we have?
If problematic, simplistic historical narratives—like Lincoln freed the slaves—persist, our students will confront the world without understanding how change happens. What could be more important than learning how one of the country’s greatest evils was ended? It’s in this spirit that my colleagues and I at the Zinn Education Project have prepared the 10 lessons and materials in a new resource for educators, Teaching a People’s History of Abolition and the Civil War, from which this article is excerpted.
Rethinking Lincoln, Emancipation, and the Civil War
Of course, Lincoln’s views on slavery and black rights did not start or end with his first speech as president. As an Illinois congressman, Lincoln endorsed state laws barring blacks from voting, holding office, serving as jurors, and marrying white people. Lincoln strenuously opposed extending slavery into the U.S. states and territories and denounced the institution as a “monstrous injustice,” but he also did not believe that the Constitution gave the federal government power to interfere with slavery where it existed. His preferred strategy was one of gradual emancipation, compensating slaveholders for their loss, and sending free blacks to be colonized outside of the United States.
But by his second inaugural address in 1865, Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation and campaigned for the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery without compensation or colonization. In this speech, he was much less conciliatory toward the South. He painted an image of divine retribution against slavery’s horrors by stating that “every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid with another drawn with the sword.” It’s the Lincoln of 1865 that has been memorialized as the Great Emancipator. But what prompted Lincoln to change his public position?
To start, in order to demythologize Lincoln, it’s important to demythologize the North. At the start of the war, Lincoln was under immense pressure from Northern bankers who had financed slavery and from Northern businessmen whose profits depended on their financial ties with the South. The entire U.S. economy—not just Southern plantations—was built on the labor of enslaved blacks. Although by 1860 enslaved people made up less than 13 percent of the population, their economic worth (in dehumanizing capitalist terms) was valued at more than the factories, banks, and railroads combined. This is why in 1861, shortly after the South seceded, Mayor Fernando Wood suggested to the New York City Council that the city should also secede. The Northern financial and industrial elite were determined to keep their profitable relationship with the South. When compromise failed, they turned to war. The 1860 Republican platform recognized that “to the Union of the States this nation owes ... its rapid augmentation of wealth.” Now that wealth was in danger. The new Confederacy nullified $300 million in debt the South owed Northern creditors, and Northern elites were determined to recover their losses. As Lincoln asked in a July 1861 message to Congress, justifying waging war for union, “Is it just ... that creditors should go unpaid?” When Lincoln insisted repeatedly during the early years of the war that he was fighting the Civil War not to end slavery but to restore the Union, he was not only worried about the border slave states that had remained in the Union defecting to the Confederacy. He was also signaling to the capitalists of the North that the war would be waged in their interests.
But there were other interests that Lincoln was forced to consider. The abolitionists and, most importantly, the enslaved themselves understood that slavery was so monstrous that it needed to be completely eliminated. For decades prior to the war, abolitionists—black and white, male and female—petitioned the government, organized rallies and public meetings, produced antislavery pamphlets and books, ran candidates for public office, built new political parties, and created a vast network to harbor runaways and resist slave catchers. By the time of the war, abolitionist ideas had seeped into the new Republican Party. When Republicans swept the 1860 election, antislavery activists nevertheless continued their familiar tactics and criticized Lincoln’s and Congress’ half-measures. Yet now they reached a new, enlarged audience that included those in the halls of power. Formerly derided as radical extremists, the abolitionists seemed prophetic as it became clear to many that the war could not be won without destroying slavery.
The enslaved, who had fought back in various ways since slavery began, escalated their own resistance during the Civil War. As soon as the Union Army came within reach, enslaved people freed themselves—by the tens of thousands. As historian Vincent Harding wrote:
This was Black struggle in the South as the guns roared, coming out of loyal and disloyal states, creating their own liberty. ... Every day they came into the Northern lines, in every condition, in every season of the year, in every state of health. ... No more auction block, no more driver’s lash. ... This was the river of Black struggle in the South, waiting for no one to declare freedom for them. ... The rapid flow of Black runaways was a critical part of the challenge to the embattled white rulers of the South; by leaving, they denied slavery’s power and its profit.
These runaways also created opportunities for the all-white Union Army, in desperate need of soldiers and laborers. Lincoln realized that the Union needed black soldiers to win the war. Although it is possible to interpret Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation as an exceptionally cautious document, declaring the enslaved free in only these parts of the Confederacy where Lincoln had no direct control, and exempting the border slave states and other Union-controlled areas in the South, it was nonetheless an acknowledgement of the changing public opinion in the North and the reality of self-emancipation on the frontlines. The proclamation officially opened the army to African Americans for the first time. With black soldiers now taking up arms against the Confederacy, Lincoln’s war for union was transformed into a war for liberation. The emancipation of 4 million people from slavery ushered in a revolutionary transformation of U.S. society led by African Americans.
The reason corporate curriculum and conservative textbooks so often hide or distort this history is because truly understanding the causes of the Civil War, and how that war was transformed, requires an approach that questions those in power and emphasizes collective resistance. As historian Howard Zinn explained:
When I look at the history of the United States, what I see is that whenever anything good has been accomplished, whenever any injustice has been remedied, ... it has come about only when citizens became aroused. That’s how slavery was abolished. Slavery was not abolished because Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Slavery was abolished because the slaves, the ex-slaves, the escaped slaves, and some white abolitionists got together and formed a movement against slavery. That movement grew from a small group of people into a national movement that committed acts of civil disobedience and violated the law, violated the Fugitive Slave Act, which required the government to return escaped slaves to their masters. People broke into courthouses, broke into police stations; they rescued slaves, and all kinds of acts of civil disobedience took place. Only then did Lincoln act, only then did Congress act, to abolish slavery, to pass constitutional amendments. And we see this all through American history.
To understand abolition and the Civil War then, is to understand how ordinary citizens—with ideas that seem radical and idealistic, taking action together, breaking unjust laws, pressuring politicians to act—can fundamentally change society. There is no more important lesson that our students can learn from studying history.
The purpose of Teaching a People’s History of Abolition and the Civil War is not to simply dethrone Lincoln as the Great Emancipator. There have been many worthwhile defenses of Lincoln’s record, his antislavery intentions, and his actions. No doubt, when put into historical context and seen through his point of view, Lincoln can be a sympathetic figure. But the popular narrative that a single white politician ended an institution that formed the economic backbone of U.S. society is simply inaccurate, racist, and dangerous. It took the courageous actions of hundreds of thousands to crush such a profitable system of brutal exploitation. Our job as educators should be to expand the viewpoints through which our students look at history. As Zinn pointed out, “Lincoln was a politician. ... We are citizens. We must not put ourselves in the position of looking at the world from their eyes and say, ‘Well, we have to compromise, we have to do this for political reasons.’ We have to speak our minds.” I’ve found that students are capable of complex thinking around the role that Lincoln played in the abolition of slavery. However, students’ conclusions about Lincoln are less important than their ability to develop an understanding that the abolitionists and the enslaved fundamentally shifted the political terrain that Lincoln was operating on—in other words, a more complex historical narrative that puts ordinary citizens, like themselves, at the center.
Furthermore, it was not simply Lincoln who was transformed during the war. Opening the Union Army to blacks had profound effects on white soldiers and the Northern white public. In the Freedmen and Southern Society Project’s book Free at Last: A Documentary History of Slavery, Freedom, and the Civil War, the editors write, “Nothing eradicated the prejudices of white soldiers as effectively as Black soldiers performing well under fire. ... General James S. Brisbin, who supervised the recruitment of Black soldiers in Kentucky, described to his superiors how the ‘jeers and taunts’ of white soldiers were silenced by their Black comrades’ bravery.” And maybe nothing reveals the rapid shift in public opinion more than the warm welcome white New Yorkers gave the 20th U.S. Colored Infantry, the first black regiment formed in New York City, as they paraded down the city streets in February 1864. Only seven months earlier, blacks had been brutally beaten and murdered during the draft riots. While racism survived the abolition of slavery, the bold actions of black men and women in securing and defining freedom, and the changing racial attitudes of white citizens in response, laid the foundation for postwar antiracist politics. As abolitionist Wendell Phillips wrote to Senator Charles Sumner, “These are no times for ordinary politics; they are formative hours. The national purpose and thought ripens in 30 days as much as ordinary years bring it forward.” This concept—that people’s ideas can change, and sometimes change rapidly—is crucial for students who have grown up in a world full of racism, sexism, warmongering, and climate denial.
We need a curriculum that surfaces the moments of solidarity, resistance, and courage that made this a more just, more inclusive society. Students often feel alienated from history and politics because they are told that great (usually white) men make history. Too often, students arrive in my classroom cynical about the possibility for social change. There are countless stories of collective struggle that are antidotes to cynicism. Let’s tell them.
Adam Sanchez teaches social studies at Abraham Lincoln High School in Philadelphia. He is the editor of Teaching a People’s History of Abolition and the Civil War (Rethinking Schools, 2019), www.rethinkingschools.org, from which this article is excerpted with permission. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:40db7f79-fcd7-4921-86ca-4926b7bf5850> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.aft.org/ae/fall2019/sanchez | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370519111.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20200404011558-20200404041558-00118.warc.gz | en | 0.96827 | 2,801 | 3.625 | 4 | The extract earns a high score due to its comprehensive and nuanced discussion of historical events, emphasizing the role of collective resistance and ordinary citizens in shaping society. It promotes critical thinking, encourages empathy, and highlights the importance of understanding complex social change. The text also models sophisticated communication, cultural awareness, and digital literacy, making it an excellent resource for educators.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 988,000 | 1 |
So, for most of us, Father’s Day is intrinsically linked to making a card for our dad at school.
Flowers were on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day cards were inevitably tie theme.
So, I was surprised when teachers in my Education course advocated the removal of these commemorative days from the curriculum. Not every child has a mother and a father, they stated. It is hurtful to these children in their unique life circumstance. Clearly, these teachers felt removing these traditions was being sensitive to these children’s needs.
My mother was a hard working single mother.
So, I was a child who grew up without a father.
Cultural traditions form a valuable foundation in society. Encouraging children to honour their parents, even with a simple card handmade in school, fosters appreciation for their parents and heritage.
Hung up with the ubiquitous magnet on the fridge or placed on a table, these cards identify a child’s family. These traditions provide a sense of continuity and belonging.
Even religious holidays like Christmas are honoured culturally by non-Christians because celebrating this traditional day bonds family in a special way.
When time to make a Father’s Day card arrived, I never suggested to my teacher that there was no point, as I had no father to give one to at home. Nor did I experience hushed whispers or children feeling sorry for me. I was well- loved by a parent.
Each year, I made my mother her unique Father’s Day card, without the tie theme.
Each year, a child in my class, who’d lost her father to cancer early in life, created a card for him expressing how much she missed him. This girl did not object to making him a Father’s Day card. She still had her father in her heart, just as we all do even when a loved one has passed away.
We both belonged in the community of those who loved and honoured their parents.
Teachers create and model compassion for their students. As these cultural days are in turn celebrated, teachers can embrace these moments to teach how everyone has a unique family heritage. Sheltering children removes this opportunity to teach a vital life skill of sensitivity to another’s life circumstances.
Life situations need appropriate life skills to handle them. What better way to encourage cultural acceptance of this uniqueness then in continuing our cultural traditions in our schools.
Certainly, I did wish my father was part of my childhood.
But, the cultural and curriculum tradition of Father’s Day caused me to handle my life reality, in my own way.
For me, it became another opportunity to express love to my mother, and my thanks. I wasn’t ashamed that I lived in a single parent family; even back when it was considered almost scandalous, I only had admiration for my mother.
My mother deserved both her Mother’s Day and Father’s Day cards. In later years, she teased me that she even preferred her Father’s Day card; it was extra special. In the innocence of my childhood, perhaps I understood that card needed just a bit more effort and love put into it. | <urn:uuid:7b7c67d1-7f86-4b49-ae60-8b1a6625713a> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | https://livelifeincrescendo.wordpress.com/2015/06/17/fathers-day-missing-dad-in-childhood/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549424960.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20170725022300-20170725042300-00258.warc.gz | en | 0.979192 | 661 | 2.609375 | 3 | The extract scores high for its thoughtful discussion of cultural traditions, emotional intelligence, and sensitivity to unique life circumstances. It presents a nuanced perspective on the importance of continuing cultural traditions in schools, highlighting the value of teaching children to appreciate and respect diverse family heritages. The author's personal experience and reflections demonstrate empathy, self-awareness, and a growth mindset.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 641,477 | 1 |
Garden Layout Ideas
A vegetable garden can be a useful and beautiful thing. The following garden layout ideas will help you design your own vegetable garden.
- Add walks and arbors and interplant with beautiful flowers and herbs to make the vegetable garden both pretty and productive. Keep the garden near your kitchen. It will be easy to run out and pick a few things you need, and you can spy on the garden from your window. Picking tomatoes after you see them blush crimson is a perfect way to get them at their best.
A sunflower stem looks
lovely when surrounded
by morning glories
- Plant vertically to save space. Instead of letting beans, cucumbers, melons, and squash sprawl across the ground, you can let them climb up a trellis or arbor.
- Add height to a vegetable garden with a tepee covered with bean and pea vines. This space saver works similarly to a trellis but has a different look. Make the tepee of six or eight 6-foot-high poles tied together at the top. Plant pole beans, lima beans, or peas around each pole, and they will twine up to the top.
- Plant morning glory seeds around the stems of sunflowers. Lanky sunflowers can look quite barren once the flowers are done blooming. But when clad in morning glories, their beauty lasts for the rest of the growing season.
- Side-dress long-growing crops, such as indeterminate tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, with a balanced vegetable-garden fertilizer in order to keep them producing. After the first harvest, sprinkle some granular fertilizer around the perimeter of the plants, then work it lightly into the soil, and water well. The extra nutrients can encourage blossoming of new flowers and development of fruits afterward.
- Plant potatoes in raised beds, covering them with a little compost-enriched soil. As the potato vines arise, surround them with straw until the layer reaches about 12 inches in thickness. New tubers will develop in the straw, which can be brushed away for a super-simple harvest.
- Use newspaper covered with straw between garden rows to eliminate weeds and retain moisture. This dynamic duo works more efficiently together than either one alone. At the end of the growing season, rototill the paper and straw into the soil to decay.
- Plant melons and cucumbers in the compost pile. (They might grow there anyway if you toss old fruits on the pile in the fall). Warm, moist, nutrient-rich compost seems to bring out the best in melon and cucumber vines.
- Get twice the harvest by planting a lettuce and tomato garden in an 18- or 24-inch-wide pot. You can pick the lettuce as it swells and leave extra growing room for the tomatoes. Here's how to proceed: Fill the pot with a premoistened blend of 1/3 compost and 2/3 peat-based potting mix. Plant several leaf lettuce seeds or small seedlings around the edge of the pot and a tomato seedling in the middle. Place the pot in a sunny, frost-free location. Water as needed to keep the soil moist, and fertilize once a month or as needed to encourage good growth.
Experiment with vegetables that are extra pretty or extra flavorful, such as the following:
Want more gardening tips? Try: | <urn:uuid:73de5147-d36b-4fc4-93ca-bd4af88a4fe1> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://home.howstuffworks.com/vegetable-growing-tips2.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1393999635677/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305060715-00095-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919279 | 704 | 2.546875 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing solely on gardening techniques and tips. There is no mention of communication, teamwork, leadership, or problem-solving scenarios, and cultural awareness and digital literacy are absent. The content is informative but limited to theoretical knowledge of gardening.
Educational score: 0 | 0 | 0 | 707,920 | 0 |
We recently did a neat project where we used video clips in a Kidpix project to make a movie about ocean creatures. This is a perfect way to use Discovery Streaming video clips. Here are the steps:
1. Students picked an ocean creature and did research to learn some new facts about it. We used books in the classroom, but you also could use the internet. Students came into the computer lab with a paper that had one or two sentences about their ocean animal already prepared.
2. I had downloaded video clips in Quicktime format from Discovery Streaming and stored them in advance in a file that the students could open. I made sure that there was at least one or two clips for every animal.
3. Students came into the lab and started a new Kidpix picture. I first showed them how to import a video clip onto their page and position it at the top of their page using “IMPORT > MOVIE” from the top menu bar. Then they used the paint bucket to color the page a solid color. Finally they created a text box and typed their sentences about the animal. When they clicked the green arrow button, the movie would play on their screen. Here is a picture of what their pages looked like:
(Another great way to use this process would be to let the student select a clip to import into Kidpix. They would watch the clip, and then write a sentence or two that told about something that they learned from the clip!)
5. Bonus: The students stopped the movies when there was a good picture of each animal on the screen. We printed 2 copies of their pictures. One copy was to hang on the wall and eventually go home. The other copies we bound into a hard cover so the class would have a book. We use book covers from lintorpublishing.com to create our books.
6: Double Bonus: I saved each one of the pictures as a individual Quicktime movie file using FILE > EXPORT > QUICKTIME MOVIE. I saved these files on our server. Then I used iMovie and dragged each individual file in. Now all the clips were combined as one movie. I extracted the audio off of each clip. Then I had each child come and record their text. (I think you could record the narration in Kidpix as well, but I think it is quieter to do it one at a time.) I added a little background music and then burned the entire movie as a DVD. Now the class has their own movie where they can watch everyone’s video and hear their report! | <urn:uuid:6e0b1b66-9699-4766-93e7-344e30e80a84> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/kbosch/2008/10/27/using-discovery-streaming-clips-in-kidpix/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386163055782/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204131735-00094-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972843 | 528 | 3.15625 | 3 | The extract demonstrates a creative project that incorporates technology and teamwork, but lacks depth in soft skills development. It provides a straightforward guide on using video clips in a project, but doesn't explicitly discuss emotional intelligence, leadership, or complex problem-solving.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 640,956 | 0 |
Turkey Feather Allergy IgE Blood Test
The Turkey Feather Allergy IgE Blood Test measures IgE antibodies in the blood to detect an allergy to turkey feathers.
What is the purpose of this test?
Order this Turkey Feather Allergy IgE Blood Test, which measures the IgE antibody levels in the blood to detect an allergy to turkey feathers. By eating harmful insects, regulating rodent populations, and pollinating plants, birds are essential to our ecosystem. Unfortunately, due to allergies, many hypersensitive individuals experience adverse reactions after they come in physical contact with bird feathers. Among the many bird feather allergies, turkey feathers are one of the more common causes of allergic reactions compared to other bird feathers.
What causes an allergic reaction to turkey feathers?
Turkey feathers themselves are not a significant source of allergens. Instead, allergic reactions to turkeys are related to the dander found in their feathers. Dander is dust resulting from the breakage of feather shafts, which tends to accumulate inside feathers. When turkeys become lively, their feathers may become airborne, circulating allergens. Therefore, allergies may become apparent after exposure to these turkeys due to handling them, cleaning their cages, or being in an area where dust has been circulated.
Like every allergy, a turkey feather allergy causes a reaction in the immune system. When the dander from the feathers comes in contact with the skin or airways, the immune system views it as toxic and becomes sensitized, producing IgE antibodies against these contaminants. Unfortunately, these antibodies trigger the release of the chemical histamine, which will cause the symptoms of an allergic reaction.
When should I order a Turkey Feather Allergy IgE Blood Test?
Individuals may order this test if they have experienced an allergic reaction related to turkey feathers. The allergic reaction may range from mild or moderate to severe and vary for each individual. An individual may experience allergic reactions minutes to a few hours after exposure to turkey feathers. An individual with a turkey feather allergy may experience hay fever or asthma-like symptoms, such as:
- Red or watery eyes
- Runny nose
- Sore Throat
- Trouble breathing or wheezing
An extreme, life-threatening allergic reaction known as an anaphylactic shock can occur in the most severe cases. An anaphylactic response requires immediate medical attention. Signs of an anaphylactic shock include:
- Rapid or increased pulse
- Swollen throat or lump making it difficult to breathe
- Low blood pressure
- Extreme dizziness or loss of consciousness
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Shop All Tests | <urn:uuid:6d9e4346-9e03-4002-93bc-20d8d7d70437> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://www.walkinlab.com/products/view/turkey-feather-allergy-ige-blood-test | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296943483.86/warc/CC-MAIN-20230320114206-20230320144206-00702.warc.gz | en | 0.915669 | 562 | 3.046875 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing solely on medical information about turkey feather allergies. There is no coverage of communication, teamwork, leadership, or problem-solving scenarios. The content is informative but limited to theoretical knowledge without practical application or cultural awareness.
Educational score: 0 | 0 | 0 | 214,031 | 0 |
Hvac System to Help Preserve Historic Museum
Think about it: Museums are built by people to house artwork and artifacts that have specific temperature-humidity needs, and they’re intended to be visited by humans, who have their own temperature-humidity needs and even add to the building’s existing temperature-humidity conditions (The News, Feb. 28, 2000).
Add to this the fact that many curators and administrators simply do not know enough about their facilities’ mechanical systems, and you’ve got a recipe for patron discomfort and, possibly, damaged exhibits.
However, teamwork seems to be the catchword for the construction of a new hvac system in the works for the 1946 Hill-Stead Museum, a National Historic Landmark located here. The museum houses Impressionist masterpieces by Monet, Manet, Degas, Whistler, and Cassatt.
Built in 1901, the Hill-Stead home is also home to collections of Chinese porcelains, Japanese woodblock prints, and furnishings all arranged in their original setting.
The existing hvac system wasn’t quite as old as the museum’s collections, but it was well past its useful life.
Antiquated System ReplacedThe 1940s vintage furnaces and chilling units responsible for producing an indoor environment were good enough when installed, but conservation experts recently identified it as inadequate for the preservation of the building and its collections.
New England Mechanical Services, Inc. (NEMSI, Vernon, CT), will provide a detailed engineering design and will install the system.
The equipment, designed and manufactured by Carrier Corp., employs a Model 30GT air-cooled chiller that is self-contained and has a cooling capacity of 35 tons (420,000 Btuh). The chiller also will provide cooling water for the entire museum and administration area.
The chiller will be located approximately 500 ft from the museum building in order to limit noise, vibration, and visual distractions. A Carrier Comfort Control Network (CCN) system will monitor and control comfort, humidity, and air quality initially in the museum and administration office.
The new system provides a temperature and humidity control range of 65° to 74°F, 40% to 60% rh, and 95% efficiency filtration. This gives the museum’s historic house and collections the humidity, temperature, and particulate-matter stability they need, while supplying the staff with the tools necessary to properly manage these core resources.
Since older portions of the museum are not insulated, humidity sensors will be placed within the walls to monitor moisture build-up. Enhanced air filtration will be achieved through multi-filter air-handling equipment integrated into the building control system.
Perhaps most importantly, the museum staff will be able to monitor and control the system through a single PC interface. In addition, Carrier service personnel will have remote system access to monitor and assist the museum staff with any operations issues.
Completion is scheduled for July 2000. The museum will remain open for tours and programs throughout the construction period.
PreservationAccording to Linda Steigleder, Hill-Stead director, “With the new climate control systems, Hill-Stead Museum will be positioned to optimally preserve this historic building and care for, conserve, and display its diverse collections — including paintings, prints, and decorative arts — for the benefit of the more than 35,000 individuals who visit the museum annually.”
The project provides Hill-Stead with its first climate-controlled collections storage area for letters, photographs, books, drawings, and other works on paper, as well as textiles and furniture, enabling the rotation of fragile objects not appropriate for continuous display.
The hvac renovation project also positions the museum to qualify for accreditation by the American Association of Museums, which requires high standards for collection care and preservation.
Modern climate control will let the museum continue to include the collection in tours, workshops, and other forums for the enjoyment and education of an ever-increasing number of visitors, while protecting the condition of the objects for scholarly study and posterity.
“The improvements will enhance the museum in its role as a major tourist attraction in the central Connecticut region, and therefore as a contributor to the economic development of the state,” said Steigleder.
People Behind the ScenesHill-Stead Museum was created in 1946 by the will of Ms. Riddle, and serves diverse audiences as a welcoming place for reflection, growth, and enjoyment.
In 1995, the Board of Governors and administration began planning for the major hvac renovation, with a clear priority of preserving the past as embodied in the collection. They engaged Landmark Facilities Group, Inc., East Norwalk, CT, to undertake an assessment of current environmental conditions.
Landmark concluded that the single most important preservation goal for the collection was to stabilize the climate in the house.
In addition to Kronenberger & Sons, Hill-Stead has retained New England Mechanical Services, Inc. (NEMSI); consultant Lori van Handel, director of Preservation Outreach, Williamstown Art Conservation Center (WACC), MA; and the museum also is working with Carrier Corp. on the hvac system.
The equipment manufacturer announced that it will help fund this $1.2 million construction project, which also will be funded with donations by The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving; Friends of Hill-Stead, Inc.; the State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management; and The Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation, Inc.
The museum’s Buildings and Grounds Committee has contributed significantly to the project with Robert von Dohlen, American Institute of Architects and Hill-Stead board member, serving as chairperson, and members including Linda Steigleder, director, and Cynthia Cormier, curator, as well as Susan Chandler, Daniel Herzig, Hal Kraus, Wendy Pearson, David Ransom, Prue Robertson, Larry Sweet, Janet Taylor, and Charles Veley.
Hill-Stead’s hvac construction and advisory team includes, among others: Larry Sweet, Ph.D., Carrier vice president of operations; Charles Bullock, Ph.D., Carrier engineering fellow; Charles Veley, Esq., director of global real estate, United Technologies Corp.; Thomas J. Kronenberger & Sons; New England Mechanical Services, Inc.; and, Williamstown Art Conservation Center.
Sidebar: Preserving a 100-Year-Old HouseAnother goal of the project is to retrofit the hvac system while ensuring the continued preservation of Hill-Stead’s remarkably intact 1901 Colonial Revival house.
The 36-room, 33,000-sq-ft building was designed by pioneer female architect Theodate Pope Riddle (1867--1946), in conjunction with the prestigious New York architectural firm McKim, Mead & White.
The structure was built for Riddle’s father, Alfred Atmore Pope (1842-1913), and contains his renowned collection of Impressionist paintings, prints, antique furnishings, and decorative arts.
The renovation necessitates replication of period woodwork, radiator grids, and wall coverings.
“The challenge presented by this project is to take a l9th-century structure and introduce 21st-century technology without affecting the historic integrity of the building,” said Brian Kronenberger, vice president of Kronenberger & Sons Restoration, Inc., Middletown, CT, experts in historic preservation.
“Wall penetrations will be minimized, piping will be located in closets, with all work mindful of the historic fabrication.”
In preparation for the hvac construction project, the museum completed related upgrades, including three-phase electrical service, gutter replacement, interior duct cleaning, drainage improvements, masonry work, chimney repointing, shoring up the building envelope, installing 73 light-filtering storm windows, and removing/ encapsulating asbestos from the 9,000-sq-ft basement. | <urn:uuid:ebf3a84d-f528-4cd7-9b99-182994860e42> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.achrnews.com/articles/print/hvac-system-to-help-preserve-historic-museum | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394010305626/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305090505-00065-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932231 | 1,671 | 2.765625 | 3 | The extract scores 2 points as it provides superficial coverage of teamwork and basic communication concepts, such as collaboration between the museum staff, construction teams, and equipment manufacturers. However, it lacks nuanced interaction, complex problem-solving opportunities, and meaningful depth in soft skills development, such as emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 878,052 | 0 |
What do science educators from Sweden, a college professor from Spain, a biology doctoral student from Portugal, business school instructors from Switzerland and the U.K., an entrepreneur from Bulgaria, architects from Turkey, and the founder of a biomimicry organization in Japan all have in common? They recently completed a one-week workshop with Biomimicry 3.8 Institute educators at Findhorn Foundation College in Forres, Scotland, and are eager to use their skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm to promote biomimicry education at their institutions and beyond.
Using an experiential learning process, participants braved frequent Scottish showers to learn some basic tools and techniques of biomimetic design, such as learning to observe nature closely, identifying functional needs, translating biological principles into design terms, and using Life’s Principles to evaluate technologies and systems. The educators also shared an enormous amount of information and techniques with each other, building on the group’s collective knowledge.
Our Biomimicry Educator Training workshops emphasize action, and each educator began developing plans to implement what they learned into their own curricula, programs, and organizations immediately upon their return. Following the workshop, participants have already adapted their syllabi, scheduled internal biomimicry training workshops, taught biomimicry concepts to kids at public museums, and begun work on developing biomimicry toolkits for children.
If your interest is piqued, please consider joining us for one of our next training events. We will conduct a one-day biomimicry training in Boston, MA, in June 2013, prior to our annual Biomimicry Education Summit, and are partnering with Iberoamericana University, one of our Affiliates, to conduct a Biomimicry & Design Workshop in Veracruz State, Mexico, in July 2013. | <urn:uuid:c0f646b7-ee26-4278-a154-0ab156f024ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://biomimicry.net/institute-news/2012/biomimicry-education-taking-root-around-the-world/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386163816314/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204133016-00004-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94645 | 382 | 2.546875 | 3 | The extract showcases a diverse group of educators from various countries participating in a biomimicry workshop, demonstrating cultural awareness and international collaboration. It highlights experiential learning, knowledge sharing, and immediate application of skills, promoting teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving. The extract also mentions adapting to new contexts and technologies, indicating some level of digital literacy.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 571,046 | 1 |
The patient movement worldwide has adopted the following twelve main recommendations to be addressed at international level as a matter of priority:
1. Enhance visibility of rare diseases at an international level in terms of public awareness and within the healthcare system as a human rights issue and a public health priority.
2. Better classification and codification of rare diseases can support the process towards better recognition of rare diseases worldwide.
3. Support and empower patients and families to play an active role in shaping national health care provision that is appropriate to their needs.
4. Develop, gather, share and disseminate information on rare diseases in linguistically and culturally appropriate formats.
5. Promote international cooperation in the field of services to patients and families.
6. Improve access to services that will facilitate informed decisions about prevention and screening that are legally permissible, and improve access to accurate and timely diagnoses.
7. Facilitate universal access to high quality healthcare and treatments for rare diseases patients, including surgeries, special diets, transplants, and medical devices, common and orphan medicinal products.
8. Create policies on rare diseases that promote specific measures in regional / national / international strategies, including identification and support of specialised expert providers as well as their national and international networking.
9. Promote recognition that rarity requires increased international cooperation and mobility of experts as well as of patients when expertise is not available locally.
10. Coordinate worldwide research efforts on rare diseases through international and national research initiatives.
11. Build opportunities for effective networking of patient registries.
12. Elaborate policies based on common values (equity, solidarity and Social Justice) that have a positive impact on the lives of rare disease patients. | <urn:uuid:f53018d4-50ca-41ad-80f8-87f074d15bd6> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.rarediseasesinternational.org/joint-declaration/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875141749.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20200217055517-20200217085517-00099.warc.gz | en | 0.926279 | 344 | 2.734375 | 3 | The extract lacks direct discussion of soft skills, focusing instead on policy recommendations for rare diseases. However, it implies teamwork, international cooperation, and cultural awareness. It scores 1 point for basic concepts and 2 points for including straightforward communication scenarios and simple team dynamics, such as international cooperation and patient empowerment.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 465,253 | 0 |
On January 5, 1957, in response to the increasingly tense situation in the Middle East, President Dwight Eisenhower (1890-1969) delivered a proposal to a joint session of the U.S. Congress calling for a new and more proactive American policy in the region. The Eisenhower Doctrine, as the proposal soon came to be known, established the Middle East as a Cold War (1945-91) battlefield.
- Eisenhower Doctrine: Background
- Eisenhower Doctrine Proposed: January 1957
- Eisenhower Doctrine and Lebanon: 1958
Eisenhower Doctrine: Background
The United States believed that the situation in the Middle East degenerated badly during 1956, and Egyptian leader Gamal Nasser (1918-70) was deemed largely responsible. America used Nasser's anti-Western nationalism and his increasingly close relations with the Soviet Union as justification for withdrawing U.S. support for the construction of the Aswan Dam on the Nile River in July 1956. Less than a month later, Nasser seized control of the Suez Canal. This action prompted, in late October, a coordinated attack by French, British and Israeli military forces on Egypt. Suddenly, it appeared that the Middle East might be the site of World War III.
Eisenhower Doctrine Proposed: January 1957
In response to these developments, in a January 5, 1957, address to Congress, President Dwight Eisenhower called for "joint action by the Congress and the Executive" in meeting the "increased danger from International Communism" in the Middle East. Specifically, he asked for authorization to begin new programs of economic and military cooperation with friendly nations in the region. He also requested authorization to use U.S. troops "to secure and protect the territorial integrity and political independence of such nations."
Eisenhower did not ask for a specific appropriation of funds at the time; nevertheless, he indicated that he would seek $200 million for economic and military aid in each of the years 1958 and 1959. Only such action, he warned, would dissuade "power-hungry Communists" from interfering in the Middle East.
While some newspapers and critics were uneasy with the open-ended policy for American action in the Middle East (the Chicago Tribune called the doctrine "goofy"), the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate responded with overwhelming votes in favor of Eisenhower's proposal.
Eisenhower Doctrine and Lebanon: 1958
The Eisenhower Doctrine received its first call to action in the summer of 1958, when civil strife in Lebanon led that nation's president to request American assistance. Nearly 15,000 U.S. troops were sent to help quell the disturbances. With the Eisenhower Doctrine and the first action taken in its name, the United States demonstrated its interest in Middle East developments.
How to Cite this Page:
Eisenhower Doctrine. (2013). The History Channel website. Retrieved 11:17, December 13, 2013, from http://www.history.com/topics/eisenhower-doctrine.
Eisenhower Doctrine. [Internet]. 2013. The History Channel website. Available from: http://www.history.com/topics/eisenhower-doctrine [Accessed 13 Dec 2013].
“Eisenhower Doctrine.” 2013. The History Channel website. Dec 13 2013, 11:17 http://www.history.com/topics/eisenhower-doctrine.
“Eisenhower Doctrine,” The History Channel website, 2013, http://www.history.com/topics/eisenhower-doctrine [accessed Dec 13, 2013].
“Eisenhower Doctrine,” The History Channel website, http://www.history.com/topics/eisenhower-doctrine (accessed Dec 13, 2013).
Eisenhower Doctrine [Internet]. The History Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 Dec 13] Available from: http://www.history.com/topics/eisenhower-doctrine.
Eisenhower Doctrine, http://www.history.com/topics/eisenhower-doctrine (last visited Dec 13, 2013).
Eisenhower Doctrine. The History Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.history.com/topics/eisenhower-doctrine. Accessed Dec 13, 2013. | <urn:uuid:92c7d5e7-740c-4ad6-8ebe-41dc46e46305> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://www.history.com/topics/print/eisenhower-doctrine | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386164960531/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204134920-00025-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.891582 | 899 | 3.8125 | 4 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on historical events and political context. It provides basic information without practical application, emotional intelligence, or complex problem-solving opportunities.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 429,186 | 0 |
Effective Problem Solving Strategies: How Do You Teach Children To Responsibly Solve Their Own Problems?
“I don’t know what’s up with my friends lately. It seems they never have time to hang out and do anything I think will be fun,” David complains to his mom, Chloe.
“Well there is so much you can do on your own, David. What do you need your friends for? Why don’t you go read one of those books from the library or practice your guitar?” Chloe suggests
“Agh, Mom, you just don’t understand. Don’t you know what it’s like to want to hang out with your friends anymore?” David asks
“Well, if they don’t want to do the things you like, then what kind of friends are they? Sounds like you need to find some new friends,” Chloe observes.
“I don’t need new friends. I like the friends I have. You just don’t get it mom!” David grunts and storms out of the room.
Do you get into arguments with your children or spouse when your intention is to be helpful?
Both children and adults can have their own preferred problem solving style. When you try to help others with your preferred style and that style differs from theirs, it can be frustrating for you and lead to conflicts and clashes.
Types of Problem Solving Styles:
Internal vs. External Problem Solvers:
- Internal problem solvers prefer to solve problems on their own and in usually in their heads, not talking about them. You’ll often be able to tell something’s bothering them, but they don’t want to talk about it. Just let them know you are there should they want to talk about it.
If they tend to “stew” instead of actually working through problems, offer suggestions they can use on their own to work through the problem, like writing in a journal about their feelings or writing a list of possible solutions and the pros/cons for each.
- External problem solvers prefer to talk to someone about their problems. Their intention is often to get a reality check about their feelings or bounce off their ideas for a solution.
Just because someone brings a problem to you to share does not mean they want you to solve it for them. They are usually perfectly capable of solving the problem, but just find it helpful to get support. Support means you treat them as though they are capable and show understanding for what they are going through without taking on their problem to solve.
Venters vs. Conquerors:
- Venters get overwhelmed with emotions and need another person or an outlet (like writing) to process them, so they can think more clearly about a solution. When helping a venter, avoid giving advice. Instead, acknowledge their feelings until they start talking about the facts. Then encourage them to brainstorm solutions.
If they get stuck, gently help them move beyond venting by specifically asking, “Are you ready to brainstorm some solutions?”
If you are a venter and are upset about a problem, say to your partner, “Can I (or I need to) vent?” Or “Do you have time (specify the amount needed) to listen to a story about something that happened?” If you don’t ask or say this clearly a conqueror may start offering solutions or rush the process and you may end up defensive or in an argument. If those questions aren’t enough, you may need to be even more specific, saying, “I just want to share what happened. I already know what I’m going to do about it.” (Or “When I want opinions or advice, I’ll let you know.”)
- Conquerors tend to skip over expressing their feelings. They have feelings, but just don’t experience them strongly or talk about them. They focus on the facts, logic, and solutions. When helping a conqueror problem solve, discuss their feelings long enough to show empathy and make sure there’s no denial or avoidance. Then move onto brainstorming solutions.
Regardless of someone’s style, the problem solving strategies are the same and you still want to go through every step of problem solving process (working through feelings, identifying the core issue, and brainstorming solutions), but modify how long you stay at each step, depending on the problem solving style of the person who has the problem.
As you go through these three steps, use the following effective problem solving strategies and skills:
Tips to Effective Problem solving
- Identify whose problem it is. The person with the problem is the person responsible for the solution.
- Listen attentively and effectively. Focus on feelings, not facts. Clarifying feelings helps the other person figure out a solution.
- Clarify the problem and their feelings. Ask, “Are you feeling (their feelings) because (the event)?”
- Avoid giving advice or your opinions, especially before the person has identified the problem and is talking about possible solutions. Giving advice, lectures or telling someone what they should feel or do sends the message, “You’re not capable of solving this problem on your own.” Always ask permission before offering your opinion or advice when someone else has the problem.
- Brainstorm options. “What do you think can be done about it?”´If possible, write down all the ideas no matter how bad or silly they may seem. For younger children, always give them a minute or so to offer ideas. If they can’t think of any, offer suggestions in tentative ways by saying, “What would happen if…?” Some children may react negatively to writing down ideas, but others may enjoy it. Try it out. If the child reacts negatively you can try it again when that child is older.
- Discuss the possible results of each idea. “What would happen if you did (idea #1)?” This is where the person can weed out unhelpful solutions.
- Encourage the person to choose a solution. “So, what do you think is your best option?”
- Get a commitment. “What will you do? When will you do it?” Practice what to say and even role play, if necessary.
- Follow-up. “When can you let me know how things went?”
You can use this problem solving process to resolve problems in any relationship, just take into account the person’s problem solving style and current problem solving skills. Modify the process by spending more or less time at different steps to compensate for these individual differences. You will find more people will open up about their feelings and solutions will come more quickly over time.
For more tips on problem solving and more information about The Parent’s Toolshop® and its unique Universal Blueprint® problem solving system, take the 30-Days To Parenting Success Course. You will be less frustrated, respond more calmly and feel more confident in any parenting situation.
The best part is the 30-Day Course is free! So what are you waiting for? Sign up now!
******************************************************************************Jody Johnston Pawel, LSW, CFLE is the author of the award-winning book, The Parent’s Toolshop and president of Parent’s Toolshop Consulting, where she oversees an international network of Toolshop® trainers. She has 30 years experience as a top-rated speaker and parenting expert to the media worldwide, including serving as the Co-Producer and Parenting Expert for the Emmy-nominated Ident-a-Kid television series. Currently, she hosts the Parents Tool Talk radio show and is a parenting expert columnist for Chic Mom magazine. She has produced almost 100 multimedia resources, which are available at her award-winning website, www.ParentsToolshop.org
Reprint Guidelines: You may publish/reprint any article from our site for non-commercial purposes in your ezine, website, blog, forum, RSS feed or print publication, as long as it is the entire un-edited article and title and includes the article’s source credit, including the author’s bio and active links as they appear with the article. We also appreciate a quick note/e-mail telling us where you are reprinting the article. To request permission from the author to publish this article in print or for commercial purposes, please complete and send us a Permission to Reprint Form. | <urn:uuid:e2f990a3-239e-4fb5-a0a3-d3b21151ef17> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://parentstoolshop.org/11907/parenting-tools/childproblems/effective-problem-solving-strategies/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886102891.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20170817032523-20170817052523-00143.warc.gz | en | 0.94887 | 1,798 | 3.328125 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive discussion on problem-solving strategies, covering various problem-solving styles, and offering practical tips for effective problem-solving. It integrates emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities, making it a valuable resource for developing soft skills. The content is well-structured, easy to follow, and includes realistic scenarios, making it suitable for practical application.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 763,338 | 1 |
Rationale – Center Grove Middle School Central has established P.R.I.D.E. period at the beginning of each day designed to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of our middle school students. According to the National Middle School Association, there are 16 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools, including the philosophy that “every student's academic and personal development is guided by an adult advocate” (www.nmsa.org). Working according to middle school best practices and keeping our mission statement of empowering each student to dream, explore and achieve, we have assigned each student to a teacher in classes smaller than our core academic and unified arts classes in order to help students grow to their full potential during their middle school years. Additionally, P.R.I.D.E. period will also support our school improvement goal of building student literacy.
Course times and grading – The P.R.I.D.E. class will meet each Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. This is a required class for all students, and a grade of an “S” or a “U” will be given for the class. Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory distinctions can be given for classes with student participatory expectations that do not earn letters grades. To receive a Satisfactory mark, students must earn a passing percentage (60% or greater) on the possible participation points. It is important to note that a “U” can keep a student off the honor roll and out of good athletic standing. Grading will be based on three key areas which students will earn points for completing. Students will need t Be Prepared by arriving each day with a pencil, agenda, and book (one point); Be Productive (one point); and Be Positive (one point).
Description – P.R.I.D.E. is an acronym which stands for the following: Preparation for literacy, Resource, Intermission, Development, and Energize. During the designated days students can expect to participate in various structured activities to support their adolescent development.
Preparation for Literacy (Mondays)Increase knowledge and use of best practices for reading instruction across the curriculum.Develop Vocabulary building program within and across the curriculum.Promote and increase reading as a leisure activity. Student will have DEAR time during this period of the day, removing it from core classes.
Resource (Tuesdays)Develop organizational skills by using agendaSeek help from other teachers during this timeChannel One
Intermission (No PRIDE period on Wednesdays)
Development (Thursdays)Character education lessons
AAA Drawings, Student of the Month/Champion Student recognitionOther recognition (sports teams, academic teams, and clubs)
Team building activitiesChannel One | <urn:uuid:41a006c0-4f94-4218-a551-b4e37c883cf3> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | https://www.centergrove.k12.in.us/domain/1051 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549424060.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20170722122816-20170722142816-00485.warc.gz | en | 0.94276 | 589 | 3.03125 | 3 | The extract scores 3 points as it discusses soft skills, features realistic scenarios integrating emotional intelligence and critical thinking, and includes practical applications with meaningful context. It covers cultural awareness and digital literacy superficially, but emphasizes character education, teamwork, and leadership, providing a foundation for professional development.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 599,180 | 0 |
When it comes to the human response to stress, we have all heard of the phrase ‘fight or flight.’ But did you know that this may only refer to the male stress response?
UCLA psychologists Dr Shelley Taylor and Dr Laura Klein along with their colleagues discovered that up until 1995, only 17% of studies on stress involved women. Apparently this inequality was because the menstrual cycle made the female stress response ‘unpredictable.’ Officially ‘there was an inconsistency in the results obtained from female subjects due to fluctuations in hormone levels during menstruation cycles.’ Ha! Basically, the female stress response didn’t follow a clear pattern so they didn’t include it.
The UCLA psychologists set out to conduct research on the female response to stress, and they found marked differences in men and women when it came to behaviours associated with stress.
Women respond to stress by protecting themselves and their children through nurturing behaviours (‘TENDING’) and forming connections among their wider social group (‘BEFRIENDING’). This explains why many women want to talk through a situation and look at it from a variety of different angles whereas many men would prefer to solve a problem and be done with it.
The different responses are linked to our hormones. Women release oxytocin when we are stressed, which has a calming effect and leads to nurturing behaviours. Men, on the other hand, produce high levels of testosterone when they are stressed, which cancels out the effects of the oxytocin.
The research can be summed up by one sentence: WOMEN TALK, WHILE MEN WALK.
This research has implications for our legal system, which bases the model of ‘the reasonable person’ on the fight or flight response when it comes to the defences of self-defence and provocation. It appears that men and women react quite differently in threatening situations and the law should respond to that.
It also means that women need a close social circle that they can depend on. In fact, the Nurses Health Study from Harvard Medical School suggested that the more friends women had, the less likely they were to develop serious physical impairments as they aged and the more likely they were to be leading joyful lives. In fact, the study concluded that not having close friends for a woman was as detrimental as smoking or carrying extra weight. | <urn:uuid:89322567-fa56-4312-8a15-185ef5653d67> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://awalker.co/fight-or-flight-vs-tend-amp-befriend/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945282.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20230324113500-20230324143500-00483.warc.gz | en | 0.975533 | 492 | 3.328125 | 3 | The extract discusses stress responses in men and women, highlighting key differences and implications for relationships and legal systems. It touches on emotional intelligence, social connections, and communication styles, but lacks practical application, nuanced interaction, and complex problem-solving opportunities.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 90,615 | 0 |
Independence does not need to waiver as you get older. Older adults are at risk of becoming dependent on their caregiver to maintain their quality of life. As caregivers, it is our job to encourage seniors to do as much as they are capable of in order to promote their independence.
Why Should We Promote Independence?
We want to promote independence for our seniors for the following reasons:
1. It is stimulating for the older adult.
- Independence breaks seniors out of their daily routine of having a caregiver come and care for them. It provides them the opportunity to engage with their caregiver and play a role in the care they receive.
2. It is demeaning to them for caregivers to assume that they cannot do anything for themselves for ‘x’ reason.
- Just because an older adult may have an illness, impairment or disability does not mean they are unable to care for themselves, with assistance. The tasks they perform may need to be modified to make it easier for them to complete, but they should be able to do the bulk of the task independently.
3. It provides older adults with a sense of purpose.
- Older adults often fall into a depression because they are unable to live their life the way they used to. By providing the senior with these small tasks, they feel as though they are in control of that aspect of their life.
Promoting vs Maintaining Independence
In order to promote independence for your senior, you first need to determine how independent they are already. Promotion of a person’s independence involves providing opportunities for them to exercise their independence. This means encouraging them to do things for themselves. Maintaining a person’s independence requires them to be independent already, and just requires the caregiver to provide tools to the senior so they can continue living as independently as possible.
What Can I Do to Promote Independence?
Interactive caregiving promotes mental, physical, social and emotional well-being. This is also considered to be a holistic approach to caregiving. The art of caregiving extends beyond task-oriented skills and includes engaging in activities that help maintain a healthy mind and body. When planning activities to engage in with your older adult, keep the elements of interactive caregiving in mind.
Research indicates that keeping seniors engaged mentally, physically, emotionally and socially enables them to enjoy a higher quality of life, retain better cognitive function, stay healthy and live independently for longer.
By caring for the whole person and not just their physical being, you are engaging in the holistic approach to caregiving. By tending to the ‘whole person’, you can promote independence for your loved one.
When assisting with tasks, try to involve the person you are caring for as much as possible, encouraging them to do all that they can safely manage. It is paramount to remain calm and patient, as it is unlikely they will be able to complete tasks at the same pace as you. When you give them time and space to complete their tasks, you are giving them the freedom to independence.
How Can Freiheit Help Promote Independence?
Have you ever heard of the saying ‘do with, not for’? That is the principle that we at Freiheit Care Inc. live up to. This principle is easily implemented when caregivers remember that there is a person in that bed, and that they are likely still capable of caring for themselves.
An example of doing with and not for can be when a loved one needs to be bathed. Our caregivers can encourage their senior to wash themselves as much as they can. This could include washing their face, washing their armpits, brushing their teeth or combing their hair.
Freiheit Care Inc. provides only premium quality care to help you or your loved one “Be Free to Live”. This means that we want to help you help yourself. We are strong believers in helping you or your loved ones be your/their best. Give us a call today at (613) 518-8258 and find out how our caregivers are qualified to promote the independence of yourself or your loved one. | <urn:uuid:7ea2929c-7ce7-4a07-854b-847b6c8a6939> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://freiheit.ca/tag/freiheit-care/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875143373.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20200217205657-20200217235657-00441.warc.gz | en | 0.96939 | 847 | 2.515625 | 3 | The extract promotes independence in older adults, emphasizing its benefits for their mental, physical, and emotional well-being. It discusses the importance of encouraging seniors to perform tasks independently, providing a sense of purpose and autonomy. The content highlights the value of interactive caregiving, a holistic approach that considers the whole person, not just their physical needs.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 512,538 | 1 |
Sep 08, 2018 · Reactive attachment disorder can develop when a child fails to receive adequate comfort and nurturing from caregivers. It is grouped under “Trauma-and-Stressor-Related Disorders” in the Author: Johnna Medina, Ph.D.
Dec 05, 2018 · I too, was abandoned physically and emotionally in the critical years of my childhood development. Sadly, there is no know cure or therapy that will help individuals our age overcome the resulting life-long trauma. I plan to start a local meet-up for adults with reactive attachment disorder born between 1946 and 1969.
What is attachment disorder in adults and how do you treat it? Let me start with these questions. Do you struggle with relationships, intimacy, or being able to express how you really feel? Do you have life and relationship patterns that leave you emotionally distant, isolated, or alone?
Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) is a rare condition of emotional dysfunction in which a baby or child has difficulty forming a bond with parents or caregivers due to early neglect or mistreatment.
Adult attachment issues are among the most researched topics in psychology, with thousands of studies (like this one) done on the topic. Most mental health symptoms stem from attachment problems, but surprisingly, findings from these studies on attachment theory are rarely applied in mental health treatment settings. | <urn:uuid:907151a9-b01e-4001-b5a7-ac7c20f7c57a> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://senderisme.info/adult09-2019-96/symptoms-oh-reactive-attchment-in-adults-46.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250605075.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20200121192553-20200121221553-00229.warc.gz | en | 0.94657 | 272 | 3.03125 | 3 | The extract discusses reactive attachment disorder, its causes, and effects on adults, touching on emotional intelligence, relationships, and intimacy. It lacks comprehensive coverage of soft skills, practical applications, and nuanced interaction, but raises awareness about attachment issues and their impact.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 84,740 | 0 |
Careers in Communications
The constant need for communication skills in the workplace provides careers in communication with a versatile and active platform. Because there is such a diverse range of career options, international students seeking a communication job can find one in fields such as journalism, advertising, marketing, public relations and social media. Furthering one's study in areas of concentration can help specialize career options.
Of the many abilities employers look for in college graduates, communication skills always rank high. Employers are looking for applicants with writing and speaking skills, and those with a degree in communication can offer that. Because of this, international students majoring in communication have versatile career options. They can work in offices, newsrooms and hospitals. They can work for the government, corporate agencies and nonprofit organizations. Since careers in communication are so diverse, it helps if international students have a specific concentration such as advertising, journalism and public relations, or a minor in a field such as economics, sociology, and political science to help become more specialized.
International students with a concentration in journalism may want to consider a communication job as a copy writer, editor, photojournalist, news anchor, broadcaster, graphic designer, producer, director, or reporter. Journalists usually work for newspaper, television, radio and magazine industries and are asked to cover local, national and international current events through a variety of media channels. The job may include long hours, working nights, and travel. Journalism employers usually prefer applicants with a bachelor's degree in journalism or communication and experience in an internship with a company or a position on a college publication. They may also ask for samples of previous work or a portfolio highlighting the experience. International students interested in working up close with the media should consider a communication job in the field of journalism.
Advertising, marketing and public relations are other common concentrations within the communication field. International students searching for careers in communication that engage the promotion of a product or company should consider working as an advertising, marketing or public relations manager, a public relations specialist, an advertising sales agent, or market research analyst. Careers in this field can be found in almost every industry. They usually involve the ability to work well with others and for long hours. Depending on the career, employees usually look for applicants with a bachelor's degree in communication, public relation, marketing, advertising or journalism. More specialized careers may require further study in business administration and internships are highly beneficial. Students with a communication job in advertising, marketing or public relations may be asked to write press releases, organize an advertising campaign, analyze productivity, work closely with the public and media, sell advertising space, promote a company or non-profit organization, fundraise, manage an event, and more.
Other Career Options
Though most communication careers primarily involve journalism, advertising, marketing and public relations, there are other communication careers available for international students. International students can find a career acting as a social media expert and promoting a company through posting and networking on social media sites. Careers in communication can also involve authors, publishers, foreign affairs specialist and more. In such a rapidly evolving field, communication jobs can help employees see the world up close. International students working in communication careers have the unique opportunity to meet a diverse group of people, work hands on with interconnecting equipment, engage in events, politics and news, and change the way the public views media. Communication is everywhere, but those with careers in communication not only get to see it, live it and experience it, but they also get the chance to impact it. | <urn:uuid:84362adf-bf96-4bb1-89e7-7a6196a13d9d> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.internationalstudent.com/study-communication/careers-in-communication/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875144150.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20200219122958-20200219152958-00404.warc.gz | en | 0.94591 | 714 | 2.609375 | 3 | The extract provides a basic overview of careers in communications, highlighting various fields and job options. It touches on the importance of communication skills and the versatility of career paths, but lacks depth and practical application. The discussion of soft skills is limited, and scenarios are straightforward without nuanced interaction or complex problem-solving opportunities.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 602,538 | 0 |
After reflecting on what Mr. Giebelstien was teaching me about metaphors, and rereading Susan Langer’s chapter in “Philosophy in a New Key” ( 1947) where she writes about metaphors, read in 1952, I set out to change the Befriender listening model to the art of story metaphor listening. The metaphors would provide the clues for feeling and meaning in the patient’s story.
The Sports page in the daily newspaper became my resource. I was a reader of the Sports page and now I could see the metaphors more plainly myself. I am continually entertained.
On Tuesday, 5/9/2017, the Quad City Times had an article about the baseball team at Blackhawk College. They have good “chemistry.” My first year of college was filled with courses to become a chemical engineer. I don’t think taking up baseball would be considered a chemistry course.
The next day the headlines of an article cautioned about pushing the “panic button” because of the Chicago Cubs poor start.
My way of teaching the Befriender model of listening starts with “seeing.” The first session in their training after the orientation was on metaphors. I sent folks home to check out the sports page for metaphors.
Women often said, "My husband won't know how to handle that." My response, “tell him you're studying metaphors.” You can ask others to join in the exercise to start the discipline. The sad reality is that most people have no clue about how metaphors function in our everyday language and yet they use them all the time.
I gave people a definition of metaphor. From the Greek, meta – new, and phor – place. We move a familiar word to a new place to explain the unfamiliar. After winning the pennant last year the Cubs are in the new place losing game after game. The writer cautions about pushing the "panic button."
Simile and analogy are forms of metaphor. And a few years later in the training as my learning increased I added to the definition with root and orientation metaphors.
The next training session with the Befrienders I would start with their findings in the Sport paage and hand out more pages for more practice.
Initially they would circle the metaphors. Later circle the root metaphors and put a rectangle around the orientation metaphors. They found many more orientation metaphors, the same is true in conversation when you learn to hear them.
The orientation metaphor “resistance” was part of the language container I had to deal with. I now accept this as a given initial issue. I expect “resistance” to appear in some way on this blog.
One lady came back to class saying, "I couldn't find any metaphors. I asked my grandson to help and he could not find any either. This is too difficult." I said thanks for the metaphor. She was puzzled. "Difficult" is an "orientation" metaphor. You can move difficult to a lot of different places. Orientation metaphors are verbs, adverbs, adjectives, and prepositions. Root metaphors are nouns, pronouns, and often direct objects.
One year a gentleman started from ground zero in identifying metaphors and their meaning. As his story was told I learned he was a very talented electrical engineer who had written professional papers. He was more educated than most of us. At the end of the session he said they were the key to communication. He had been using metaphors for years without knowing it. It is as if metaphors work more on the unconscious level.
Seeing metaphors is the first task for seeing deeper levels of meaning.
From seeing them you can move to hearing them.
change the metaphor you change your story
change the story you change your future
The writers of the Psalms are masters at this, especially the laments.
To be continued,
Post a Comment | <urn:uuid:3b36adce-d0c7-4346-80c6-7708862a4fdd> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | http://www.befrienderforum.org/2017/05/seeing-metaphors.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296949107.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20230330070451-20230330100451-00375.warc.gz | en | 0.966814 | 819 | 2.515625 | 3 | The extract scores 3 points as it discusses soft skills, specifically communication and emotional intelligence, through the lens of metaphors and storytelling. It provides realistic scenarios and practical applications, such as using sports pages to identify metaphors, and incorporates cultural awareness and digital literacy. However, it lacks complex problem-solving opportunities and sophisticated technological adaptation.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 140,897 | 0 |
Most of the time, setting objectives is the weakest part in communications planning. Usually public relations and communication pros set vague objectives. It's hard to evaluate such objectives and they don’t prove the worth of a PR campaign or communication programme. As the Barcelona Principles state, ‘goal setting and measurement are fundamental aspects of any public relations campaign’. This short article discusses the difference between goals and objectives, the notions of SMART objectives and the hierarchy of objectives, and why one should set objectives.
Goal versus Objective
Often the terms ‘goals’ and ‘objectives’ are used interchangeably. However, these terms have different meaning. Smith (2005: 69-72) states: ‘A goal is a statement rooted in the organisation’s mission or vision. Using everyday language, a goal acknowledges the issue and sketches out how the organisation hopes to see it settles. A goal is stated in general terms and lacks measure, these will come later in the objectives.’ An objective, on the other hand, is a clear and measurable statement that emerges from the organisation’s goals and is the end-point of a public relations campaign or communication programme. Also, several objectives can be based on a single goal.
When setting objectives, many identify SMART objectives: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed. Although they should be regarded as an ideal to aspire to but most of the time it's challenging to set public relations or communication objectives whose achievement can be controlled. Smith (1998: 43) gives a couple of examples of SMART objectives setting:
· to announce a sale and generate 70% awareness one day before the sale starts;
· to increase awareness from 30% to 50% within 8 weeks of the campaign launch among women aged 25-41.
Hierarchy of Objectives
Further, when PR pros talk about public relations objective setting, they should consider the notion of hierarchy of objectives. According to Stacks and Bowen (2011), any public relations campaign has three objectives: informational, motivational and behavioural. First, the target audience or stakeholders should receive and understand information. Second, this information should motivate them to perform an intended action. Third, they should change their behaviour.
Last but not least, public relations and communication pros should always remember the connection between the outcome or impact evaluation and the identified objectives. Evaluation should be considered at the beginning of every PR campaign or communication programme since it links directly back to the established objectives. Thus, with clearly identified objectives at the beginning of a campaign or programme, one can easily measure and evaluate its effectiveness and impact.
Article written by Liudmila Kazak,
How to Create a Compelling Social Media Conversation Calendar
How to Write a Comprehensive Public Relations Plan in 6 Steps | <urn:uuid:e5f5d11e-1c82-4124-b860-18223cf51e1a> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.clappro.ch/2018-09-04-the-importance-of-setting-objectives-in-public-relations-campaigns | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875144167.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20200219184416-20200219214416-00151.warc.gz | en | 0.935511 | 567 | 2.78125 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive discussion on setting objectives in communications planning, including the difference between goals and objectives, SMART objectives, and the hierarchy of objectives. It offers practical applications and real-world context, demonstrating a good understanding of professional development opportunities. However, it lacks nuanced interaction, complex problem-solving, and advanced digital literacy skills.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 556,742 | 0 |
Persuasive Speech essay
|← Persuasive Speaking||American Dream →|
Persuasive Speech. Custom Persuasive Speech Essay Writing Service || Persuasive Speech Essay samples, help
It is no secret that America is land of the free and of immense opportunity, a land where dreams come true. In martin Luther king jnr’s speech at the Lincoln memorial Washington DC in 1963, he admonished of his dream of equality of all the people in America, he says “we hold these truths to self evident that all men are equal”. He dreamed of an America free of injustice, where “even the state of Mississippi, a state swelting with heat of injustice, swelting with the heat of oppression, will be an oasis of freedom and justice.” He had a dream of a discrimination free country. A country of togetherness where all Americans, be it sons of former slaves and sons of slave masters could sit down in one table (Kuypers 2009).
The American dream of 1960’s has slightly changed, although the basics are still the same. In an interview of my mother. The issue of equality is still at the core of her American dream. She dreams of a country where there will be full equality, where women are paid at par with their counterparts in the same profession, where women are given the same employment opportunities and a dream of a country where materialism and money holds less importance to spending time with family.
In my own perception, the American dream is still the same as that of the 1960’s. I dream of a country where there will be economic prosperity to every individual which is the same as Martin Luther’s complain of poverty of the black Americans in a country of immense resources. Also, I have a dream of a free society with the freedom of expression and the right to live without discrimination, and of a country with improved social integration (Kuypers 2009).
There is no much difference between the American dream of the 1960’s and that of today. The core values of equality, togetherness as brothers and sisters and justice are still the same. The major difference comes in through change of circumstances, through emerging issues like family values verses materialism and equality between men and women. | <urn:uuid:4d53ba13-2d42-470b-9a76-9733f5c67d8d> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | https://supremeessays.com/samples/persuasive/persuasive-speech.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549424721.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20170724042246-20170724062246-00022.warc.gz | en | 0.936203 | 471 | 2.546875 | 3 | The extract discusses the American Dream, referencing Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech and personal perspectives on equality, freedom, and social integration. It touches on soft skills like public speaking, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence, but lacks nuanced interaction, complex problem-solving, and comprehensive professional development opportunities.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 576,526 | 0 |
Critical learning abilities that are skills and attitudes to be taught across the
curriculum: Communication, Problem Solving or Critical Thinking, Responsibility, and Global
Awareness or Diversity/Appreciation. To these, we add Information/Technology Literacy,
and Lifelong Learning.
Each week’s folder includes an “Outcomes” item that identifies how these critical learning abilities integrate into your study of the developments/themes of Pacific Northwest history .In this course, you thus learn content and skills/attitudes that you can apply not only in other classes but also in your daily life outside of the classroom long after you complete this course.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
• Identify the major political, economic, and social developments in Pacific Northwest history and
especially in the state of Washington.
• Integrate the perspectives of different peoples to interpret Pacific Northwest history.
• Describe the Pacific Northwest’s role in the context of American and world history.
• Apply your knowledge of Pacific Northwest history to your life by conducting an oral history and
• by researching and writing about issues in the region today.
• Define current environmental issues in the Pacific Northwest and analyze their historical context.
Unless otherwise specified, this HIST 214 – Pacific NW History course is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. | <urn:uuid:8584db58-f3d0-42b3-9ea2-af9b1be812ae> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://opencourselibrary.org/hist-214-pacific-nw-history/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549425254.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20170725142515-20170725162515-00252.warc.gz | en | 0.875648 | 286 | 3.625 | 4 | The extract scores well due to its emphasis on critical learning abilities like communication, problem-solving, and global awareness, which are essential soft skills. It also integrates these skills into real-world applications, such as oral history and researching current issues, demonstrating practical context.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 387,447 | 1 |
The new global pact to fight climate change has the potential to be a global solidarity contract for the 21st century. This will occur if the demands to promote decarbonisation and strengthening of resilience are pursued equally, immediately and systematically during implementation.
The positive signal from Paris is that climate diplomacy has proven to be capable of learning. From this perspective, the six-year-long waiting period after the failed Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in 2009 has obviously proven worthwhile. This can be concluded mainly on the basis of three developments:
1. High-level diplomatic negotiations
Both before and during Paris climate talks, the French Presidency has managed to establish global climate policy as a strategic issue in international politics. This essentially includes reaching beyond the narrow field of environmental policy to systematically include other policy areas such as financial, economic and foreign policy and, above all, building on foreign policy negotiating experience.
Two of the key players in Paris – Laurent Fabius as President of the COP and Tony de Brum of the Marshall Islands – are foreign ministers. In recent times, the establishment and expansion of an alliance of highly ambitious governments has, via the USA and the later accession of Brazil, developed a dynamic which the other states were themselves largely unable to reject. In the multi-layered architecture of the negotiations, it was possible to build bridges with two of the groups who often have had a braking effect on the climate talks: the so-called Umbrella Group and the BASIC countries.
2. Climate diplomacy as process design
Over the past six years, the failure to reach a global accord in Copenhagen has led to significant insights into procedural weaknesses. These include, for example, the strictly pursued focus on the reduction of greenhouse gases. The Paris Agreement reflects the challenges of a climate change which is already taking place, doing so by systematically including strengthening of resilience, the way in which damages due to climate change are addressed by the international community, and the central role climate finance is to play.
On this last point, Copenhagen had after all provided a template with the announcement of the availability of an annual USD 100 billion from 2020 and with the establishment of the Green Climate Fund. By the time of Paris, climate finance had developed into the field of climate diplomacy, in which global commitments had become interlocked with tangible demands for the transparent and responsible use of funds across all countries. This process design, which can be similarly mapped out for adaptation and the establishment of national planning procedures, enabled substantial trust to be built up for international climate action procedures and for the adoption of the Paris Agreement.
The same applies to the design of the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). These have enabled the states themselves to define their specific contribution to the fight against climate change after gaining more clarity of the available options. In addition, by also integrating potential adaptation activities into INDCs, the procedures underlined both that widening of perspectives on global climate governance has occurred via a bottom-up process and that the concerns of particularly vulnerable countries are taken into account.
3. Solutions Agenda as a driving force
Another part of this expanded perspective is the French Presidency's strong emphasis on the Solutions Agenda and the diversity of stakeholders that make contributions in this regard. The failure of the Copenhagen conference had deeply shaken confidence in the ability of global climate negotiations to find a lasting solution. Among the social forces who act below the state level of government and who saw themselves in a position to deal with this loss of confidence, cities and networks of cities can be singled out as an example. Even before 2009, these have undoubtedly taken a distinct role in climate politics.
Both the global networking of cities and the proven (actual and potential) shaping power of the local level have increased markedly in recent years (see also "Urbanization and Climate Diplomacy"). To compensate at least in part for the global lack climate governance, diverse approaches of urban climate diplomacy have been developed; these were presented on the COP21 stage in Paris in an impressive way and can claim partial credit for the successful outcome.
The Paris Agreement still relies on the prospects of an ambitious climate mitigation target which lies clearly below two degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. The exact configuration of the agreed targets must therefore occur immediately and comprehensively in to avoid immediately squandering regained confidence. The interim results which have been reached are to be reviewed as early as 2018. In this regard, the INDCs will become the major brigde between Paris ambitions and national priorities.
As all countries’ national contributions are implemented in the upcoming years, one main issue will need to be observed closely: with the INDCs, most states have essentially identified activities whose implementation they regard as feasible. The analyses done before Paris made it clear that this in no way sufficient to meeting the ambition of below two degrees Celsius (not to even speak of one and a half degrees). This also means that as a next step it is of considerable importance, not only to seeing how the activities identified by the INDCs can be implemented effectively, but also to analysing what is occurring in other relevant greenhouse gas-related areas, about which the INDCs have up until now remained silent.
With the Paris Agreement, international climate politics has learned the lessons from Copenhagen, and is finally leaving its comfort zone.
South Asia’s vulnerability to climate change and associated fragility risks calls for a regional approach to climate services. Different actors need to cooperate to share actionable climate information—the security architecture in the region would benefit.
With cities continuously more threatened by climate change-induced disasters, urban planning’s reflex response is to protect cities against nature. But what if the solution lies in working with nature instead against it? Architect Kongjiang Yu invites readers to imagine what cities could look like if they took into account ancient wisdom on spatial planning.
During the past two weeks, Antigua & Barbuda, Nicaragua and Panama ratified the Escazú Agreement, giving a major boost to the unprecedented and innovative Latin American pact that seeks to reduce social conflicts and protect frontline communities in the world’s deadliest region for environmental defenders.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres outlined priorities for the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 26) during a briefing at UN Headquarters. The briefing was hosted by the UK, which will be assuming the COP 26 presidency in partnership with Italy. COP 26 is scheduled to convene from 9-20 November 2020, in Glasgow, UK. | <urn:uuid:15e14e0a-030a-4d1a-bb73-44a42feda08e> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.climate-diplomacy.org/news/paris-agreement-climate-diplomacy-learning-process | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370506580.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20200402014600-20200402044600-00062.warc.gz | en | 0.955798 | 1,315 | 2.8125 | 3 | The extract discusses global climate diplomacy, international cooperation, and the importance of learning from past experiences. It highlights the role of high-level diplomatic negotiations, climate diplomacy as process design, and the Solutions Agenda in achieving the Paris Agreement. The text demonstrates a nuanced understanding of complex global issues, emotional intelligence, and leadership challenges, but lacks direct discussion of soft skills development.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 794,393 | 0 |
International relations as the topic usually is taught at the university has next to no historical depth. In an introductory class your teacher might tell you that the basic rules of international politics were established in the aftermath of the Thirty Years War in the seventeenth-century, or you might hear something about European colonialism in the nineteenth-century and perhaps a word or two about the First World War. Once the class gets going, however, historical references are unlikely to stretch further back than to 1945. It is as though the world was created only some 75 years ago. In addition, international politics as it usually is taught is hopelessly Eurocentric. That is, the discipline takes Europe as the standard by which every other part of the world is measured — although “Europe” here also includes the United States and other places where the Europeans settled. The European model is obviously the most important one, your teacher will imply, since this is the model that went on to conquer the world. The world in which we all live today is the world which the Europeans made in their own image.
One of the most important things you should learn at the university is not to trust your teachers. No matter how smart or well read, your teacher’s perspective will always be only one perspective among many. This is not to say that he or she deliberately is trying to deceive you, but it is to say that there always is another story to tell. In this book we will tell other stories. Our historical perspective goes back to the first millennium CE and our perspective is explicitly non-European. This is a textbook on international politics which takes history seriously and which puts Europe firmly in its place. The reason is simple: history really is quite long and the world really is quite a big place. There are so many other things to talk about. And, as we will discover, this alternative history has left an endless number of traces in our contemporary world. Indeed, if you want to understand anything at all about what is going on in today’s Middle East, in China, in Latin America or anywhere else, a historical and non-European perspective is essential. This is what this textbook will provide.
This is not to say that there is something inherently wrong with studying European history, or that Europe does not matter. Europe matters too of course, but, as it turns out, not as much as your teacher suggested. It is simply not the case that the history of other parts of the world began on the day the first European colonizers arrived. The Europeans did not, as a previous generation of scholars used to argue, “wake up” the natives of various non-European lands, or “invite them into world history.” Non-Europeans very always plenty awake, thank you very much, and the idea that the history of Europe is equal to history of the world is just ridiculous. In this book it is these non-European histories we are going to tell, and we will try to tell them on their own terms, not as they were impacted by, or had an impact on, Europe. Indeed, a non-European perspective on the past is particularly important in a world which once again seems to be changing. Europe and North America play a far less dominating role in world politics today than previously was the case, and in the future this role is likely to become less important still. This is how changes taking place in our present allow us to gain new perspectives on the past. By learning about history you can learn about the future. And besides, there are such a lot of fascinating things to talk about once you leave Europe and the twentieth-century behind.
Or, differently put, this book is quite a mad undertaking. A textbook in the history of international relations which takes non-European perspectives seriously will always risk turning into a “history of everything that ever happened.” Obviously such a book cannot be written — or it will be just as long as history itself. For that reason we have to simplify and make choices regarding what to include and what to exclude. That is, this textbook too has a particular story to tell, and there are indeed many others. To simplify matters, we will in what follows focus on what we will call “international systems.” An international system is a set of political entities, states, which have sufficiently close connections with each other to be forced to constantly take each other’s decisions into account. We will discuss the international systems of seven different parts of the world: East Asia, India, the Mongol empire, the Muslim caliphates, Europe, Africa and the Americas. We will have nothing to say about Australia and the islands of the Pacific Ocean; South-east Asia will be discussed but only in the context of Indian history, and there is no single chapter dedicated to Persia although there are plenty of Persian references in the chapters on India and the Muslim caliphates. We could have said much more about Japan, and about North America before the Europeans arrived. In addition to the seven main chapters, however, there will be one concluding chapter which deals with European imperialism.
And there are also limits in time. We have restricted ourselves to historical events that have left a strong imprint on the contemporary world. Everything we see around us can certainly be retraced to a remote beginning of some kind or another, but some of these traces are more conspicuous than others. What we are interested in are cases where history still is making itself present. In some cases we will have to go back over 1,000 years but in some other cases the story is more recent. This book will tell you only very a little in the end, but that is fine. It is surely better to learn a little than to learn nothing at all. The aim of this book is to open up a world, not to conclusively describe it. And once your appetite has been sufficiently whetted you can go on exploring things on your own. The madness of this undertaking is no more glaring than the madness of teaching international politics as it has been taught up to now. And at least our madness is fun and mind-altering.
One more difference between this textbook and others: international politics as it usually is taught at the university is often replete with references to “theories” of various kinds. Indeed, an ability to “theorize” is often taken to be the difference between a pontificating professor and the comments provided by other, more casual, observers. To introduce students to theorizing is thus regarded as an important obligation of any textbook. Yet in what follows there is next to no discussion of theories and concepts, and what little we need is introduced already in the following sections of this chapter. The reason is that theorizing never can substitute for actual historical knowledge. We cannot learn about the world from theory but only from historical facts. Once we have the facts at our disposal, we will immediately start thinking about them, analyzing and explaining them, and in this way we will quite automatically come to think in theoretical terms. But this is thinking which is deeply embedded in history, and that makes all the difference to how we proceed. Basically the fourteenth-century historian Ibn-Khaldun had it right. [Read more: Ibn Khaldun on assabiya] At first he set out to write a history of the Berber people, but before long he realized that he needed to start thinking about what it is in general that makes empires rise and fall. In this way he came to produce one of the first systematic accounts of international history. Ibn-Khaldun theorized, but he always stayed very close to his historical sources. We will try to do the same. | <urn:uuid:335c4a56-05c6-4b51-b9c1-6708079efff9> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://ringmar.net/irhistorynew/index.php/introduction/?print=print | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886110471.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20170822050407-20170822070407-00073.warc.gz | en | 0.97232 | 1,567 | 2.953125 | 3 | The extract scores 4 points due to its comprehensive discussion of international relations, historical context, and non-European perspectives, which promotes critical thinking, cultural awareness, and intercultural fluency. It encourages readers to question dominant narratives and consider multiple viewpoints, fostering empathy and nuanced understanding. However, it lacks explicit discussion of soft skills like communication, leadership, and teamwork, preventing a perfect score.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 764,476 | 1 |
William Wells Brown
William Wells Brown 1814 to 1884
from Brown's early autobiography: chapter 11
Before leaving this good Quaker friend, he inquired what my name was besides William. I told him that I had no other name. "Well," said he, "thee must have another name. Since thee has got out of slavery, thee has become a man, and men always have two names."
I told him that he was the first man to extend the hand of friendship to me, and I would give him the privilege of naming me.
"If I name thee," said he, "I shall call thee Wells Brown, after myself."
"But," said I, "I am not willing to lose my name of William. As it was taken from me once against my will, I am not willing to part with it again upon any terms.
"Then," said he, "I will call thee William Wells Brown."
"So be it," said I; and I have been known by that name ever since I left the house of my first white friend, Wells Brown.
After giving me some little change, I again started for Canada. In four days I reached a public house, and went into warm myself. I there learned that some fugitive slaves had just passed through the place. The men in the bar-room were talking about it, and I thought that it must have been myself they referred to, and I was therefore afraid to start, fearing they would seize me; but I finally mustered courage enough, and took my leave. As soon as I was out of sight, I went into the woods, and remained there until night, when I again regained the road, and travelled on until next day.
Not having had any food for nearly two days; I was faint with hunger, and was in a dilemma what to do, as the little cash supplied me by my adopted father, and which had contributed to my comfort, was now all gone. I however concluded to go to a farm-house, and ask for something to eat. On approaching the door of the first one presenting itself, I knocked, and was soon met by a man who asked me what I wanted. I told him that I would like something to eat. He asked me where I was from, and where I was going. I replied that I had come some way, and was going to Cleaveland.
After hesitating a moment or two, he told me that he could give me nothing to eat, adding, "that if I would work, I could get something to eat."
I felt bad, being thus refused something to sustain nature, but did not dare tell him that I was a slave.
Just as I was leaving the door, with a heavy heart, a woman, who proved to be the wife of this gentleman, came to the door, and asked her husband what I wanted. He did not seem inclined to inform her. She therefore asked me herself. I told her that I had asked for something to eat. After a few other questions, she told me to come in, and that she would give me something to eat.
I walked up to the door, but the husband remained in the passage, as if unwilling to let me enter.
She asked him two or three times to get out of the way, and let me in. But as he did not move, she pushed him on one side, bidding me walk in! I was never before so glad to see a woman push a man aside! Ever since that act, I have been in favor of "woman's rights!"
After giving me as much food as I could eat, she presented me with ten cents, all the money then at her disposal, accompanied with a note to a friend, a few miles further on the road. Thanking this angel of mercy from an overflowing heart, I pushed on my way, and in three days arrived at Cleaveland, Ohio.
Being an entire stranger in this place, it was difficult for me to find where to stop. I had no money, and the lake being frozen, I saw that I must remain until the opening of the navigation, or go to Canada by way of Buffalo. But believing myself to be somewhat out of danger, I secured an engagement at the Mansion House, as a table waiter, in payment for my board. The proprietor, however, whose name was E. M. Segur, in a short time, hired me for twelve dollars a month; on which terms I remained until spring, when I found good employment on board a lake steamboat.
I purchased some books, and at leisure moments perused them with considerable advantage to myself. While at Cleaveland, I saw, for the first time, an anti-slavery newspaper. It was the "Genius of Universal Emancipation," published by Benjamin Lundy; and though I had no home, I subscribed for the paper. It was my great desire, being out of slavery myself, to do what I could for the emancipation of my brethren yet in chains, and while on Lake Erie, I found many opportunities of "helping their cause along."
It is well known that a great number of fugitives make their escape to Canada, by way of Cleaveland; and while on the lakes, I always made arrangement to carry them on the boat to Buffalo or Detroit, and thus effect their escape to the "promised land." The friends of the slave, knowing that I would transport them without charge, never failed to have a delegation when the boat arrived at Cleaveland. I have sometimes had four or five on board at one time.
In the year 1842, I conveyed, from the first of May to the first of December, sixty-nine fugitives over Lake Erie to Canada. In 1843, I visited Malden, in Upper Canada, and counted seventeen in that small village, whom I had assisted in reaching Canada. Soon after coming north I subscribed for the Liberator, edited by that champion of freedom, William Lloyd Garrison. I had heard nothing of the anti-slavery movement while in slavery, and as soon as I found that my enslaved countrymen had friends who were laboring for their liberation, I felt anxious to join them, and give what aid I could to the cause.
I early embraced the temperance cause, and found that a temperance reformation was needed among my colored brethren. In company with a few friends, I commenced a temperance reformation among the colored people in the city of Buffalo, and labored three years, in which time a society was built up, numbering over five hundred out of a population of less than seven hundred.
In the autumn, 1843, impressed with the importance of spreading anti-slavery truth, as a means to bring about the abolition of slavery, I commenced lecturing as an agent of the western New York Anti-Slavery Society, and have ever since devoted my time to the cause of my enslaved countrymen.
Brown's autobiography: chapter 12
During the autumn of 1836, a slaveholder by the name of Bacon Tate, from the State of Tennessee, came to the north in search of fugitives from slavery. On his arrival at Buffalo he heard of two of the most valuable of the slaves that he was in pursuit of. They were residing in St. Catharine's, in Upper Canada, some twenty-five miles from Buffalo. After hearing that they were in Canada, one would have supposed that Tate would have given up all hope of getting them. But not so. Bacon Tate was a man who had long been engaged in the slave-trade, and previous to that had been employed as a negro-driver. In these two situations he had gained the name of being the most complete "negro-breaker" in that part of Tennessee where he resided. He was as unfeeling and as devoid of principle as a man could possibly be. This made him the person, above all others, to be selected to be put on the track of the fugitive slave. He had not only been commissioned to catch Stanford and his wife, the two valuable slaves already alluded to, but he had the names of some twenty others.
Many slaves had made their escape from the vicinity of Nashville, and the slaveholders were anxious to have some caught, that they might make an example of them. And Tate, anxious to sustain his high reputation as a negro-catcher, left no stone unturned to carry out his nefarious objects.
Stanford and his little family were as happily situated as fugitives can be, who make their escape to Canada in the cold season of the year. Tate, on his arrival at Buffalo, took lodgings at the Eagle Tavern, the best house at that time in the city. And here he began to lay his plans to catch and carry back into slavery those men and women who had undergone so much to get their freedom. He soon became acquainted with a profligate colored woman, who was a servant in the hotel, and who was as unprincipled as himself. This woman was sent to St. Catharine's, to spy out the situation of Stanford's family. Under the pretence of wishing to get board in the family, and at the same time offering to pay a week's board in advance, she was taken in. After remaining with them three or four days, the spy returned to Buffalo, and informed Tate how they were situated. By the liberal use of money, Tate soon found those who were willing to do his bidding. A carriage was hired, and four men employed to go with it to St. Catharine's, and to secure their victims during the night.
The carriage, with the kidnappers, crossed the Niagara river at Black Rock, on Saturday evening, about seven o'clock, and went on its way towards St. Catharine's; no one suspecting in the least that they were after fugitive slaves. About twelve o'clock that night they attacked Stanford's dwelling by breaking in the door. They found the family asleep, and of course met with no obstacle whatever in tying, gagging, and forcing them into the carriage.
The family had one child about six weeks old. That was kept at its mother's breast, to keep it quiet. The carriage re-crossed the river, at the same place, the next morning at sunrise, and proceeded to Buffalo, where it remained a short time, and after changing horses and leaving some of its company, it proceeded on its journey. The carriage being closely covered, no one had made the least discovery as to its contents. But some time during the morning, a man, who was neighbor to Stanford, and who resided but a short distance from him, came on an errand; and finding the house deserted, and seeing the most of the family's clothes lying on the floor, and seeing here and there stains of blood, soon gave the alarm, and the neighbors started in every direction, to see if they could find the kidnappers. One man got on the track of the carriage, and followed it to the ferry at Black Rock, where he heard that it had crossed some three hours before. He went on to Buffalo, and gave the alarm to the colored people of that place. The colored people of Buffalo are noted for their promptness in giving aid to the fugitive slave. The alarm was given just as the bells were ringing for church. I was in company with five or six others, when I heard that a brother slave with his family had been seized and dragged from his home during the night previous. We started on a run for the livery-stable, where we found as many more of our own color trying to hire horses to go in search of the fugitives. There were two roads which the kidnappers could take, and we were at some loss to know which to take ourselves. But we soon determined to be on the right track, and so divided our company, -- one half taking the road to Erie, the other taking the road leading to Hamburgh. I was among those who took the latter.
We travelled on at a rapid rate, until we came within half a mile of Hamburgh Corners, when we met a man on the side of the road on foot, who made signs to us to stop. We halted for a moment, when he informed us that the carriage that we were in pursuit of was at the public house, and that he was then in search of some of his neighbors, to assemble and to demand of the kidnappers the authority by which they were taking these people into slavery.
We proceeded to the tavern, where we found the carriage standing in front of the door, with a pair of fresh horses ready to proceed on their journey. The kidnappers, seeing us coming, took their victims into a room, and locked the door and fastened down the windows. We all dismounted, fastened our horses, and entered the house. We found four or five persons in the bar-room, who seemed to rejoice as we entered.
One of our company demanded the opening of the door, while others went out and surrounded the house. The kidnappers stationed one of their number at the door, and another at the window. They refused to let us enter the room, and the tavern-keeper, who was more favorable to us than we had anticipated, said to us, "Boys, get into the room in any way that you can; the house is mine, and I give you the liberty to break in through the door or window." This was all that we wanted, and we were soon making preparations to enter the room at all hazards. Those within had warned us that if we should attempt to enter, they would "shoot the first one." One of our company, who had obtained a crow-bar, went to the window, and succeeded in getting it under the sash, and soon we had the window up, and the kidnappers, together with their victims, in full view.
One of the kidnappers, while we were raising the window, kept crying at the top of his voice, "I'll shoot, I'll shoot!" but no one seemed to mind him. As soon as they saw that we were determined to rescue the slaves at all hazards, they gave up, one of their number telling us that we might "come in."
The door was thrown open, and we entered, and there found Stanford seated in one corner of the room, with his hands tied behind him, and his clothing, what little he had on, much stained with blood. Near him was his wife, with her child, but a few weeks old, in her arms. Neither of them had anything on except their night-clothes. They had both been gagged, to keep them from alarming the people, and had been much beaten and bruised when first attacked by the kidnappers. Their countenances lighted up the moment we entered the room.
The most of those who made up our company were persons who had made their escape from slavery, and who knew its horrors from personal experience, and who had left near and dear relatives behind them. And we knew how to "feel for those in bonds as bound with them."
The woman who had betrayed them, and who was in the house at the time they were taken, had been persuaded by Tate to go on with him to Tennessee. She had accompanied them from Canada, and we found her in the same room with Stanford and his wife. As soon as she found that we were about to enter the room, she ran under the bed. We knew nothing of her being in the room until Stanford pointed to the bed and said, "Under there is our betrayer." She was soon hauled out, and it was as much as some of us could do to keep the others from lynching her upon the spot. The curses came thick and fast from a majority of the company. But nothing attracted my attention at the time more than the look of Mrs. Stanford at the betrayer, as she sat before her. She did not say a word to her, but her countenance told the feelings of her inmost soul, and we could but think, that had she spoken to her, she would have said, "May the world deny thee a shelter! earth a home! the dust a grave! the sun his light! and Heaven her God!"
The betrayer begged us to let her go. I was somewhat disposed to comply with her request, but I found many to oppose me; in fact, I was entirely alone. My main reason for wishing to let her escape was that I was afraid that her life would be in danger. I knew that, if she was taken back to Buffalo or Canada, she would fall into the hands of an excited people, the most of whom had themselves been slaves. And they, being comparatively ignorant of the laws, would be likely to take the law into their own hands.
However, the woman was not allowed to escape, but was put into the coach, together with Stanford and his wife; and after an hour and a half's drive, we found ourselves in the city of Buffalo. The excitement which the alarm had created in the morning had broken up the meetings of the colored people for that day; and on our arrival in the city we were met by some forty or fifty colored persons. The kidnappers had not been inactive; for, on our arrival in the city, we learned that the man who had charge of the carriage and fugitives when we caught up with them, returned to the city immediately after giving the slaves up to us, and had informed Tate, who had remained behind, of what had occurred. Tate immediately employed the sheriff and his posse to re-take the slaves. So, on our arrival in Buffalo, we found that the main battle had yet to be fought. Stanford and his wife and child were soon provided with clothing and some refreshment, while we were preparing ourselves with clubs, pistols, knives, and other weapons of defence. News soon come to us that the sheriff, with his under officers, together with some sixty or seventy men who were at work on the canal, were on the road between Buffalo and Black Rock, and that they intended to re-take the slaves when we should attempt to take them to the ferry to convey them to Canada. This news was anything but pleasant to us, but we prepared for the worst.
We returned to the city about two o'clock in the afternoon, and about four we started for Black Rock ferry, which is about three miles below Buffalo. We had in our company some fifty or more able-bodied, resolute men, who were determined to stand by the slaves, and who had resolved, before they left the city, that if the sheriff and his men took the slaves, they should first pass over their dead bodies.
We started, and when about a mile below the city, the sheriff and his men came upon us, and surrounded us. The slaves were in a carriage, and the horses were soon stopped, and we found it advisable to take them out of the carriage, and we did so. The sheriff came forward, and read something purporting to be a "Riot Act," and at the same time called upon all good citizens to aid him in keeping the "peace." This was a trick of his, to get possession of the slaves. His men rushed upon us with their clubs and stones and a general fight ensued. Our company had surrounded the slaves, and had succeeded in keeping the sheriff and his men off. We fought, and at the same time kept pushing on towards the ferry.
In the midst of the fight, a little white man made his appearance among us, and proved to be a valuable friend. His name was Pepper; and he proved himself a pepper to the sheriff and his posse that day. He was a lawyer; and as the officers would arrest any of our company, he would step up and ask the officer if he had a "warrant to take that man;" and as none of them had warrants, and could not answer affirmatively, he would say to the colored man, "He has no right to take you; knock him down." The command was no sooner given than the man would fall. If the one who had been arrested was not able to knock him down, some who were close by, and who were armed with a club or other weapon, would come to his assistance.
After it became generally known in our company that the "little man" was a lawyer, he had a tremendous influence with them. You could hear them cry out occasionally, "That's right, knock him down; the little man told you to do it, and he is a lawyer; he knows all about the law; that's right, -- hit him again! he is a white man, and he has done our color enough."
Such is but a poor representation of what was said by those who were engaged in the fight. After a hard-fought battle, of nearly two hours, we arrived at the ferry, the slaves still in our possession. On arriving at the ferry, we found that some of the sheriff's gang had taken possession of the ferry-boat. Here another battle was to be fought, before the slaves could reach Canada. The boat was fastened at each end by a chain, and in the scuffle for the ascendency, one party took charge of one end of the boat, while the other took the other end. The blacks were commanding the ferryman to carry them over, while the whites were commanding him not to. While each party was contending for power, the slaves were pushed on board, and the boat shoved from the wharf. Many of the blacks jumped on board of the boat, while the whites jumped on shore. And the swift current of the Niagara soon carried them off, amid the shouts of the blacks, and the oaths and imprecations of the whites. We on shore swung our hats and gave three cheers, just as a reinforcement came to the whites. Seeing the odds entirely against us in numbers, and having gained the great victory, we gave up without resistance, and suffered ourselves to be arrested by the sheriff's posse. However, we all remained on the shore until the ferry-boat had landed on the Canada side. As the boat landed, Stanford leaped on shore, and rolled over in the sand, and even rubbed it into his hair.
I did not accompany the boat over, but those who did informed us that Mrs. Stanford, as she stepped on the shore, with her child in her arms, exclaimed, "I thank God that I am again in Canada!" We returned to the city, and some forty of our company were lodged in jail, to await their trial the next morning.
And now I will return to the betrayer. On our return to Buffalo, she was given over to a committee of women, who put her in a room, and put a guard over her. Tate, who had been very active from the time that he heard that we had recaptured the carriage with the slaves, was still in the city. He was not with the slaves when we caught up with them at Hamburgh, nor was he to be found in the fight. He sent his hirelings, while he remained at the hotel drinking champagne. As soon as he found the slaves were out of his reach, he then made an offer of fifty dollars to any person who would find the betrayer. He pretended that he wished to save her from the indignation of the colored people. But the fact is, he had promised her that if she would accompany him to the south, that he would put her in a situation where she would be a lady. Poor woman! She was foolish enough to believe him; and now that the people had lost all sympathy for her, on account of her traitorous act, he still thought that, by pretending to be her friend, he could induce her to go to the south, that he might sell her. But those who had her in charge were determined that she should be punished for being engaged in this villanous transaction.
Several meetings were held to determine what should be done with her. Some were in favor of hanging her, others for burning her, but a majority were for taking her to the Niagara river, tying a fifty-six pound weight to her, and throwing her in. There seemed to be no way in which she could be reached by the civil law. She was kept in confinement three days, being removed to different places each night.
So conflicting were the views of those who had her in charge, that they could not decide upon what should be done with her. However, there seemed to be such a vast majority in favor of throwing her into the Niagara river, that some of us, who were opposed to taking life, succeeded in having her given over to another committee, who, after reprimanding her, let her go.
Tate, in the mean time, hearing that the colored people had resolved to take vengeance on him, thought it best to leave the city. On Monday, at ten o'clock, we were all carried before Justice Grosvenor; and of the forty who had been committed the evening before, twenty-five were held to bail to answer to a higher court. When the trials came on, we were fined more or less, from five to fifty dollars each.
During the fight no one was killed, though there were many broken noses and black eyes; one young man, who was attached to a theatrical corps, was so badly injured in the conflict that he died some three months after.
Thus ended one of the most fearful fights for human freedom that I ever witnessed. The reader will observe that this conflict took place on the Sabbath, and that those who were foremost in getting it up were officers of justice. The plea of the sheriff and his posse was, that we were breaking the Sabbath by assembling in such large numbers to protect a brother slave and his wife and child from being dragged back into slavery, which is far worse than death itself.
read the entire autobiography here: William Wells Brown Narrative | <urn:uuid:e71b377c-b6b8-4dfc-bcab-0b7e4c517ce9> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://www.math.buffalo.edu/~sww/0history/wwbnarative.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549426951.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20170727022134-20170727042134-00182.warc.gz | en | 0.994184 | 5,382 | 2.9375 | 3 | The extract provides a detailed account of William Wells Brown's life, including his experiences as a slave, his escape to freedom, and his subsequent involvement in the anti-slavery movement. The narrative showcases Brown's leadership skills, empathy, and critical thinking as he navigates complex situations, such as rescuing a fellow slave and his family from kidnappers. The extract also highlights the importance of teamwork, as Brown works with others to achieve their goals. Additionally, the narrative demonstrates Brown's ability to think strategically and make difficult decisions, such as deciding what to do with the betrayer. The extract also touches on themes of intercultural fluency, as Brown interacts with people from different backgrounds and cultures. Overall, the extract provides a rich and nuanced portrayal of Brown's life and experiences, offering valuable insights into the development of soft skills such as leadership, empathy, and critical thinking.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 340,746 | 1 |
Birthday Months: Phases of the Moon and Astrological Meanings
By Allison De Meulder
The phases of the moon, also known as lunar phases, are the appearance of the moon as it rotates around the Earth. When a person looks in the sky, the look of the moon is affected by how much of it is illuminated by the sun. This is determined by the moons position between the sun and the Earth at a specific phase of its rotation. There are eight of these moon phases and they follow a specific order. These phases are, the new moon, the waxing crescent moon, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, third quarter, and waning crescent. The phases of the moon have inspired folklore and the imagination for centuries. Its different phases have been associated with everything from fertility to crops. For some people, they believe that the lunar phase that occurred on the day that they were born also affects who they are as a person. For example, people born under a new moon may be more impulsive while a person who is politically radical may be born under the last quarter moon.
The new moon phase is the first phase of the moon. It occurs when the moon lies directly between the sun and the Earth, and is characterized by the fact that its dark side is facing the Earth. In this phase the moon is nearly invisible, especially at night, unless it occurs during a solar eclipse. In certain calendars such as the Muslim and Hebrew calendars, it marks the start of a new month. In astrological terms, people whose birthdays fall during new moon days are said to be inspired by the Aries sign. They will be more enthusiastic and given to take action quickly on their beliefs, but should be cautioned against being hasty.
Waxing Crescent Moon
The moon's second phase is called the waxing crescent. In this phase, only a small portion of the moon that faces the Earth is visible, forming what looks like a thin crescent. In the northern hemisphere the visible crescent is on the bright side, while in the southern hemisphere it is on the left side. The term waxing refers to the moon's bright side becoming increasingly visible. The moon is in this phase until the crescent grows to half of its surface. According to astrology, those born in this lunar phase will be more assertive.
Eventually, the waxing crescent moon progresses into the first quarter phase. This phase is where half of the moon is visible to Earth, either the right or left side will be visible depending on the hemisphere. When in the northern hemisphere, the right side will be visible and the left in the southern hemisphere. The first quarter moon is called a first quarter because it is a quarter of the way through the phases at this point. The moon is in this phase until its surface is nearly entirely visible. People whose birthdays fall under this lunar phase will be strong-willed.
Waxing Gibbous Moon
The term gibbous means "hunched" in Latin, which is an apt description of this phase of the moon. In this phase, this moon is almost at the point of being a full moon. From the perspective of Earth, only a sliver of the moon is still shrouded in darkness. It will eventually transition into a full moon. The astrological predictions for those born under a waxing gibbous moon say that they will be primarily focused on self-improvement.
In this phase, the Earth lies between the moon and the sun. This means that the moon is completely visible from the Earth. It is the exact opposite of a new moon, or dark moon, and while it is visible during the day, it is most prominent at night. People born under a full moon are thought to be in tune with others. They are also said to run the risk of developing short attention spans.
Waning Gibbous Moon
The waning gibbous moon follows the full moon phase. Its name comes from the fact that while the moon is still almost completely bright and visible, especially at night, its light side is decreasing in size when seen from Earth. From the northern hemisphere a slight dark crescent starts to appear on the right side, while in the southern hemisphere it appears on the left side. Astrological predictions say that people born under a waning gibbous moon will be inspired to become teachers.
Last Quarter Moon
The last quarter moon occurs when half of the moon is visible to Earth. The left side will be visible from the northern hemisphere while the southern side will be visible from the southern half of Earth. It is also referred to as the third quarter moon, because at this point it is three-fourths of the way through its phases. Its bright side will continue to decline until it reaches the waning crescent phase. Astrologists say that those born under this phase tend to be unusually insightful or they may be politically active.
Waning Crescent Moon
In this phase, only a slight crescent of the moon is visible. What remains of the moon's bright side can be seen on the left in areas north of the equator and on the right side in areas to the south. This marks the end of a lunar-based calendar month, and the beginning of another, new one when the moon goes into its new moon phase. People born under this phase are said to look a lot toward the future. | <urn:uuid:1cfb0b25-9e6d-492f-b52a-f6821f12a50a> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | https://www.invitationconsultants.com/birthday-months-phases-of-the-moon-and-astrological-meanings.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128319902.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20170622201826-20170622221826-00278.warc.gz | en | 0.958208 | 1,113 | 2.984375 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing instead on the phases of the moon and their astrological meanings. There is no coverage of communication, teamwork, leadership, or problem-solving concepts, and no practical application or professional development opportunities are presented. Cultural awareness is limited to brief mentions of certain calendars, and digital literacy is absent.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 297,939 | 0 |
by Hazel D. Brittingham
Weather conditions have fashioned the fate and fortune of seamen and farmers since men first hoisted a sail or plowed a furrow. People who live in rural areas along the seacoast have a special sensitivity to the weather and its effects upon their lives and livelihood. With todays precision in weather forecasting, it is easy to forget that there was a time when foreboding and a copy of The Old Farmers Almanac were among the few tools to assist in predicting fair weather or foul.
"Wind from the south has water in its mouth" and "A sunshiny shower never lasts an hour" are examples of oft-repeated ditties recited by fisherman and farmers who depended upon their personal store of experience and wisdom in deciding whether or not to climb aboard their vessel or hitch up a team of farm animals. Bible readers were familiar with the assurance that "Fair weather cometh out of the north." An even more familiar rhyme has its foundation in Matthew 16:2-3:
Red sky at night, sailors delight,
Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.
Even the couplet was of no aid to James Drew, captain of the British sloop-of-war DeBraak when he guided the ship toward the relative safety of the Delaware Bay in the area of Cape Henlopen on May 25, 1798, following the rigors of ocean travel. The captain must have had no warning that anything was awry, weather-wise. The time of day was between that of morning and evening——whatever the skys color——and the ships master was prepared to board a small boat to take him to Lewistown to see to provisioning the DeBraak. A sudden gust of wind laid the ship on her beam-ends and, filling at once with water, she sank. Capt. Drew and many of his crew lost their lives in the disaster. The extent of the treasure stored in her hold, if any, remains a mystery to this day, despite numerous attempts over the years to locate and raise the ship. The nearest thing to success came in late summer 1986 when a portion of the hull was raised, but alas, no treasure cache was discovered.
However, the adverse weather conditions confronted by salvagers and seekers of the hoped-for wealth over the years eventually gained a reputation and personalization. Thus was forged the local legend of the wiles of the Bad Weather Witch. As each succeeding salvage attempt was terminated, the chief reason was placed upon the influence of the Witchs jinx on the current efforts.
It was in the fall of 1935 (137 years after the loss of the ship), that Capt. Clayton Morrissey of the Colstad expeditions salvage schooner Liberty decided to take action. Foul weather, once again, had thwarted the activities and hopes of the would-be finders of ship and fortune. The captain, a veteran skipper from Gloucester, called all hands to the deck of the Liberty for a ceremony to reflect the wrath of the superstitious sailors. Morrissey drew a picture of the Witch on a large piece of cardboard; it was a composite figure of all evils known to seafarers. The next step was to punish the Witch, and each sailor took pot shots at the effigy, hurling any item at hand and riddling it with pistol shots. Then a match was touched to the illustration, and the participants watched the Bad Weather Witch as it was burned at the stake. Operations were immediately resumed with renewed hope for success in tranquil waters. As one of the party soon reported, it seemed that the only result of the exercise of exorcism appeared to be an invitation for more bad weather. The seasons work of the salvage expedition concluded in mid-November.
The sentiment that everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it did not hold water with the U.S. government. Doubtless a great deal of talking, starting in the early 1820s, was necessary to obtain approval for the first of two massive federal projects in Delaware Bay. The two breakwaters were constructed to offer a haven of safety for mariners in the area during storms. | <urn:uuid:8e7f4e0b-c6bf-43d9-9636-9aff4df907a0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lewestownpublishers.com/lewes_history/weather_oddities.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704662229/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114422-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976457 | 852 | 3.15625 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on historical weather forecasting and a maritime legend. It provides no opportunities for developing communication, teamwork, or problem-solving skills. Cultural awareness and digital literacy are absent.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 265,209 | 0 |
India is not only a country, but also the world’s largest democracy. It has been home to many languages, religions and cultures throughout history. However, India faces severe challenges in terms of education.
In this essay I will be discussing how Indian children are educated through various socio-cultural factors that contribute to their learning styles as well as what disparities exist between urban and rural areas when it comes to educational opportunities for them.,
The “1000 words essay sample” is an essay on India for students and children. It’s a short, 1000 word essay that discusses the history of India and how it has changed over time.
We’ve included a 1000-word essay about India for students and children in this post. It comprises Geography, information about the flag, literature, science, national culture, tourism destinations, well-known people, and ten lines about India.
Introduction (1000-word essay about India)
India is a country of great diversity & culture. People of diverse castes, creed, religion, and cultures are found here living together. That’s why India is called ‘unity in diversity’.
People in India speak a variety of languages, although Hindi is the country’s official language. It is the world’s seventh-largest nation in terms of land area.
India is also known as Bharat, Hindustan, and Aryavart, which is an old name for the country. India is located on the Indian peninsula. Oceans from three directions occupy it. The ‘Bay of Bengal’ is to the east, the ‘Indian Ocean’ to the south, and the ‘Arabian Sea’ to the west.
The tiger is India’s national animal, the peacock is its national bird, and the mango is its national fruit. Hockey is claimed to be the country’s national sport. The national anthem of the country is “Jana Gana Mana,” while the national song is “Vande Mataram.”
The national India’s flag is tricolour and is called Tiranga. It consists of three colours which are Saffron, White, and Green.
The saffron tint of the flag’s highest portion represents purity. White is the color of the central half of the flag, which represents peace. The color green is used in the bottom section of the flag to represent fertility.
The centre half of the white color has a blue Ashoka chakra written on it, which contains 24 evenly split spokes. There are 28 states and eight union territories that make up the Indian subcontinent.
Science and literature
India is a land of many famous personalities of Science and literature like Rabindra Nath Tagore, CV Raman, Prem Chand Sarat Chandra, Jagdish Chandra Bose, Homi Jehangir Bhabha, and Dr. Abdul Kalam.
The country is separated into villages and farmland for the most part. Rivers like as the Ganga, Godavari, Kaveri, Yamuna, and Narmada run across the nation. Furthermore, the Gangetic valley is regarded as the country’s most fertile area.
The nation is flanked on three sides by seas and on the northern side by the Himalayas, which serve as a natural border. India is a secular nation where all faiths may flourish without fear of persecution.
Indian culture has been passed down down the generations, and there is a sense of unity in variety. People in India speak a variety of languages and worship a variety of gods, yet the sense of nationalism that unites the country’s citizens is universal. India also offers a plethora of tourism attractions that attract tens of thousands of international visitors each year.
India is a peninsular nation, meaning it is bordered on three sides by seas. India benefits from its lengthy coastline in terms of commerce with other nations. China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are the nations with whom India has land borders.
Languages and Cultures
India is a melting pot of cultures and faiths, including Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Sikhism. Here, all faiths flourish and are free to practice their faith. There are churches, temples, and mosques all around the nation.
People’s minds are drawn to India first and foremost. The people have a strong attachment to the nation. In the nation, people of many castes, faiths, creeds, and civilizations coexist. This is why this nation is known as “unity in variety.”
India is famed for its spirituality, science, philosophy, diversity, culture, and technology, among other things. Agriculture and farming are very important in India, since they are the country’s backbone. India sells its food grains all over the globe.
India’s main exports are rice, cotton, jute, sugar, tea, and dairy goods. It is the world’s largest producer of milk. In addition to groundnuts, vegetables, fruits, and fish, India exports to a number other nations. The abundance of spectacular natural and historical landmarks has made India a popular tourist destination.
Monuments, churches, tombs, historical sites, and other architectural structures abound throughout India. They’re also a source of revenue for the country. The Taj Mahal, the Golden Temple, Fatehpur Sikri, Qutub Minar, Ooty, Red Fort, Nilgiris, Khajuraho, Kashmir, Ajanta and Ellora caves, and other major tourist attractions in India include the Taj Mahal, the Golden Temple, Fatehpur Sikri, Qutub Minar, Ooty, Red Fort, Nilgiris, Khajuraho, Kashmir, Ajanta and Ellora caves
These are some of the country’s natural marvels. Great rivers, valleys, mountains, plains, lakes, seas, national parks, and animal sanctuaries abound in this country.
Each state in India has its own distinct culture, as well as historical landmarks that attract visitors. Sugarcane, jute, cotton, wheat, rice, cereals, and a variety of other crops are among the country’s agricultural products.
India is home to renowned leaders, independence fighters, scientists, authors, poets, and a wide range of other professions.
Indian troops secure the nation by stationing themselves around the border. Great leaders such as Chhatrapati Shivaji, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, as well as great scientists such as Dr. Jagadeesh Chandra Bose, Dr. C.V Raman, Dr. Homi Bhabha, Dr. Naralikar, and great reformers such as Mother Teresa, T.N Seshan, and Pandurang Shastri Alphaville, were born in
India is a democratic and secular country. In her lap, followers of many faiths exhale blissfully. India has a distinct culture that has evolved through time.
India in 10 Lines
1. The ‘Republic of India’ is an Asian peninsular nation. India is bordered on three sides by water.
2. India is the world’s seventh-largest nation in terms of land area, with seven neighbors.
3. With a population of roughly 1.3 billion people, India is the world’s second most populous nation.
4. The nation is surrounded by the ‘Arabian Sea’ in the west, the ‘Indian Ocean’ in the south, and the ‘Bay Of Bengal’ in the east.
5. The ‘Himalayas’ may be found in the country’s northern region.
6. The Ganga, Brahmaputra, Yamuna, Narmada, Cauvery, and Godavari rivers all run through continental India.
7. The national flag is rectangular and is made up of three colors: saffron, white, and green, with a ‘Ashoka Chakra’ in the center.
8. The ‘Lion Capital of Ashoka,’ which is located in ‘Sarnath,’ is the national symbol. “Satyamev Jayate,” which means “truth alone wins,” is inscribed at the bottom.
9. Rabindranath Tagore created the national anthem, “Jana Gana Mana.”
10. The national anthem is Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s “Vande Mataram.”
India is a vast nation with many different cultures. People worship a variety of gods and speak a variety of languages. People have a strong sense of belonging to their country.
I hope you enjoyed this India Essay.
My country essay is a short essay on your country. It can be written in 100 words or less. Reference: my country 100 words essay.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is India famous for essay?
A: India is best known for its cultural heritage, from the epic and ancient tales of Indian mythology to their vast religious diversity. It’s also famous for being home to some of the world‘s oldest living civilizations.
Why India is my favorite country?
A: India is your favorite country because its the birthplace of Ram, Krishna and Buddha. All three figures created a huge impact on society during their lifetime, which can be seen in Indian culture to this day.
How can I write about India?
A: There are many different ways to write about India. A good way is to talk about the Indian people and culture, as well as their history, religions, cuisine and family life. In order for a piece of writing on this topic to be successful it must be concise with an outline.
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- 1000 words essay on health is wealth | <urn:uuid:032633ab-ff23-4887-a3d0-527867bf3e72> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://icfamwell.org/essay-on-india-for-students-and-children-in-1000-words/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296948609.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20230327060940-20230327090940-00036.warc.gz | en | 0.94128 | 2,133 | 2.8125 | 3 | The extract provides basic information about India, its culture, geography, and history, but lacks depth and practical application of soft skills. It does not include discussions of emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, or critical thinking opportunities. The content is mostly theoretical and focused on providing factual information, making it suitable for a score of 1.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 305,929 | 0 |
Signs of Healthy and Low Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is important for everyone because it influences all our choices and decisions and affects every aspect of our lives, including our behavior and how we value ourselves.
Low self-esteem can be a problem for a number of reasons. It causes lack of confidence and can leave you feeling defeated or depressed. People with low self-esteem often make bad choices that prevent them from living happy and fulfilling lives.
On the other hand, high self-esteem could sometimes have undesirable consequences as well. According to research, people with too high self-esteem also tend to have worse relationships and are more likely to engage in risk-taking, aggressive behaviors, and violence. Self-esteem that is too high can also be a sign of narcissistic personality disorder.
Both low self-esteem and excessively high self-esteem are equally bad. The key is to find that perfect balance somewhere in the middle. So ideally, you should try to achieve a realistic yet positive view of yourself.
But what exactly is self-esteem, and how to tell that your self-esteem needs a boost? What can you do to build healthy self-esteem? Read on to find out.
What is self-esteem?
In psychology, the term self-esteem is used to describe the emotional and cognitive evaluation of our own worth. In simple words, it is the opinion we have of ourselves and how we appreciate and like ourselves. This opinion influences the way we think, feel, and act.
Keep in mind that self-esteem doesn’t have much connection with a person’s ability or talent. For example, a person talented in a specific area may still have poor self-esteem, and a person who is struggling terribly with a particular topic can have healthy self-esteem.
The word self-esteem is often synonymous with such words as self-respect, self-value, and self-worth. It is often seen as a personality trait that is the result of well-established thought patterns, and that means it can be challenging to change.
Factors that influence self-esteem
Self-esteem develops over your lifetime. It begins to form when you are a little child and is shaped by your thoughts, relationships, and experiences.
There are many factors, which can influence your self-esteem, including:
- Your inner thinking
- Genetic factors
- Experiences at home, school, or work
- Potential illness, disability, or injury
- Role and status in society
- How other people react to you
- Media messages
Why is self-esteem important?
Self-esteem plays an essential role in your emotional life, motivation, and success throughout your life. Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs highlights self-esteem as one of the basic human motivations that drives every decision we make.
Everyone needs both self-respect and esteem from other people to grow as a person and reach their full potential. Besides, maintaining good self-esteem is critical to our mental health and helps us build healthy couple relationships.
What are signs of healthy self-esteem?
Today, self-love and self-confidence are considered important. But you should always keep in mind that “the more, the better” isn’t always the way to go.
People with overly high self-esteem feel superior to others and overlook their own flaws. They are often arrogant and express the feeling of entitlement.
Healthy self-esteem means the perfect balance of self-appreciation and respect for others. People with healthy self-esteem can accurately assess their strengths and weaknesses and believe that they are worthwhile people. They see difficulties as challenges and don’t allow anyone to treat them badly or take advantage of them.
You probably have healthy self-esteem if you
- Have a positive outlook on life
- Feel confident
- Say what you want and feel
- Have a balanced, accurate view of yourself
- Love yourself as a whole person
- Take care of yourself and look after your own needs
- Don’t compare yourself to others
- Don’t dwell on past, negative experiences
- Have healthy boundaries with other people
- Say “no” to things you don’t want to do
- Take responsibility for your actions and feelings
- Believe you are good enough and deserve to be happy
What are the benefits of healthy self-esteem?
When we have good self-esteem and value ourselves, we feel more secure and worthwhile. We have mostly positive relationships with other people and feel confident about our abilities. We are also open to learning new things and getting feedback, which can help us acquire new skills and master them.
People with healthy self-esteem tend to think more optimistically about life in general and focus on growth and improvement. They are also more resilient and find it easier to tackle the ups and downs of life. Besides, they are less likely to stay in unhealthy relationships that are codependent or abusive.
What are signs of low self-esteem?
People with low self-esteem tend to see themselves, the world, and their future more negatively and critically. They find it difficult to make decisions and excessively depend on the approval of others.
Low self-esteem makes people constantly question themselves, reducing their confidence. When they encounter challenges, they doubt whether they will be able to cope with them, so they might avoid taking risks and just focus on not making mistakes in life.
It can be hard to realize that you have low self-esteem, and often, this feeling has been around so long that it can really feel like it’s just how you see the world. But living with low self-esteem can be tough and emotionally painful.
Here are some common signs of low-self-esteem you should be aware of:
- Focusing only on the negative aspects of life
- Lack of boundaries
- Negative self-talk and self-hatred
- Negative body image
- Thinking that other people are better than you and feeling worthless
- Obsession with perfection and feeling that you are not good enough
- Intense fear of failure, assuming the worst even if you have no evidence to support it
- Difficulty in expressing your own needs
- Relying on others to make decisions
- Trouble accepting compliments
- Feeling guilty for everyday actions
- Apologizing frequently
- Blaming others for any troubles in your life
- Avoiding social interactions
- Being hostile when confronted with criticism
- Feeling depressed and anxious
People with low self-esteem may also suffer from physical symptoms – struggle with chronic fatigue or insomnia and have frequent headaches as a result of the emotional burden.
We all may have negative feelings about ourselves from time to time, and it’s OK. But if these feelings are long-lasting, it’s quite possible that you have low self-esteem.
What can cause low self-esteem?
There are many different reasons why people may have low self-esteem – their genes, how and where they grew up, and other life circumstances all play a role.
According to research, self-esteem increases with age, and men usually have a higher level of self-esteem than women. But in Western countries, there is a more pronounced self-esteem gender gap.
Nobody is born with low self-esteem. Self-esteem can start as early as babyhood and develops slowly over time. It is shaped by how much kids feel loved, and how much support or criticism they receive from important people in their life – their parents and teachers. So building children’s self-esteem is an ongoing part of parenting.
We may develop low self-esteem because of difficult or stressful life experiences during childhood and later life:
- Excessive criticism from parents and teachers
- Mental, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse
- Not feeling safe and/or loved
- Physical health problems
- Mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety disorders
- Neglect or being ignored
- Problems while studying or at work
- Bullying, teasing, discrimination
- Financial problems
- Relationships problems like separation or divorce stress
- Unrealistic expectations or failing to certain standards
Some personality traits can also make us prone to negative thinking about ourselves. But mostly, low self-esteem is caused by a set of negative core beliefs, which we develop in childhood when we receive negative messages from our parents, teachers, siblings, friends, and social media.
These opinions and beliefs about our identity can become our way of thinking, so we don’t even question their validity. We may consider them as “truths” for all time, and it can be challenging to forget them or let go of them. But they have nothing to do with reality because they are just stories or labels.
You can’t control your past experiences, relationships, and beliefs, but they don’t have to be your destiny. A major factor that has the biggest impact on your self-esteem is your inner voice – your own thoughts, and they are within your control.
If you work on changing your negative thought patterns, you can develop a more balanced view of yourself, although this transformation doesn’t occur instantly. It takes time and practice, and you may often need some outside help to make a real change.
Is low self-esteem a mental health problem?
Low self-esteem is not categorized as a mental health illness. But there is a clear link between the way you feel about yourself and your overall mental and emotional wellbeing.
And if you are living with low self-esteem for a long time, it might lead to mental health problems. For example, it can lead to anxiety, depression, and loneliness, which will only reinforce your negative self-image.
Besides, low self-esteem and other mental health conditions tend to work in a vicious cycle, and it’s often hard to say which comes first. In such cases, you should seek the help of a mental health professional who can help you identify why your self-esteem is low and show you ways to build healthy self-esteem.
How can I improve my low self-esteem?
As you see, having self-esteem issues can negatively affect your mental health, personal and professional relationships. Besides, it can be an obstacle to your financial success because it makes you doubt your abilities and judgment and prevents you from setting ambitious goals and building willpower to achieve them.
If you suffer from low self-esteem, you should remember that it’s not something you have to live with. You have the right to feel good about who you are. And although it might sometimes feel as if changing everything will be difficult, there are lots of things you can try to improve your self-esteem.
Take control of your thoughts
If you want to change the way you feel about yourself, you should change the way you think about yourself. You need to identify negative thought patterns and test their accuracy.
You shouldn’t immediately believe every thought you have because thoughts are not all facts or rules. Your negative self-beliefs may be outdated, untrue, or may just be opinions or perceptions.
Adjust your negative, self-destructive thought patterns like negative self-talk, confusing feelings with facts, jumping to negative conclusions with no evidence to support them, or seeing only negative things. You should replace them with constructive thoughts, using the following strategies:
- Focus on the positive aspects of life
- Encourage yourself and celebrate your accomplishments
- Separate your feelings from your thoughts
- Think about what you’ve learned from a negative experience
If you constantly forget your own needs and prioritize the needs of other people, you don’t value yourself enough. You should learn to love yourself and take care of yourself. It will help you counter your negative thoughts and build up your self-worth.
Work on developing healthy lifestyle habits – exercise daily for at least 30 minutes a day, keep a healthy balanced diet, and try to get enough sleep. Try yoga, an ancient comprehensive practice and meditation that help bring calm and mindfulness to your life. You’ll feel healthier physically and feel better emotionally.
You should also take care of your appearance and spend time doing things you really enjoy. Take the time to read a book, learn something new, cook a delicious meal, get a massage, or start a new hobby.
Try to do something kind to yourself every day and spend time with positive people who appreciate you and make you feel happy. Avoid toxic friends and stay away from people who make you feel bad about yourself.
It’s easy to be hard on yourself after making a mistake, but it will make things even worse because you’ll be stuck in a self-destructive cycle of self-loathing and shame. You should argue with your inner critic and substitute useless self-criticism with self-compassion. Remember that everyone has flaws and makes mistakes, so you should be kind to yourself. Accept your imperfections and flaws because they make you unique.
If you notice you started a critical inner monologue, you should think about encouraging things that you could say to your close friend in a similar situation. People tend to be more compassionate to friends and usually give better advice to others than they do to themselves.
Stay mindful of your emotions
Emotional extremes are common for people with low self-esteem – they either get completely swept by emotions or suppress them. You should let yourself have emotions but try to take control over them, so you can experience them in a balanced, healthy way. That’s why you should learn coping skills to manage anxiety, guilt, anger, fear, worry, and stress. Start a mood journal to process your thoughts and feelings or use expressive writing. That will help you manage your negative thoughts.
Notice when you start comparing yourself to other people and try to limit comparisons because they lead to insecurity. Besides, they have no sense because they are based on false assumptions. You should accept that every person is different, and we all have our unique talents. There is only one you on this planet, so you should accept yourself as you are and focus your attention on your strengths.
You can make a list of your positive qualities, skills, achievements, and things you do well or enjoy doing. Add to this list regularly and read it when you have negative thoughts about yourself to remind yourself that you are OK. This simple exercise will help you realize just how much you have to offer and that you definitely deserve a more fulfilling, happier life.
Start saying no
You should learn to be assertive, although it can feel difficult first because you are not used to it. But it’s a really liberating feeling. Before you say “yes” to any request, ask yourself if you really want to do it or if you are ready to agree only because you hope this person will like you.
Remember that your worth doesn’t depend on the approval of other people. So if you don’t want to do something, pause, take a breath, and say “no.” You should decide how much you want to do for other people and set boundaries. Trying to always please people can negatively affect your wellbeing.
Learn to accept compliments
People with low self-esteem tend to be resistant to compliments and feel uncomfortable about them, although they need them. So you should learn to accept compliments. The best way is to prepare a set of responses and practice them regularly. This way, you will learn to use them automatically when you receive good feedback. You could make a note of the compliments you get from other people and read it when you doubt yourself or are feeling low.
How to help someone with low self-esteem
Maintaining relationships with someone who has low self-esteem can be tough because such people tend to be more sensitive and vulnerable. So what can you do to provide your family member, friend, or partner with the support they need and help them learn to love themselves?
Show your loved ones that you are always there for them and express your care and concern. Make them feel heard and appreciated, and give them a chance to feel secure in being themselves with you. Accept their thoughts and feelings about them as real and valid for them, and be patient. Offer your friend or partner real sincere compliments when you can.
Listen to them
Let your family member or friend express themselves by giving them your full attention when they are telling you something even if you don’t understand them. Let them talk freely because your goal is to demonstrate to them that their opinion matters to you, and you are ready to listen to them.
They will feel more confident knowing that you think their ideas and concerns are important enough to be heard.
Try to get your friend or relative to meet other people or try new things. People with low self-esteem focus on negative events and think more about them. So they typically try to avoid different things that they think are embarrassing. That can provoke social anxiety, depression and isolation.
But if they have positive experiences and see that they can make a positive contribution to different events, it can help them enhance their self-esteem.
That’s why you should involve them in social activities and new experiences if you are sure they can handle them. This way, you can show they are important to you.
Therapy for low self-esteem
Feeling bad about yourself can hold you back in life, so you should work on improving your self-esteem and give yourself a chance to be successful. If you have tried different things to boost your confidence and don’t see significant results, a good idea is to speak with a therapist about your self-esteem issues.
When it comes to addressing low self-esteem, two of the major approaches are psychodynamic therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Psychodynamic therapy can help you identify the underlying causes or reasons for having low self-esteem and connect your past experiences to present ones that may be influencing your self-esteem. And CBT is a skill-based approach that can help you identify self-defeating thoughts and ineffective behaviors and change them.
Therapy can be a safe place to explore how you think about yourself and understand where your perception of yourself and beliefs came from. A mental health professional can help you identify the root causes of your problems and provide you with effective tools to overcome them.
Therapists will integrate different scientifically supported psychological methods to help you start to relate to yourself in a more positive way, accept who you are, and feel comfortable and secure. With time and work, you’ll be able to develop a healthy relationship with yourself.
Self-esteem is the key factor for navigating problems and being successful in every aspect of life. People with healthy self-esteem are more motivated, hopeful, and believe in themselves more.
Low self-esteem is characterized by negative thinking, lack of confidence, and difficulty communicating one’s needs. If you constantly feel that you are not good enough, it can have a negative impact on your behavior, life choices, mental health, and your future.
Building healthy self-esteem is crucial for success. When you learn to love yourself, you strive for a better life – a happier relationship, a more fulfilling career, or recovery from addiction.
When you have low self-esteem, you need to work to change the deep-rooted feelings you have about yourself and adjust your negative thoughts into more positive ones. It’s important to believe that you can change. Although it’s not always easy, working with a therapist can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, accept who you are, and pave the way for self-empowerment.
Try Calmerry therapy
Iryna is a passionate content writer and life-long learner with an ongoing curiosity to learn new things. She has a Bachelor's degree in Health Sciences and Special Education and is studying for a Master's degree in Psychology. Iryna uses her knowledge and writing skills to create well-researched articles that educate readers and empower them to take charge of their mental health and practice self-care.Read more | <urn:uuid:4c44bbe3-711e-49cb-81f7-b8aa3e2b9727> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://ca.calmerry.com/blog/self-esteem/signs-of-healthy-and-low-self-esteem/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224652569.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20230606114156-20230606144156-00218.warc.gz | en | 0.961978 | 4,192 | 3.078125 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive overview of self-esteem, its importance, and its impact on mental health and relationships. It offers practical advice and strategies for improving low self-esteem, such as changing negative thought patterns, practicing self-care, and seeking therapy. The content demonstrates a good understanding of the topic and provides valuable insights, but it lacks interactive elements, complex scenarios, and nuanced discussions of soft skills like leadership, teamwork, and intercultural fluency. The extract focuses primarily on individual self-esteem and personal development, with limited exploration of broader social and professional contexts.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 800,410 | 0 |
Gardening the Community works with the local Mason Square Library in establishing raised garden beds and planting and cultivating vegetables and herbs in their plot of land. So far the fruits of our labor this season have been ripe. We have corn coming in, tomatoes, yellow summer squash, blueberries, raspberries, sunflowers, parsley, peppers, basil, and much more! Moreover, we also engage the
local youth from the Dunbar Community Center in urban agriculture education, food education, and a variety of garden activities to apply their knowledge in the garden. The program is all summer long on Wednesdays from 10:30-12 p.m. and you’d be surprised to see how much the kids learn and do in a small span of time! I’ll give you a rundown of last Wednesday’s activities.
It was a partly cloudy and breezy Wednesday, which seemed to add to the kids’ excitement as they entered the garden in a single file line with one Dunbar youth coordinator in the back and one at the front. Some of them smiled instantly at Mabelline and I upon recognizing our faces, and Ifi asked, “So what are we going to do today!” There are usually about 10-13 kids that come every Wednesday, some are what we call the “regulars” and others are new kids. Nevertheless, they always seem to be in the same age range-around 8 to 12 years old. We greet them them and lead them to the room where we usually set up and do some of our education activities. Mabelline and I shout, “Okay kids! Let’s go outside and play some games!” Before we began the new kids introduced themselves, and we played the icebreaker game “2 truths and 1 lie”. After getting better acquainted, we played Simon Says and laughs and screams filled the garden. After our game, I say, “Okay guys, we’re going to do some watering, harvesting, planting, and making parfaits today.” We heard a loud “Yaaay!” and instantly questions about whose going to pick what and accusations of who picked what last time bombarded us. To make it fair, we had the kids separate by counting themselves off into ones, twos, and threes. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. But usually the kids who work with the food preparation usually harvest the veggies and berries. And there’s always flexibility to join the planting crew or watering crew. Since there were so many tomatoes last Wednesday, everyone got to harvest their own tomato and pose and take pictures.
Meanwhile, the food prep crew harvested some of the blueberries and one gigantic yellow summer squash that we would eat with ranch dressing. Before making the food, we announce what we’re going to make and the ingredients we use. Afterwards, two kids would wash the veggies or fruit together. And another would pass out cups and utensils to eat. And depending on the type of veggie, others could “cut” or break up the veggies into smaller pieces. For example, one Wednesday we made salsa, so there were three girls breaking up the cilantro with their hands into smaller pieces. However, we made parfait this week so everyone got a chance to customize their own parfait and add their own fruit and berries. As I was cutting up the strawberries, one of our GtC youth passed out yogurt as the youth decided on which fruits to incorporate. I asked them, “How many of you have ever eaten parfait or heard of parfait?” Tatiana responded, “I’ve never had parfait,” along with Stefanie who said the same thing. Ifi shouted, “I’ve had parfait and it’s so good!” Ifi began to show the others who to layer their parfait and how to add the granola at the top. After the planting and watering crew were finished, they came in and ate their parfaits and some summer squash. Tatiana went around encouraging some youth to try a piece of summer squash with ranch, and after they tried-they loved it! Carlos said, “I never ate squash like that before. It’s good with ranch!”
After we all cleaned up and put away the supplies, the kids thanked us and hugged us goodbye. Ifi shouted as she walked out the door, “Can’t wait till next week!”
Thanks for reading! | <urn:uuid:23852939-30d7-43ea-a9cd-9ec58a68dce5> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://gardeningthecommunityblog.wordpress.com/2013/07/30/mason-square-library-program/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886105970.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20170820034343-20170820054343-00623.warc.gz | en | 0.969508 | 960 | 2.5625 | 3 | The extract showcases a community gardening program that effectively integrates soft skills development, such as teamwork, communication, and leadership, in a practical and engaging manner. The program's hands-on activities, like gardening and cooking, promote emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and problem-solving. The extract also highlights cultural awareness and digital literacy, albeit subtly, through the diverse participation of local youth and the use of technology implied in the program's organization. The scenarios presented are realistic and relatable, demonstrating a strong emphasis on intercultural fluency and technological adaptation.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 691,105 | 1 |
Changing your habits requires focus, effort, and thought. BUT, as you know, much of our thought life is subconscious and many of the things we do are done out of response to our environment. For example, you’re out at lunchtime and hungry. You stop at the first fast food restaurant you see. Or, you hear somebody talking about German chocolate cake and suddenly you have a strong urge for something chocolate. And you silence that urge by… Eating chocolate.
But there are other things that you might not think about doing that could significantly impact your weight loss success. Professor Brian Wansink from Cornell University researched the psychology of eating and discovered some daily practices that make you eat less.
Here are some research-backed changes you could make right now.
1. Eat Off Of A Blue Plate
People will eat less when they’re eating food off the plate that is a contrasting color. Research shows that people who eat spaghetti off a white plate eat less then ones who eat spaghetti off the red plate. I don’t know about you, but I don’t eat many foods that are blue.
2. Eat Off Of A Plate That Is SLIGHTLY Smaller Then Your Usual Plate
Have you ever seen the brain trick where you have two identical size circles but one appears much larger than the other because of the space surrounding it?
It’s the same principle that is at work when you eat off the smaller plate. Not only will you eat less but because of the way your brain perceives the food, you will do so without even realizing that it’s happening and may even perceive that you’ve eaten more than you have.
But don’t use a plate that’s TOO small. This could backfire and you could end up feeling like you need to go back for seconds. For best results, use a 10” plate instead of the usual 12” size.
3. Imagine Yourself Eating the Food Before You Eat
More than one study has shown that people who imagine themselves eating a particular food actually eat less of that food. It’s kind of like the brain perceives the thought as an actual action, therefore, when that food is actually introduced the brain feels like it’s already had some so the desire is already partly satisfied.
4. Sit By A Window At Restaurants Or At Home
Studies show that when you sit by a window you eat less food than you do when you are in the middle of the room.
5. Eat In Brightly Lit Environments
Science has proven that when you eat in a place that has bright lighting you order more healthy types of food then when you are in a dimly lit restaurant. This would also work at home
6. Keep Snacks Out Of Sight
If you hadn’t seen that fast food restaurant you wouldn’t have stopped. If you don’t see the snacks maybe you won’t eat them. Put things in the cabinets, better yet, put them in cabinets where they’re hard to reach. Or cover of the labels and things like ice cream so when you reach in the freezer you won’t have to look at it.
7. Imagine Yourself Eating Something You’re Craving
More than one study has shown that people who imagine themselves eating a particular food actually eat less of that food. It’s kind of like the brain perceives the thought as an actual action, therefore, when that food is actually introduced the brain feels like it’s already had some in the craving is reduced.
8. Cut Your Food Into Small Bites
Another study shows that when you do this you eat less of that food, and maybe even less of the food that you eat later.
Everything is psychological. There is nothing we do that doesn’t originate from a thought or subconscious stimulus. These are just a few ways to manipulate those stimuli and perhaps change the resulting behaviors! | <urn:uuid:97c5c0d9-5119-4d50-b2e1-9e1b00f6f415> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://www.tcrowsonfit.com/8-little-known-weight-loss-hacks/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320443.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20170625064745-20170625084745-00532.warc.gz | en | 0.959352 | 824 | 2.625 | 3 | The extract provides practical tips for weight loss, focusing on psychological manipulation of eating habits. While it lacks direct discussion of soft skills, it touches on self-awareness, critical thinking, and problem-solving. However, the content is more focused on individual behavior change rather than teamwork, communication, or leadership.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 220,386 | 0 |
Measuring the wall thickness of tubes and closed hollow objects is a difficult subject in the art.
Normally, to measure a thickness, one have to be able to access 2 faces of the wall to be measured. In the case of a closed object, this is impossible.
In addition, in the case of tubes, the surface to be measured is not flat, which adds a difficulty.
There are some techniques to measure the thickness of a wall non-destructively, i.e. from the outside, without having to open the object:
- Ultrasound: An ultrasound beam is sent through the surface of the wall to be measured. Once it has touched the opposite side, a part of the sound comes back. By measuring the time of the return trip, knowing the propagation characteristics of ultrasound in the material of the wall, one can deduce the thickness. The disadvantage of this method is that it is necessary to put a gel on the probe to ease the transmission of ultrasound, which requires a significant preparation time. In addition, the probe must be positioned as vertically as possible to the surface, which is difficult for manual operations on curved surfaces.
The ultrasound method does not allow to measure very thin thicknesses: indeed, when the wall to be measured is thin, the echo of the sound comes back too quickly. The measurement electronics are not able to measure this very short return time with great precision.
- X-rays or Gamma-rays: these systems are very versatile and allow to measure the thickness of very complex objects. They use ionizing rays that are able to cross the opaque materials. By making a series of 360 ° images around the object to be measured, it is possible to reconstruct the object by mathematical calculations, giving access to the measurement of the thickness of the walls. However, these systems are dangerous for health, their implementation is very expensive. They are also not effective for all cases: in highly granular materials as formed by 3D printing (additive manufacturing), the density variation makes the interpretation of the image complicated and harms the obtained precision.
- Eddy Currents: This method has many advantages over the previous methods. This is Sciensoria’s specialty. It uses an alternating magnetic field to penetrate the material of the object to be measured. This magnetic field creates induced electric currents that circulate in the volume thus “illuminated” and reports information. It is thus possible to determine the electrical conductivity, the thickness, the presence of defects in the volume, the distance between the probe and the surface of the object, etc.
Sciensoria has introduced key innovations in the sensor structure, the excitation field injection method, the signal processing in order to make possible the multi-parameter measurement of the object. With these innovations, it is possible to measure the wall thickness of a curved object such as a tube or box, with a tolerance on the grade of the metal, the angle or height of the probe relative to the surface of the object. No coupling is necessary: the probe can remain without any contact with this surface. The mesurement system can do up to tens of measurements per second. The eddy current method is thus well suited to measurement on production lines, dangerous installations (chemical or nuclear), uncleaned or dirty surfaces, etc.
Prestigious companies around the world have used Sciensoria’s non-destructive thickness measurement technology: General Electric Power, which measures the thickness of these 3D printed turbine blades, or the German supplier Mahle, which controls 100 % of auto parts with 2 Sciensoria equipments. | <urn:uuid:9fb5ab4a-3aa3-4108-ad0f-8b4406907e92> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.sciensoria.fr/en/measurement-of-wall-thickness-of-tubes-and-closed-hollow-objets/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224657144.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20230610062920-20230610092920-00464.warc.gz | en | 0.944661 | 734 | 3.609375 | 4 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing solely on technical information about measuring wall thickness. It does not include communication scenarios, teamwork, emotional intelligence, or leadership challenges. The content is informative but limited to theoretical knowledge and technical applications, without opportunities for practical skill development or cultural awareness.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 701,717 | 0 |
Least Tern > Workshops > But not Least > Learning and Lobstering
But not Least...
I know what you mean but... (and other attentive comments)
Good Attention is Hard To Come By: The Third Skill
What is Good Attending?
Like the related skills of Questioning and Answering, Attending has three components - Hearing, Evaluating, and Communicating. It is, in essence, a rehearsal of the skills necessary to be a independent learner. A student who attends well to what she reads and hears will be a good researcher, will be able to engage in the filtering of search results and the assessment of her own learning, and will be able to communicate her understanding and learning effectively. Needless to say, she will also be a good collaborator. At its best, Attending is an indicator that higher order thinking is going on. As is true of Questioning and Answering skills, the goal of the Attending skill is for the student to become an independent user of the skill; to use it without prompt from a teacher or other adult. Developed by collaborative experiences, Attending needs to internalized if a student is to become an independent learner.
Hearing is "active listening", with active patience. Strategies for a teacher's active listening have been well documented (for example, see Active Listening in the Classroom). It is a necessary permission of collaboration that each group member must be heard; it is a responsibility of collaboration to Hear others. It is important that ALL of a question be "heard" and that it be remembered. Students who misrespond to or don't understand good Questions are often not Hearing them. A teacher or group member who argues with, mocks or ignores the Answer to a good Question is often not Hearing it. Only a part of the brain is engaged by conversation (Heingartner), the rest can be "off somewhere," a condition that all teachers observe daily. Hearing is improved if Questions and Answers are presented in multiple formats: in writing, orally, in image form, enacted, modeled. A successful collaboration archives the Questions and Answers to assess Hearing so that review and revision are possible. The key Hearing question is "Do I understand?"
Evaluating is the process of determining relevance in terms of one's own cognitive understanding, gained through observations or research. Asking of a heard Question or Answer "Does it fit?" or "Does it have to do with..." or "Is this really important?" is the first step in the development of constructive Feedback, which is in turn the first step in successful Filtering. Students are not evaluating if they:
- are consistently sidetracked by non-relevant questions and non-relevant answers;
- consistently accept the answers of others without forming their own feedback statements;
- repeat answers;
- do not perceive the parts of multi-part questions;
- consistently frame answers that cover a wider range than that indicated by the Question.
Evaluating requires Teacher Tasks. Clarification of the Question or Answer and reference to an evaluative rubric (including the final learning outcome) are often necessary to promote Evaluation. It requires the collaborative permission to have an opinion, and to revise this opinion.
Communicating is the Feedback that the individual gives to the group. It can take the form of an Answer, a new Question, an opinion statement, or a summarizing statement. In the development of a final learning outcome, individual Communication steps play a vital role. They focus, and thereby Filter, the learning content and direction. By Attending carefully to Communications, teachers assess the progress of the individual student and of the collaborative group. As is true of Answering, there are both Good and Poor Communications and the quality is readily discerned by students at all levels, but Poor Communications are often glossed over, ignored, or acted upon as a result of the culture of the classroom. It is in Communications that teachers see that Higher Order thinking is taking place. Aligned with Bloom's Taxonomy, Communications should clearly show the student's progress from representation, to analysis, synthesis. It is important that the teacher keep the developmental stage of the student in mind when anticipating, Attending to and Assessing Communications.
The Filtering Funnel
We can now add the sub-skills of Hearing, Evaluating and Communicating to our Filtering Skill model. Information, data in any form (experiential, conceptual, viewed, heard, tasted, smelled, read, etc.) is introduced through Attending to Questioning and Answering. Each of these is filtered though what is originally a Teacher Permission and Teacher Assessment, and eventually through an internalized filter.
What Can a Teacher Do?
Children do not come naturally to Attending. The teacher needs to create the funnel that will eventually filter Answers, Questions and the attending Feedback and Assessments. It must be modeled and reinforced by the Teacher throughout the elementary, middle and early high school grades. Here are some specific strategies teacher can use to develop the Attending Skill:
- Do insist upon the permissions of collaboration - review them often.
- Model patience - give students time to Attend.
- In a teacher-led group, ask one student to summarize the Answer or Communication given by another. Do this often. If the restating is incorrect, return to the original answer.
- Insist that "one answer at a time" be the rule.
- Discourage hand raising - work in a preset answer rotation if necessary, but try to encourage students to Communicate with regard for others and without verbal permission from the teacher.
- Refrain from simply restating the content of "good answers" - encourage and model the vocabulary for extending content: "I want to add to what Bobby said about the button belonging because it is round..."
- Require that contradiction and disagreement be framed in the context of a filtered answer: "I disagree with what Bobby said about the button belonging because it is round..."
- If the response to an answer is "I agree" - ask "Why do you agree?"
- In a collaborative group, model feedback questions that are directed at the Question, not at an individual: "Is there another way to sort these things?" "If round things don't belong, what does belong?"
- Include Attending to Others in your assessment rubric.
- Structure collaborative learning activities so that Answers and Communications can be easily provided in formats other than dialogue: Consider images, writing, voice recording, charts, debate.
E. Sky-McIlvain 5/22/04 | <urn:uuid:325ab3d1-a6e4-4165-95b4-06505fb783c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.leasttern.com/workshops/butnotleast/learningskills/Attending.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699899882/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102459-00091-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944108 | 1,355 | 3.203125 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive discussion of the soft skill of Attending, including its components of Hearing, Evaluating, and Communicating. It offers practical strategies for teachers to develop this skill in students, promoting critical thinking, collaboration, and effective communication. The text also touches on cultural awareness and digital literacy, albeit briefly.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 76,263 | 1 |
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