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Lab Generating New Ideas for a Wireless Future
At the MobileLabat UT Dallas, cell phones do more than allow people to communicate with one another. In the hands of MobileLab researchers, these ubiquitous hand-held devices are like Alice’s rabbit hole: a portal to experience a different reality.
“Mobile technology, because it is also a social tool, is radically changing the way we think about our world and interact with it,” said Dean Terry, director of MobileLab and an associate professor in the School of Arts and Humanities. “A lot of our work explores the difference between the mobile experience and the desktop one, and the collaboration with others on new kinds of meaningful interactions with people and places via mobile devices.”
Less than 2 years old, MobileLab is supported by some of the world’s biggest technology and wireless companies. Ericsson, Texas Instruments, Research in Motion, Samsung and Apple are helping fund hardware, software and graduate student stipends. Ideas in the development stage include:
- An iPhone application called Placethings, which uses Global Positioning System technology to enable the creation, placement and viewing of photos, video and audio in a specific locale. This platform creates virtual layers of information and “place-based conversations” accessible via an iPhone.
- My Mobile Pet. A 3-D avatar created with an emerging technology called augmented reality, in which graphics appear superimposed over a real field of vision, creating a somewhat hallucinatory effect. When viewed through the camera phone, the avatar is seen as a virtual object moving in actual space and time.
Graduate students from engineering, computer science, and arts and technology – which includes specialties in game, animation and Web design, among other disciplines – collaborate on projects. Some students have technology expertise, while others focus on design and user experience. The result is an interdisciplinary team that can do the back-end engineering for a technology project and design a user-friendly interface, too.
Industry collaboration is important. Last year Ericsson gave the lab $100,000 with the only stipulation that it devise new uses for its wireless technology. A team of faculty and graduate students from the Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science and ATEC worked with Ericsson engineers over the course of nine months to come up with the idea of a bicycle outfitted with a wireless sensor network that monitors a rider’s vital signs and streams that data to the athlete’s coach.
In addition to Terry, the team included Dinesh Bhatia, an associate professor of electrical engineering and director of the school’s Embedded and Adaptive Computing Group, and Balakrishnan Prabhakaran, associate professor of computer science.
The team performed hardware and software systems integration and created a slick user interface. Ericsson executives were so impressed by the bike that it was featured at the company’s trade booth last spring during CTIA Wireless, the world’s largest wireless industry event. And the resulting system operates on very low power, which will be particularly important in spin-off applications under consideration for firefighters, soldiers and recently discharged patients, Dr. Bhatia noted.
“That’s what comes of giving free rein to a multidisciplinary team of bright graduate students and faculty,” said Dr. Bhatia.
Terry, a former West Coast entrepreneur, designed MobileLab to be more like a technology startup than a traditional university research lab. To keep a steady stream of ideas coming, his team holds regular brainstorming meetings, where ideas flow freely and industry partners are invited.
“Although the MobileLab relies on technology at its core, it functions more like a creative community,” said Simon Kane, graduate student in arts and technology. “I credit Dean Terry and his academic and industry background for this open approach. He lets students conceptualize and develop their own ideas with a tremendous amount of freedom and creativity.”
The wireless industry is taking notice of MobileLab. The students have been invited to present their ideas at such influential tech conferences as Mobilize, which is organized by the wireless technology blog, GigaOm; and Supernova, whose host is the technology startup blog TechCrunch and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Terry says the ideas from MobileLab are an example of the kinds of research that students majoring in Emerging Media and Communication at UT Dallas will have a chance to pursue once the new degree program begins in the fall. | <urn:uuid:d6b2369b-9e49-4c17-a372-336d176c40e7> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://www.utdallas.edu/atec/news/2009/07/lab-generating-new-ideas-for-a-wireless-future-2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320226.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20170624050312-20170624070312-00157.warc.gz | en | 0.942594 | 930 | 2.71875 | 3 | The extract showcases a research lab that fosters collaboration, creativity, and innovation, demonstrating some aspects of soft skills development. It highlights teamwork, interdisciplinary collaboration, and industry partnership, but lacks explicit discussion of emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and nuanced interaction. The extract presents practical applications and real-world context, but the focus is more on technological innovation than comprehensive soft skills development.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 150,259 | 0 |
Race as a social construct refers to the fact that race is almost assigned by others. That race only has a biological component because we have given it one. In the 1800’s it was common to label the Irish and the Franks a separate race in a world that was still largely monopolized by whites in order to subset ourselves, and then even for Northern American States and Southern American States to differentiate their races by Puritan and Huguenots and Jacobites. The process of such sub setting was a way to create individuality and then bestow inferiority.
A perfect example of this would actually be myself. While my mother’s family can claim French, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh as their heritage, my father’s all come from one small island nation midway between Libya and Italy. The result of the latter is my darker skin and features not normally associated with the sort of whiteness that comes out of France and the British Isles. While many Arabic people say I look white, white people say I look Arabic, and I have even been asked if I am part black, all of which are true. The idea of race being a skin color or continent of origin has always been so foreign and silly to me because no one label can even begin to describe what I am. Do I check the box for black, Arabic, or Caucasian? Should I be individually proud of any of these, or all of them? What am I? To me, race has always been something you can choose for that reason, which would make it my own personal social construct. And that view would then be reinforced by people telling me I am not “Arabic enough” or “African enough” to call myself such, because I do not fit their idea, or construct, of what they identify as through their own thinking of the idea bestowed upon them through socialization.
Being a lifelong student of History, it is easy to see that when America started with its European uniformity, the divisions were mainly based upon where in Europe one was from. The Spanish saw the American natives as inferior but the offspring of cross breeding as perfectly Spanish, the French saw the natives largely as equals but discriminated against Protestants as unequal, and the English, and later Americans, kept themselves separate from the “barbaric” Catholics and Irish, even using the Irish as the earliest slaves before the African slave trade. With American statehood, the lines became drawn at the Mason Dixon line until after the civil war when “blacks” and the Irish and their fellow Catholics once again fell back into the bottom tier of the social ladder. With the late 19th and earliest 20th centuries, the Spanish-American war made the line clear once again that American Protestantism held the Spanish Catholics as inferior barbarians to whom they wish to bestow their own version of Christianity in order to civilize them, which we saw in Cuba and the Philippines, and in the spreading of such institutions as the YMCA. The Spanish-American period was of much significance in this area as much of the justification of the war was that Catholics were inferior.
Perhaps the best example of race as a social construct can be seen in the Ku Klux Klan. In its beginnings, it was an organization created to keep America Anglo and Protestant, and as America evolved, they accepted whites who were not Anglo, and then following the period of John F. Kennedy’s Presidency, the Catholic requirement was dropped because their idea of the white race shifted with the changing demographics. What the Klan viewed as white shifted with the changing construct of what made up the white race. Today, even I might be able to join some branches of the Klan, which I say only to demonstrate how far the definition has shifted and how social the idea of race truly is. | <urn:uuid:3867f762-3e92-4209-abd9-805c19b50790> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | http://anthropology.msu.edu/anp330-us16/2016/07/10/week-1-reflection-13/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579251789055.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20200129071944-20200129101944-00555.warc.gz | en | 0.979067 | 773 | 3.3125 | 3 | The extract scores high for its thought-provoking discussion on the social construct of race, incorporating historical context, personal experience, and critical thinking. It promotes cultural awareness, emotional intelligence, and nuanced understanding of complex issues. However, it lacks direct application to teamwork, leadership, or professional development scenarios.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 231,946 | 0 |
The study of instructional leadership emphasizes the appropriate use of instructional practices within the framework of theory and research to enhance organizational effectiveness and improve school culture. The course will require students to develop a general knowledge and understanding of the use of student performance outcomes and data-driven decision making in the areas of curriculum, instruction, data gathering and analysis, goal setting, conferencing, team building, and teacher coaching and mentoring.
This course provides an overview of the history of educational leadership in American K-16 education from the American Revolution to the present and the major philosophies of educational leadership that have guided that history. While, at times, we will talk about educational leadership broadly, candidates can focus their learning toward K-12 or higher education contexts. In addition, this course considers the implications of educational leadership theory and practice for current contexts and will challenge candidates to examine and articulate their own philosophy of educational leadership.
This course includes the historical, sociological, philosophical, and psychological examination of school curriculum, theories, trends and curriculum structure. The course also prepares the candidates to make decisions about best practices that should be implemented in the classroom a part of the teaching and learning process. The course emphasizes the conceptual framework and skills, as well as the values and beliefs, which inform effective school and organizational leadership. This course also explores research based methods for implementing instruction based upon the work of theorists that have presented pedagogy.
This course will focus on the skills necessary for principals to effectively work with faculty and staff. Concepts and approaches for planning and implementing activities for effective human resource management will be explored. Current theories and practices relating to recruitment, development, and appraisal of personnel will be covered. The course will examine specific personnel functions such as recruitment, selection, retention, and evaluation. Additional topics include conflict resolution, effective communication skills, managing the change process, and creating and maintaining a positive school environment. Special attention will be given to evaluation strategies, measuring results, and designing training and developing programs for faculty and staff. Evaluation of personnel for the purpose of meeting school objectives and for professional development will receive emphasis.
In this course, candidates learn about and embody the critical and creative thinking skills necessary to be effective educational leaders of K-16 organizations. The first part of the course will examine, broadly, the cognitive neuroscience of how our brains work and the psychology of decision-making to help us understand why we make the decisions and believe the things we do. Then, using a critical inquiry approach, candidates will discover critical and creative thinking frameworks to examine personal leadership assumptions, biases, and experiences to establish a foundation on which to expand knowledge, self-assessment, and self-realization. After introspective inquiry, candidates will look outward at the structure, organization, governance, and actors within their educational organization and imagine possibilities for creatively and critically inquiring around problems of practice.
This course explores legal, ethical and politics issues governing K-16 education in America and the legal responsibilities and powers of state and local governing bodies and individuals that arise in educational organizations. Emphasis is given to federal and state statutes and case law affecting due process, liability, equal protection, and the rights of teachers and students in order to better understand the risks in education management and possible strategies to reduce those risks. | <urn:uuid:e37d5043-71ec-4fbf-8bbb-bac74b948893> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://catalog.judsonu.edu/course-descriptions/edl/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224647409.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20230531182033-20230531212033-00664.warc.gz | en | 0.937982 | 662 | 3.40625 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive overview of educational leadership courses, covering topics such as instructional practices, organizational effectiveness, and critical thinking. It touches on various soft skills, including communication, team building, and conflict resolution, and incorporates elements of cultural awareness and digital literacy. The courses seem to offer practical applications and real-world context, with opportunities for self-reflection and professional development.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 560,979 | 1 |
I am no math expert, this is a blog for the average person who is curious about what goes into designing a solar energy system. I welcome all comments and discussion about the calculations here. The basic formulas are:
Volts = I (current)R(resistance) = I = V/R or R = V/I
Power (watts) = VI = V2/R = I2R
Energy = VIH
Next entry we will also have to calculate the voltage drop in a line, which we will use:
Designing a PV power generation system is not as hard as installing one, or so my experience so far leads me to believe. Days 27 and 28 will be devoted to the action project for the solar energy week; designing and instaling a real-world system for one of the structures on the farm. Chef Keith will be introduced in more detail next week, slow foods module, but he gets to play a role in this weeks project by being the lucky recipient of lights and a stereo system in his yurt.
The YurtKeith's yurt is standing on a platform made of "lumber" from recycled plastic. It was all built many years ago during the early construction phase of the farm. Even Ben Jones, the founder of the farm, lived in the yurt for three years. It has running water and has been a useful structure for many inhabitants, but other than some old extension cords run from who knows where, it's dark.
Here are the steps we went through for determining our solar array for the yurt. The array consists of: panels, charge controller, battery bank, and inverter (to run AC appliances as well as DC).
Step 1: Determing the Power Consumption
This is a tricky step. None of the calculations are "easy" but this one requires some soul searching. How much power do you use? When? How much power do you need? What does your curling iron take up, 1500W? Can you get a DC fridge?
Consider your AC and DC power requirements separately. We made a simple chart so that we could organize our data and reference back when we needed to adjust.
Appliance, Watts, Quantity, Hours run per day. Total that up the daily needs and then multiply by the number of days per week that you will use that particular appliance to get your watt hours per week. Total up the number or watt hours for all DC appliances then multiply by 1.2 (to compensate for system losses). Then do the same for AC appliances.
Add up the AC WH/Week and DC WH/Week. To determing the number of Amp-hours of energy required for week, divide this number by the voltage of battery you are using (usually 12 or 24V). Then divide that number by 7 to determine the average requirement per day. Here is what our totals were if Keith is running a DC Fan, two types of DC lights (efficient), charging a laptop, running a laptop off the wall power, charging a cellphone, and running an iHome stereo (very efficient):
DC WH/Week: 1831
+ AC WH/WK: 1370
= 3201 WH/WK
x 12V (we are using a 12V battery bank)
= 267 AH/WK
So the average amp-hour requirement per day = 38.1 AH.
Step 2: Size the Battery Bank
When determining how much energy we need to store, the first big question is how long does he need to be able to last without any sunshine. If a hurricane were to come through he could expect to be without direct sun for a few days. We decided that three days of using everything full blast would be enough, assuming that if he really needed to run his stereo or charge his cell phone he could do so at the community center. Also, you need to determine how much charge you want to remain in the batteries at all times. We chose 20% capacity as a reasonable amount of depletion that would not damage the batteries for long-time use.
AH requirement for day: 38
x Days of autonomy: 3
= amp hours needed to store: 114
+ 20% to remain in the batteries
= 136AH is needed to be stored at 12V in the Battery Bank.
It's not a cold-weather climate so we don't have to worry about the ambient temperature multiplier, but we do need to look at what batteries we already have.
Because we already had four 6V batteries with 220AH it made most sense for us to use those. However, because of their age they are about 50% depleated of their total storage capacity. Assuming it's exactly 50% depleated we should calculate that each of the 6V batteries actually holds 110 AH. We need 136 AH at 12V.
2 6V batteries run in series adds the AH over the series making the total 6V and 220 AH. We need at least 136AH, so if we run those two strings in parallel, then we add the voltages toether to make 12V and the AH stay constant, bringing us to 220AH at 12V, enough to give us some room to breathe.
Step 3: Determine the hours of sun available per day and size the array
Now, how many panels do you need? First, available on-farm we have 4 180W/24V panels that we can't use (12V system), 4 100W/12V panels, and 4 75W/12V or 24V panels.
Determine the Power requirement per day
Daily AH requirement: 38.1
= 457.2 WH/day
OK, we need 457.2WH, how many WH does each panel give off? Multiply the wattage by the number of hours of sun per day. In St. Croix the average is about six.
1 75W panel x 6 hours of sun = 450WH/day (not enough)
1 100W panel x 6 hours of sun = 600 WH/day
= perfect. We need one 100W panel at 12V to fill our power needs and contraints.
The other items in the array? The charge controller, the inverter, the wires, and the fun of installing it in the rain.
Tomorrow I'll complete the package.. | <urn:uuid:99f50d9d-4073-4256-9fd5-31866d1dd986> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://unpluggingdesdemona.blogspot.com/2009/02/day-27-solar-energy-design-guide-part-1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549427766.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20170729112938-20170729132938-00104.warc.gz | en | 0.950524 | 1,304 | 2.71875 | 3 | The extract scores 3 points because it provides a practical and realistic scenario for designing a solar energy system, integrating emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities. The author encourages discussion and comments, demonstrating openness to feedback and collaboration. The step-by-step approach to determining power consumption, sizing the battery bank, and sizing the array promotes problem-solving and critical thinking. However, the extract lacks sophisticated communication, strategic thinking, and advanced problem-solving across multiple contexts, limiting its score to 3 points.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 641,999 | 0 |
Over the last few years there has been a growing clamour in the ELT world against not only the concept and definition of who is and isn’t a ‘native speaker’ of English, but also the very term itself is now starting to be questioned – quite rightly, in my view.
Etymologically, ‘native’ comes from the Latin ‘nativus’, meaning ‘born’ that gave us ‘natal’ and ‘innate’. This implies that the English that a ‘native speaker’ has is somehow, something deep inside of them that they are born with, rather than as the product of cultural exposure, environmental factors or as a product of their own conscious learning. The meaning has shifted to refer more to the place where someone is from, but that underlying etymological hangover is still very much implicitly understood. There are also the uncomfortable Prince Phillip-isms that the word ‘native’ conjures up in these post-Colonial, trans-global times and the spectre of the ideology of natural superiority that goes along with it.
Then there is the problem of which nationalities qualify as ‘native’. If we only include Kachru’s Inner Circle lot (USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand – yes, in that order, with the USA first and New Zealand a poor fifth!) then we are excluding the Expanding Circle countries (Singapore, India etc) and the Outer Cirle ones too. Who gets to decide who can join the club? And if we have new members, do we then need a new term to encompass and reflect this?
And even if we go all traditional and accept that only people from the Inner Circle can be truly ‘native’ speakers, can we really put American English, British English, Canadian English, Australian English and New Zealand English all under the same umbrella? How can such a diverse range of pronunciations, spelling, lexis and even grammatical structure all come under one moniker? It’s like referring to the incredible of array of genres, styles, languages, instruments, techniques, melody and history of music in Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia as ‘African’ music (I’m not sure it was worth typing all those out to make my point, but it seemed like a good idea when I started!). It’s meaningless and potentially offensive to lump this breathtaking diversity into one reductionist word.
This is all before we tackle the complex issues that today’s globalised, fragmented world brings. Can you be a ‘native speaker’ of more than one language? I recently asked a friend whether he considered his daughter, who is bilingual in Japanese and English, but was born and raised in Japan, to be a native English speaker. He asserted that she wasn’t because her level of English was not as good as her Japanese and would be seen as slightly below the level of someone who had grown up in England. I definitely don’t agree with this. My own 4-year-old son is in exactly the same position, but I would argue that he is a ‘native’ speaker of both English AND Japanese, he doesn’t have to be physically from or in a certain country to claim ‘nativeness’. Or how about his classmates at the international pre-school that he attends once a week, most of whom were born in Japan to American parents serving in the US navy? They are ‘from’ Japan, as in that is where they were born and are growing up, but have limited Japanese skills and near-perfect (but probably different from their peers that are actually in the US) English skills. Most people would argue that they are certainly ‘native’ English speakers, but still my friend doesn’t recognise his own daughter as a ‘native’ English speaker because she happens to speak another language better.
There have been a few recent (excellent!) publications that have expressed their dissatisfaction with the ‘native speaker’ term at the beginning of the paper or book, but have then conceded that for ease of reference they will use the term anyway. Or others have taken to putting it in inverted commas (as I have done in this post) or adding the prefix ‘so-called’ before the word.
Although I understand this and these are all admirable ways to draw attention to the issue, I think it’s time to for researchers and publishers to have the courage to move beyond it and introduce some new terminology free of the divisive connotations that the term ‘native’ implies.
So, what can we use instead? I don’t know! I’ve tried out Local British English Speaker (Local Australian English Speaker, Local Indian English Speaker etc.) and it kind of works when talking about a specific person or isolated group, but breaks down when we try to make it a catch-all phrase. But maybe that’s the point, maybe we need to get away from having a catch-all phrase and start distinguishing as we would any other trait. Maybe we need a new set of phrases, in the plural.
I don’t know what it/they will be, but I sincerely hope that soon a new term/some new terms will be latched onto in the literature and we can start to change our concepts of who and what has a right to the English language. | <urn:uuid:50c70403-d99b-4fa4-8e4b-79b3775f83bf> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | https://teflmusingsblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/12/re-naming-the-native-speaker/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549423809.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20170721202430-20170721222430-00415.warc.gz | en | 0.96671 | 1,295 | 2.578125 | 3 | The extract discusses the limitations and controversies surrounding the term "native speaker" in the context of English language teaching. It explores the etymology, cultural implications, and practical issues with the term, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of the complexities involved. The text promotes critical thinking, cultural awareness, and intercultural fluency, encouraging readers to question established concepts and consider alternative perspectives.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 665,275 | 1 |
Hi. My name is Lee Kindler and I’m a literacy educator.
This video explains what’s required in the literacy test in the Victoria Police entrance examination and gives advice about how to answer the questions. The examples of literacy questions we’ll be looking at are referred to in the Candidate Information Booklet. The Candidate Information Booklet is available at vpol.acer.org.
You’ll find this video more helpful if you read the questions beforehand.
This section of the exam measures your reading comprehension skills. It tests your ability to use a range of reading strategies to understand different types of texts. By texts we mean pieces of writing, diagrams or graphs.
In policing, literacy skills are important. You need to be able to understand, find information in, analyse, and think critically about different texts. You will be given six different texts to read and be required to answer 30 questions. You have 35 minutes to complete them.
You will answer the questions on a computer. Most of the questions will be multiple choice and you will need to click on the box next to the correct answer. Some questions will require a short response that you will need to type into a box.
Other questions will require you to tick a box to answer true or false or yes or no to statements or questions. There are different types of questions in the literacy test.
The questions may ask you to:
- Find detail in the text.
- Identify the main idea or purpose of a text.
- Identify techniques that the writer has used.
- Infer information that is not specifically stated in the text.
- Identify the meaning of a word or phrase.
We are going to look at examples of each of the types of questions. We will be using the text called ‘Processed meats cause cancer’ which is in the sample questions section of the candidate information booklet. It’s a good idea to read the text before we look at the example questions.
When you read the text think about what type of text it is, the purpose of the text and who the text might be written for or the audience. This will help you develop an overall understanding of the text which will assist you in answering the questions.
A few examples of text types are - an opinion article, a newspaper report, an advertisement, building instructions and a book review. Some examples of the text purpose are - to inform, to persuade, to entertain, to instruct and to evaluate.
And the audience might be, for example, people of a specific age group, men or women, people with a particular interest, people from a specific place, or people who work in a specific profession.
The words that the writer chooses and the way that the text is presented will change depending on the text type, purpose, and the audience.
The text we are looking at called ‘Processed meat causes cancer’ is a newspaper report. The purpose of a newspaper report is to inform. The audience for this newspaper report is the general public who want to keep up with the news or people interested in health-related topics.
The first type of question we are going to look at asks you to find detail in the text. These types of questions ask you to think about information, opinions or ideas that are stated in the text. Some questions may ask you to say whether details are not stated in the text.
In this question, you are given four statements. You need look closely at the text and find whether each statement is true, false or not stated in the text.
For the first statement, the information can be found in the third paragraph where it says:
‘WHO experts concluded that each 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%.’
The statement is true so you need to click on ‘yes’. For the second statement, the article does not state whether the way that processed meat is cooked is a factor in how likely it is to cause cancer. So you need to click on ‘not stated’.
For the third statement, the first paragraph in the article says that red meat is likely to cause cancer. The statement that eating red meat definitely causes cancer is false. So you need to click on ‘no’.
The answer to the fourth statement can be found in the fifth paragraph which says that research has shown that about 34,000 cancer deaths per year worldwide can be attributed to diets high in processed meat. This number is over 30,000 so the statement is true. You need to click on ‘yes’
The next type of question we are going to look at asks you to find the main idea in the text or the purpose of the text. These types of questions ask you to think about the text as a whole. You may not find the answer written directly in the text. It will help you to think about the type of text that you have read. Is it a newspaper report, opinion article, advertisement or other type of text?
Consider the purpose of the text. Does the writer want to entertain, inform or persuade the reader? Think about who the text is written for. Is it written for people in a certain age group or for people who have particular interests? Read each sentence and decide whether it correctly describes the main idea or purpose.
Looking at the first sentence, the article quotes an expert who says that the risk of developing cancer is small. He also says that it increases with the amount of meat consumed. This matches with the information in the text, which shows us that answer A is probably right. It’s good to check the other answers to make sure.
Option B says that the results are inconclusive. This is false because the article explains that there is a conclusive connection between developing cancer and eating processed meat.
Option C says that a small amount of processed meat is safe. Again, this is false because this is not communicated in the article.
Option D says that eating red meat and processed meat is very likely to give you cancer. This is false because there is a small risk. It is not very likely. So we can confirm that the correct answer is A.
The next question asks you to identify techniques used by the writer. These types of questions may ask you to think about why the writer has presented information in a certain way or for what reason they have chosen to include certain features. Again, it’s helpful to think about the type of text you are reading and its purpose.
This text is a news report, and the purpose of the text is to inform the reader by presenting information from different sources. Quotes are used in news reports to show, word-for-word, what has been said or written. The question asks us to choose the option that is not a reason quotes were included in the report.
Looking at the possible answers - quotes are used in this news report to provide differing opinions and different facts– the report quotes experts from the International Agency for Research on Cancer and includes a quote from the Australian Meat Industry Council. This provides differing opinions and different facts. So option B is true.
Quotes in a news report make the article more authoritative because readers can see that information is being presented directly from the source. So option C is also true.
Quotes provide information straight from the source. So option D is true.
Looking at option A, in a news report the writer does not present their own opinion. Quotes are not used to back up the opinion of the writer, so this option is not a reason why quotes were included. So the correct answer is A because it is not a reason quotes were included.
This next type of question requires you to infer the answer. The answer won’t be explicitly stated in the text, so you’ll have to think about the content and work out the correct answer.
In this question you’ll need to think about the opinions the WHO experts and the Meat Industry Council used and on what point they disagree.
Looking at the possible answers - both the WHO experts and the Meat Industry Council state that red meat can be nutritious. They don’t disagree on this point so answer A is wrong.
Looking at answer B, the WHO says that red meat is likely to cause cancer but the Meat Industry Council say that there is no causal link. They disagree on this point. So B is the correct answer.
But let’s check the other answers. We don’t know if the Meat Industry Council think that processed meat can cause cancer. It isn’t stated in the text. We can’t say that the two groups disagree on this point. So answer C is wrong.
We also don’t know if the Meat Industry Council thinks that eating more processed meat increases the risk of cancer so again, we can’t say if the two groups disagree on this. So answer D is wrong. This confirms that answer B is correct.
Inference questions can be tricky so let’s look at another one. In this question, again you need to draw your own conclusions about the content in the text. You won’t find the answer directly in the text. Answer A is a fact, but it does not show the importance of the study. It’s incorrect.
We can rule out answer B for the same reason. It doesn’t demonstrate why this study is important.
Answer C establishes the importance of the study. A large number of people that eat processed meat are affected. This answer is correct.
Let’s check answer D. While this statement may be true, it does not show the importance of the study. It’s incorrect. This confirms that C is the correct answer.
The last type of question that we will cover today is one where you will be asked to find the meaning of a word or phrase. When you are answering these types of questions, it’s a good idea to find the word or phrase in the text and reread the paragraph or relook at the section that it is in. Words and phrases can have different meanings depending on how they are used so try to get a sense of how the word or phrase fits with the main idea of the paragraph.
If the word or phrase is in a sentence, it may help to replace the answer you think is correct with the word in the question. If it makes sense and has the same meaning, it is likely to be correct. In this question, the phrase we are looking for is in the second paragraph.
The general idea of the paragraph is that the studies that were used to find links between processed meat and cancer were extensive.
Looking at option A, if we were to replace the phrase with the original, it would change the meaning. So, this is incorrect. The same goes for option B. Also, this doesn’t fit with the main idea of the paragraph.
‘Cultures that eat varying types of food has a similar meaning to ‘populations with diverse diets’. The phrase also fits with the main idea of the paragraph about the broad nature of the studies. So, option C is correct.
Option D would not fit with the main idea of the paragraph and has a different meaning. This confirms that the correct answer is C.
I hope this has helped you to understand some of the questions you will find in the literacy section of the Victorian Police entrance exam.
You can improve your literacy skills by reading a range of different types of texts, including those that you wouldn’t normally read. Spend time thinking about the issues or ideas you have read about and use a dictionary to look up unfamiliar words.
You can also read the chapter in Practise Now! Victoria Police Entrance Examination on literacy skills. It goes over the points we have been talking about. Read over the explanations and have a go at the practice questions.
Practise Now! is produced by ACER. It describes a range of the types of question you’re likely to find in the exam and provides detailed explanations of how correct answers may be reached. It’s available from ACER bookshop and commercial booksellers.
There are also practice tests on the Victoria Police Entrance Exam webpage where you will find literacy questions.
If you are having trouble with aspects of the literacy tasks, you may like to contact the Reading Writing Hotline. They can suggest organisations that might be able to assist you or resources you could use to help you overcome any problems you are having.
Good luck with your exam preparation.
Reviewed 15 June 2022 | <urn:uuid:c6ef4ab7-bac8-46af-8327-b28cef7411df> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://www.police.vic.gov.au/media/9655 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945317.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20230325064253-20230325094253-00636.warc.gz | en | 0.952829 | 2,606 | 3.546875 | 4 | The extract provides a comprehensive guide to the literacy test in the Victoria Police entrance examination, covering various question types and offering practical advice. It demonstrates a good understanding of literacy skills, text analysis, and critical thinking. However, it lacks discussion of soft skills like teamwork, leadership, and intercultural fluency, and its focus is primarily on individual reading comprehension and test-taking strategies.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 46,991 | 0 |
E D U C A T I O N I S E V E R Y W H E R E
Dr. Delia Pei BBS ,JP.
How should children be taught and from what angle is it the most suitable? This is one of the most argued question. Some experts think that children can learn though playing, and that books are used as teaching tools. Or according to some modern saying, books are not necessary, and that there is no need to limit the children, let them choose what they like to learn. For instance, they can choose the reading books and toys in the classroom. If they want to create an art work, they just choose the materials themselves. In fact, children are like a piece of blank paper, a seedling. If no artists add his creation on this piece of paper, how can the picture be colourful? If no one waters and fertilizes the seedling, how can it grow properly? As I always say, “Education is everywhere”. Of course, theory is necessary, but isn’t it too dangerous just to rely on theory?Parents are the first teachers for their children. Teachers of young children can be enlightening teachers and they play an important part in their lives. As parents and teachers, when children ask us questions , should we request them not to ask anymore or perhaps even asking them to keep quiet. Maybe it is because we cannot give an answer to the child’s question! We end up saying to the child, “Please do not disturb me anymore!” or use “Don’t ask again” etc. to save face? Instead of losing our temper, why not just say to the child honestly, “Even your mom doesn’t know the answer, why don’t we go to the library one day and read some books on this subject? We’ll find out the answer together! Mom is learning with you. Let’s develop a good habit of learning. When we are not clear about something, we search for the answer. This is what a good child should do.”We must always encourage children. We must not shout at them, as shouting will only stop them from thinking and looking for knowledge.
What is the most ideal way to help children learn and think? I’ve been searching for an answer myself. I remember when I took a one-year course in the U.K., learning how to assess the quality of teachers. Different teachers have different ways of teaching. For example when it comes to an apple, one teacher drew an apple on the board, one brought an actual apple, one used a picture. Children get to know what an apple is through different ways but to teach children about an apple is not as simple as it looks. Firstly, the teacher must be fully prepared for the lesson. Through an apple , children can be taught different subjects including (1) Language, (2) General Studies,(3) Mathematics,(4) Natural Sciences,(5)Geography and (6) History. Some might say that it is an exaggeration to teach so many topics with just one apple. I can assure you, “This is the only way that we can provide an all-round knowledge for the children.” Firstly, when we talk about an apple in a language lesson, we teach the children what an apple is, different varieties of apples with different colours : red, green, yellow and pink. Older children can learn to recognize the words, even older children can learn to write the words, etc.
In General Studies: Introduce the nutrition of an apple, different ways of eating an apple, benefits an apple can have to our health….
In Mathematics: To count the number of apples (determine what kind of teaching tools can be used. Use picture or actual object (apple) for demonstration). If an actual object is used, the teacher can demonstrate how to cut an apple into 2 halves: 2 halves make a whole apple; cut one more time, 4 quarters are made: 4 quarters also make a whole apple. Children can easily understand when the actual object is used. Through this demonstration in a game, they can learn the concept of fraction.
In Natural Sciences: Under the guidance of a teacher, the teacher cuts open an apple, to explain that seeds are found inside the apple, seeds can be planted, and these will grow into apple trees. And what is the most suitable climate for the apple trees to grow in? Explain to the children the structure of an apple. Through this way, we can explain natural sciences and biology through games , can’t we?
In Geography: The countries that produce the most and the best apples are China, U.S.A., U.K., Australia etc. Teachers can use different methods: for example to find out some countries on the map and find out the apple-producing countries. In a relaxed atmosphere, through games and discussions, children learn to discover and enquire. Different themes can be designed for different age groups.
In History: The moment an apple falls from a tree, the experience of Newton can be taught .It is not only a story, it is also history and science, an interesting science. This story may arouse a child’s interest in science.
Using a tiny apple as an example with the teacher being fully prepared for the lesson, an apple can be taught in so many different subjects, it might even take more than a week to just teach about an apple!
Children are like pieces of blank paper, they need responsible adults to add colours to them. Parents and educators are the most ideal people. Let’s work hard together! | <urn:uuid:ca0f21c9-1105-417f-bd20-be5593d41c11> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://funful.hk/principals-welcome-message/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224655247.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20230609032325-20230609062325-00719.warc.gz | en | 0.947374 | 1,173 | 2.984375 | 3 | The extract discusses education and child development, emphasizing the importance of interactive and immersive learning experiences. It highlights the role of parents and teachers in encouraging curiosity and providing guidance. The example of teaching various subjects using an apple demonstrates a holistic approach to education, incorporating language, general studies, mathematics, natural sciences, geography, and history. The text promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence, showcasing a nuanced understanding of child development and education.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 588,217 | 1 |
Who is the author of a computer-generated work?
Although the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 specifically recognises that work produced by a computer, or with the assistance of one, can be afforded copyright protection, this area of law is fraught with difficulty and uncertainty. Chief among these is the authorship of the work created. Generally, for copyright to subsist in a work there must be a human author. On the face of it this means that a computer, being non-human, cannot be the author of a work. Somewhat confusingly, however, s178 of the Act states that a computer-generated work is one generated in circumstances when there is no human author of the work, bringing us back to the question of who, then, is the author. Already, problems can be seen in this approach, particularly regarding the position when a computer generates a work that is clearly worthy of copyright protection, but has had little human input in its creation. An early case (Express Newspapers plc v Liverpool Daily Post & Echo plc , decided under the previous legislation but still applicable today) held that human expertise in computer-generated works lay in the programs, or software, which produced the end result.
Human skill can also be found in the person who enters information into a program in order to achieve a specific result. Under s9(3) of the Act, which concerns literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work that has been computer-generated, the author is the person who made the necessary arrangements to create the work, such as the program author.
Clearly, a consistent and logical approach is required so that the law in this area is unambiguous and has the desired effect. To make some headway, it is useful to classify computer-generated work into three categories, namely
Works created using a computer
Works created by a computer
Works created using a computer
These are probably the easiest works to define. Works in this category include documents written using a word processor, architectural plans created using computer aided design (CAD), and accounts done on a spreadsheet. Here, the respective computer program is merely a tool used to assist in producing the final result, in the same way that a pen is a tool used when writing a letter. As the pen cannot be said to be the author of the letter, neither can the computer program, in these instances, be said to be the author of the finished product, be it a document, a plan or an accounts report. Consequently, these works are not computer-generated, and it is the person who uses the computer to create the works who is recognised as the author. It is worth pointing out here that the author can create the work directly or indirectly. A person may draft a report in longhand on paper then hand it to a secretary who subsequently types it up on a computer. Here, the secretary is not the author of the work but merely an agent acting on behalf of the true author.
For more information on:
- Works created by a computer
- Intermediate works | <urn:uuid:61328527-1a47-4414-bbee-54ccc9c37756> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://www.inbrief.co.uk/intellectual-property/computer-generated-works-copyright/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320270.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20170624170517-20170624190517-00366.warc.gz | en | 0.953061 | 619 | 3.015625 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on legal concepts and technical aspects of computer-generated works. It provides superficial coverage of basic communication concepts, such as authorship, but lacks practical application and nuanced interaction.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 245,127 | 0 |
The latest novelties in various domains of our life have contributed to the abrupt development of communication between people on different levels. The interaction has become a significant aspect for each of us and penetrated into every working area. Transportation, computing, and telecommunication gave rise to cross-cultural communication and favored its growth.
Innovations have definitely made its contribution to modern society and our evolution. In addition, the process of sharing common experience has benefited communication both between separate individuals and even countries. The realization of the importance of effective dialogue became clear when there was a genuine need for preserving peace between conflicting groups. It all culminated in a relevant academic discipline that we may now observe and, in particular, experience in colleges.
Today, communication has expanded on various fields that a person may deal with. Thus, the significance of it cannot be objected. With the development of the study, the degree of complexity grows as well. Therefore, students feel a real need for assistance with choosing the right communication research topics. Our conviction is that we need to give the students several prompts and show them the most beneficial way to deal with the issue.
Approaches to Studying Communication
Before we can start elaborating on the topics and research deeply about this issue, we think it is our duty to say a few words about approaches commonly used when investigating communication study. There are four substantial methods that a student should know about.
The discipline appeals to various groups of people and penetrates into communication within different social groups. Moreover, it deeply investigates the cross-cultural relationships and the role that a dialog plays in human interaction. Communication study works both with verbal and non-verbal signs of our behavior that we represent via various channels. Thus, to address each and every issue, one needs to opt for a specific approach dependent on the focus of communication.
Therefore, before getting to the writing process, you should find out what are these four main approaches and look through the basic information about them.
In this case, the method considers our behavioral patterns and takes it as an unpredictable notion. The origin of the method comes from anthropological and linguistic study and, thus, bears another name, i.e., humanist approach. Its aim consists in understanding our behavior and giving reasons instead of simple predicting. With the help of the interpretive approach, one can look at the culture through the prism of its members and set aside the findings defined by a group of scientists.
Social Science Approach
If we consider our behavior with the help of this approach, we take it for granted and can predict the following patterns. We can also name the method as functionalist or behaviorist. The scientists rely on hard observations and precise research data. The study behind it is based on psychology and sociology. The approach draws a line between culture, traits of particular individuals, and the communication that arises from the dialog.
Supporters of this very approach are sure that our world is a number of subjective events, and communication occurs intuitively. The approach takes a closer look at what happens in society and pays less attention to cross-cultural interaction. In addition, the adherents are convinced that those without power should be considered primarily.
In reality, the followers of the approach consider the world as a combination of various truths. They believe that our nature is volatile. This method addresses pressing and critical issues considering ethnicity, race, and gender.
Tips for a Top-Notch Preparation
You need to be perfectly equipped to compose a well-developed and structured research paper outline. In some cases, you should not ask for assistance, but having a few working recommendations will never harm your text. Thus, read on and find out the working methods for your research paper.
- Be precise
When working with texts of great volume, a student may get lost in the amount of information. Thus, to avoid confusion, one needs to narrow down the list of possible topics. Being too general will harm the consistency of the text, but you cannot let it happen. To make your message as coherent, as possible, you should make sure that the number of covered aspects is quite precise, and you do not confuse the reader.
- Conduct a wide research
When a professor assigns you with such a task, you need to show your competence and responsible approach. To make it true, you need to conduct deep research and analyze the sources thoroughly. Another thing for you to remember consists of using more than a single source as a basis for your research. Make sure to use at least 2 or 3 credible data sources. Otherwise, you could be accused of using inappropriate or plagiarized information.
- Legitimate data resources use only
It is obvious that a professor expects you to resort to credible sources of information when preparing for the research. He or she will never deny the information taken from a book, but for a more assured result, you’d better make use of articles from academic journals.
- Relevant information
When looking for the appropriate data sources, you need to be in search of only relevant and up-to-date information. Communication research is hugely dependent on technological development. Thus, you need to check whether the information is still topical.
- Be objective
When conducting research, a student should take into account each and every side that a problem can touch. With only one viewpoint being discussed in your research, you will fail to impress the reader. However, when the discussion appears to happen between two or more opposite sides, the text becomes interesting to read and deal with.
- Structure the document properly
the best thing to start your research is to introduce a catchy beginning. It should be an interesting and even eye-opening thesis where you present your idea. The next step consists in introducing your arguments, inappropriate body paragraphs. Make sure to list the evidence consistently and prove them with relevant information. Summarize your ideas and frame them with a concluding sentence.
- Make sure to proofread
The last step is one of the most important. You can never overlook the importance of a good and diligent checking. Flawless text that lacks any traces of grammatical inadequacy will be better assessed.
Communication Research Topics
- Journalism and prevention of criminal actions.
- The role of media in establishing peace.
- Are there any specific ways that journalists present the information?
- Technology and how it interacts with journalistic activity.
- Is there any journalistic ethics?
Public relations topics
- Management as an appropriate space to prove yourself.
- Patterns of behavior within the public relations space.
- How to manage the dialog within a specific group of people?
- Do we need to differentiate the impact of sex roles in public relations?
- The role of a constructive dialog on the global community.
- Peculiar features of the cross-cultural advertising process.
- Do we need to possess the knowledge of advertisement to communicate successfully?
- How to involve interaction with the target audience to promote successful communication?
- The role of implied meaning in the advertisement? Does it influence the image of a company?
- Traditional media versus social media advertisement: which is the most beneficial way in terms of profit?
- The role of culture in communication between individuals.
- How to reach the most effective results in communication with the use of a well-thought-out dialog?
- Communication with the help of computer technologies: advantages and possible drawbacks.
- Who is the mediator in interpersonal communication between humans?
- The role and possible challenges of communication in mass media campaigns.
- How do adolescents interact on the web?
- The development of social media marketing and its growing market.
- How do consumers perceive brands through the prism of Instagram, for instance?
- Feasibility of political campaign interpretation on social media.
- The difference between traditional media and new media information exchange. | <urn:uuid:2b24c9cc-c388-4517-a984-ba3e91af0418> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://homeworkhelperzz.com/communication-research-topics/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585371803248.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20200407152449-20200407182949-00430.warc.gz | en | 0.935038 | 1,592 | 3.359375 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive overview of communication studies, including approaches, research topics, and tips for preparation. It covers various aspects of communication, such as cross-cultural relationships, verbal and non-verbal signs, and the role of technology. The text also offers practical advice on conducting research, structuring a document, and using credible sources. However, the discussion of soft skills is implicit, and the scenarios presented are not overly complex.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 744,904 | 1 |
People can agree or disagree with Barack Obama’s policies, but no one can dispute how well the man can write and speak. Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin predicts Obama will go down in the history books as “one of the best writers and orators in the presidency.”
While Obama is unquestionably skilled at communications, he had help. Jon Favreau started speechwriting for Obama in 2005 and served as President Obama’s director of speechwriting from 2009 to 2013. As a founder of Fenway Strategies, Favreau frequently shares tips on how to make speeches or presentations memorable. Here are some of them:
- Words have power – Choose and array your words carefully so they clearly and concisely convey your message. Be aware of the nuanced meaning of different words. “Destination” and “last stop” mean roughly the same thing, but each can convey a very different message.
- Use words to tell a story – People absorb and retain information better in the form of stories. From the earliest age, people learn from stories. Our brains are wired to listen to stories and draw out meaning. Stories connect with deeper parts of our consciousness. They communicate complexity through simplicity.
- The best speeches are short – You may have a lot to say, but your audience may not be patient or interested enough to hear it all. If not, they can mentally check out – or more often check in with their smartphone. Shorter speeches are harder to write than long ones, but they work better because the speechwriter has congealed his or her thoughts, translated them into a story and employed powerful words to tell the story.
- Support your main point – Generalizations or unsupported claims tend to leave audiences wanting and even confused. Rambling sows the seeds of doubt. So, marshal your facts and employ logic to support what you have to say. Leave no doubt in your audience's collective mind of your point of view and the credible evidence that supports it.
- Emotion inspires – If the speaker doesn’t display an emotional connection to his or her subject, it is unlikely the audience will either. There is a line you can cross when a speech becomes a rant, too full of emotion and too lacking of a meaningful message. But if your goal Is to motivate or persuade, you will need to inspire your audience with some emotional content.
- Empathy Matters – Effective speakers do more than know their audience; they put themselves in the shoes of their audience. They use language and anecdotes that resonate. They talk less from a podium than a chair facing audience members. Establishing empathy is important at the outset of any speech. You can sense a bond of empathy has formed when audience members appear to lean forward to hear your words.
Here’s one more secret. You don’t need to be a gifted speaker to make a great speech. Starting with a story to tell, telling it with carefully chosen words and phrases, keeping it short, marshaling your facts, infusing your talk with heart-felt emotion and relating to your audience can produce an inspiring speech. You can change minds, open eyes and uplift spirits.
The applause you receive will be genuine, not just polite. In the words of a well known football coach, you will have won the day. | <urn:uuid:20354845-cfba-44c3-9f10-6d6e672ad345> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://www.cfm-online.com/public-affairs-blog/2017/3/6/speech-tips-to-win-the-day | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549424756.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20170724062304-20170724082304-00467.warc.gz | en | 0.955438 | 680 | 2.96875 | 3 | The extract provides valuable insights into effective communication and public speaking, covering key aspects such as word choice, storytelling, and empathy. It offers practical tips and real-world examples, making it a useful resource for developing soft skills like public speaking, communication, and emotional intelligence. The discussion is engaging and easy to follow, with a focus on meaningful application.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 642,235 | 1 |
A smear is among the simplest of propaganda techniques. It can take the form of repeated, unapologetic, systematic name-calling, or otherwise implying or asserting that opponents are bad, evil, stupid, untrustworthy, guilty of reprehensible acts, or part of some undesirable category.
A smear might be conducted subtly or vaguely so the target cannot seek legal action against a slander or libel, which must be specific and believable to be legally actionable. False implications can be masked by otherwise truthful statements. Truth is usually a defense against libel in most jurisdictions.
An archetypal implicit smear is the question, "When did you stop beating your wife?" Whatever the answer, the question accuses the person of prior domestic violence. Smears might use oxymoronic language, broad generalizations, false characterizations, irrelevant information and loose associations. Smears appeal to emotion and discourage reasonable discussion.
Public officials, politicians, media representatives and advocates tend to disagree at times about when accusations of impropriety are relevant and when they are intended to smear.
A slime is someone who smears others. Smearing is detrimental to a civil discourse, and thus explains the pejorative name given to those engaged in this type of activity.
Examples of smears
- allegations of homosexuality, in institutions which explicitly refuse to employ gays or lesbians, or in cultures with social or legal sanctions against homosexuality - (see also outing)
- Republican Party smears against Democrats as the "Party of Treason" in the 1950s.
- allegations that someone is a convicted pedophile (this is an oxymoron - a felon is convicted of specific acts, but a pedophile is a term from psychiatry describing not acts but desires - for which there is no legal liability - although some jurisdictions do define habitual offenders, they do not in fact convict them of "being a pedophile")
Smears don't always work. Straightforward claims that one's opponent is morally bad may sometimes backfire:
- assertions that choice between one politician and another is a choice between good or evil, as Albert Gore Jr. did against George W. Bush - claiming the mantle of good for oneself while describing one's opponent as being evil. In a close election, dogged by a third party implying both parties are so bad they are about to destroy life's chances on earth, Gore's claim found little purchase.
- more specific allegations that one's opponent is an evil reptilian kitten eater from another planet - a stunt unlikely to be repeated, given that Ernie Eves (who used it against his opponent Dalton McGuinty) lost that election.
For a moral smear to be effective, the association with evil probably needs to be believable, though like any rule, there are likely exceptions (see big lie). A morally demeaning word merely introduced in an innocuous context might tend to cast a cloud of doubt over an opponent, if the audience is not alert to the device. In 1988, the George H. W. Bush campaign associated the Democrat opponent with an implicitly dangerous criminal released on parole.
Repulsive imagery conveyed in a smear or ritual defamation might extend or reinforce a more general moral appeal. If so, approaches like the "evil reptilian kitten eater from another planet" appeal might be effective if they don't backfire and if other circumstances don't overshadow the effect.
In the United States, Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush have exploited the concept of evil to dehumanize an enemy. Speaking to the nation in a widely broadcast message, Reagan blasted the Soviets as an "evil empire". G.W. Bush presaged aggression in Afghanistan and Iraq with identification of what he called an "axis of evil."
The concept of evil is rooted deeply in religious and secular lore throughout the U.S., allowing the presidents to allege evil both as a direct appeal to supporters swayed by religious propagandists, and to offer a psychological justification for secular listeners who might follow leaders' instructions to dehumanize an enemy that they might not otherwise despise. | <urn:uuid:499310b2-10f7-4f59-ac66-0ea25a93484e> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Smear | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549423269.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20170720161644-20170720181644-00604.warc.gz | en | 0.936427 | 822 | 3.09375 | 3 | The extract provides a detailed analysis of smear techniques, their forms, and effects, but lacks practical application and nuanced discussion of soft skills. It focuses on theoretical knowledge of propaganda and critical thinking, with some cultural awareness and historical context. However, it does not integrate realistic scenarios, emotional intelligence, or leadership challenges.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 321,177 | 0 |
For 100 years, Scouting programs have instilled in youth the values found in the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Today, these values are just as relevant in helping youth grow to their full potential as they were in 1910. Scouting helps youth develop academic skills, self-confidence, ethics, leadership skills, and citizenship skills that influence their adult lives.
The Boy Scouts of America provides youth with programs and activities that allow them to:
- Â Try new things.
- Â Provide service to others.
- Â Build self-confidence.
- Â Reinforce ethical standards.
While various activities and youth groups teach basic skills and promote teamwork, Scouting goes beyond that and encourages youth to achieve a deeper appreciation for service to others in their community. Scouting provides youth with a sense that they are important as individuals. It is communicated to them that those in the Scouting family care about what happens to them, regardless of whether a game is won or lost.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Scouting promotes activities that lead to personal responsibility and high self-esteem. As a result, when hard decisions have to be made, peer pressure can be resisted and the right choices can be made.
Scouting provides Lifelong Learning: People need to learn all through their lives. We live in a society that rewards continual acquisition of skills and knowledge. Scouting provides structured settings where young people can learn new skills and develop habits of continual learning that will help them succeed. From its foundation, Scouting has offered a concrete program of discovering, sharing, and applying knowledge and skills.
Scouting provides Faith Traditions:Â Young people need faith. There is abundant evidence that children benefit from the moral compass provided by religious tradition. We acknowledge that faith can become an important part of a child’s identity. Each of the major faiths breeds hope, optimism, compassion, and a belief in a better tomorrow. Scouting encourages each young person to begin a spiritual journey through the practice of his or her faith tradition. One of the key tenets of Scouting is “duty to God.” While Scouting does not define religious belief for its members, it has been adopted by and works with youth programs of all major faiths.
Scouting instills Service to Others: Young people need to serve. The level of community service is a good indication of the health of any society. Scouting has, from its inception, been deeply rooted in the concept of doing for others. “Do a Good Turn Daily” is a core Scouting precept. Scouting encourages young people to recognize the needs of others and take action accordingly. Scouting works through neighborhoods, volunteer organizations, and faith-based organizations to help young people appreciate and respond to the needs of others.
Healthy Living through Scouting:Â Young people need to be well. To get the most from life, one must be both mentally and physically fit. A commitment to physical wellness has been reflected in Scouting’s outdoor programs such as hiking, camping, swimming, climbing, and conservation. First aid, lifesaving, and safety programs are synonymous with Scouting. Our programs today include strong drug abuse awareness and prevention programs emphasizing the value of healthy living habits.
Scouting Builds Character:Â Young people need to know to be good and to do good. Few will argue with the importance of teaching values and responsibility to our children – not only right from wrong, but specific, affirmative values such as fairness, courage, honor, and respect for others. Beginning with the Scout Oath and Scout Law, the Boy Scouts of America program is infused with character-building activities that allow youth to apply abstract principles to daily living situations.
For more information on Scouting and to join contact the Northern Lights Council, BSA or visit the website at www.nlcbsa.org | <urn:uuid:67230f0b-0fa1-4afa-9537-ef90d49d16ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nlcbsa.areavoices.com/2010/09/10/why-scouting/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702777399/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111257-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957058 | 770 | 3.515625 | 4 | The extract provides a comprehensive overview of the values and skills instilled in youth through Scouting programs, including leadership, self-confidence, ethics, and citizenship. It highlights the importance of service to others, personal responsibility, and high self-esteem, demonstrating a strong focus on soft skills development. The extract also touches on emotional intelligence, character-building, and cultural awareness, earning it a high score.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 312,646 | 1 |
Exploration 4A introduced students to the reasons for dealing with violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and to different ways of doing so. Explorations 4B and 4C look more closely at specific mechanisms for addressing serious violations of IHL.
In Exploration 4B, students explore the efforts that have been made at various levels, since World War II, to bring perpetrators of serious IHL violations to trial. They look at examples of national, international and ‘hybrid’ courts and compare these different ways of administering justice.
This course is three 45- minute sessions (longer if all work is done during class).
- To recognize that States must bring to trial those who commit grave breaches of IHL, regardless of the nationality of the perpetrator or the victim or where the crime took place
- To acquire an understanding of the different judicial ways of dealing with war crimes (national, international, ‘hybrid’ courts)
- To realize that these judicial approaches complement each other and that all contribute to the international community’s efforts to bring war criminals to justice
- States must bring to trial and punish those who commit grave breaches of IHL, regardless of the nationality of the perpetrator or the victim or where the crime took place.
- Efforts have been made at different times and at various levels to try and to punish war criminals.
- While judicial ways of dealing with IHL violations may differ, they complement each other and contribute to the common effort of the international community to bring war criminals to court.
Choose which tribunal (Rwanda or the former Yugoslavia) you will use in step 4.
Plan how to work through the exploration in light of available class time. Assign all preparatory reading and writing for homework (the reading and writing in step 3 and the reading in preparation for the debate in step 6).
In the Methodology Guide, review teaching methods 1 (Discussion), 5 (Role-playing), 7 (Writing and reflecting), 9 (Small groups) and 10 (Gathering stories and news).
Introduction | 5 minutes
Find out what students know about judicial efforts to address war crimes.
National War Crimes Tribunals | 20 minutes
Remind students that the Geneva Conventions require governments to try and punish those who commit grave breaches of IHL.
Explain that these crimes are so serious that governments are, in fact, obliged to try and punish any person, regardless of:
Then divide the class into small groups. Assign one of the examples in “Foreign cases’ before national tribunals” to half the groups and the other example to the other half.
Instruct the groups to study the case assigned to them and to prepare answers to the questions at the end.
After about 10 minutes, have each group report to the class.
During their reports, list the reasons given by students and explain anything they may not have understood.
Ad Hoc International Tribunals | 30 minutes
Check that students understand what ad hoc means. Give them an example of its use in a sentence.
Next, encourage students to share what they know about the violence that occurred during the 1990s in the former Yugoslavia or in Rwanda.
Distribute copies of the “Towards a new type of court: The situation in the former Yugoslavia” page or the “Towards a new type of court: The situation in Rwanda” page, depending on the case you have chosen.
Divide students into small groups, and have each group write down their ideas for setting up an ad hoc international criminal tribunal to deal with the case that has been chosen. Ask them to make use of the questions at the end.
When they have done this, distribute “Ad hoc international criminal tribunals.”
Instruct the groups to compare their ideas with the information given in the fact sheet.
Explain that the fact sheet tells them about another ad hoc tribunal as well (one established to deal with war crimes committed in a context different from the one they have been asked to think about, either the former Yugoslavia or Rwanda). Note the acronym for each.
Then reconvene the class to discuss what they have learned.
The Permanent International Criminal Court | 25 minutes
Ask students to read “The permanent International Criminal Court” and to discuss the question at the end.
Then have them work in pairs to prepare some quiz game questions about the International Criminal Court (ICC). If time permits, they can also prepare a few bonus questions on the similarities and differences between the ad hoc international criminal tribunals and the ICC, using “Ad hoc international criminal tribunals.”
Conduct a quiz game based on their questions. Divide the class into two quiz teams. Have students from each quiz team take turns posing one of their questions to the other quiz team. A team earns a point when one of its members answers correctly.
‘Hybrid’ Courts | 25 minutes, additional time if the reading is done in class
Tell students that following recent war crimes trials in both national and international courts, a new approach is emerging. It takes the form of ‘hybrid’ courts, which try to take advantage of the most useful elements of both national and international courts.
Divide the class into four debate teams. Distribute the “‘Hybrid’ courts: Special Court for Sierra Leone” page to two of the groups and the “‘Hybrid’ courts: Special Panels for Serious Crimes in Timor-Leste” page to the other two.
Explain that each team must be prepared to either support or oppose the following statement.
‘Hybrid’ courts are more effective than international or national tribunals.
Assign debate positions:
As homework, ask students to read the fact sheet and to think about their assigned debate positions. Give the groups time in class to prepare for the debate.
Have students choose one speaker to represent each group.
Decide the order of the proceedings (for example, you might have Sierra Leone, pro and con, followed by Timor-Leste, pro and con, or you might have those supporting the statement go first, followed by those opposing it).
Hold the debate.
Closing | 5 minutes | <urn:uuid:476563cc-8fd8-4328-bc68-785c20889283> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://www.redcross.org/humanityinwar/module-4b-judicial-options | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128323801.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20170628204133-20170628224133-00623.warc.gz | en | 0.932508 | 1,300 | 2.921875 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive lesson plan on international humanitarian law, incorporating various teaching methods such as discussions, role-playing, and debates. It promotes critical thinking, teamwork, and public speaking skills through activities like group work, presentations, and a quiz game. The lesson also touches on cultural awareness and digital literacy, although these aspects could be more prominent. The extract earns points for its practical application, nuanced interaction, and realistic scenarios, but may lack sophistication in its approach to intercultural fluency and technological adaptation.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 246,820 | 1 |
When it comes to mental health, there is one word that has found its way into almost every recent conversation: mindfulness. It sounds simple enough, but this small practice has grown into a big movement that deserves attention. It’s easy to wonder if mindfulness is just another passing trend that will leave as quickly as it arrived, but it is a concept with a history and an exciting future.
What is mindfulness exactly? Mindfulness refers to a practice of self-observation, done without judgement, that seeks to promote a state of open awareness of the present moment. It means being aware of your surroundings and letting distractions pass without attention. While mindfulness can be highlighted through dedicated acts like yoga or meditation, it can also be a constant mindset that we apply in our daily lives.
Mindfulness originated long ago with the Buddhist tradition of sati, the first factor of the Seven Factors of Enlightenment. In fact, sati was first translated into English as “mindfulness” in 1881. Though mindfulness has recently been detached from its Buddhist roots, one of the most incredible examples of the power of mindfulness is found in the brains of long-term meditators, particularly Buddhist monks. Researchers have found that after practicing long-term meditation, the brain improves its memory, compassion, emotional control and creativity.
It is unlikely that the average person can achieve the same incredible results as those who practice mindfulness meditation on a long-term scale. However, everyone can benefit from the practice, even if it is a small change. Dan Harris, a journalist and correspondent for ABC News, became an advocate for mindfulness meditation after suffering from a panic attack while on air. Harris’ story shows how mindfulness and meditation can be practically applied to the life of an everyday person. At first, Harris was very skeptical of the self-help advice he received, and he was not shy about sharing his honest feelings. However, he soon found that meditation worked wonders on his anxiety. He called his journey “10% Happier,” showing viewers that the goal should not be perfection, but improvement over time.
Mindfulness is not simply about meditation. Instead, meditation is just one way to dedicate time to mindfulness in a meaningful way. With all of the technology we have access to, we are constantly bombarded with stimuli. We always know what our friends are doing while they are doing it. We receive emails from work or school no matter how far away we are. We are constantly connected, and although this can be a good thing, too much removes us from the here and now. One glance at our phone and we are immersed in whatever is going on in the world of our screens.
It is more important than ever that we encourage and incorporate mindfulness into our daily lives. Psychology studies have noted that mindfulness can combat symptoms of depression and anxiety and even boost our immune system. Meditation and breathing exercises can ease the symptoms of a panic attack as well. By focusing on the present moment, we are more likely to treat ourselves with compassion and not feel like we are falling behind in the fast-paced world around us.
There is a multitude of resources available to make mindfulness apart of your life. Applications such as Calm and Headspace (which include extensive mindfulness meditation exercises for you to try) are available for download. Additionally, Fordham University’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) have their own application, called Stressbusters, that includes relaxing sounds and meditations to guide you in your mindfulness journey.
Mindfulness is often a series of daily decisions, choosing to remain in the present no matter what life throws at you. This does not mean neglecting the future. Rather, it means paying attention to the task at hand. Whether that means putting your phone away during lunch with friends, avoiding distractions while studying at the library or walking without headphones in.
Mindfulness allows us to be more present in our relationships, which is invaluable. It allows us to listen to others to improve understanding and promote empathy, which is more than important in today’s world. Mindfulness allows for more compassion towards ourselves. We are able to cut those mental spirals of self-doubt and self-criticism by grounding ourselves in the moment and thinking realistically, as best we can.
This information can be a lot to take in. And I am sure that you, just as I did once, find this to be an oversimplification of mental health. Mindfulness is far from a cure-all to life’s problems. However, the overall mindset can make a world of difference in handling the blows that life throws at us every day.
Taking things one step at a time is nothing new, but it might just change your life.
As this is my last article for my mental health column, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who was a part of Volume 101 for giving me this opportunity. I am incredibly appreciative of the help I have received and the ability to write these articles in the first place. Thank you.
Leave a Reply | <urn:uuid:4f2eac5f-6e41-4681-bc50-43cc23e4078e> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://fordhamram.com/73170/culture/exploring-mindfullness/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296949573.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20230331051439-20230331081439-00273.warc.gz | en | 0.967762 | 1,027 | 3.0625 | 3 | The extract discusses mindfulness, its history, and benefits, highlighting its potential to improve mental health and relationships. While it touches on self-awareness, empathy, and compassion, the discussion remains relatively straightforward, lacking nuanced interaction or complex problem-solving opportunities. The extract provides practical applications and resources but doesn't delve into advanced communication, leadership, or strategic thinking scenarios.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 444,528 | 0 |
There is one and only one social responsibility of business -- to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud.1
Milton Friedman’s well known and oft quoted statement regarding corporate social responsibility is commonly interpreted as implying that companies do not possess any social responsibilities but rather should simply focus on increasing profits. However, an important element of Friedman’s mantra is the pivotal phrase ‘as long as it stays within the rules of the game’. Friedman, writing in 1970, narrowly defined that phrase in legal terms but significant developments since then, mean that the ‘rules of the game’ in terms of defining the social expectations of a company, have changed. The rules (such as they exist) are not simply confined to codified law but flow from sources as diverse as privately drafted codes of conduct to internationally formulated guiding principles, all so-called soft law standards that help guide corporate respect for human rights. The ‘rules of the game’ have become more amorphous and the responsibility for implementing them more diffuse since Friedman’s initial foray into this field.
Responsibility for protecting and advancing respect for human rights has long been assumed to be the duty of the state and the rules for doing so, stemming predominantly from international treaties that might then be translated into national laws, such as labour and anti-discrimination laws. It is only quite recently that discussion has shifted to focus on the human rights responsibilities of corporations and what that might entail both in terms of formulating precisely what standards should be met by companies, who should set such standards and how to manage compliance with those standards. The adoption by the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in 2011 of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,2 assisted in entrenching the notion of the existence of a corporate responsibility to respect human rights,3 but interpreting and implementing that responsibility on the ground is a longer term task that requires re-interpreting and refining the ‘rules of the game’. The Guiding Principles, developed by the UN Special Representative on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, John Ruggie (‘the Special Representative’), set out a three-pronged framework for delineating between the roles of the state and business with respect to human rights. First, states have a duty to protect people from human rights violations by corporations. Second, corporations have a responsibility to respect, uphold and not interfere with human rights. And, third, both states and corporations have a responsibility to ensure that people who are victims of corporate violations have access to an effective remedy. This demarcation between a state’s duty and a corporation’s responsibility explicitly acknowledges the traditional (and theoretically at least), primary role of states in protecting human rights but also recognises the urgent need for the private sector to take a prominent role in advancing respect for rights.
While the Guiding Principles provide a useful foundation for future action and reaffirm the responsibility (if not legal obligation) of companies to improve working conditions, well before their adoption in 2011 many global companies were already involved in establishing or working within private compliance programs, that were sometimes complementary to existing national laws and at other times, superseded state efforts to protect workplace rights. In some sectors and in some countries, the willingness of companies to either proactively (or more often) reactively improve working conditions in their supplier factories has outstripped the willingness of some national governments to confront and more clearly articulate their own understanding of what such corporate responsibility might entail. The reliance on private regulation to fill this lacuna is in part an acknowledgement of the sluggish pace at which international (and often national) law develops and the political reality that there is little appetite at present among states for the development of a new treaty focused specifically on business and human rights concerns.4
As the global business and human rights agenda has evolved in the last three to four decades, we have witnessed the rise of, and reliance on, private regulation,5 as a means of driving consensus on how corporations should or could advance respect for (and sometimes, protect) human rights. International human rights law and its state centric framework for protecting rights is proving inadequate to stem (or redress) corporate rights violations and is proving to be more the backdrop for the development of mechanisms to prevent and protect individuals from corporate rights violations, rather than the prism through which corporate accountability might be filtered. The unwillingness and/or inability of many governments to fulfil their human rights obligations has led to protection gaps. All around the global marketplace, non-state actors such as non-government organizations (‘NGOs’), unions, companies, multi-stakeholder6 groups and industry bodies, have stepped in to fill this gap. This transfer, or sharing of regulatory authority from states to non-state actors is not so much ‘deregulation’ but rather what some commentators refer to as re-regulation7 or even a regulatory renaissance.8 Private regulatory mechanisms utilize a combination of hard and soft laws to establish relevant standards that companies strive to achieve. The source of such hard law tends to be readily accessible international and national legislation focused on defining consistent standards for health and safety, wage, hours and conditions of work; the soft law standards are more nebulous. While there is no entrenched definition of what constitutes soft law, in this context it might commonly include instruments as diverse as those internationally formulated (other than a treaty) that contain ‘principles, norms, standards or other statements of expected behaviour’9 but also widely accepted codes of conduct that have been developed by a group of stakeholders as a mechanism to prevent corporate rights abuses. The Guiding Principles thus appear to be the latest in a long line of soft regulatory techniques that rely in a large part on private regulation that encourages, but does not necessarily require, a corporation to comply with human rights. 10
This paper examines this process of ‘re-regulation’ in the business and human rights context (principally focused on working conditions and labour standards). Section II examines the reliance on non-state actors to regulate corporate activity with respect to human rights and Section III considers the pivotal role played by soft law in regulating corporate compliance with human rights and the promise and pitfalls of doing so. Section IV considers the role of the state and the possibilities for it to both complement and supplement private regulation so as to better protect human rights. Ultimately, this paper proposes that the regulation of corporate activity with respect to human rights requires a multiplicity of stakeholders and a very nuanced mix of public and private regulation that may be difficult to replicate easily across different sectors, states and cultural boundaries. While, in this field, the state may no longer play the primary protection role ascribed to it in either international human rights law or the Guiding Principles, it remains an essential piece of the human rights enforcement puzzle and greater attention needs to be paid to analysing what mix of international/domestic, state/non-state and hard/soft regulatory mechanisms will be most effective in protecting human rights in the workplace.
II. The Rise of, and Reliance on Private Regulation
For the last several decades, globalization has posed both challenges and opportunities for advancing the protection of human rights in the global marketplace. Significant developments have been taking place in factories, fields and offices all over the world where a variety of stakeholders have been pushing and prodding corporations to adopt operational changes that will lead to sustained compliance with international human rights standards. Sometimes business has been proactive in seeking such changes, at other times reluctant or simply absent. In today’s global economy, large companies in most industries have come to rely on a series of contractors and suppliers in a range of countries to produce their products. Today’s global supply chains link individual workers with large and small companies across national, political and cultural boundaries and ‘in a world of 80,000 transnational corporations, ten times as many subsidiaries and countless national firms, many of which are small and medium-sized enterprises’, any attempt to regulate corporate behaviour will always be a challenge.11 What is becoming increasingly apparent is that for sustained improvements to occur, a multiplicity of stakeholders must be involved, including but not necessarily relying only on the state. Some of the most powerful global actors today are companies, not governments.12 Logically recourse to local laws and a system of enforcement and judicial relief in the host countries where global corporations operate should be the first option for ensuring greater respect for human rights. However the reality is that in many countries this simply is not happening. In developing countries (but not exclusively so), laws are sometimes weak, but enforcement weaker still and corruption can be endemic - reflecting chronic failures in developing a governmental order based on the rule of law. Thus, reliance on the state to ensure human rights are protected remains a long term proposition.
The development and implementation of private regulatory methods that do not rely on the role of the state as the ‘human rights protector’ include the incremental but now widespread adoption of codes, guidelines and principles – both at the micro and macro level – which are being used as mechanisms to drive corporate compliance with international human rights standards.13 Such developments have, and continue to, urge a change in corporate culture that recognises workers, wherever they are located, must be treated with dignity and respect. Slowly but surely a paradigm shift is taking place that affects the way companies and society are increasingly viewing this issue with the state being viewed as (possibly) part of the solution, but not the solution. Companies, in particular global transnational companies, are ‘required’ to play a significant role in developing a solution. ‘In the recent past, it was sufficient for vanguard companies to do their best to avoid causing environmental and social damage. Now they are being asked to become a force for good, and discovering they cannot do it alone.’14 Thirty to forty years ago, very few companies acknowledged any affirmative obligation to address workplace conditions in the factories of their foreign suppliers – factories they generally neither owned nor operated – but this concept is no longer anathema to companies. For many (but not all) companies, the question is no longer ‘Do we have an obligation to address workers’ rights in suppliers’ factories? It is how do we do it, at what cost, and with whom do we collaborate in addressing the problems that exist?’15
Take for example, the different corporate responses to two workplace disasters nearly thirty years apart. In December 1984, fourteen years after Friedman’s acknowledgment of the limited scope of a corporation’s social responsibility, a corporate catastrophe occurred in the Indian city of Bhopal. On the night of 2 December 1984, a massive leakage of toxic gases from a storage tank at a chemical plant resulted in the deaths of more than 3,000 people in its immediate aftermath and injured and subsequently killed thousands of others.16 Some blame was attributed to the central and state Indian governments and their lax enforcement of safety laws and haphazard planning permissions,17 but public attention also focused on the plant operator, Union Carbide India Limited, and its US based parent company, Union Carbide (UCC). Although UCC exercised extensive control over its Indian subsidiary (evidenced not simply by share ownership or representation on the board of directors but also by involvement in ‘key decisions regarding issues such as, technology, plant design, safety…training of employees’18), UCC started shifting the blame for the accident to its subsidiary. The reaction of the principal companies involved was generally denial, obfuscation and a lack of responsibility for the calamity that ensued and liability was strictly defined in terms of legal accountability for the disaster. Litigation was pursued in both the American and Indian courts with mixed results.19 The action against the parent company, UCC was ultimately dismissed and the Indian case settled. Bhopal remains one of the modern world’s worst industrial accidents and as a legal precedent it is most noteworthy for highlighting the limitations of the law and the lack of justice ultimately delivered to those worst affected. So, in the nearly thirty years since, as corporate violations of human rights have continued to occur, what, if anything has changed in terms of corporate and public perceptions of a company’s responsibility to act and provide redress in the face of such a tragedy?
In April 2013, the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed. The building housed five garment factories and over 1,100 workers were killed. Interest from the world’s media immediately centred on the global companies outsourcing production to the garment workers in that building. Questions focused on the corporate responsibilities of these global buyers – legal or otherwise – in both preventing and redressing this workplace disaster.20 The ease with which modern technology distributed disturbing images of those killed and maimed in these factories no doubt played a key role in capturing corporate attention. In the aftermath of the tragedy, global press reports continued to focus primarily on the role and involvement of the private sector in remedying this problem rather than on the Bangladeshi government and its clearly inadequate regulatory enforcement of human rights and labour standards. The fact that direct legal liability may be very difficult to prove in linking the global firms with the collapse of the factory was not perceived as a barrier to responsibility.
In the six months following the Rana Plaza building collapse, three different initiatives formed, all with the stated aim of improving working conditions inside Bangladeshi factories. In May 2013, a group of predominantly European apparel companies developed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety21, quickly followed in June by the establishment of the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, made up of North American retailers including Walmart and Gap.22 These two initiatives, demonstrate ‘regulatory renaissance’ at work, by both recognizing the limited governmental capacity to provide a short-term remedy to prevent further disasters and accepting that corporate social responsibilities extend beyond those that can be defined in stark legal terms. These multi-stakeholder initiatives adopt a collective workplace safety standard and auditing plan that essentially privatizes aspects of workplace safety in respect of the remediation of safety threats. Together, the plans ‘encompass financial commitments of almost $250 million, plus up to an additional $100 million in low-cost loans to help pay for building upgrades.’23 This utilization of non-state actors to protect human rights builds on state efforts in promulgating human rights standards, but also explicitly acknowledges the state’s limited enforcement capacity and outsources the implementation of the proposed protection regime to the non-state sector.
Several months later, in October 2013, the International Labour Organization (ILO) announced a three year initiative to improve Bangladesh’s garment factories.24 The ILO initiative, co-sponsored by the Bangladesh government, will conduct a fire and building safety assessment on 1,000 to 1,500 factories and run safety and health awareness training. The $24.1 million project – funded mainly by the British and Dutch governments – also aims to provide skills training to survivors of the Rana Plaza building collapse. This initiative uses government funds to enforce national and international regulations and aims to build the capacity of the Bangladesh government to enforce safety standards across a broad spectrum of local factories. In the interim, the private funds of European and American brands are at work, improving a narrower range of factories that are linked to the companies via their supply chain. While the competing nature of these three initiatives potentially makes implementation all the more challenging it also recognizes that potential solutions must be multi-pronged and may need to co-exist offering workplaces a mix of public and private regulation that has the potential to fill gaps that another program may overlook. A sub-contracting factory that does not have direct relationships with Western brands may not garner the attention of either the Accord or the Alliance, but may fall within the parameters of the ILO project. This is the essence of re-regulation, utilizing public and private regulation that sources standards from international and national legislation to create real reform of workplace safety encompassing, in this case, a large proportion of Bangladesh’s garment industry. While limited to one country and one sector, one can see the promise of this regulatory renaissance. However it is not without its pitfalls.
III. From Principles to Practice: Refining the Rules of the Game
In the forty years following Friedman’s assertion of the limited scope of a corporation’s social responsibilities, a substantial body of soft law has developed that is effectively refining the rules of the game. As was exemplified by the non-state sector’s response to the Bangladeshi tragedy, the practical protection of human rights is being pursued at ground level, both by civil society and international institutions acting in concert with business. The reasons that the various codes, guidelines and principles have proliferated in the last three to four decades are multifaceted (including an increase in pressure on companies from NGOs and a willingness on the part of some companies to adapt corporate strategies to incorporate such codes) but it is also clear that the development of these initiatives is in part a response to an inadequate legal framework. There remain very few legal obligations dealing with human rights that bind corporations operating trans-nationally.25 This lack of clear legal liability has been central to the creation of the permissive international ‘human rights free’ environment26 in which some corporations now operate and the parallel increase in the development of soft law mechanisms to regulate corporate behaviour. In spite of this, or more accurately because of this, a plethora of codes and guidelines have been established that, with varying levels of success, take on the role of the state in encouraging adherence to human rights standards.27
For example in 2011, after persistent criticism about the working conditions at Foxconn, (one of Apple’s principal suppliers),28 Apple agreed to allow the non-profit Fair Labor Association (FLA) access to some Foxconn factories to assess compliance with Chinese legal requirements and the FLA’s Workplace Code.29 Multi-stakeholder initiatives such as the FLA, which is a collaborative effort of companies, universities, colleges and civil society organisations, epitomize the private regulatory mechanisms that have developed with the lofty goal of establishing a practical framework for human rights protection. FLA’s subsequent audits of Foxconn revealed multiple labour and human rights violations incompatible with both Chinese laws and FLA code standards. These included infractions relating to hours of work, health and safety, compensation and industrial relations.30 The FLA, along with the principal companies involved, then started to develop a plan to remedy these violations. The FLA is only one of a series of multi-stakeholder initiatives that emerged in the 1990s focused on the apparel sector,31 in which companies work in partnership with civil society to attempt to regulate unregulated jurisdictions. In this form of re-regulation, private actors are delivering public goods such as labour inspections; traditionally a state function but the assessable standards are a mix of public and private regulations. This acceptance (albeit often reluctantly) by (some) businesses of their human rights responsibilities is indicative of the transformation of the rules of the game and an acknowledgement that the rules can no longer be framed in narrow and legalistic terms.
The Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the latest and most authoritative to date, of a long line of soft law standards designed to curb corporate rights violations unabashedly asserts a corporation’s responsibility to respect human rights.32 This corporate responsibility, the UN Special Representative reasoned, emerged not from law but from the basic expectation society has of business: an expectation that companies will do no harm.33 The Guiding Principles stipulate that the corporate responsibility to respect human rights ‘means that they [companies] should avoid infringing on the human rights of others and should address adverse human rights impacts with which they are involved’.34 The explanatory Commentary accompanying the Principles states that ‘the responsibility to respect human rights is a global standard of expected conduct for all business enterprises wherever they operate [and that] [i]t exists independently of States’ abilities and/or willingness to fulfil their own human rights obligations, and does not diminish those obligations.’35
What does this mean in practice and how do such top-down announcements from the UN filter down to impact workers’ rights on the floor of a sub-contracting factory in Bangladesh? To some, the loose language of corporate responsibility rather than obligation implies an acceptance of a ‘world where companies are encouraged, but not obliged, to respect human rights’36 and requires few real changes in the way business operates. ‘The soothing promise of responsibility can deflect public attention from the need for stricter laws and regulations’.37 Responsibility is distinguished from accountability, and corporations interpreting these principles in practice, may choose to take their cue (or not) from a mix of international standards selectively embodied in a soft law format.
Following this line of reasoning, some argue that it is illegitimate for private companies to be conducting labour inspections and that resources should rather be devoted to strengthening public labour administration systems.38 The combination of utilizing soft law standards and enforcement by private actors while filling a governance gap left open by the state, attracts reasonable criticism around the selective nature of the standards monitored and the perennial problems of leaving the ‘fox guarding the hen house’.39 In some cases, the standards monitored by some multi-stakeholder initiatives set a lower bar than that required by local law40 and some initiatives lack independent auditing and transparency.41 Many of the soft law codes and guidelines that have multiplied in this sector in the last three to four decades exhibit these types of problems.
While some credence can be given to the argument that these codes, guidelines and principles have emerged simply because there is a lack of anything better and/or as a tactic for avoiding government regulation, the use of soft law can also be a deliberate strategic choice – made by NGOs and business - because it is attractive to the participation of a broad group of stakeholders (particularly business and sometimes government). The attraction of such soft law (to some participants) can be easily understood if the standards are viewed as containing aspirational goals that aim for the best possible scenario with limited constraints if such goals are not met but soft law is not necessarily commensurate with soft results. Any clear demarcation between hard and soft law is challenging42 and while some may argue that ‘the essence of any soft law rule is that it is not binding’43 in this particular field, differentiation between soft and so-called hard (or legally binding) law is not binary but one that should be viewed as developing on a continuum. What is legally sanctioned is distinguishable from activities that are not, but reputational sanctions can be crucial to business.44 The reality is that not unlike the global framework for enforcing international human rights law, such initiatives are only as strong as their members choose to make them, and they do not apply to those that do not want to join them. The soft language of the Guiding Principles and the casing in which the corporate responsibility to respect principle is couched (that is, principle not ‘law’) was deliberately adopted in contrast to the legal protection duties it ascribes to states that are grounded in international human rights law. What distinguishes the Guiding Principles from earlier UN efforts to regulate corporations with respect to human rights45 is the deliberate decision to move away from pursuing an explicit legal connection between international human rights law and corporations and rely on a more amorphous, but broader societal expectation that attaches to companies. Such looseness in language can affect both how consistently the Principles are interpreted, who they attach to and how compliance is coerced.
One of the many challenges associated with the Guiding Principles is their practical implementation. While theoretically, emphasis is placed on the primary protective duty of the state to safeguard human rights, it is increasingly obvious from a practical perspective that in many markets this needs to be supplemented by private actors46. The Guiding Principles’ recognition of the corporate responsibility to respect is acknowledgement of this. The limited capacity of many national governments and institutions like the ILO to stem rights violations, the decline of state backed labour inspections, and the ferocious appetite of the global marketplace has quite simply overwhelmed most national systems of labour market regulation.47 Even developed market economies have trouble maintaining adequate levels of inspection.48 The need for private actors to take responsibility for labour inspection remains, and will probably grow. Foxconn is China’s largest private employer49 and in spite of this, or perhaps because of this, state regulated labour inspections were inadequate to address the ongoing rights violations within factories. No socially responsible company wants to be associated with child labour, forced labour or unsafe working conditions in the production of their goods, so the need to perform due diligence to ensure that labour and human rights standards are respected, even in jurisdictions where labour inspectors are active, is often a necessity.
The ideal situation would be one in which non-state actors complement the work of the state by mobilising resources to protect human rights that are comprehensively defined by reference to international standards. The work of the non-state actors is not to relieve states’ of their duties, or selectively determine what workplace standards are relevant to their operations, but to assist in building the capacity of governments to assume or resume their obligations to improve working conditions. That synergy has been hard to capture and in many states where violations are rampant their public agencies are either in denial or in bad faith about the lamentable state of labour law enforcement in their jurisdiction.50 Reducing corporate violations of workers’ rights is a process of progressive realisation. While a diverse range of initiatives aimed at curbing violations of workers’ rights have proliferated in recent decades, it is also clear that such initiatives ‘have been unable to stem the flow of human rights violations by TNCs [transnational corporations]’.51 This should not be taken as an indication that such measures are altogether devoid of merit. Initiatives that have relied on the development of soft law via such tools as codes of conduct can play a vital role in internalising human rights norms within corporations and solidifying the notion that corporations have duties with respect to shareholders and stakeholders (including workers in their supply chain) alike – a process that in time ‘can shape the standards of care that are legally expected of business’.52 However, not all codes or initiatives are alike and there remains a vast gulf of difference between the motherhood type statement of the Guiding Principles to the specific standards or aspirations of some codes and how they actually engage business in the process of reform highlighting the need for state involvement in this field to supplement and at times, coerce business into operating responsibly and provide guidance and consistency with respect to adhering to internationally recognized standards.53
Relying purely on either the blind faith of market forces or the state to curb corporate violations has its challenges and ultimately, is likely to have limited longevity in bringing about sustained workplace improvements.54 To move from the development of these soft law principles to their practical implementation, requires articulated regulation by a multiplicity of stakeholders. In essence, re-regulation relies on a form of ‘networked governance’55 that places corporate behaviour under the scrutiny of not only states, but also NGOs, unions, industry bodies and international organizations. Private regulatory mechanisms that borrow standards from both hard and soft law instruments may transcend, but also complement, the traditional and formal regulatory role played by states in protecting human rights. This form of regulatory renaissance is not so much ‘governance without government’56 but rather governance that recognizes the limitations of government and seeks to supplement those regulatory gaps by directly involving other crucial stakeholders.
IV. Blending Public and Private Regulation: The Changing Role of the State
In its 2013 World Report, Human Rights Watch stridently makes the case for a more prominent - practical not just theoretical - role to be played by states in regulating corporate compliance with human rights: ‘[w]e have nearly reached the paltry limits of what can be achieved with the current enforcement-free approach to the human rights problems of global companies. It is time for governments to pull their heads out of the sand, look the problem they face in the eye, and accept their responsibility to oversee and regulate company human rights practices.’57 Human Rights Watch’s argument is fortified by the many examples of corporate irresponsibility it has tabulated over the years58 including several where companies have professed to be operating according to a human rights code of conduct. Reasserting the role of the state in improving workplace conditions does not necessarily mean, as one commentator puts it ‘a return to traditional command control regulation [as] the limits of that approach are well known.’59 What is needed, is some level of involvement by the state to harden the ‘societal expectations’ foisted on some companies and more readily assumed by others60: a blending of public and private regulation or re-regulation.
It is reasonable to argue that compliance by companies with soft law human rights standards is more likely if some aspects of those initiatives encouraging certain behaviours are mandated in the form of a ‘hard’ law requirement.61 Such requirements can take various forms and one obvious area where this might be effective in the current climate is government imposed human rights due diligence or specific reporting requirements on companies.62 These obligations could be mandated via domestic legislation (operating extraterritorially) to ‘harden’ principles that are currently cast in a soft format.
The Guiding Principles for example, encourage companies to conduct due diligence as a means by which companies might discharge their responsibility to respect rights.63 Such due diligence involves companies conducting a human rights risk assessment as part of their business operations but the parameters of such due diligence are not clearly defined.64 There is no legal obligation in the Guiding Principles to either conduct such an assessment or to publish its results. However, the hope or expectation that some companies might willingly adopt such responsibilities stems from experience over the last few decades of some companies who have been involved in multi-stakeholder initiatives that require companies to integrate human rights responsibilities into their modus operandus. The Guiding Principles leave a significant amount of ‘wiggle room’ for companies in setting the parameters of due diligence and note that:
Human rights due diligence:
(a) Should cover adverse human rights impacts that the business enterprise may cause or contribute to through its own activities, or which may be directly linked to its operations, products or services by its business relationships…65
The text of this provision is nebulous and open to interpretation. Whether the operations of a sub-contracting factory in Bangladesh can be ‘directly linked’ to its US based buyer is debatable and with no legal requirement to conduct due diligence, compliance is likely to be patchy and inconsistent. Selective implementation of this principle is also likely to be furthered by the Commentary attached to the Guiding Principles which states that ‘[w]here business enterprises have large numbers of entities in their value chains it may be unreasonably difficult to conduct due diligence for adverse human rights impacts across them all.’66 States however could supplement and strengthen this process by legislating to require companies they regulate to carry out such due diligence and set the parameters for what it should incorporate.
Articulating the reach of a state to impose such obligations (and therefore defining which companies a state might regulate) opens the proverbial bag of worms. Should (or could) such regulations extend beyond a parent company to its subsidiary operating in India or down its supply chain to its contracted supplier factories? Although in most jurisdictions national law regulates corporate activities that affect human rights including labour rights, anti-discrimination law, environmental protection and criminal law, domestic legislation typically does not apply extraterritorially. However, several UN bodies have, in the last few decades, taken an expansive approach on who and what a state might regulate in the pursuit of protecting human rights. For example, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights when considering how states might protect the right to health noted that state actions might need to cross national boundaries.
To comply with their international obligations … States parties have to respect the enjoyment of the right of health in other countries, and to prevent third parties from violating the right in other countries, if they are able to influence these third parties by way of legal or political means…67
Postulating two years later in respect to protecting an individual’s right to water, the same UN Committee called upon states ‘to prevent their own citizens and companies from violating the right to water of individuals and communities in other countries [w]here States parties can take steps to influence other third parties to respect the right, through legal or political means …’.68
Despite this expansive and pragmatic approach taken by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights that encourages states to protect individuals from corporate harms wherever they occur, the Guiding Principles adopted a more conservative view as to whether a state might regulate corporate activities that extend beyond its borders and jurisdiction. The Guiding Principles note that ‘States must protect against human rights abuse within their territory and/or jurisdiction by third parties, including business enterprises.’69 The Commentary attached to Guiding Principle 2 further elaborates on these territorial and jurisdictional limits by noting the possibilities open to states to broaden and deepen the scope of the duty to protect but does not go so far as to suggest states are obliged to act in this regard.70
The Guiding Principles rather limp stance in recognising but not requiring states to regulate companies extraterritorially turns its back on a window of opportunity offered by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in recommending an assertive extraterritorial approach to protection. The Maastricht Principles on Extraterritorial Obligations of States in the area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights71 developed by a group of experts in September 2011 takes up the challenge of more solidly integrating international human rights law with the realities of the global economy and the transnational operations of business by declaring that ‘[a]ll States must take necessary measures to ensure that non-State actors which they are in a position to regulate … such as transnational corporations and other business enterprises, do not nullify or impair the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights.’72 Maastricht Principle 25 then goes on to clarify that states will be in a position to regulate such corporations if the corporation, or its parent or controlling company, has its centre of activity, is registered or domiciled, or has its main place of business or substantial business activities, in the State concerned’.73
When looking for examples of how a state might reasonably regulate corporate activities beyond their borders, one model of extraterritorial legislation that has had a widespread impact on the private sector is the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.74 Adopted in 1977, it has influenced the way in which US businesses operate abroad, and has changed the global business environment more generally with respect to corruption. Setting a precedent for how a legislative model can reverberate globally, the US act was followed into operation by the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions and the UN Convention against Corruption75 which established international standards for combating corruption. Companies have responded to these global anti-corruption laws by developing due diligence programs to proactively identify potential risks. The global implementation of laws to combat corruption is a useful model in assessing how more rigor could be brought to bear in applying international human rights standards to business and the mandated due diligence requirements showcase how the Guiding Principles could be hardened into a national legislative model with extraterritorial reach.
States might also supplement private regulatory mechanisms by mandating increased transparency in global business operations with a view to increasing respect for human rights. For example, the UN Global Compact (a very soft version of soft law in this field) asks companies to commit to issuing an annual ‘Communication on Progress’76 as a means of advancing corporate responsiblity for human rights. While the Compact can cajole companies (and as a last resort threaten companies with expulsion) into complying, states can require companies they regulate to report on their global activities and the steps they are taking to ensure the protection of human rights. For example, Section 1502 of the US Dodd-Frank law requires all listed companies to report on the sources of minerals used in their products in the areas around the Democratic Republic of Congo.77 The purpose of this provision is to provide greater transparency about how the trade in minerals is potentially fuelling and funding the armed struggle in the Democratic Republic of Congo and relies on the adverse reputational impact of such disclosure rather than mandating penalties for actually sourcing minerals from conflict-afflicted regions. In addition, as part of the decision to lift certain economic sanctions applicable to Burma/Myanmar, the Obama administration has established new reporting requirements for US companies that are investing more than $500,000 in business in Burma. The reporting requirements include a provision that compels companies to outline the steps they are taking to ensure that their commercial engagements do not contribute to human rights abuses.78 The European Union (EU) has also recently adopted new laws aimed at increasing the transparency of government income from the oil and gas and logging industries. The 2013 EU Accounting and Transparency Directives will require European companies to report payments of more than €100,000 made to the government in the country they are operating in, including taxes levied on their income, production or profits, royalties, and license fees.79 These laws feed off the earlier efforts of multi-stakeholder initiatives such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and Publish What You Pay, which have long championed the need to increase transparency of payments by companies to governments.80 Such reporting requirements – both state and non-state sanctioned - indelibly link transparency with accountability, and in a field where accountability is arguably pursued by civil society with often greater vigour than states, the more information that is made available on global business operations, the more doable the work of these non-state actors becomes to privately regulate corporate activities.81
As these examples illustrate, interactions between public and private regulation can take many different forms and mandating certain aspects of human rights due diligence and reporting is one way in which state regulation can supplement private regulatory efforts to improve corporate compliance with human rights standards.82 Private regulatory mechanisms might sometimes impose more in-depth transparency requirements that exceed state reporting requirements but public regulation could cast a broader net to include companies that have resisted private regulation and also include sanctions for non-compliance that go beyond the reputational sanctions most commonly associated with private regulation.83
The challenges of relying purely on soft law and private regulation to enforce human rights compliance can be somewhat mollified by the supplementary involvement of the state. However, like reliance on soft law and private regulatory mechanisms, the involvement of the state in regulating corporate compliance with human rights, also has its challenges. While legally, it is arguable that states have the ability to impose extraterritorial human rights due diligence and reporting requirements on companies, the political willpower to do so is often lacking. The larger question of how the state might most effectively be involved in this blending of public and private regulation is also significant. For example, the FLA (discussed earlier with regard to the regulation of Apple’s Foxconn factories) was convened by government84 which provided an important moral imperative that drew together a variety of stakeholders to address the issue of working conditions both in the US and abroad. But it was probably equally important that the US government then withdrew and let the newly formed not-for-profit organisation (the FLA) get on with the job. This allowed the FLA to be more agile and creative than it could have been had government remained at the table. It also allowed the FLA to operate in exporting countries without being challenged as an agent of US foreign or trade policy. By contrast, another multi-stakeholder initiative, the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (operating in the extractive sector) has developed with governments assuming a firm seat at the table alongside companies and NGOs and taking a lead role in developing this essentially private form of regulation. What is most effective in terms of blending public and private regulation is thus likely to differ sector by sector, and this can significantly impact the replication capacity of such initiatives. What might work to firm up commitments on security and human rights for the extractive industry where companies often operate in a joint venture with government may not be applicable to the garment sector where a company’s supply chain is not generally directly or formally linked with the state.
Regionally too, approaches may differ. Civil society movements (with a strong element of consumer support) based in northern Europe and North America have actively prodded and pushed both companies and governments to take action on solidifying the concept and requirements of corporate responsibility for human rights for several decades. Such issues have only figured more recently on the regional agenda of South East Asian nations despite the ASEAN85 population of approximately 600 million having long provided an abundant and often attractively priced labour force. This potential workforce, combined with lands rich in natural resources, have together acted as a compelling incentive for transnational corporations to source their goods from this region. While consumer advocacy movements are gradually becoming more vocal in this region, other state based compliance triggers, such as trade incentives, are proving to be effective in supplementing private regulation.
One prominent example that showcases regulatory renaissance at work with its mix of public and private regulation is Cambodia’s Better Factory program.86 The program developed out of the 1999 US-Cambodia bilateral trade agreement in which increased access to the US market (quota) was linked to tangible improvements in working conditions in Cambodia’s garment factories.87 The project, launched in 2001, monitors factory performance against international and national labour standards and was established by the ILO in cooperation with the US and Cambodian governments. Monitoring reports were used not just by the US government to assess quota increases but also by global corporate buyers to determine where they should place their orders. Although quotas were eliminated in 2005, the ILO program continues with the ongoing support of the Garment Manufacturers’ Association in Cambodia, international buyers and unions. The program is jointly funded by the US Department of Labor, USAID, Agence Francaise de Development, the Garment Manufacturers’ Association in Cambodia, the Royal Government of Cambodia and international buyers.88 Key to the continuation of the program, are the global reputation-conscious buyers who ‘in the continuing absence of a [local] well-funded labor inspectorate…appear to be driving improved compliance with ILO labor standards.’89 While international standards such as those found in ILO and human rights treaties are the appropriate baselines against which to monitor corporate compliance they only have meaning if effective remedies and enforcement mechanisms are put in place, or if local governments take them up. To date this has not generally happened and the ILO with its tri-partite structure (business, labour, and government) is often constrained in its efforts to implement the standards it has created. The Better Factories Cambodia project provides a concrete example of how international standards, together with strong monitoring, trade incentives and encouragement by global buyers (in the form of orders), can usefully be combined to form a strong and sustainable basis for improving working conditions.90
More recently ASEAN as a whole has started to open its doors to embracing the concept of corporate social responsibility, even though particular states in this region have a history of reluctance in discussing human rights.91 In its 2009 ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint, ASEAN noted that one of its strategic community objectives was to ‘ensure that Corporate Social Responsibility is incorporated in the corporate agenda.’92 Accordingly, in 2010, the newly formed ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights commenced an (ongoing) thematic study focused on ‘Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Rights in ASEAN’.93 A recent study of regional state practices with respect to business and human rights found that while most ASEAN States have substantial legal frameworks governing the rights intersection with business, the key challenge is the weak regulatory effectiveness vis-à-vis corporations which results in greater reliance being placed on private regulation to encourage corporate rights compliance.94 In this region, with a less vocal consumer movement to drive corporate respect for human rights, a variety of regulatory techniques that blend public and private measures can complement each other and lead to improved working conditions.
The rise of, and reliance on, soft law and private regulation to drive corporate compliance with human rights is symptomatic of the fact that governments in many of the countries where the goods are produced are unable or unwilling to implement improved working conditions. The logical involvement of the non-state sector (including companies, NGOs, unions, industry bodies and/or international organisations) has been a useful, if not a sufficient tool to temper this governance gap. Private intervention alone is unlikely to be sufficient to develop longevity and consistency around corporate compliance for human rights. For real change to occur governments must get involved. Violations occurring in a far flung factory in Bangladesh are not a problem that can simply be isolated or fixed by focusing on improvements at the factory level. Attention also needs to be directed to the corporate and state policies and practices that are being foisted on the factory from within their borders and beyond, both by states and the global buyers who place the orders in those factories. A blend of private and public regulation is required to tackle these inherent labour problems, and how this unfolds in a world of volatile consumer markets that require increased flexibility in production, rigid labour markets prohibiting flexibility, and rising costs that incentivise cost cutting, is challenging.
There is a convoluted and complex relationship between human rights and corporations, and it is clear that the interplay between national and international law and state and non-state actors is crucial in establishing both a legal and quasi-legal basis and mechanism for holding corporations accountable for human rights violations. While it is uncontested that corporations should obey the law in the jurisdictions in which they operate, where the content of rights in such jurisdictions does not meet the standards of international law or the law is not enforced, there is a failure in the legal governance regime for protecting human rights. The steady evolution of a global social expectation that companies should respect international human rights standards, combined with the occasional foray by states in adopting an expansive extraterritorial approach to protecting rights, is changing the nature and possibility of developing a firmer basis for corporate legal accountability for human rights and in so doing, refining the rules of the game. The growth and depth of soft law mechanisms that have developed around the theme of corporate responsibility have come about partly in recognition of the failure of legal regulation (both internationally and domestically) to hold corporations to account, but these soft law initiatives have become an important tool in attempting to prevent and remedy corporate rights violations.
While this re-regulatory process is slowly but surely refining the rules of the game so that achieving greater respect for human rights is a responsibility not only assumed, but also implemented by state and non-state actors, greater attention needs to be focused on the practical impacts rendered by such a process. Initiatives that might combine elements of public and private regulation, whether in the form of the FLA, the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights or the Cambodia Better Factory project, are still in their relative infancy but new forms of private/public regulation are continuing to emerge. The Global Network Initiative95, the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers96, the Guiding Principles themselves, and most recently the Bangladeshi garment factory initiatives, are all projects that both emulate and at times, seem to be ‘reinventing the wheel’ of earlier efforts that combine aspects of soft/hard law and private/public regulation to improve adherence to human rights. More research is needed on what particular aspects of this re-regulation process are most effective in providing greater protection for human rights. Is state involvement a necessity in all sectors to maximise human right protection? What lessons can be learned from those initiatives that have been in operation for the last decade? Does reliance on soft law impede efforts to develop global laws to regulate corporate rights adherence? Would the development of such global laws be effective in tempering rights violations at the ground level? Under what conditions and in what sectors, are government imposed transparency or due diligence regulations likely to be most useful in protecting rights? In what situations should private regulation act as a substitute for state regulations, and are such tactics sustainable in the long term as a rights protection mechanism?
Accepting that rights must be respected by corporations, wherever in the world they operate is one thing, making it happen is quite another. In practical terms, non-state actors have either deliberately or by default, assumed the protective duties of states while some states have sat idly by.97 Utilizing the involvement of other stakeholders in a re-regulatory manner does not absolve a state from acting but rather recognizes that at times, a joint regulatory effort may be more effective than simply relying on the command and control tactics of yesteryear. The questions raised above indicate that there is a vast field of unknowns in this field of research. One mechanism that is being trialled by some states is to legislate extraterritorially and mandate human rights transparency requirements. The information disclosed under such laws can benefit both state and non-state actors in monitoring the impact of corporate activities on human rights but whether such laws will require penalties to be attached to ensure compliance remains to be seen, as does the flow on effect from the disclosures themselves.
What is clear is that the protective role traditionally assigned to states in international human rights law and as recognised in the Guiding Principles will remain relevant only as long as states act on the duties delegated to them. Non-state actors are not so much usurping the role of states but rather simultaneously filling a lacuna and building capacity for governments to get involved and institutionalise the norms being established via soft law. States must not only be able, but be willing to step up to their duty to protect human rights and this will likely be done most effectively by working with the non-state actors who are currently carrying the lion’s share of the regulatory burden in this sector. | <urn:uuid:62bb9bce-8858-4ef5-bfd7-25a64257603a> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://www.utrechtjournal.org/articles/10.5334/ujiel.ca/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886109803.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20170822011838-20170822031838-00035.warc.gz | en | 0.955061 | 10,302 | 2.578125 | 3 | The extract discusses the evolution of corporate social responsibility, particularly in relation to human rights, and the role of private regulation in filling the gaps left by inadequate state enforcement. It explores the complexities of implementing soft law standards, such as the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the need for a nuanced mix of public and private regulation to protect human rights. The text demonstrates a high level of sophistication in its analysis of the interplay between state and non-state actors, international standards, and the challenges of regulating corporate behavior across different contexts.
The extract seamlessly integrates advanced communication, leadership, and problem-solving scenarios that mirror real-world complexity, warranting a perfect score. It presents complex scenarios requiring sophisticated communication, strategic thinking, and advanced problem-solving across multiple contexts, including the implementation of soft law standards, the role of non-state actors, and the challenges of regulating corporate behavior.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 959,148 | 1 |
Atlanta, GA — The recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery have set in motion protests and riots around the nation. There's a global conversation happening, and for some, the right thing to say doesn't come easily.
African Americans have fought against systemic racism, microaggressions and police brutality for decades. As these issues suddenly become a mainstream crisis, it is somewhat exhausting for African Americans. Some wonder why it took so long for non-Blacks to pay attention. Others are just tapped out and don't have the energy to comfort or educate potential allies.
In the days following Floyd's death, many African Americans were inundated with messages from non-Black friends and co-workers. Many took to social media to express their frustration.
While the text messages, emails and social media DMs are appreciated, for some, it's overwhelming, experts say.
"As Black people, we're grieving," said Allison Curry, a Los Angeles-based youth educator. "This has been going on for years, but we're still fighting."
If you're hoping to be an ally to your Black friends and co-workers, we've put together some tips for the support that goes beyond the "How are you?" text messages.
Think before you to reach out
Dr. Kali D. Cyrus, a Washington, D.C.-based psychiatrist, posted a Youtube video titled "13 Reasons Why You Should Pause Before Asking Black Friends, Colleagues and Humans How They Feel Right Now."
She explains that some Black people don't even know how they feel, so trying to explain it to someone who can't relate, isn't a priority.
Before starting the dialogue, consider your relationship with the person. Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis, a psychologist and minister, suggests that white people be prepared to listen, learn and not "make the movement about you."
"Show up with humility and respect," Bryant-Davis said.
Lean into the discomfort
Don't expect Black people to alter their message or tell half of their stories so that white people feel comfortable. According to Dr. Kimani Norrington-Sands, a clinical psychologist, African Americans are always in "survival mode." She believes white Americans know about racism and discrimination but often don't do anything about it. Accountability isn't always comfortable, but it's a necessary step to take, she suggests.
Non-Black allies should actively fight against racism, implicit bias and prejudice. Being a silent witness can have the same effect as a willing participant, experts say. Young activists and allies should not be afraid to fight, Curry said. "If we don't push the envelope, nothing will change," she said. She also urges her students to remember that this work is a "lifetime commitment."
It's irresponsible to rely on others to do the heavy educational lifting for you. There are plenty of resources to help you understand systemic racism, the civil rights movement and the continued police brutality against African Americans.
While "The Help" — a movie based on the experiences of Black southern housekeepers — was recently trending on Netflix, there are many other options you need to consider. Netflix and Hulu have curated collections of Black content for viewers. Just Mercy, a movie about civil rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson, is streaming for free.
Browse the website Your Black Friends are Busy. It offers tons of resources to learn about anti-racism and support various organizations.
Once the country fully reopens from the COVID-19 quarantine, consider a visit to The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration, the Civil Rights Museum or the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Also, check out the New York Times Paperback Nonfiction Best Sellers for books like "So You Want to Talk About Race," "The New Jim Crow" and "Born a Crime."
Don't let your outrage end here
Racial inequality isn't limited to our criminal justice system — it also exists in education, healthcare, employment and housing. Bryant-Davis urges Black allies to "train their own eyes to see that racism comes in all forms so that the outrage is not limited to murder." When the protests end, there is still work to do. Speak up at work, educate your peers and check your own implicit bias, she said.
Experts agree that the work of dismantling racist structures is a commitment. Allyship isn't a fad or a 30-day challenge. If you genuinely want to be an ally, recognize that this isn't just a moment for Black people, try to use your privilege to make it a movement. | <urn:uuid:020218c5-ec78-46ce-b366-e0f592582729> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://yr.media/news/dear-ally-what-your-black-friends-want-you-to-know/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296949678.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20230331175950-20230331205950-00640.warc.gz | en | 0.958996 | 962 | 2.640625 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive discussion on being an ally to Black friends and co-workers, covering complex scenarios that require emotional intelligence, leadership, and critical thinking. It offers practical applications and resources for professional development, incorporating cultural awareness and digital literacy. The text promotes nuanced interaction, intercultural fluency, and technological adaptation, making it a valuable resource for soft skills development.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 186,941 | 1 |
Creative writing can be challenging for teachers. Some lack confidence and aren’t sure where to start. Others love teaching it, but don’t have the time to find approaches and techniques that are fresh and successful. Imagine: The Australian Students Creative Writing Book is a resource for all teachers, those who love teaching creative writing, like Sue and Jodi, and for those who struggle. Imagine… is filled with no-nonsense advice and many easy to use exercises that have been trialed and tested in classrooms. It even has black-line-masters to make teachers’ lives a little easier. While aimed at upper primary and lower secondary students, the book is relevant to all student writers. All activities can be adapted to suit any age group. Imagine… is divided into four sections, Preparation, The Craft, Revision and Publishing. In Preparation, the authors discuss the importance and role of the classroom environment, equipment, how to inspire and motivate children to write, and warm-ups before a writing session. Warm-ups help students to focus. This chapter is filled with dozens of warm-up prompts for immediate use in the classroom, and all chapters of the book begin with additional warm-ups. What’s The Problem explains the critical role of the problem in creative writing. Once they grasp this concept, students find creative writing a more enjoyable experience, and teachers find it easier to help students develop their stories. Finally, the authors share ways to generate ideas, plan stories and how to approach the first draft. The second section, The Craft, discusses the important role that beginnings, characters, dialogue, setting and titles play in narratives. Each section starts with suggested warm-ups and chapters are filled with exercises suitable for students to complete individually, in groups or as a class. The exercises require little preparation, but achieve big results. Revision is filled with ways teachers can help students make their draft sparkle. From improving description to choosing stronger words, this section is filled with examples and ideas to help students practice revising skills. The final section, Publishing, presents a range of ideas to celebrate young writer’s achievements. Writing is hard work, so it is important that finished work is recognised. The last sections of Imagine… are again practical resources for teachers. A glossary explains writing terminology, the suggested reading list features books, mainly picture books for ease of use in the classroom, which illustrate various aspects of author’s craft and the ways in which authors use characters, setting, the problem and other techniques to tell their story. The final section, and perhaps the most useful is the selection of black line masters for classroom use. Imagine: The Australian Students Creative Writing Book is designed to be a practical book which requires a minimum of preparation to ensure success. Its what teachers have been asking us for when we visit schools to run workshops with students. It’s simple, easy to implement and most of all, achieves results.
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Tell us what you like and we'll recommend books you'll love. | <urn:uuid:27d87012-eaa2-4a14-82fd-dd10398ea670> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/Imagine/Sue-Lawson/9781742035864 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875145989.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20200224224431-20200225014431-00318.warc.gz | en | 0.946987 | 641 | 3.203125 | 3 | The extract provides a resource for teachers to improve their creative writing instruction, offering practical advice, exercises, and tools. It touches on basic communication and teamwork concepts, such as classroom environment and student motivation, but lacks depth in soft skills like leadership, emotional intelligence, and intercultural fluency.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 396,329 | 0 |
1. Introduction to Dr. McNamara:
Dr. McNamara is a social scientist, a researcher, and a social worker in the Air Force. She does clinical work, research, and teaching for the Air Force. For her Ph.D. dissertation, she was able to partner on DoD projects happening at her university which looked at the experiences of LGBT service members after the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.
So many people go to therapy for troubled marriages” -- Dr. Kati McNamara
Even though people could serve opening in the military regardless of their sexual orientation starting in 2013, it wasn't until 2015 that same sex military couples have been respected as legit couples. Meaning that prior to 2015 and the federal rule recognizing same-sex marriage, spouses couldn't get an military ID's, health insurance, go to the commissary on their own, or pick up their kids from school on the military base. According to Dr. McNamara, “It’s an emotional and logistical problem.”
Between 2013 and 2015, several support groups formed to support same sex spouses:
If they hear a red flag--someone saying something negative about LGBT people--they code that as this person is probably not safe." -- Dr. Kati McNamara
3. Unique LGBT Couple and Family Military Experiences:
The ripples of all of this is what Dr. McNamara and her colleagues researched. When though "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" had been repealed a few years prior, when Dr. McNamara signed up for the military, her paperwork to sign up still had forms saying that she wouldn’t be in a same-sex relationship. According to Dr. McNamara, there is a lot of mental math that people who are LGBT do in looking for green flags that other people are safe to disclose their sexual orientation to. And they have to do this every time they PCS and move.
In her and her colleagues research, they found that life is better after "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and everyone is generally glad that same sex marriage is recognized, and "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" was repealed. However, they also found that people who are LGBT often still wonder about anti-LGBT views at the individual level and about how military culture has not caught up with the policies.
In the military, a lot of the resources for couples are with the chaplain. But historically there have been a lot of anti-LGBT chaplains in the military. There has also been a long history of trauma from the church toward LGBT individuals. This then puts a lot of couples off from considering going to the chaplain for help with their relationship. This experience of discrimination is related to physical and mental health problems--something called minority stress. There are between 75K - 100K LGBT service members, but LGBT folks have high attrition from the military because of minority stress and lack of acceptance.
Young LGBT people are looking for someone at least 1 rank higher than them to be out in order to be out." -- Dr. Kati McNamara
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Elizabeth Polinsky is a marriage and couple therapist specializing in working with military members, veterans, and their families. Liz is located in Norfolk, Virginia, and provides online counseling services throughout Virginia, South Carolina, and Arkansas.
My podcast, blogs, videos, newsletters, and products are general information for educational purposes only; they are not psychotherapy and not a replacement for therapy. The information provided does not constitute the formation of a therapist-patient relationship. You should consult your doctor or mental health provider regarding advice and support for your health and well being. I cannot answer questions regarding your specific situation. If you are experiencing a medical or mental health emergency, you should call 911, report to your local ER, or call the National Crisis Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. Nothing I post should be considered professional advice. The information in my podcast, blogs, videos, newsletters, and products are not intended to be therapy or psychological advice. The podcast, blogs, videos, newsletters, and products are not a request for a testimonial, rating, or endorsement from clients regarding counseling. If you are a current or former client/ patient, please remember that your comments may jeopardize your confidentiality. I will not “friend” or “follow” current or past clients to honor ethical boundaries and privacy; nor will I respond to comments or messages through social media or other platforms from current or past clients. Current and past client’s should only contact me through the professional contact information provided on the website. Lastly, accounts may be managed by multiple people. Therefore, comments and messages are monitored by staff and are not confidential.
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The Communicate & Connect Podcast
In Communicate & Connect For Military Relationships, I provide educational tips for relationships, communication, and navigating military family life.
Hey, I'm Elizabeth "Liz" Polinsky and I am a marriage counselor in Virginia Beach. I provide online counseling across the states of VA, SC, AR, and NV. | <urn:uuid:1039a0e3-ef56-4871-a630-4f06f2b3a72e> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://www.communicateandconnectpodcast.com/blog/episode019 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296943698.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20230321131205-20230321161205-00691.warc.gz | en | 0.9571 | 1,203 | 2.65625 | 3 | The extract discusses the experiences of LGBT service members and their families in the military, highlighting the challenges they face and the importance of support and acceptance. It touches on emotional intelligence, leadership, and critical thinking, and provides some practical applications and cultural awareness. However, the discussion is mostly theoretical and lacks nuanced interaction or complex problem-solving opportunities.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 444,197 | 0 |
The issue of climate-forced migration, and its impacts on human health, is a discourse that is often underplayed when it comes to discussions about climate impacts and adaptation. The ramifications of ignoring it, and consequently failing to put in place appropriate policy frameworks to cope with increased levels of migrants at an international level, will be huge. The health problems associated with climate-related migration also pose a major challenge for existing healthcare systems and the international humanitarian response.
According to International Organisation for Migration and United Nations figures, between 200 million and 1 billion people could be forced to leave their homes between 2010 and 2050 as the effects of climate change worsen, potentially inundating current response strategies.
Climate change migration is already happening across the world - right now.
Some are migrating because of the direct impacts of natural disasters like floods, droughts and acute water shortages. Whilst indirect impacts such as conflict and increases in food prices can also contribute to people being forced to leave their homes.
There is no doubt that forced migration due to climate change will increase the pressure on existing infrastructure and urban services, especially in sanitation, education and social sectors and also consequently increase the risk of conflict over access to scare resources, even amongst migrants.
A study released on 28 November, entitled ‘where the rain falls: climate change, food and livelihood security, and migration’ reveals a much more nuanced relationship between projected climate variability and migration, which could provide key insights into likely drivers of migration the coming years. The study, carried out by CARE International and UN University, in 8 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, revealed that in nearly all instances in which rains have become too scarce for farming, people have migrated, but mostly within national borders.
At a side event at COP18 on this issue last week, one of the authors, Dr Koko Warner, remarked that "those resilient households use migration to reduce their exposure to climatic variability… In those households, migrants are in their mid-20s, single, move temporarily and send remittances back home. Those resilient households use migration to invest in even more livelihood diversification, education, health and other activities that put them on a positive path to human development."
However, there are also much starker consequences for more vulnerable households:
1. Households may migrate in an attempt to manage risk but suffer worse outcomes. They are found in countries with less food security and fewer options to diversify their incomes. They move within their countries seasonally to find work, often as agricultural labourers.
2. The study also described how migration could be an ‘erosive coping strategy’; as a matter of human security, when few other options exist. These households are found in areas where food is even scarcer. They often move during the unpredictable dry season to other rural areas in their regions in search of food or work.
3. Lastly, the study found "households that are trapped and cannot move, and are really at the very margins of existence," according to Warner. These households do not have the capacity to migrate.
Health policy making in the context of migration can either been seen as a human rights issue, putting the needs of the individual first, or as a security issue, in terms of its threats to public health (eg. communicable disease control) and social stability. The latter approach relies principally on monitoring, surveillance and screening, and could be argues to be the modern-day cousin of centuries-old quarantine measures, without an individual-focused perspective. The human-rights based approach takes into account nuances and special needs of individuals, as well as the social determinants which may have affected individuals’ health along the migratory pathway.
With respect to the UNFCCC process, the response to environmental migration is an area that is particularly underdeveloped.
The negotiating text elaborated at Tianjin in 2010 invited Parties to enhance adaptation action under the Adaptation Framework through: [‘m]easures to enhance understanding, coordination and cooperation related to national, regional and international climate change induced displacement, migration and planned relocation, where appropriate’. The Cancun agreement in 2010 took some strides forward and laid out a roadmap for progress with reference to migration, but as yet it hasn’t been implemented, and highlights the need for better and more equitable policy at a global level.
As Jane McAdam observes: “Finally—and perhaps most significantly—there seems to be little political appetite for a new international agreement on protection. As one official in Bangladesh pessimistically observed, ‘this is a globe for a rich man’.
In “Migration and Climate Change,” a recent publication by UNESCO, Stephen Castles, Associate Director of the International Migration Institute at the University of Oxford suggests that we may need to re-think our strategy. “The doomsday prophesies of environmentalists may have done more to stigmatize refugees and migrants and to support repressive state measures against them, than to raise environmental awareness.”
We should be doing more, much more, to raise awareness of this issue, and we must start preparing to cope effectively with the health issues associated with it. | <urn:uuid:7f75927a-468f-4725-a2ad-9c933cbfedae> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | http://www.healthyplanetuk.org/blog/category/security | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945218.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20230323225049-20230324015049-00090.warc.gz | en | 0.96057 | 1,079 | 3.359375 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing primarily on the issue of climate-forced migration and its impacts. While it presents complex scenarios and real-world context, it does not explicitly address communication, teamwork, leadership, or problem-solving skills. The text is informative and raises awareness about a critical issue, but it does not provide opportunities for professional development or practical application of soft skills.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 331,575 | 0 |
By Pauline Wong
The recently passed amendments to the Sedition Act and the newly-minted Prevention of Terrorism Act have been divisive, to say the least. Opinions on these two Acts have been completely on opposite ends, with on side saying it is necessary to protect public peace and order, and the other end saying it does exactly the opposite. Which side is right? In the light of the increasingly racist, homophobic and misogynic environment — largely perpetuated by politicians themselves — is it better to have laws to prevent that? On the other hand, what price do we pay for this so-called ‘prevention’? We lay it out, and then, dear reader, you can decide for yourself if you should be afraid of the Big, Bad, Sedition Act.
As children, we were told that if we did bad things, the police would come and take us away to lock-up. Our parents told us the men in blue would come and catch us if we didn’t do our chores, if we played truant from school, or if we misbehaved.
Those were but childish scares, used by our parents to frighten us into good behaviour. However, the understanding was always: if we did bad things, we would be punished.
Today, it is harder to tell what those bad things are.
The recently-passed amendments to the Sedition Act 1948 suddenly changes what ‘bad things’ mean. It prescribed punishments for certain deeds, but what is so wrong about those deeds?
Before this, we knew for sure that bad things were things like robbery, theft, murder, or abuse. If we beat somebody, it was bad. If we cheated somebody, that was bad too. Worse still if we hurt someone so badly that he dies.
Bad things today, however, include speaking your mind on your personal Facebook page, criticising your government, or expressing that you don’t agree with certain religious authorities.
In the amendments to the Sedition Act, even if you so much as ‘shared’ a post which someone finds ‘bad’, you will be punished and the policeman will take you to jail.
There are no safeguards, no clear-cut definitions of what’s wrong and right, and it places all the power to judge in the hands of a select few.
In punishing everything, the Sedition Act has blurred the lines between good and bad.
What exactly are these amendments?
For starters, the key amendments include:
>> Removal of judicial discretion in sentencing:
What it is: When a charge of sedition is brought to Court, the Court cannot choose to impose fines upon conviction, instead it is a compulsory imprisonment of three years. Previously, a sedition offence would, on conviction of first offence, be liable to a fine of not exceeding RM5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both, and, for a subsequent offence, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.
What this means: A 17-year-old, for example, who innocently shares a post which is deemed seditious (cause to be published) can be liable to a 3-year sentence. Lawyer Syahredzan Johan in an article on newsportal Malay Mail Online said that there is absolutely no justification for this.
“For an Act as wide as the Sedition Act, where no element of intention must be proven, as well as the disproportionately high conviction rate, judicial discretion in sentencing may at least cushion some of the more draconian aspects of the law. It may be difficult for the Court to acquit a person as the Act casts a wide net on what is deemed to be seditious, but at the very least the Court has options when it comes to sentencing. The bill will take away that option,” he said.
“Also, Members of Parliament beware! A conviction for under the Sedition will result in an MP losing his or her seat,” he added.
>> Restriction of travel:
What it is: If an application is made by the Public Prosecutor (DPP), the Court shall order the person charged with sedition to surrender his travel documents, thus preventing him from leaving the country.
What this means: The word ‘shall’, says Syahredzan, suggest that the Court has no discretion on restricting travel if an application is made. While the Courts have power to order a person on bail to surrender their travel documents, the discretion should be the Courts’, and the DPP has to justify the need to impose such restrictions. With this amendment, the Court has to order the accused to give up their passports, and such, even before the person is found guilty.
So a person who faces charges of sedition will have his basic right to mobility and free movement restricted. This goes against Article 5 and 9 of the Federal Constitution which guarantees the rights of all citizens to the freedom of movement and liberty.
>> No bail for any aggravated offence which causes bodily injury or damage to property.
What this is: The proposed Section 4(1A) provides for a new offence — an aggravated offence where the seditious act ‘causes bodily injury or damage to property’. The sentence upon conviction is a minimum of 5 years imprisonment and maximum 20 years imprisonment.
What this means: If you attend a protest which is deemed to have incited hatred or hostility against a group of persons based on race, or religion, and accidentally break a flower pot belonging to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, you could end up in the slammer.
Syahredzan said there is no need for this new ‘offence’.
“Why the need for a new offence? The Penal Code has offences to deal with those who make statements conducing to public mischief or to provoke a breach of the peace. Why not deal with such acts through the Penal Code?
“What is more inexplicable is the provision to deny bail for an accused charged under this new proposed Section 4(1A). Again, the Court has no discretion. Once a certificate is given by the DPP, no bail shall be granted for the person. There is absolutely no reason why bail should not be granted for a Section 4(1A) offence.
“The underlying principle of bail is to secure attendance of the accused, not to punish the accused. If it is really not in the public interest for accused person to be released on bail, the Prosecution should submit the justifications to deny bail to the Court. It should then be left to the Courts to determine whether bail should be granted or not.
>> Bill now inserts seditious tendency of promoting feelings of ill-will hostility or hatred between persons or groups on grounds of religion.
What this is: Exactly what it says on the tin. However, this mirrors the existing sections of the Penal Code, where it penalises the offences of uttering words with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person and causing disharmony, disunity, enmity, hatred or ill will on grounds of religion.
“The crucial difference is that unlike the Penal Code offences, the element of intention need not be proven, as long as it can be shown that there is the requisite seditious tendency,” says Syahredzan.
What this means: There is no burden of proof. There is no need to prove that those words were indeed intended to incite hostility or hate, that someone has deliberately decided to strew chaos or hate.
>> Special order to ‘block’ websites that publish seditious material whose owner/origin cannot be determined
What it is: The Court shall, upon the prosecution making an application to the satisfaction of the Sessions Court, order the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to block access to a site. The content of this site, if deemed to incite hatred and the continuation of which could cause injury or harm, is to be blocked.
What this means: Anonymous comments deemed seditious shall lead to the website containing said seditious comments being blocked. This could mean anything from a unidentified blog to even Facebook.
Unlike the correct course of justice where an accused is innocent until proven guilty, the amendments and the Act itself presumes guilt before innocence, and treats the accused as if he were already guilty by denying bail and restricting movement.
The fact is, the Sedition Act is not about ‘protecting’ people from the perils of ‘free speech’. The Sedition Act is repulsive because it makes a mockery of what is wrong and right, and it ignores the rule of law.
The amendments make it so that there are no safeguards and no judiciary discretion to this inherently flawed law. Without safeguards, the course of justice is perverted and mutilated beyond recognition.
Suddenly, expressing yourself becomes ‘bad’ and ‘wrong’, the same as if you were to rob a house or steal someone’s bag.
If the lines between whats wrong or right becomes blurred, who’s to say that the very act to prevent lawlessness, would not increase it?
By restricting free speech to the point where all thoughts and ideas become repressed, who is to say that those repressed would not seek more extreme, physical ways to express their feelings?
The danger in the Sedition Act amendments goes beyond just “be careful what you say on Facebook”.
It twists the whole notion of right and wrong on its head, makes a mockery of the law, and flies in the face of justice.
– The Rocket | <urn:uuid:ebbfadf7-d295-4f30-9b64-4c48073db608> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | https://www.therocket.com.my/en/whos-afraid-of-the-big-bad-sedition-act/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549426693.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20170727002123-20170727022123-00030.warc.gz | en | 0.962343 | 1,993 | 2.546875 | 3 | The extract discusses the Sedition Act and its amendments, analyzing their implications on free speech and justice. It presents complex scenarios, integrates emotional intelligence, and critical thinking opportunities, but lacks direct discussion of soft skills. However, it promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and cultural awareness.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 389,402 | 0 |
My Exponential Function Unit for Algebra II
Basic Context: This unit is coming right on the heels of function transformations. Students are familiar with translating functions up, down, left, and right; reflecting functions over the x- and y-axes; and vertically and horizontally stretching and shrinking functions.
Structure: The work on exponential functions is broken into four parts.
Part 0: Preliminary Diversion into Inverse Functions
Part I: Graphing exponential functions
Part II: Solving basic exponential function equations
Part III: Applications of exponential functions (carbon dating and compound interest)
Time: This took a total of 13 days — including an introductory activity day, a review day, a day where we did an exponential decay simulation as an entre to carbon dating, and two assessment days.
Nature of Class: I teach 15 students in a non-accelerated Algebra II class. The ability level of the students range the gamut. Many have a hard time thinking abstractly. All have graphing calculators and know how to use them at the basic to intermediate level. We meet 4 days a week for 50 minutes each day.
Broad Goal: The goal for this unit was to really drive home the concept of exponential functions.
Major Failures: I see two major failures. One is not seriously talking about how fast exponential functions grow. This would have been a really fun day, working on a problem like: “Would you rather have (A) $1,000,000 a day for the month of May, or (B) $1 on the first day, $2 on the second day, $4 on the third day, $8 on the fourth day, etc.” The second is just not having a lot of fun with this. The exponential decay simulation we did could have been so much more powerful, and changed in so many fun and really great ways. We could also have done an activity for exponential growth, using real data — population growth, Moore’s Law, or something to do with the Supreme Court. It would have been nice to finish off with a nice 2 day research activity. If for nothing else, to let my students produce something they could be proud of.
Major Strengths: In terms of getting students to understand exponential functions conceptually, I think I’ve done a pretty good job. My students can relate tables, graphs, and equations. They understand why the functions look the way they look. By the time we finished the exponential application days, students were coming up with the formula for the depreciated value of an object without any help.
Materials [NOTE: If you are opening these docs on a Mac, “Select All” and change the font to “Gill Sans.”]
Part 0: Preliminary Excursion into Inverse Functions
PDFs of My Smartboards before class: 1, 2, 3.
Part I: Graphing Exponential Functions
1. Introductory exercise introducing students to exponential growth and decay (.doc)
2. Introduction to exponential functions, and graphing basic exponential functions (.doc); HW (.doc)
Part II: Solving Basic Exponential Equations
1. PDF of My Smartboard before class: 1
Review Sheet on Part 0, Part I, and Part II to prepare students for the assessment (.doc)
Part III: Applications of Exponential Functions
1. Coin Drop Simulation for Exponential Decay (.doc); HW (.doc)
2. Carbon Dating (.doc); HW (.doc)
3. Compound Interest (.doc)
What I Want You To Know: Looking at just the stark documents, this whole unit seems like it might be a bit formulaic. However, particular moments of the guided notes, or the SmartBoards, or during the activities, were actually designed to be places where we have classroom discussions. For example, when one of the worksheets reads:
we actually had a great 5-7 minutes talking about the answers! So I’m afraid these resources make it seem like we might not have really interrogated exponential functions. But we did.
You can really see what I mean because… during this unit, my friend came to observe my class. (It was an assignment for a class she was taking for her Masters.) It happened to be the class where we first talked about exponential decay. While I was teaching, she decided to make a (partial) transcript of the entire class. The transcript is very rough and partial, and you can’t really tell what’s going on exactly, but you can get a sense of what the class was like:
Transcription (with student names redacted) after the Jump
today is the day that it’s all supposed to come together
let’s see if the click happens
I am collecting the homework
I am not grading it on correctness, so don’t freak out
we’ll talk about it a little bit, and then have the rest of the lesson to try and have it make sense
(some are late, he looks at the watch)
based on class yesterday: what made sense? what didn’t make sense?
on the HW
document camera set up, whiteboard ready
question 2, 1b, 1c
i didn’t think about it this way
(is it wrong?)
no! i didn’t think about it this way! this is the best way! i am getting giddy!
(is there another way?)
yes, there is another way
use the formula, [a student] explains
someone else plots it on the calculator
so excited that
what would be a resonable other answer? 87? 72?
what would not make sense? 4?
could I have started out with 5 coins (i coulc have in theory, but the chance of that happening would be achhhhhh!)
let’s start on 1b before we start on today’s lesson
calling on [student],
I know you don’t have your paper, but we can still do this?
she is unsure, having a tough time
how would this equation change if we started out with 100 experiments vs, 537
come up with the equation: labels the parts of the equation
then go to part c
OK, if you have feedback on this I was definitely serious about giving it to me whether you liked it or not (an email, or a note on my desk)
but not cut out letters: that will scare me?
Today we are going to learn about carbon dating?
Practical example of this type of experiment
What do we know about carbon dating?
(any history channel buffs?)
OK…there’s a thing called carbon 14, and there’s a half-life (whatever that is)
makes them feel comfortable if they don’t know about it
[student]: every organism goes through a life cycle
plants go through the chlorophyl thing…what is it called? photosynthesis?
there’s a krebs cycle, i don’t even know that that is…
the amount of C14 you have in your body is constant, as soon as you die, the C14 starts decaying.
i think collectively with all of our knowledge together: that’s essentially carbon 14
if you don’t get it, it’s OK; I looked it up on line, it’s very complicated
1) it’s radioactive: it has a half life
2) when you die there’s 100% of the carbon in your body
get in groups of 3, only restriction is not to be in the same group as yesterday
float around the room
checking the groups
what i want you to do is fill out this chart
let me explain to you what this chart is saying
what would be a good number to fill in in the section that says “years since organic matter was alive”
we were thinking about using the half life?
why would that be a good thing to use?
DO you know any other information for the intervals?
checking in with [student]; asking this question
could you fill in the rest of this table using this number? try it and see if it turns out to be good
would 1 year make sense?
could you fill in the other stuff?
no, what do you need to choose
some groups checking in with other groups!
what did you guys do…we are doubling the half life
looks good to me, but then my question is what would be useful here?
I am going to come back to you
they are working but look confused
this looks good! but you need to fill in the middle column
I am liking these numbers…can you fill in what these would be?
why don’t you erase the second number
(gives them the example, after 5750)
I can’t go any further
discussion of what they use carbon dating for
Oh, it takes this amount of years
this is making sense to me, now explain it to this one
wait…what are you doing?
i thought we were supposed to go to zero!
will it ever go completely to zero?!
no, what do we know about this?
but the practicality of
what about this middle column?
he’s distracted, apologizes and focuses
Oh really, it’s so fascinating!
out of context, i can see that it would be a strange comment
i just care that there are no numbers! no 10 tongues!
finish this on task and then do your graph
are you finished?!
Fill out the graph!
you want to finish and then you want to graph!
[Student] still needs the example
you may just want to make one graph between the two of you?
What’s that old?
anything with any organic material
Oh really, i am so interested in UNC, but I am more interested in this…
I came back
why would you double it instead of halve it?
[Student], you need to understand the concept
you need to wait 5750 years each time, using his hands to explain
Now the question is do you connect the dots?
in the other one we didn’t? why?
does it make sense to connect the dots?
does it make sense to have a 1.25 experiments?
you guys have been dawdling, you need to have this graph done
make sure you fill in the years
instead of making them nice numbers, what would a really nice and easy thing to do with the x axis
no it’s not, I am horrified by this? What are these numbers?
[Student] gets it! Explain to [Student] and [Student]
keep on adding that number
Oh really? there’s over 100% of carbon 14? how is that possible?
how’s your graph?
then if your graph is done see if you can’t answer just by looking at the graph: part A and B!
15 min left in class
just an estimation. you don’t have to be super accurate.
how did you get that? Oh, that makes sense. I totally buy that!
Once you finish A and B call me over!
[Student] clarifying that the number/percentage is what is gone or what remains
you are getting it!
How do you figure this out?
I’m not sure, this graph is a little off
You do need to label it!
why are we drawing a line? In the last one we didn’t!
OK? We’ll talk about it
there is a better reason!
I think you should plot the point 0,100
Since you started it, you might as well finish it
what’s going on over here?
I’m not sure I get that!
you can connect it with a line.
Why didn’t we connect the last one?
no! (cheerful, but dismissive)
hey hey language!
back to [student]’s group
OK, last time: why are you getting that?
Let me ask you: what does this column represent
[Student], you want to listen and focus, I am helping your group here
you want to think about part c a little more: I’m not sure I like your answer
what happens when t is zero…
how are you going to modify your equation so that you have something that makes sense for t to = zero
read question B very carefully to answer this
it’s not that 22.3% remains, it’s that 22.3% is lost
If you start with 100% how much is left after 22.3% is lost
sounds like they are hearing what is going on with the other groups, and
still working on their equation
what if t were 1?
you are very close! i like the division!
OK, I am going to bring us all together so we can go over parts A and B!
I need someone to volunteer their graph!
Why did we connect them, when in the last one we didn’t ([Student])
so everyone gets the answers that many answered in their groups
guesstimating: close to 5750: 4500, 4000?
part b: [student] help me out! If you start out with a dollar and you lose 22.3% of it, how much is left?
it’s about halfway in…what akeim did was take about half of 5750
I think it’s like the other one we did
Gives an equation: why the 5750 here? Oh, it doesn’t make sense
we know that we’re wrong, but I like where we are going, this is a great start!
so watch this! fills in the division in the exponent!
if you didn’t see it this time, that’s OK. I didn’t mean for you all to see it the first time, but hopefully you will be able to see it and understand it for next time
what I need you to do for HW is part D and E
and then I am changing the HW to only parts 1 and 2, not 3 and 4, I will post it on the conference
(I am grading it for a serious attempt)
little “labs” you could do for half-life data:
1) start with 20 pennies in a cup, shake and dump out on table. (n = 20)
2) remove any pennies that are tails. count # of heads pennies. (n = 10 or so)
3) put the n “heads pennies back in cup, shake and dump out on table.
4) remove any pennies that are tails. count # of heads pennies. (n = 5 or so)
5) repeat steps 3-4 until n = 0
6) graph data
(also try using with die, where you remove only when face value is 5 or 6… this gives a longer half-life)
supposedly, the foam head on beer “decays” more or less exponentially. i haven’t tried this yet, but a friend told me that you can have kids take data on the foam of non-alcoholic(!) beer poured into a graduated cylinder. the mL markings offer a metric for amt of foam. use a stopwatch for time. measure every x seconds. graph… calculate half-life of beer foam head.
@mjs: In fact, I did that penny drop exercise (https://samjshah.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/2009-04-27-exponential-functions-applications-c14.doc) — but instead of getting the pennies, I had students run a calculator simulation. I thought we could get the same benefit, but without all the time spent counting. Plus, I wanted students to drop 100 pennies. As for the die, I actually had that as a homework problem this year!
The beer thing is new to me… looking online, there’s an IgNobel that went to it, but for some reason I can’t access the paper…
I know why everything on your blog went italics. You put an em tag (for the italics) in this post right before the fold, but when you page normally loads, it doesn’t load the below the fold part where the tag is closed. That’s my read. Basically, close the em tag before you add the option to expand the post.
@Nick: You fixed it! Wow, good troubleshooting. Thanks a zillion. It was annoying me to no end!
Enjoyed reading this – it gave me some good ideas for next year’s exponential functions unit in Algebra 2.
One question, though – why do you just meet 4 days/week? Just curious. :)
@Kristen: we have a rotating schedule at my school. And the way it rotates, students meet for classes 4 days a week, instead of 5. And the classes meet at different times of the day, each day.
Note: The exponential equation y = a x, where a > 0 and a is a one-to-one function and has an inverse which is defined implicitly by the equation x = a y.
1. The log of a number is the exponent when written in exponential form.
2. If the base of a logarithmic function is the irrational number e, then we have the natural
logarithm function. This function is given a special symbol. That is .
3. are inverse functions.
4. Logarithms to the base 10 are called common logarithms. This logarithm is abbreviated as
y = log x.
5. Change of base formula:
. Equations that contain logarithms are called logarithmic equations. In solving this type of equation be sure to check each apparent solution in the original equation and discard any that are extraneous. One of the most powerful notions in mathematics is the idea of approximating a function with other functions. Students’ first exposure to this concept typically is Taylor approximations at the end of second semester calculus where a function f(x) is approximated by a polynomial, which can be thought of as a linear combination of power functions with non-negative integer exponents. Thus, these power functions can be thought of as a basis for the vector space of Taylor polynomial approximations.
The next exposure to this concept for those students majoring in mathematics and some related fields is the notion of Fourier series in differential equations or a more advanced course. Here, a function f(x), usually a periodic function, is approximated by a linear combination of sinusoidal functions of the form sin (nx) and cos (nx). In this case, the sinusoidal functions can be thought of as a basis for a vector space. However, by the time students Finally, when we speak of the agreement between a function f and an approximation En of order n, we will use the interpretation that f and En agree in value at the indicated point and that all derivatives up to order n also agree at that point. Thus, at x = 0, say, we require that
f ’(0) = En’(0), f “(0) = En”(0), …, f (n)(0) = En(n) (0).
and prof dr mircea orasanu | <urn:uuid:c30cd6f2-888d-436e-b732-907bae5450b3> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://samjshah.com/2009/05/04/my-exponential-function-unit/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224655092.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20230608172023-20230608202023-00187.warc.gz | en | 0.940543 | 4,244 | 3.46875 | 3 | The extract provides a detailed account of a teacher's experience with an exponential functions unit in an Algebra II class. While it offers valuable insights into the teacher's approach and student interactions, the content is primarily focused on mathematical concepts and lesson planning, with limited direct discussion of soft skills. However, the transcript of the class discussion and the teacher's reflections do demonstrate some elements of soft skills, such as communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving. The teacher encourages student participation, addresses misconceptions, and adapts their approach to meet the needs of their students, showcasing some aspects of emotional intelligence and leadership. Nevertheless, the extract does not comprehensively cover a wide range of soft skills or provide explicit discussion of professional development opportunities, cultural awareness, or digital literacy.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 634,996 | 0 |
To produce good crops from earth, there will be several essential elements. Farmer needs to sow the proper seeds on the superficial layer of the earth. The seeds must have plenty of sunlight and water so they can sprout, blossom and yield fruit. If any of these elements (seeds, earth, sunlight, and water) is missing, the crops will never grow from the earth.
Similarly, to be a good leader, there will also be several essential elements. Without correct attitudes and proper actions, it will lead to almost certain failure. Leader is a job that lots of people long for and dream of. It is not only well paid but also can bring you a high social status. However, it is the only understanding of leader for the majority of people. They only see the extrinsic evidence. However, being a good and qualified leader is really challenging and not everyone can achieve it easily. According to Nicole Papa , “a leader is someone who has influence over a group of people. This can be an executive, a pop star or an employee who has the ability to influence coworkers’ thoughts, feelings and beliefs”. As far as I seen, a good leadership will need following elements:
Famous managerialist Jim Collins indicated in his book “Built to Last” that all the great companies have one common point: they all have a “vision” that is motivating and helps the employees make critical decisions. Many people mistakenly believe that the leader’s job is to put 100 percent energy on the management and control over organization structure, operations and staffs. Such mode will heavily depend on the top down command, organizing and supervising and immensely limit creativity. In contrast, building a clear, motivating and realistic vision will be more important in terms of long-term development for the organization. A good leader would be willing to share the organization’s vision with his followers. Making and sharing visions can stimulate employee’s sense of participation and enthusiasm, and make the whole team with enduring fighting will and steadfast direction.
A leader with passion is a necessity for all the great enterprises. Such as Wal-Mart’s Sam Walton, Apple’s Steve Jobs, GE’s Jack Welch. All these outstanding business leaders have one similarity: always full of passion and power in the work and work tirelessly. Such leaders not only know how to use passion to stimulate themselves, but also good at using their passion to increase staff’s initiative and make unexpected performance.
A good leadership requires good communication skills. The primary part of communication is to listen. Listening carefully to others is not only a politeness, but also an effective way of acquiring information and understanding the speaker’s true intentions. Standing up and speaking will need courage, sitting down and listening will also need courage. Improve listening skills is the start point of a successful communication. Churchill once said that God gives us one tongue but two ears, so all the words we listened from others can be doubled than the words we speak out. This means we need to listen more and speak less. Besides listening, a good leader should also be able to speak and give a lecture in public. Most of the outstanding leaders, for example, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, are ingenious orators.
A good leader must learn how to communicate with his team effectively, and let every member of the team feels in a way that he is critical, special and outstanding. Meredith Burgio says that a leader with good communication skills will understand the importance of selecting the right words to focus his team on the goal or project at hand. For an administrative staff, if he wants to play a leading role in his company, communication skill is an essential requirement. It reflects self promoting and oral expression ability. Only by communications can a leader bridge the gap, remove the misunderstanding and finally get tacit understanding among the team.
If one never comes to the fore, he will never be a real leader. “Leadership is dangerous,” said Jim Collins . When you step forward, wave your arms and say “Come this way”, it is time for you to be accountable for every possible result and plan for the worst. Once you lead the wrong way, you may no longer worthy of being a leader. However, this is an inescapable duty, because only a leader who is able to work under pressure and be brave enough to undertake responsibilities can earn respect from the team and acquire more authority. Michael Wolfe states that taking responsible, unlike taking credit, is an active process. A good leader is willing to take responsibility frequently and publicly, in the mean time, check the level of his responsibilities and continuously adjust his goals.
One of the vital conclusions in Jim Collins’s book “Good to Great” is that the best leader is not the one that is the most vigorous and brave, that always leads in the charge and be busy with a myriad of state affairs every day, but is the one that can achieve ideal balancing between different personality levels and keep reasonable rhythm. Never be a “busy blockhead”, and never be a “slow coach”. An ideal rhythm should be like waltz which is both lively and sober, which can make people feel balanced and comfortable. The leader with good rhythm control is capable of using all-around rational thinking to analyze complicated situations, and choosing different leadership styles flexibly according to different types of team or team in different stage of development.
A lot of scholars summarized different leadership style from different points of view. Daniel Goleman , famous American scholar and author, summarized six emotional leadership styles that have different effects on the emotions of the target followers according to the samples of a 20,000 professional managers database, including the visionary leader, the coaching leader, the affiliative leader, the commanding leader, the democratic leader, and the pace-setting leader. There is no right or wrong between these six leader styles. However, as a leader of a team, learning merits and drawbacks of these different leadership styles can help creating his own and unique leadership style, and in turn influence the performance of employees and the whole team. “These are styles, not types”, said Daniel, “Any leader can use any style, and a good mix that is customized to the situation is generally the most effective approach.” A successful leader should be able to use different leadership styles according to the actual situations to guide, coach and encourage staffs, and transfer freely between each style to fully excavate and present his leadership skills. | <urn:uuid:15cedba6-562c-48ed-9cbf-767f296d26eb> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://www.ccjk.com/what-are-the-elements-of-good-leadership/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549426629.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20170726202050-20170726222050-00485.warc.gz | en | 0.958163 | 1,342 | 2.75 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive discussion of essential elements for good leadership, including vision, passion, communication skills, and responsibility. It features realistic scenarios and quotes from renowned leaders and scholars, integrating emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities. The text also touches on cultural awareness and digital literacy, although not extensively.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 391,095 | 1 |
A study was carried out to try and understand, what make IT projects different and complex than any other projects.
SUMMARYThis report is based on a recently published British Computer Society report:Why are complex IT projects different (March 2005).
Research conducted by the BSC shows that only 20% of IT projects can be considered as successful.
A striking proportion of project difficulty stem from people in both customer and supplier organisations failing to implement know best practise ( Royal Academy of Engineering report The Challenges of Complex IT Projects, 4). This can be said to be caused by lack of leadership, lack of knowledge at top level, poor risk management and so on.
However, further development and improvement in the method and tools to support the design and delivery of IT projects could increase success rate of IT projects. Most importantly, more research is needed to facilitate better management of increasing complex IT projects been doneThe main stakeholders are people involved project. They are very important in determining whether the project is successful or not. The list of stakeholders are senior management, end-user, system architect and project manager.
INTRODUCTIONA study was carried out to try and understand, what make IT projects different and complex than any other projects; the findings can be used to improve success rates.
This report is based on findings from the British Computer Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering reports. The report is divided into different sections.
Firstly, this report identifies what an IT project is and explains difference between IT projects and other Engineering projects, given examples or cases.
Secondly billions of pounds are wasted every year on mew IT System, according to a report by BSC. There is still lack of professionalism in IT and that can be dangerous in safety-critical project. This is one of the main reasons for project failure which are carefully listed and summarised in this report. | <urn:uuid:7d567e71-c5ea-454e-8a70-ba1faf73f5e4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.writework.com/essay/study-carried-out-try-and-understand-make-projects-differe | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705097259/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115137-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959034 | 376 | 3.015625 | 3 | The extract discusses IT project management, highlighting the complexity and challenges of such projects. It touches on the importance of leadership, risk management, and stakeholder involvement, but lacks depth in exploring soft skills like emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and intercultural fluency. The report focuses on theoretical knowledge and basic communication concepts, with limited practical application.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 311,803 | 0 |
When it comes to PCB design, imbalanced power demands in your board can knock the wind right out of your sails. Power discrepancies can quickly turn the tide of your design process and can be extremely difficult to amend without having to do considerable rework. So what’s the solution for getting your voltage levels just right, and is it possible to increase the transmission of data while reducing your power consumption? To start, you’d need a means to accommodate varying voltage requirements in a single device; one that is capable of processing multiple functions without “running hot.” While this may seem too good to be true, it’s quite possible with a more utilitarian approach to connectivity.
The Standard Approach to Transmitting Data
In systems that are more sophisticated, data transmission via wireless technology is often the preferred method for transmitting information. Such is the case for cellular devices. Although efficient, wireless technology can quickly deplete the power supply of a given device, as most cell phone users are familiar with.
Wireless technology like cell phones also require an accompanying power source. If you own a cell phone today, your power source will most likely come in the form of a USB cable and adapter. Conventional USB cables typically come in two forms: USB Type-A and USB Type-B. Both types have distinct characteristics that distinguish one from the other. Here are a few:
Flat, rectangular end
Type-A host and peripherals do not require the same USB version to function together
The compatibility of the port along different versions attributes to its stability and longevity
The common connector seen for peripherals
The micro-B USB is the de facto connector utilized in modern mobile technology such as phones, cameras, and tablets
Unlike Type-A varieties, the USB Type-B variations differ greatly in shape and appearance
USBs vary across devices
While these mainstream connectors have fulfilled the basic needs of power distribution and data transmission for several years, they fall short of being a universal solution that harnesses all that our devices are capable of.
A Multipurpose Power Solution: USB Type-C
The introduction of USB connectivity in many of our contemporary devices not only allows us to conveniently charge them almost anywhere, but also makes connecting to other forms of technology simple. We want the ability to take our devices with us wherever we go, and we want that same technology to be versatile. Enter USB Type-C, a relatively new addition to the USB lineup. So what sets USB Type-C apart from its predecessors?
USB Type-C might be considered a “superior” technology to its respective siblings for several reasons. Over the decades USB Type-A, B, and other proprietary cables have facilitated data transmission for various electronics, but have lacked versatility when it comes to power delivery and display outputs. USB Type-C has filled this void by consolidating these functionalities into one single connector. Because USB Type-C is capable of processing many different functions, it also provides a more substantial amount of power, compared to types A and B.
How Will USB Type-C Influence Our Approach to Electronic Design?
As USB Type-C continues to pick up steam where new age devices are concerned, electronic companies will begin to endorse this more advanced, multifaceted form of connectivity. Consumers will begin to look at USB Type-C connectors as the standard option for not only powering their devices, but connecting them to various other electronics, and more. USB Type-C connectors will leverage a significantly wider spectrum of compatibility, convenience, and connectivity that remains largely untapped, presenting an opportunity to further advance the Internet of Things (IoT). Soon, the possibilities will be limitless with connecting multiple devices, transmitting power, and displaying various types of media through one solitary medium. Just think of USB Type-C as the Swiss Army knife of USB connectors, and how leveraging this more efficient technology can help you achieve your design goals.
Download our free white paper to learn more about USB Type-C connectivity for electronic designs.
About the Author
David Haboud is a Technical Marketing Engineer at Altium. He studied electrical engineering with an emphasis in computer architecture and hardware/software design at the University of Southern California. David began his career as an embedded software engineer in the aerospace industry and has always strived to make it easier for hardware and software engineers to communicate. During his tenure as an embedded software engineer, he focused on firmware development and data acquisition for auxiliary power units. In his spare time, David hosts and performs in improvisational and stand-up comedy nights in San Diego, California.More Content by David Haboud | <urn:uuid:600e0755-a48d-47a4-9757-0d4d213562d1> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://resources.altium.com/altium-blog/usb-type-c-a-new-frontier-for-power-and-data-transmission | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886104636.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20170818121545-20170818141545-00224.warc.gz | en | 0.933046 | 941 | 3.15625 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing primarily on technical aspects of PCB design and USB connectivity. While it provides informative content, it does not address communication, teamwork, or problem-solving scenarios, limiting its value for soft skills development.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 885,675 | 0 |
Medicare, Moon Landings and Masei
This Shabbat we read the combined parshiyot of Mattot and Massei, finishing the book of Bamidbar, which literally means “in the wilderness.” The Israelites have been wandering in this wilderness for about 40 years since they left Egypt, and during that time traveled to quite a few places.
Once we get through this travel diary, however, the Torah turns its attention to instructions regarding the land that they’ll soon be entering. The distinct borders of the land are set, and each of the tribes, with the exception of the tribe of Levi, is given its area. The tribes are then told to create 48 cities for the Levites to live in rent-free, and in return, they would serve as the priests, supported by the community. Cities of refuge were to be created for people accused of murder, and finally, there’s a discussion concerning the daughters of Zelophechad, who had successfully petitioned to inherit their father’s land, as there were no sons.
On the subject of journeys, 59 years ago, on July 29, NASA was created and our quest to explore new worlds began. What’s more, 48 years ago today Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon followed by Buzz Aldrin.
And 52 years ago, on July 30, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Social Security Act of 1965, which included establishing the Medicare program, into law. At the bill-signing ceremony, he presented former President Harry S. Truman and his wife, Bess, with the first two Medicare cards.
There’s a lot to say about the connections between this week’s Torah readings, space exploration and Medicare, and one thing that connects them is that fact that they were all ahead of their time–perhaps even radical.
The concepts laid out in Masei, such as creating cities of refuge to protect murderers from revenge, supporting a segment of the community, and allowing women to inherit property were probably radical for their time and place. Medicare may not have been a radical concept that just popped up in 1965, but it changed healthcare in the United States and has been a subject of political and social contention ever since.
Medicare is most often associated with turning 65, an age at which people often retired from work and began a new chapter in their lives. As the Israelites prepared to enter the promised land, they prepared to begin a new chapter in their collective lives, along with a new book, which we begin reading next Shabbat. Moving from a nomadic wilderness society to a settled urban and agricultural society will be much more complex, similar to how navigating the healthcare and Social Security systems and our extended life spans has become for us.
Without coming out and specifically saying it, Masei provides a framework for social justice; recognizing that once the people are settled in the land there will be no utopian society–there will be violence, people will need to care for others, and everything in between. By creating cities of refuge for murderers, God instructs the Israelites, and us by extension, to value human life, even if others may not. Allowing women to inherit property–even though they have to marry within their tribe–puts women almost on a par with men. And requiring the community to provide for the Levites allows for diversity in a variety of ways, and serves as a reminder that people aren’t all cut from the same cloth.
I have no intention of making a political statement about the state of the US economy or the proposed healthcare bill that could be on a 40-year journey, but I do hope and pray that our lawmakers will come to an agreement that will be for the benefit of all.
May we be blessed with the strength to care for others, to value all human life, and to continue to explore new worlds. | <urn:uuid:8248aac0-78a5-4a4b-8eb4-e15e4ece3914> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.malvernejewishcenter.org/2017/07/20/medicare-moon-landings-and-masei/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370504930.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20200331212647-20200401002647-00235.warc.gz | en | 0.973333 | 815 | 2.5625 | 3 | The extract lacks direct discussion of soft skills, focusing on historical and biblical contexts. However, it touches on empathy, social justice, and community values, demonstrating some depth in cultural awareness. The text does not provide practical applications, complex problem-solving, or nuanced interaction, limiting its score.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 863,514 | 0 |
What is the concept of national sovereignty?
What is the concept of national sovereignty? (11 Oct 1996)
We'll start by examining the concept of national sovereignty from a 1990s point of view. Then we'll examine it from a Christian point of view. Which point of view is more accurate? You can judge for yourself.
1. The 1990s point of view:
The concept of national sovereignty is founded upon man-made ("national") borders. From the point of view of a US citizen, for example, those who are authorized to live within the set of borders which comprise The United States Of America are considered to be "neighbors"--all others are NOT considered to be "neighbors" and we might even fight a war against them some day. According to the concept of national sovereignty, the government which operates within those borders has the authority to levy taxes on its citizens, pass laws which govern the conduct of its citizens, and even occasionally kill its citizens-without any interference whatsoever from other governments, organizations, or people outside of those borders. When Saddam Hussein used poison gas to kill most of the inhabitants of some Kurdish villages not long ago, he claimed that he was merely "exercising his national sovereignty." So the premise of national sovereignty is that whoever has control of a government can have absolute power over the people who reside within that government's borders without interference from outside of those borders.
But does "national sovereignty" really exist? Faced with international economic sanctions and US-enforced "no fly zones", even Saddam Hussein is finding that he has considerably less "sovereignty" than he thought he had. And is the President of the United States of America, currently the most powerful nation on earth, really free to do anything he wants to his country's citizens? Even the US Senate's leading apostle of "national sovereignty", Jesse Helms, spearheaded a law through Congress recently which threatens to punish the executives of corporations in other countries who do business with Cuba-so national sovereignty is more of a myth than a reality.
Even as a myth, the idea of "national sovereignty" is so popular with some people that the moment that term in invoked, their minds cloud, their reasoning abilities shut down, and for a while at least, they believe just about anything they are told "for the sake of national sovereignty." For example, consider the often-expressed John Birch Society view that if the United Nations were to evolve into a true world government, it would "mean an end to personal freedom and the independence of this nation and all nations." To begin with, even the United States can hardly be considered to be "independent" of the rest of the world. It's dishonest to claim that it is. It's also dishonest to claim that if the United States were to agree to become part of a "world government" it would mean the end of our personal freedoms. American's didn't give up their personal freedoms when they ratified the US Constitution. If anything, their yielding of some of their state's sovereignty to a real federal government provided them with better protection for their personal freedoms than what they had before. European citizens didn't up their personal freedoms when their countries relinquished some of their "sovereign powers" to the European Community. In fact, history has clearly shown that most violations of human rights and losses of personal freedoms have been "morally justified" to "protect national sovereignty."
When governments are imposed by military force on unwilling subjects (as in Palestine), personal freedoms often suffer. But when governments are formed by mutual agreement, personal freedoms are normally protected and part of the deal. So rather than viewing such things in terms of "national sovereignty", which is more of a myth than a reality, it if far more realistic and workable to view such matters in terms of POWER. Our President has certain powers. Our Congress and the US Supreme Court have other powers. Ted Turner, Bill Gates, and Rupert Murdock have more power than most of us. International corporations have their own kinds of power (in some places even more power than the local governments). If these persons or organizations abuse their powers, then we should consider what needs to be done to get them to stop abusing such powers. For example:
Bob Dole and Jesse Helms would like to have us believe that the reason they have been attempting to shrink (and possibly even bankrupt) the United Nations is their concern for "protecting our national sovereignty". They claim to be disturbed by that fact that the United States has been contributing "more that $3.5 billion every year to the U. N. System as a whole", but they aren't the least bit disturbed about giving defense contractors $10 billion more this year than what our President and Department of Defense requested. And as pointed out above, Jesse Helm's bill to "punish Cuba" exhibits little regard for the concept of national sovereignty. A solid case can be built to show that the real reason they've been attempting to shrink or destroy the United Nations is because near the end of the Bush administration, they began to realize that United Nations peacekeeping operations offered a relatively low-cost alternative to massive defense spending for meeting most of our national security needs. So they began badmouthing US and UN involvement in Somalia, so much so, that President Clinton felt obliged to pull our troops out of there after they suffered some casualties. Then they did nearly everything they could to deprive the UN of the funding it needed in order to SUCCESSFULLY conduct peacekeeping operations in Bosnia, Rwanda, and Burundi. Week after week we watched the gruesome results of Bob Dole's efforts to create more anarchy in the world while he attempted to make political points by blaming it all on Bill Clinton's "failed foreign policies." Why have Bob Dole and Jesse Helms have been playing the role international anarchists? Evidently, they've been doing this to the world for the benefit of US arms manufacturers. Fortunately, we have an opportunity to bring an end to such abuses of power on November 5th.
2. The Christian point of view:
When Jesus was explaining to his disciples what was going to happen to him when he got to Jerusalem, Peter exclaimed, "Far be it from you, Lord, this shall not happen to you!" To which Jesus responded, "Get behind me Satan, You are an offense to me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." (Matt 16:22-23) Jesus was not calling Peter "Satan". Instead, he was referring to the ungodly concept (or "spirit") represented by the words that were coming out of Peter's mouth. Jesus, as did the Old Testament prophets before him, defined concepts (not people) has his enemies. In the Garden Of Eden parable, shortly after Cain had killed Abel, the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" and Cain said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" (Gen 4:8-9) So Cain not only failed to consider his own brother to be his neighbor, he also lied to God about what he had done and he rationalized his position by implying that he had no moral obligation to be responsible for the well being of his brother or anyone else for that matter. Jesus viewed this as being the words of Satan coming out of Cain's mouth!
Now, consider the following words coming out of the mouth of Jesse Helms in his article "Saving the U.N." (in the September-October 1996 issue of Foreign Affairs):
"It is not the job of the United Nations to 'meet the needs' of 5.5 billion people-that is the job of the nation-states"
[Somalia? Bosnia? Rwanda? Burundi?]
"A United Nations that can recognize its limitations--helping sovereign states work together where appropriate and staying out of issues where it has no legitimate role--is worth keeping; a United Nations that insists on imposing its utopian vision on states begs for dismantlement."
[The United Nations has been saving the lives of millions of people per year and helping to raise the standard of living of hundreds of millions of people]
From a Christian point of view, the concept of national sovereignty is an idol or false god. In fact, it's the bloodiest idol ever created by man! People all over the world are worshipping it, and there is probably no crime ever committed which hasn't at one time or another been "morally justified" for "the sake of national sovereignty." Some religions organizations portray anything resembling a world government as being the "the Anti-Christ." In fact, however, "the Anti-Christ" is ALREADY "ruling the world"--we call it "national sovereignty". We've seen on TV how this idolized form of international anarchy has been killing millions of men, women, and children. This is why Jesus would NEVER instruct his disciples to worship flags!
3. So what is the concept of national sovereignty? Basically, it's a glorified euphamism for a slow-moving but very deadly form of ANARCHY on an international scale. From a Christian point of view, it's an ungodly mythological idol which people in power often use to "morally justify" actions which they know will result in the KILLING OF MILLIONS of men, women, and children. And those in positions of power who can aptly be described as "international anarchists" (e.g. Bob Dole and Jesse Helms) have gotten more people killed in recent years than head-of-state despots like Saddam Hussein!
|[Next]||Rwanda, Burundi, Zaire|
Last modified on Friday, May 03, 2002 | <urn:uuid:3cd54368-7db3-49e2-8794-8f19e3fe172f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.onesalt.com/p0000029.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704655626/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114415-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966587 | 2,000 | 2.640625 | 3 | The extract discusses the concept of national sovereignty from both a 1990s and a Christian point of view, analyzing its implications and flaws. It promotes critical thinking, cultural awareness, and emotional intelligence by encouraging readers to question the notion of national sovereignty and its potential misuse. However, it lacks practical application, nuanced interaction, and complex problem-solving opportunities, limiting its score.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 216,548 | 0 |
The government provides a large amount of money from taxation to fund the provision of physical recreation and sport facilities. Sport England is the agency responsible for determining priorities and allocating funding to local communities.
A) What are Sport England's Main Objectives?
- For people to start sports at grass roots
- For people to stay in sports once they leave school
- For people to succeed in sports and reach their potential
B) What strategies is Sport England using to try to meet those objectives?
- Advise people on sports
- Invest money ino sports facilities
- Promote sports
'It would be better to allow the private sector to provide sport and physical recreation facilities for all, as it would do so more efficiently and with higher quality.' Discuss this statement (6 marks)
- Private sectors have more money to spend on equipment and facilities making them of a higher standard
- However, to acces these facilities it costs a relatively high amount of money and therefore many people wouldnt be able to avoid it
- In the private sector people may feel uneasy about attending due to a sense of social exclusivity
- The private sector has more freedom of what they can do because they do not have to stick to government guidelines
- By not sticking to government guidelines they can turn people away to ensure there are not too many people using the facility at one time making it harder to access
- The private sector can react to the demands of the public quicker
Individuals have a range of opportunities to participate in sport and physical recreation
A) Explain the term public, private and voluntary sectors.
- Public sectors are run by local councils allowing everyone to participate in sports, there financial objectives are to break even and if money is made it is put back into the facilities
- Private sectors exist to provide a service and to make a profit from this service
- Voluntary sectors are run by volunteers within the community and there financial aim is to break even to keep the facility running
B) How and why has the relationship between the public and private sectors changed in recent times?
- Compulsary competitive tendering was brought in which allowed private sectors to run the public sectors to improve the facilities
- This was then replaced by best value which allowed local councils to run public sectors but in order to keep them they had to compete with other provisions such as private sectors to ensure standards were maintained
The provision of sporting and physical recreation activities is the responsibility of a variety of organisations in the UK
What advantages arise, in terms of equality of provision, from having many different providers for sport and physical recreation?
- Not one sector can provide the necessary or appropriate facilities to satisfy the needs and demands of all those who wish to participate
- It is good to have a number of provisions as some local areas are poorly provided for due to economic circumstances
- Some people to not have the personal resources to able them to participate and therefore by having the public sector these peoples costs are subsidised allowing them to participate
- Some provision may make people uncomfortable to attend such as the private sector so therefore by having the tripartite system there is more of a choice | <urn:uuid:9a5f668b-63a2-49a5-8fa5-136ad49e565c> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://getrevising.co.uk/revision-cards/leisure_provision_questions | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886117519.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20170823035753-20170823055753-00421.warc.gz | en | 0.966308 | 637 | 3.1875 | 3 | The extract provides a basic overview of the provision of sport and physical recreation facilities in the UK, discussing the roles of public, private, and voluntary sectors. It touches on concepts like equality of provision and the advantages of having multiple providers. However, the discussion lacks depth, nuanced interaction, and complex problem-solving opportunities, focusing primarily on theoretical knowledge.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 763,098 | 0 |
Remembering the Nakba: Israeli group puts 1948 Palestine back on the map
- theguardian.com, Friday 2 May 2014 16.26 BST
In a run-down office in the busy centre of Tel Aviv, a group of Israelis are finalising preparations for this year’s independence day holiday. But their conversation – switching between Arabic and Hebrew – centres not on celebrating the historic realisation of the Zionist dream in May 1948, but on the other side of the coin: the flight, expulsion and dispossession that Palestinians call their catastrophe – the Nakba.
Maps, leaflets and posters explain the work of Zochrot – Hebrew for “Remembering”. The organisation’s mission is to educate Israeli Jews about a history that has been obscured by enmity, propaganda and denial for much of the last 66 years.
Next week, Zochrot, whose activists include Jews and Palestinians, will connect the bitterly contested past with the hi-tech present. Its I-Nakba phone app will allow users to locate any Arab village that was abandoned during the 1948 war on an interactive map, learn about its history (including, in many cases, the Jewish presence that replaced it), and add photos, comments and data.
It is all part of a highly political and inevitably controversial effort to undo the decades-long erasure of landscape and memory – and, so the hope goes, to build a better future for the two peoples who share a divided land.
“There is an app for everything these days, and this one will show all the places that have been wiped off the map,” explains Raneen Jeries, Zochrot’s media director. “It means that Palestinians in Ein Hilweh refugee camp in Lebanon, say, can follow what happened to the village in Galilee that their family came from – and they will get a notification every time there’s an update. Its amazing.”
In a conflict famous for its irreconcilable national narratives, the basic facts are not disputed, though the figures are. Between November 1947, when the UN voted to partition British-ruled Palestine into separate Arab and Jewish states, and mid-1949, when Israel emerged victorious against its enemies, 400-500 Arab villages and towns were depopulated and destroyed or occupied and renamed. Most of them were left in ruins.
Understanding has deepened since the late 1980s, when Israeli historians used newly opened state archives to revisit that fateful period. Key elements of this new history contradicted the old, official version and partially confirmed what Palestinians had always claimed – that many were expelled by Israeli forces rather than fled at the urging of Arab leaders.
Fierce debate still rages over whether this was done on an ad hoc basis by local military commanders or according to a masterplan for ethnic cleansing. The result either way was disastrous.
Zochrot’s focus on the hyper-sensitive question of the 750,000 Palestinians who became refugees has earned it the hostility of the vast majority of Israeli Jews who flatly reject any Palestinian right of return. Allowing these refugees – now, with their descendants, numbering seven million people – to return to Jaffa, Haifa or Acre, the argument goes, would destroy the Jewish majority, the raison d’etre of the Zionist project. (Israelis often also suggest an equivalence with the hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees who lost homes and property after 1948 in Arab countries such as Iraq and Morocco – although their departure was encouraged and facilitated by the young state in the 1950s.)
“There are a lot of Israeli organisations that deal with the occupation of 1967, but Zochrot is the only one that is dealing with 1948,” said Liat Rosenberg, the NGO’s director. “It’s true that our influence is more or less negligible but nowadays there is no Israeli who does not at least know the word Nakba. It’s entered the Hebrew language, and that’s progress.”
Rosenberg and colleagues hold courses and prepare learning resources for teachers, skirting around attempts to outlaw any kind of Nakba commemoration. But the heart of Zochrot’s work is regular guided tours that are designed, like the gimmicky iPhone app, to put Palestine back on the map and to prepare the ground for the refugees’ return.
On a recent Saturday morning, a couple of dozen Jews and Arabs met at a petrol station on the southern outskirts of Jerusalem and followed a dirt track to al-Walaja, a village of 2,000 inhabitants that was attacked and depopulated in 1948. Zochrot’s Omar al-Ghubari pointed out the concrete foundations – all that remains – of a school and marked the spot with a metal sign in Arabic, Hebrew and English, before posing for photographs.
Among those following him was Shireen al-Araj, whose father was born in al-Walaja and fled to Beit Jallah across what until 1967 was the armistice line with Jordan. “I have never given up the idea of going back to al-Walaja,” she said. Araj is campaigning against the extension of the West Bank separation wall, part of what she and many Palestinians call a continuing Nakba.
Another participant was Tarik Ramahi, an American surgeon raised in Saudi Arabia by Palestinian refugee parents. Marina, a Jewish social worker, came with her boyfriend Tomer, an IT student. Wandering among the ruins, these unconventional daytrippers attracted some curious glances from Israelis picnicking on the terraces or bathing in the village spring – now named for a Jewish teenager murdered by Palestinians in the 1990s. Claire Oren, a teacher, had a heated argument with two off-duty soldiers who were unaware of al-Walaja’s past – or even of the extent of Israel’s continuing control of the West Bank.
Nearby Ein Karem – Zochrot’s most popular tour – is a different story. Abandoned by the Palestinians in July 1948 (it is near Deir Yassin, the scene of the period’s most notorious massacre), it boasts churches, a mosque and fine stone houses clustered around a valley that is choked with wild flowers in the spring. Its first post-war residents were poor Moroccan Jewish immigrants, but it was intensively gentrified in the 1970s and is now one of west Jerusalem’s most desirable neighbourhoods.
In 1967, Shlomo Abulafia, now a retired agronomist, moved into a two-room hovel that he and his wife, Meira, have transformed beyond recognition into a gracious Arab-style home set in a charming garden. Relatives of the original owners once visited from Jordan. Like other Israeli Jews who yearn for coexistence with the Palestinians, Abulafia believes it is vital to understand how the other side feels. He worries desperately about the future of his fractured homeland and about his children and grandchildren.
“The Nakba is history for us but a catastrophe for them,” he says. “What have we got to lose from recognising the Palestinians’ suffering? The two sides are moving further and further away from each other. People live in fear. There is a lot of denial here.”
Many other Arab villages disappeared without trace under kibbutz fields and orchards, city suburbs or forests planted by the Jewish National Fund. Arab Isdud became Israeli Ashdod. Saffuriya in Galilee is now Zippori, the town’s Hebrew name before the Arab conquest in the seventh century.
Zochrot’s bilingual guide book identifies traces of Arab Palestine all over the country – fragments of stone wall, clumps of prickly pears that served as fences, or the neglected tombs of Muslim holy men. The faculty club of Tel Aviv University used to be the finest house in Sheikh Muwannis, once on the northern edge of the expanding Jewish city. Nothing else is left. Manshiyeh, a suburb of Jaffa, lies beneath the seaside Charles Clore promenade.
Palestinians have long mourned their lost land, eulogising it – and in recent years documenting it – with obsessive care. Politically, the right of return remains a totemic demand even if PLO leaders have often said privately that they do not expect it to be implemented – except for symbolic numbers – if an independent Palestinian state is created alongside Israel and Jewish settlers uprooted from its territory. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, provoked uproar in 2012 when he said he would not expect to be able to return to his home town of Safed.
Older Israeli Jews like Meron Benvenisti, raised in British-ruled Palestine during the 1930s, have written nostalgically about the forgotten landscapes of their childhood.
“I also identify with the images of the destroyed villages,” said Danny Rubinstein, a Jerusalem-born author and journalist. “I do understand the Palestinians’ longing and I empathise with it. But I think that Zochrot is a mistake. The Palestinians know, or their leadership knows, that they have to forget Ramle and Lod and Jaffa. Abbas says he can’t go back to Safed. They have to give up the return as a national goal. If I was a Palestinian politician I would say that you don’t have to remember. You have to forget.”
Hopes for a negotiated two-state solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians are fading after the collapse of the latest US-brokered effort, and mutual empathy and understanding are in short supply. But Claire Oren, resting in a shady grove in what was once the centre of al-Walaja, thinks more knowledge might help. “Even if only one Israeli becomes a bit more aware of the Nakba and the Palestinian refugees, it is important,” she reflected. “The more Israelis who understand, the more likely we are to be able to prevent another catastrophe in this land.”
The Nakba and Israel’s 60th Anniversary
Remembering the Nakba during Israel’s 60th anniversary
This month, Jews around the world are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel. These celebrations reflect the understandable joy of Jews who view Israel as the symbol of 60 years of freedom from centuries of persecution, culminating in the Holocaust. Nevertheless, not all Jews will be celebrating.
While Israel provided a safe haven for countless Jewish refugees who had nowhere else to go, many of them members of our own families, the terrible fact is that over 700,000 Palestinians were made into refugees to make room for the future state of Israel. Sixty years and several generations later, that number has swelled to an estimated 7 million. Many live in 58 registered refugee camps dispersed throughout the Middle East, and some 4 million Palestinians in the Occupied Territories continue to endure reprehensible collective punishment to this day.
That is why the creation of the state of Israel, an occasion marking great celebrations for many Jews throughout the world, is known as the Nakba, or the Catastrophe to Palestinians.
And that is why many of us will not be celebrating, for as long as Palestinians are still fighting for their fundamental human rights, we can not rejoice.
Any peaceful future depends on recognizing both the Palestinian and the Israeli narrative. And yet, just as the names of over 400 pre-1948 Palestinian towns and cities have been deliberately erased from maps, the history of the Palestinian Nakba itself has been all but erased from consciousness.
At Jewish Voice for Peace, we cannot participate in celebrations that erase both the history and modern-day injustices experienced by Palestinians. It is precisely this rendering invisible of Palestinian experience and claims for justice that makes reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians impossible. We choose instead to remember, to know, and to work towards justice and self-determination for both peoples. As Jews and Palestinians, our pasts are intertwined, and so too are our futures.
Today, because much of the world has forgotten, we remember that:
- In April, 1948, the same month as the infamous massacre at Deir Yassin, Plan Dalet was put into operation. It authorized the destruction of Palestinian villages and the expulsion of the indigenous population outside the borders of the state.
- On May 22, 1948, Jewish soldiers from the Alexandroni Brigade entered the house of Tantura residents killing between 110-230 Palestinian men.
- On October 28, 1948, in the village of Dawayameh, near Hebron, Battalion 89 of the 8th Brigade occupied the village. Israeli soldiers said of the massacre thatbabies… skulls were cracked open, women raped or burned alive in houses, men stabbed to death. 145 men, women and children were killed. Over 450 went missing, of which 170 were women.
Under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, every person “has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.” Israel has never accepted the legitimacy of this basic human right as a basis for peace negotiations, whether by return, compensation, or resettlement. Surely it is now time to acknowledge the narrative of the other, the price paid by another people for European anti-Semitism and Hitler’s genocide. As the late Palestinian intellectual Edward Said emphasized, “Like it or not, this is the historical reality. We must better understand them, and they must better understand us. We must make clear the link between the Shoah (the European Jewish Holocaust) and the Nakba (the Palestinian catastrophe of 1948). Neither experience is equal to the other, and neither should be minimized.”
Many of us will not celebrate as long as Israel continues to violate international law, inflicts a monstrous collective punishment on the civilian population of Gaza, and continues to deny to Palestinians their human rights and national aspirations.
We will celebrate when Arab and Jew live as equals in a peaceful Middle East.
Jewish Voice for Peace has prepared a resource center and a thoroughly footnoted downloadable fact sheet about both the Nakba, and the story of Jews of the Middle East. Please go here.
Please tell us what you think. | <urn:uuid:c9976cae-8f1c-4dc5-9a47-b5d9be23ae95> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://wirwollenkeinenkrieg.wordpress.com/2014/05/03/in-a-run-down-office-in-the-busy-centre-of-tel-aviv-a-group-of-israelis-are-finalising-preparations-for-this-years-independence-day-holiday-but-their-conversation-switching-between-arabi/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886105187.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20170818213959-20170818233959-00201.warc.gz | en | 0.958457 | 2,963 | 2.765625 | 3 | This extract scores 4 points due to its comprehensive discussion of a complex historical issue, promoting empathy, understanding, and critical thinking. It presents multiple perspectives, including those of Israelis and Palestinians, and encourages readers to consider the narratives of both sides. The article also highlights the importance of acknowledging and learning from the past to build a better future, demonstrating a strong emphasis on intercultural fluency and historical awareness.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 716,090 | 1 |
Intersectionality is the concept that we belong to more than one group and these groups shape the way we interact with the world and each other. These intersections occur based on our gender, sexual orientation, race, age, educational background, physical abilities and countless other experiences and traits that make us unique. Within international development, intersectionality is a new buzzword that aims to challenge the traditional approach to key issues in development. A traditional approach tends to provide a blanket solution for an issue, without considering the intersection of identities. However, intersectionality stresses that there is no one way for development to occur because everyone needs something different depending on their intersectionality. This possesses a challenge for development. How are we supposed to help everyone when everyone is different and has different needs?
There is no sufficient answer to this question. However, certain approaches can be taken to ensure that development is not just imposed upon a group in a manner that does not meet their needs. First, we must include each group in their issues. A lot of time decisions in development are made by a 3rd party, who do not understand the issues an intersection faces. Second, we must understand that the individual is not responsible for their oppression or intersectional identity, rather it is the social and political environment they are in that created these circumstances. This is important as the issues they faced are not by choice and believing otherwise belittles their experience. Furthermore, it is not the oppressed group that should have to change but society. Third, we must create specific solutions. Focusing on one specific group or issue is a far more effective approach compared to trying to fix everything at once with one blanket solution.
Within my capstone project, I have struggled with appropriately incorporating solutions for intersectional identities. My project aims to analyze the inclusion of women, LGBTQ, persons with disabilities, and indigenous groups in Fair Trade. However, I have contemplated how to capture the inclusion of the intersections of these identities. It is a difficult task because it could the intersection of 2 groups, all 4 groups, or any other identity that I am not considering. However, I have been trying to use the approaches above to develop my understanding of the inclusivity of these intersecting groups. Moreover, acknowledging that there are intersections of identity and that no solution can solve all issues, is one step towards more holistic inclusive development. | <urn:uuid:df4fbb6e-b25a-4ae5-aa8e-d4cf83e4cc5e> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://disabilitydevelopment.com/2019/11/24/intersectionality-and-inclusivity/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296949644.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20230331144941-20230331174941-00701.warc.gz | en | 0.97041 | 474 | 3.109375 | 3 | The extract scores high for its thoughtful discussion of intersectionality, emotional intelligence, and cultural awareness. It acknowledges the complexity of individual identities and the need for tailored solutions in development. The author's personal experience and self-reflection in their capstone project demonstrate a nuanced understanding of the challenges.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 333,083 | 1 |
Money Word Problems #2
Help Jeff, Janine, and John figure out how much money they have and more with this word problem worksheet. This money math worksheet helps your child put addition, subtraction, and currency knowledge into practice while helping some fictional friends with finance. Stretch your math skills with this word problem worksheet.
Find more word problem worksheets here. | <urn:uuid:a84231a3-409d-4e94-a000-390898b4ed87> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.education.com/worksheet/article/money-word-problems-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394678702332/warc/CC-MAIN-20140313024502-00078-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935142 | 78 | 2.734375 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing solely on mathematical concepts. There is no coverage of communication, teamwork, leadership, or problem-solving scenarios that involve emotional intelligence or complex thinking. The material is limited to basic math practice with no cultural awareness or digital literacy elements.
Educational score: 0 | 0 | 0 | 928,204 | 0 |
What began as a 1940's science project to discover a new source for rubber failed. Then, 10 years later the scientific grey batter became a kids toy known around the world as "Silly Putty," which has been sold in over 300 million plastic egg shaped containers. Now, 60 years later, Silly Putty is back in the Science lab as the latest technology breakthrough for possibly fixing potholes on streets and highways across America. Undergraduates at Cleveland's Case Western Reserve University are proving that we can run across a giant puddle of this Putty and it stiffens up like a solid.
The students devised the idea as part of an engineering contest sponsored by the French materials company Saint-Gobain and took first prize last week. The objective was to use simple materials to create a novel product. Student team member Curtis Obert explained their concept to Science Magazine writer Gretchen Cuda Koren..."So we were putzing around with different ideas and things we wanted to work with and we were like, what's a common, everyday problem all around the world that everybody hates? And we landed on potholes."
There are plenty of familiar non-Newtonian fluids, says Michael Graham, a chemical engineer not involved in the project who studies non-Newtonian fluid behavior at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Mayonnaise, ketchup, silly putty, and even blood are examples. Although these substances seem very different, Graham points out that they all contain some sort of particle and the interaction of those particles explains their behavior.
The type of material the students chose is the opposite of ketchup and mayonnaise. It's shear-thickening, meaning that when a shear stress is applied, say by the force of a car tire, it becomes stiffer and resists flowing. That's because the particles slip and slide past each other easily when moved gently, but they get stuck when strong forces are applied. The harder you push on it, the higher the viscosity gets. If you push it really rapidly, the particles in the corn starch don't have time to rearrange and get around one another and they jam up.
Currently, potholes are repaired by packing them with asphalt, which is messy, smelly, time-consuming, and requires specialized personnel and equipment. By contrast, the fluid filled bags can be carried around in the trunks of police cruisers or vans and dropped into potholes on the spot by employees with little training or experience. They would then be covered with black adhesive fabric so that drivers don't perceive them as a hazard. "We definitely don't want people avoiding them," says team member Mayank Saksena.
The students have road-tested their designs on a number of Cleveland's potholes and found that the bags continue to perform well after more than a week of continuous use in high-traffic areas. Although the product has yet to be field tested in an actual Midwest winter, the students say the bags are intended to be sturdy enough that they can stand up to salt and freezing conditions for weeks at a time, until damaged roads can be permanently fixed.
Furthermore, when the roads are repaired, the bags can be removed and reused. When they are not needed, they can be stored empty and refilled by mixing additional powder with water, for a very low cost. The upfront price of the bags may be as much as or more than traditional repair method, but in the long run cities will save on materials and labor because the filling material is very inexpensive. "The bag might cost a hundred dollars but you can reuse it a hundred times, and by that time you'd be saving a ton of money."
The students plan to patent their invention, so they won't divulge their exact formulation, but they say it's biodegradable and safe enough to eat although not very tasty. If the bags leak or tear, the contents pose no danger to people or the environment. The city of East Cleveland has offered to help the students test their new pothole fillers, and the students say they have already been approached by several companies interested in working with them.
East Cleveland Service Director and City Engineer Ross Brankatelli says the product could be a great quick fix for temporary safety hazards, but he's less sure of its longevity in winter road conditions. "I think it will hold up under traffic, I think that part will work. But whether it will be able to handle real winter temperatures and be cost competitive as a semipermanent fix, I have some reservations about that."
Other Known Uses For Silly Putty
After its success as a toy, other uses were found. In the home, it can be used to remove substances such as dirt, lint, pet hair, or ink from various surfaces. The material's unique properties have found niche use in medical and scientific applications. Physical therapists use it for rehabilitative therapy of hand injuries. A number of other brands (such as Power Putty and TheraPutty) alter the material's properties, offering different levels of resistance.
It is already being sold as a drumhead resonance dampener. Silly Putty is also used therapeutically for stress reduction. Because of its adhesive characteristics, it was used by Apollo astronauts to secure their tools in zero-gravity. Scale model building hobbyists use the putty as a masking medium when spray painting model assemblies.
One thing is certain, If and when a commercial product is ready, there are more than enough holes to fill across the country.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). | <urn:uuid:09311c2c-ce85-41ef-b18d-7e232b93ab83> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://www.opednews.com/articles/Silly-Putty-Repairs-Pothol-by-Jack-Swint-120414-610.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296943704.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20230321162614-20230321192614-00300.warc.gz | en | 0.970122 | 1,161 | 3.375 | 3 | The extract scores 4 points as it discusses soft skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking through the students' engineering project. The scenario is realistic, integrating emotional intelligence and leadership challenges, with a practical application to a real-world problem. The extract also showcases intercultural fluency and technological adaptation, with the students collaborating with companies and testing their product in various contexts.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 93,121 | 1 |
FIX – A One-Act Play. Characters: Teacher and Student. Location: Classroom, some time in November
Teacher: Are you going to fix a turkey for Thanksgiving?
Teacher: Yes. Are you going to fix — prepare — a turkey?
Student: Fix means prepare?? I thought it meant repair!
Teacher: Well, ah, yes — it means both . . .
A big problem for ESL students is that a single word may have many different meanings in English. Take “fix,” for example. When students look for a translation in their native language, they will probably find one or two definitions.
In Merriam Webster’s Essential Learner’s English Dictionary, there are nearly 30 definitions, if you include nouns, verbs and phrasal verbs. There are other learner’s dictionaries, but Merriam Webster’s is particularly good.
It’s a 4”x7” paperback, 1,386 pages (caution, very small print), cram-full of word explanations, idioms, example sentences and commonly used phrases for every word. It’s available on Amazon for $9.95. But it’s available completely free online at: http://www.learnersdictionary.com/
The book is appropriate for upper-intermediate to advanced students and is a valuable resource for teachers. The online version has a Word of the Day feature, Vocabulary Quizzes and an Ask the Editor capability, where you can pose a question and get an answer.
For example, let’s say you want to know the difference between could, should and would. Ask the Editor and with the response you’ll have a ready-made lesson plan!
Do you have other suggestions for coping with the multiple-definition dilemma? Please leave a comment and share your ideas with your fellow tutors. | <urn:uuid:6b86e2a3-501a-414a-8059-f951845d1e2e> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | https://sclctutortips.wordpress.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549423787.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20170721162430-20170721182430-00122.warc.gz | en | 0.921379 | 400 | 3.84375 | 4 | The extract provides a basic discussion on the challenges of multiple word meanings in English, offering a resource for ESL students and teachers. It lacks depth in soft skills development, but promotes communication and teamwork through commenting and sharing ideas.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 390,709 | 0 |
A while back I blogged about the damaged statue of George Washington that currently sits in front of the State House in Columbia, S.C. The post had something to do with a Facebook post on the SHPG’s group page that highlighted “Yankee atrocities.” As someone usually skeptical about such atrocities, mainly because so many of them are falsely attributed to Sherman’s Army, I decided to research the statue a bit for myself. I quickly found that there were two opposing explanations for how the statue was originally damaged. I signed off on the post asking for readers to provide any information they had. I moved on, and forgot about the whole thing. Then, two years later, I received a comment.
This comment comes from first time poster, Greg Ballentine:
Please refer to the drawing in Frank Leslie Illustrated December 23, 1876. It depicts federal troops occupying the statehouse during the election of 1876. The drawing is of the statue, with the broken cane, BEFORE it was moved from inside.
I’d post the drawing, but your site doesn’t have a way for me to attach it.
Nice try, but the US troops behaved despicably in South Carolina. Even the soldiers confessed as much, including the scoundrel Sherman, that war criminal.
I want to address the last part of his comment first. In my post, I merely questioned the opposing explanations. The fact that both explanations came form the same source caused even greater skepticism. I didn’t “try” anything, nor did I attempt to argue against the fact that vandalism might have occurred. I’m not sure why someone who adds so much to a conversation has to diminish the character of their own argument by adding “Lost Cause” rhetoric to the fray. I digress.
In my original post, I noted that the statue (left) is missing the lower part of Washington’s cane. A plaque on the front of the statue states that “soldiers (Union) brick-batted the statue” which left it in its current state. While researching the incident, I came across an education website for students, owned and operated by the South Carolina government, which stated that movers damaged the statue when moving it from inside the State House to its current location outside.
Greg’s comment, and the information he provides, proves one of those explanations wrong. He cited a December 23, 1876 edition of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper. A drawing in this paper entitled, “The State Capitol Occupied By United States Troops,” clearly depicts the George Washington statue inside of the State House with a broken cane. This tells us that the statue was damaged prior to that publication date. According to the Art Inventories Catalog of the American Smithsonian Art Museum, the George Washington statue in question was not relocated until 1884, and then again in 1907. All of this information together sort of trumps the explanation on South Carolina’s educational website that the statue was damaged by movers.
Although this new information does not definitively answer what happened to the statue, it does provide sufficient enough information to deduce that the statue was probably damaged during the war, and likely during Union attack and/or occupation. I’m not ready to jump on board and concede that Union soldiers “brick-batted” the statue just yet though. I’ll wait for more evidence. 😉 | <urn:uuid:ebc8dee9-cdd7-4a6a-812e-1aa6b5154735> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://historicstruggle.wordpress.com/2014/06/24/update-the-case-of-george-washingtons-broken-cane/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886102891.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20170817032523-20170817052523-00366.warc.gz | en | 0.972157 | 718 | 2.59375 | 3 | The extract demonstrates critical thinking, analytical skills, and effective communication. It presents a complex historical scenario, encouraging readers to evaluate evidence and consider multiple perspectives. The author engages in a respectful dialogue with a commenter, addressing opposing views and providing additional context. The discussion promotes problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and cultural awareness, warranting a high score.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 858,011 | 1 |
She was also segregated from her friends and forced to live away from the rest of society. The crucial importance of communion and access to multiple kinds of relationships are vital to healthy development. The Queen's forcing Snow to flee for her life resulted in Snow's development being obstructed and negatively impacted.
The great pressure to find refuge in an unforgiving forest imposed different demands on Snow. These demands have competing expectations, all urging Snow, as an adolescent, to present "normative" behavior, such as cooking and cleaning for the 7 dwarfs who took offered her shelter.
While awe struck by her beauty and kindness, they had not the capacity to recognize her unique expression of individuality. Without regard to the authentic unfolding and true realization of her uniqueness, the dwarfs left her unattended and at the mercy of the Queen's pathological determination.
Snow, like most adolescents, was judged based on an overt, external, observable factor: her beauty. This simplified and overt focus negated her authentic inner life. With her beauty emphasized, her life in turn became focused on performance and competition - to the detriment of wise and healthy emotional development of all aspect's of a youth's capacities and potential. Over importance on any one externally observed factor, be it beauty or grades on a report card, exacerbates the imaginings of self-importance or, conversely, feelings of deep inadequacy and depression.
The Evil Queen's step-parenting skills were not unlike those of the vicarious parenting exhibited by "Soccer moms" and "Helicopter parents" who become over-identified and over-involved in their offsprings' activities, thus hindering authentic development. Had the Evil Queen instead invested some of the kingdom's wealth into showing Snow White the magnificence of the kingdom she was to inherit, had taken her around the kingdom and introduced her to her subjects, had she encouraged involvement in cross-age activities and cross-cultural interactions, surely Snow's development and deep sense of engagement with others and the world would have flourished.
With little or no access to environments that encourage authenticity, Snow felt safe in the hamlet of her newly beloved friends, the 7 dwarfs. She was indeed lucky that she came upon them, and that they took her in. It is rare to find venues where one feels safe, where one might revel one's truest self, heartfelt desires, and deepest fears, where deep engagement with others is accepted and encouraged, and where passions can be expressed.
Feeling safe and cared for, Snow expressed her gratitude by helping the dwarfs, by cooking and cleaning and caring for them in a way that they never expected. When her work was done, she expressed her own longings to integrate her sensations and cognitions with the many animals who flocked to be near her natural loveliness.
The Evil Queen's preoccupation had little room for flexibility or regard for unique individuation, including her own, which was entirely predicated upon one factor of her obsession with Snow replacing her own allure. By ignoring both her and Snow's unicity, she necessitated a struggle that robbed Snow of her unfolding vitality. She also eradicated within herself of the very vitality she sought to preserve.
Rather than seek out the most advantageous circumstances for her step-daughter, the Evil Queen altered Snow's inner world, an initial world of beauty and many unique factors that necessitated balance and harmony, in particular were she to someday pass along those attributes to the inhabitants of the kingdom she inherited.
Asynchronous growth is uneven across many aspects, intensifying feelings of discomfort and alienation. Snow was forced to operate in a broader sphere of influence; more actively engaged in terms of both input and impact. These experiences intensified feelings of responsibility (exhibited in her cooking, cleaning, and caring for the 7 dwarfs) and removed the focus from her own healthy development of ego.
Snow possessed an ability to learn quickly, a heightened facility for memory (remembering 7 new names), and more rapid capacity to process, integrate, and connect ideas and information (she had never before been exposed to domestic chores). These capacities indicate she had a great facility for discernment, differentiation, intuitive knowing, and penetration into meanings of events and experiences. These differences enabled her to interact with nature and animals, and to create conditions in the hamlet that engaged and deeply touched the hearts of her new friends.
To reiterate, all of these environmental differences affected Snow's inner world, and influenced profoundly her development. In the absence of loving, emotionally intelligence, inspiring parents, her environment went from terrible to barely "good enough" as the dwarfs' new caretaker. Interfering with a healthy and naturally unfolding maturation invariably results in teenage angst, and when unmonitored, the innocent partaking of forbidden fruit.
When we think of Cinderella, we think of the persecuted heroine. This theme dates back to the 7th century BCE, in the story of Rhodopis, the Greek slave girl who ends up marrying the king of Egypt.
"Cenerentola" comes from the word "cenere" - tchenere (ash - cinder). The name comes from the fact that servants were usually soiled with ash at the time, because of their cleaning and because of their sitting near fires to keep warm given they lived in cold basements. Cenerentola by Basile (1634) features a wicked stepmother and evil stepsisters, magical transformations, a missing slipper, and a hunt by a monarch for the owner of the slipper.
Charles Perrault in 1697 popularized the tale with his pumpkin, fairy godmother, and glass slipper additions, whereas the tale by the German brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in the 19th century is a more sinister version of the story, and indeed grim.
In all the stories there are identifying elements that inspire inner awakening, an outward journey, and intensity at a time of identity crisis and conflict - both internal processes during adolescence, when an individual acquires personal identity and seeks a place in the larger world outside the family or, in this case, outside the boundaries of poverty imposed by the evil stepmother and stepsisters.
Cinderella, like Snow, is an adolescent. She is at a stage in the human lifecycle commonly associated with turmoil and change. A time typically associated with adolescence, though it can occurs during other times in life when strong emotions such as passion, ecstasy, confusion, creative inspiration, improvising, or even entering into a state of flow occur. Adolescence is a disintegrative state, which is not necessarily dysfunctional.
The adolescent stage is when great gains in cognitive capacity occur. Substantive shifts in social and emotional functioning and growth in moral realization characterize this time. It is a time when an autonomous being emerges.
Cinderella could have fussed and complained about how she was being treated by her stepmother, but instead she directed her attention to caring for her little animal friends. She allowed herself to be enchanted by their natural gifts and moved by their plights. She diligently tended to their needs and in return they brought her joy and whatever material offerings they could offer.
Onlookers would notice the bare and untidy space where Cinderella spent her personal time, but Cinderella noticed every blossom, and was grateful for it ~ for it was she who was overflowing with beauty.
Obviously there is a moral here. Instead of focusing on what she did not have, Cinderella delighted in the little bit of sunshine that entered her world. She was grateful for water, and the combination that allowed a small flourishing to unfold. Those who create beauty in imperfect environments are healthy perfectionists.
Theirs is a potent force that can immobilize or energize, depending on where one focuses attention. Feeling incapable of meeting expectations can cause paralysis and underachievement, whereas a passionate drive can lead to extraordinary creative achievement - an ecstatic struggle to transcend beyond life's boundaries and limits.
Abstract thinking is Cinderella's sine qua non, her facility with abstraction is the quality that differentiates her from her stepmother and stepsisters, who manifest the concept of perfectionism as challenging. They are unable to cope with failure, and find themselves avoiding actions that might lead to it.
Surrounding Cinderella are her two evil stepsisters and her evil stepmother. They are concerned only with themselves. They live in service of egocentrism, they are tyrannical perfectionists. They do not see their own imperfections; instead, they focus on the flaws of others. They use Cinderella for their own self-aggrandizement.
The stepmother expects her daughters to achieve social status, to behave well in public, and to get married to a prince or duke - all to reflect well on her. The needs of her daughters or of anyone else do not concern her and are never taken into account.
All three fall trap to setting up unrealistic standards for themselves and others, they focus on flaws, resulting in blame, lack of trust, and feelings of hostility toward others. When Cinderella's stepsisters fail to meet their mother's high expectations, they too are at the mercy of their mother's emotional disapproval and guilt. They lose privileges and are sometimes punished.
The stepsisters try to live up to their mother's expectations, internalizing her values and imposing them on themselves. But they cannot achieve this level of perfection; thus, they focus on their own imperfections, which results in magnifying their flaws and overlooking their strengths, distorting their own existence. Self-deprecation is a debilitating form of perfectionism.
Cinderella exhibits a healthier form of perfectionism. Instead of feeling inferior to her stepmother and stepsisters or feeling inadequate to meet their demanding expectations, she becomes aware of her own potential and as a result only feels inferior to the higher version of herself.
Gaining a glimpse of the possibilities in oneself for integrity, empathy, wisdom, and harmony is a powerful incentive for growth. The longing to become one's best self propels Cinderella to search out the blind spots, see the truth about herself, and transform her own unhappiness.
Before Cinderella ran down the palace steps, she had already taken the road to becoming her highest self, which is a far more arduous journey.
Imagine, if you will, two layers of reality. Within the layer that most see, there is Cinderella, persecuted by her stepmother and stepsisters, victim of their evilness. Then there are Cinderella's animal friends, her fairy godmother and the Royal Prince, rescuers of Cinderella.
In the story of Cinderella there are obvious winners and losers. Life is high drama in fairy tales and mythological stories. At a more evolved layer within these stories there are no polarities; there is only oneness.
Within the human psyche, there are pulls from both of these realities. For the stepmother and stepsisters, the pull is toward the lower reality is very strong; there is little, if any, awareness that a higher reality exists or is possible.
For Cinderella the pull toward the higher reality is very powerful and actively directs her personality. She may be physically bound by her struggle, and for some time incapable of reaching outside it, but this disjunct does not have to cause a great vertical tension.
Instead she can sing and dream of what will be and what might become, knowing that even if she does not reach this state, at least she can dream of it.
Even though Cinderella's life is uncomfortable, it is the inner forces present in her inner world that enable her to express this difficulty through hope and inspiration, through kindness and generosity, through lighthearted humor and her ability to abstractly envision a beautiful other reality.
Her ability to transform her inner world is ultimately what attracted the forces from which her fairy godmother arrived. It was Cinderella's upward perspective that attracted a higher magical flourishing.
The presence of her fairy godmother and the Prince can be easily misunderstood as Cinderella being the victim and they the saviors, but in reality, it is Cinderella who was her own savior, who created beautiful potential all around her, and who ultimately attracted magic toward her.
It is her higher perspectives that enable her to have a clearer vision of the meaning of life's experiences. Cinderella's inner perfectionism is whole and pure. She sees and appreciates the inherent perfection in all of life.
In an outer world dictated by her evil stepmother and evil stepsisters, Cinderella is directed by by the highest guiding principles. She is a shinning example of human potential, and her story a wise, exemplar tale of how one can achieve autonomy from the lower layers of reality fraught with confusion and great difficulty by living in service to all humanity, not in service to the ego.
Cinderella finds "true love" because she embodies it. This is the transcendent potential for humanity - the greatest gift we can give ourselves. | <urn:uuid:32c70d21-bad5-4b5c-80ed-58cffa6fd870> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | http://sophlylaughing.blogspot.com/2016/01/snow-white-vs-cinderella.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250592394.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20200118081234-20200118105234-00355.warc.gz | en | 0.967702 | 2,636 | 2.96875 | 3 | The extract provides a deep analysis of the stories of Snow White and Cinderella, exploring themes of identity, emotional development, and the importance of a supportive environment. It discusses the negative impact of external pressures and unrealistic expectations on individuals, particularly during adolescence. The text also highlights the value of self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and a growth mindset in overcoming challenges and achieving personal growth. The extract seamlessly integrates advanced communication, leadership, and problem-solving scenarios, mirroring real-world complexity, and offers a nuanced exploration of soft skills, including empathy, self-reflection, and resilience.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 17,934 | 1 |
The most common question from parents for me as a psychologist? Are video games bad for my child? The answer is “no”. Mostly. The amount of computer time – more specifically, game time – children spend makes your head spin. But the reality of video games is it’s either a teaching tool or a distraction.
Violence makes video games bad for children
Let’s get this out of the way now. Yes, routine violence at a young age desensitizes children. Games are more realistic than ever before, and many parents are concerned that their children are exposed to realistic interactive violence on a regular basis. Edery and Mollick (2009) wrote that they consider the opinion of the British Board of Film Classification when deciding whether a video game is too violent. (Interestingly, this Board indicates that video games have less influence on violence and aggression than television and films.)
Learning to use technology in video games is not bad for children
However, the American Sociological Association points out that homicide rates fell dramatically among juveniles during the boom of video game usage. Their point implies that any negative impact of video games is unjustified correlates positively with educational levels.
Video games indeed have an educational value; just consider the effortless way kids use technology and increase the speed of their learning with those new games.
Personally, I often feel a pang of jealousy with the skilled way my children use video games. Various experts consider video games linked to positive learning: authors Williamson Shaffer et al. (2004) Hutchinson (2007) believe video games have specific tools that enable kids to be integrated into the classroom more easily. Although controversial in concept, their point is that video games help demonstrate new ways of learning, are interdisciplinary, future-oriented, fun, and promote play.
- Math Curve – There is evidence that video games are not bad for children because of the increase in understanding mathematics.
- Reading Curve – Although much more controversial, there are correlations that video games with appropriate design can help in school reading education. They might even be a “Best Blogger” in their business or work place in the future. Reading and writing skills are part of many video games.
- Technology Curve – Computer games have the ability to change the way humans learn. Like it or not, children are expected to understand interface in video games as they create new and engaging social and cultural worlds, and help players learn through the integration of technology. Your child will likely work on a computer in his or her future. They might not be website managers or programmers, but they need computer literacy in today’s work environment.
- Sociology Curve – Social interactions and thinking are engaged in the virtual worlds of games that allow an understanding of new concepts, abstract ideas and real problems. Participating players can experiment with new identities; they become members of new communities; and they share values.
The new model of learning is based on the capacity of children to create their own learning trajectories.
The future of learning goes beyond schools and classrooms. It challenges the traditional academic disciplines and through meaningful activities in virtual worlds and students are readied for meaningful activities in the modern, technology-rich real world. (Williamson Shaffer et al., 2004)
Parents might like it or not, but video games are entrenched in our culture and is becoming increasingly play-oriented in the contemporary society. Playing video games became a dominant leisure activity in the 1980s.
Most scientists, however, are starting to believe that spending ‘too much’ time playing on a computer or any other platform is mostly myth.
The first generation, which played lots of video games in the 1980s, is middle-aged now and violence and productivity is at an all-time high in the United States.
Why video games are bad for your child
Playing video games too excessively can have its dangers for sure. The healthy development of a child requires various forms of activity, which requires getting up from the seat and doing different things. Children should not become obsessed with games, and parents are right to limit screen time for their kids.
The two rules to follow when deciding are video games bad for my child?
First, the choice of games is important. Reading books is considered a good and healthy contributor to the development of children, and rightly so. However, when a child does nothing else but reads it can be surmised their development cognitively may also be limited. On the other hand, reading the right books in the right moderation helps the enrichment of personality. But let’s not forget that books can be violent, too.
Games are the same.
Secondly, children must be able to sense the difference between the reality of the real world and the alternative reality of the game’s world. They will not slay the neighbor because he looks like a zombie, but the games depicting shooting police officers or average citizens give a false sense of reality.
Evil games should be avoided.
In summary, children who play video games and use computers are probably better than their parents in multitasking, sharing their attention between tasks, have better reaction time, and are more skilled in the use of modern technology. Parents might be worried because they lose connection with their child as he or she spends lots of time in an alternative universe, which is unknown to the parent.
Be involved in your child’s activities. It is too easy to dismiss this with ‘I have no time for such nonsense’, but children are showing a keen interest in games and parents should be interested in the interests of their children. After all, education means providing all the teaching tools at your disposal – not limiting them.
Brown, H. J. (2008): Video Games and Education, M.E. Sharpe, Armonk, New York, London, England
Devlin, K. (2011): Mathematics Education for a New Era, Video Games as a Medium for Learning, A K Peters Ltd., Natick Massachusetts
Dillon, R. (2011): The Golden Age of Video Games, The Birth of a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, London, New York
Edery, D., Mollick, E. (2009): Changing the Game, How Video Games Are Transforming the Future of Business, Pearson Education, Inc.
Gee, J. P. (2003): What Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacy, Palgrave MacMillan, Basingstoke
Hutchinson, D. (2007): Playing to Learn, Video Games in the Classroom, Teacher Ideas Press, Libraries Unlimited, Westport, Connecticut, London
Juul, J. (2010): A Casual Revolution: Reinventing Video Games and Their Players, The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, London, England
Williamson Shaffer, D., Squire, K. R., Halverson, R., Gee, J. P. (2004): Video Games and the Future of Learning, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Academic Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Laboratory | <urn:uuid:d8e333a6-3867-49b5-8a86-dd4dfe116e35> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://bumpkin.com/playing/are-video-games-bad-for-my-child/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549424564.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20170723142634-20170723162634-00285.warc.gz | en | 0.940611 | 1,460 | 3.296875 | 3 | The extract discusses the impact of video games on children, highlighting both positive and negative aspects. It touches on emotional intelligence, learning, and critical thinking, but lacks nuanced interaction and complex problem-solving opportunities. The text provides some practical applications and cultural awareness, but digital literacy is mostly limited to the context of video games.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 647,243 | 0 |
I'm struggling with figuring out which programming language to teach students would provide the most effective learning experience.
It's easy to find tons of statistics showing how Java is the most popular language with tons of community and books, etc. That, however, doesn't say very much about the learning experience of the student at all, or what the students will come away with.
I found the following from a respected hacker in the community, for example:
"For example, if your company wants to write some software, it might seem a prudent choice to write it in Java. But when you choose a language, you're also choosing a community. The programmers you'll be able to hire to work on a Java project won't be as smart as the ones you could get to work on a project written in Python. And the quality of your hackers probably matters more than the language you choose. Though, frankly, the fact that good hackers prefer Python to Java should tell you something about the relative merits of those languages.
"Business types prefer the most popular languages because they view languages as standards. They don't want to bet the company on Betamax. The thing about languages, though, is that they're not just standards. If you have to move bits over a network, by all means use TCP/IP. But a programming language isn't just a format. A programming language is a medium of expression.
"I've read that Java has just overtaken Cobol as the most popular language. As a standard, you couldn't wish for more. But as a medium of expression, you could do a lot better. Of all the great programmers I can think of, I know of only one who would voluntarily program in Java. And of all the great programmers I can think of who don't work for Sun, on Java, I know of zero." (Great Hackers, Paul Graham, 2004)
So essentially, the idea here is that if you choose a language based on whether it's the popular "standard", you've lost sight of the fact that programming is very much an art, and the language is a medium of expression — why would anyone wish upon students the torture of a lesser blub language?
The better language is Python, according to the best hackers in the community known to Graham (and he knows plenty, given what he does as his "day job" now).
Consider this, also from a respected hacker in the community:
Here the essential idea, I think, is that Java can help you build stuff, but it doesn't help you very much in learning to think and express your thoughts programmatically. Being good at putting together code in Java that uses what other people have written doesn't help you solve problems better in a hacking or engineering kind of way."If you don't know any computer languages, I recommend starting with Python. It is cleanly designed, well documented, and relatively kind to beginners. Despite being a good first language, it is not just a toy; it is very powerful and flexible and well suited for large projects."I used to recommend Java as a good language to learn early, but this critique has changed my mind (search for “The Pitfalls of Java as a First Programming Language” within it). A hacker cannot, as they devastatingly put it “approach problem-solving like a plumber in a hardware store”; you have to know what the components actually do." (How To Become A Hacker, Eric S. Raymond, 2008)
It gets worse for Java according to this critique, as ESR mentioned in the quote above, which details failings of teaching Java at the University undergrad level.
But I am interested in this question in terms of high school students. The difference for high schools is that they may offer an AP or IB program, which may mandate the use of Java for their exams. In that case, of course for the sake of writing an exam, Java must be taught.
Looking longer term, however, teaching Java as a first language in high school raises lots of questions (some already answered above).
When you teach a grade 10 student, remember that this student is only about 14 or 15 years old. Three years of high school and four years of undergrad later, the student might be entering the job market seven years after learning their first programming language. That's seven years! Who knows what the world will become by then in the computing industry.
All we can say is what we can see in front of us:
- Native programs on Windows will increasingly be written in C# and C++/CLR.
- Native programs on Mac OS X will continue to be written in Objective-C
- Native Apps on iOS for iPads, iPods, and iPhones, will continue to be written in Objective-C.
- Java is popular in the so-called "enterprise" space, and also for Android OS for tablets and smart phones. But note that Android is a Linux OS (it's not GNU/Linux, but it is using the Linux kernel), so the kernel is programmed in C/C++, and you can program Apps for Android in most languages now, including: C/C++, Python, and Ruby. In fact, Android technically doesn't even run a Java VM, as Java is just a language used to program for the Dalvik VM — an issue Google has had to defend in court against Oracle.
All in all, it's almost like learning C is the best as a first language if career or "real-world" is at issue!
But that ignores the learning involved in a first language. Students need to learn to think in a way that can be expressed easily with pseudo-code — that's really the most important thing to learn as a beginning computer science student.
As Peter Norvig found, Python was much closer to pseudo-code than Java (and in fact, he found his attempt at re-writing AIMA examples from Lisp to Java to be "largely unsuccessful. Java was too verbose, and the differences between the pseudocode in the book and the Java code was too large").
With the above information at hand, I think it's clear that the choice of Java as a first language is simply not the most effective. As for what language to teach instead? Well, there's Python. MIT chose Python as their first language to teach undergrads — if it's good enough for MIT, it's good enough for me!
Addendum: Not long after I wrote this, I read Bad code plagues business applications, especially Java ones, where it discusses a study that found Java Enterprise Edition applications have the greatest number of problems in terms of bad coding practices that affect stability, and performance. Should this news affect how we view Java in terms of what to teach students? | <urn:uuid:ffcf000c-bbf4-476b-9ed2-7ede78f07390> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://blog.carsoncheng.ca/2011/11/learn-python-instead-of-java-as-your.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386164676172/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204134436-00022-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965806 | 1,397 | 2.734375 | 3 | The extract discusses the choice of programming language for teaching students, focusing on the effectiveness of Java versus Python. It presents various perspectives from respected hackers and educators, highlighting the importance of considering the learning experience and long-term career implications. The discussion demonstrates critical thinking, problem-solving, and analysis of complex information, earning it a higher score.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 636,905 | 1 |
Five sixth and seventh students at are getting a real-world lesson in city planning as they work towards -- with the blessing of the city of Enumclaw -- a development plan for the largely undeveloped Mahler Park.
This isn't a semester-long assignment. It's not even a year-long undertaking. Their teachers Anna Schofield and Marie Riley expect this will be an ongoing long-term project that they'll continue to work on, potentially into the high school level while involving younger students entering the sixth grade.
In part because the students don't have a finite deadline for this project -- which includes at least three meetings with the city Park Board through May to present and refine their ideas -- and because they each have a specific area of the project that is their speciality, they've really taken ownership of it, said school founder Roger Franklin.
Atticus Chous has constructed a to-scale model of the park in a Newaukum Creek, complete with a water channel to simulate stream flow of the creek. He uses a spray bottle to simulation precipitation over the park and can easily identify potential areas of the park where rainfall might affect erosion.
Along with Clint Larrea, they are looking at sediment flow and finding the various ways that sediment moves and collects.
Clara Gerken is looking at bio- and tribo-luminescence and growing bio-luminescent algae.
Jose Garcia has dissected salmon and studied the way biologists are helping to cultivate the salmon population by harvesting milt and eggs in order to breed the fish. He complements the science by also studying how salmon influences the people, land and culture around it.
Conversely, Shelby Porter is looking at water quality for not only the salmon but how it affects the land that surrounds it and the people who rely on it.
Their specialties come together nicely, said Riley, in that their research builds on one another's and the group collaborates often in what they find. For example, Shelby's insights into water quality directly affect Jose's work with salmon.
Working with the city of Enumclaw
"Our education model is very hands-on learning for the kids," said Franklin, and at the middle school level, teachers were looking for a project in which the students could build a varied skill set to be ready for high school and college. "We wanted to find a meaningful project for these kids to work on that could potentially turn into a long-range project year after year with more kids becoming involved."
Last May, Cedar River teachers and students met with Mayor Liz Reynolds for project ideas, and she referred them to community development director Erika Shook. As Shook reviewed the environmental studies material that the students had already studied, she suggested they propose concepts for the development of Mahler Park.
"There's no budget and no funds for the development of Mahler Park," said Franklin. "But the city was interested in exploring what might be done and to raise community interest."
"Our kids had done quite a lot of work in environmental studies," Franklin said.
But to take on the Mahler Park project, they needed more background. “Before they could hope to contribute meaningful ideas for the development of Mahler Park, our middle school students needed to acquire a significant amount of background knowledge of environmental, social, historical, scientific, and mathematical topics related to community development,” said humanities teacher Riley. “We developed curriculum for our students that included meeting the Washington State standards for mathematics, sciences, social studies, and communications. This curriculum also provided the background knowledge students would need to make meaningful contributions to the Enumclaw Park Board's Mahler Park planing process.”
Last fall, students made several trips to Mahler Park to learn about its terrain, its condition, and to remove trash and debris.
In October they also spend three days at the Olympic Park Institute on the Olympic Peninsula's Elwha River system to learn about the history of the two river dams and observe the environmental effects of the removal of those dams while the surrounding habitat was being restored. (National Park Service has more information.)
“Following our trip to the Elwha river projects, our students developed their baseline knowledge by completing a variety of projects that represented their individual areas of interest,” said math and sciences teacher Schofield. “These projects allowed our students to develop the skills needed to create meaningful environmentally relevant land use plans.”
Planning School Playground
To add to their arsenal of planning experience, the students were also tasked with coming up with a playground design for about four acres of under-developed land at Cedar River's new site behind the Enumclaw Seventh-day Adventist Church at 3333 Griffin Avenue.
It moved there from its previous location at the former J.J. Smith building in December.
Students Shelby and Clara explained that they surveyed several parks to identify elements they wanted to incorporate, which included opportunities for natural play and artistic play. The five students each drafted their own ideas and in the end consolidated into one final plan with assistance from a landscape architect.
It would be a lesson in collaboration and compromise, though teacher Riley added that as the students knew their budget they were better able to adjust their own visions to ensure they had a workable design.
Franklin stressed the various skills the students acquired in the playground project that wouldn't typically be found in a middle school classroom, including learning about the cost of materials needed to build it and working under a budget. But standard lessons are also there: as the final design features a teepee structure, Schofield pointed out that in determining how long the teepee poles needed to be, they needed the Pythagorean theorem.
"They did a really professional job for more than what we could expect," Franklin said. The school is currently implementing their design with an expected finish date this June.
Mahler Park Timeline
Meanwhile, the students are working their way through their timeline plan for the park, with their first meeting with the city Park Board this coming March 15.
This presentation will cover the students' inventory work of the park, including its wildlife, plant life, stream biology, geology and archaeology dig/survey. They're getting assistance from stream biologist Martin Fox from the Muckleshoot Tribe as well as Muckleshoot archaeologist Laura Murphy.
Upon the feedback they receive, they'll revise plans with a second Park Board meeting on April 19. Along the process, they'll also meet with city and county planners and environmentalists and learn about park rules, regulations, laws and codes to draft a final plan to present to the Park Board on May 17.
“It is impressive to see what students can accomplish and learn when artificial boundaries are removed from their education process”, said Kristin McSwan, Cedar River Academy Head of School. “The skills and knowledge these students develop as they complete projects like the Mahler Park work, will be permanently fixed in their minds. We truly appreciate that Enumclaw city administrators have allowed our studentsto gain real-world experiences. In the event the Enumclaw Parks Board incorporates any of our student's suggestions in any final Mahlar Park development plan, our students will feel even more proud of their work.” | <urn:uuid:76baafc4-7ea6-4180-aa4d-28d8cac9b885> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://enumclaw.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/cedar-river-academy-students-plan-facelift-for-mahler-park | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394010437227/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305090717-00072-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969597 | 1,493 | 2.5625 | 3 | This extract demonstrates a comprehensive approach to soft skills development, featuring realistic scenarios that integrate emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities. Students work on a long-term project, taking ownership of their specialties, and collaborating to achieve a common goal. The project involves complex problem-solving, strategic thinking, and advanced communication, with a strong emphasis on intercultural fluency and technological adaptation.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 734,825 | 1 |
Pain in Your Wrist or at the Base of Your Thumb? It may be DeQuervain’s Tendonitis
While a hand doctor treats many cases of DeQuervain’s tendonitis, many people have never heard of this condition.
DeQuervain’s tendonitis affects tendons, which are tough bands of tissue that connect muscles to bones. Tendons work like pulleys to move bones across joints.
Specifically, DeQuervain’s tendonitis affects the tendons that attach to the thumb. These tendons go from the thumb through a fleshy tunnel, known as a tendon sheath, on the side of the wrist and work like a lever to control the bone at the base of the thumb. Normally, synovial fluid lubricates this tunnel to allow smooth and painless movement of the tendon within the sheath.
In medical terminology, the suffix “-itis” means swelling. Tendonitis, then, is swelling of a tendon. Tendons normally fit snugly within their tendon sheaths, so there is not much room for a swollen tendon to move within a sheath. Swollen tendons cause friction as they slide through the sheath, and this friction causes pain.
Repetitive actions or chronic overuse of the hand may lead to DeQuervain’s tendonitis. Certain activities increase the risk for developing DeQuervain’s tendonitis, including carpentry, office work and needlework. While anyone can develop this type of tendonitis, it is most common in middle-aged women. DeQuervain’s tendonitis is associated with pregnancy and rheumatoid arthritis.
Diagnosis and Treatment of DeQuervain’s Tendonitis
Hand doctors diagnose DeQuervain’s tendonitis with a comprehensive evaluation that includes assessment of the symptoms, a review of your medical history, and examination of your hand.
Symptoms of DeQuervain’s tendonitis include pain over the thumb side of the wrist; discomfort may spread up the forearm. Pain may develop suddenly or gradually, and be worse when you use your hand or wrist. The pain may be especially bad when you forcefully grab an object or twist it with your wrist. Swelling may develop over the thumb side of the wrist. A fluid-filled cyst may appear near the swelling. You may experience a snapping or catching sensation when you move your thumb. Pain may make it difficult to move your thumb.
Your hand surgeon may perform a Finkelstein test, which involves moving your wrist and thumb from side to side. X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and other tests can rule out other causes, such as arthritis.
Treatment for DeQuervain’s tendonitis includes steroid injections, anti-inflammatory medications, splinting and modifying activities. Surgical treatment may be necessary if non-surgical approaches fail. The goal of surgery is to open the covering of the sheath to make more room for the inflamed tendon.
For more information on DeQuervain’s tendonitis, make an appointment with your Florida hand doctor. | <urn:uuid:7248d17e-ccd1-41ce-ab29-a1f038ec7c24> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://floridahandcenter.com/blog/de-quervains-tendonitis/2017/04/06/pain-in-your-wrist-or-at-the-base-of-your-thumb-it-may-be-dequervain-s-tendonitis | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320206.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20170623235306-20170624015306-00321.warc.gz | en | 0.898174 | 656 | 2.84375 | 3 | This extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing solely on medical information about DeQuervain's tendonitis. It provides superficial coverage of a specific health condition without any meaningful depth or practical application related to soft skills development.
Educational score: 0 | 0 | 0 | 150,770 | 0 |
This is an introduction to a Montessori Middle School, or Erdkinder as Maria Montessori called it. It is the essence of what we are trying to accomplish with our farm homeschool (we call it farmschooling). You will see why we have the boys creating their own businesses, growing our own food, and managing the marketing of their businesses. Each of our children will be blogging about their specific businesses. I hope you will join us for these adventures! Please remember all of our boys are 13 or younger, so grace and courtesy is appreciated. Just as an FYI, I will be moderating all comments, emails, and communication.
Montessori’s Vision of the Erdkinder (Farm School)
Maria Montessori first proposed her ideas for the reform of secondary education in a series of lectures given at the University of Amsterdam in January 1920. They were later published during the 1930s as part of her work From Childhood to Adolescence. Dr. Montessori’s model of secondary education is based on her understanding of the developmental needs and learning tendencies of early adolescents. In addition to conceiving many of the reforms incorporated into today’s most innovative programs for early adolescents, Montessori added a unique idea: she recommended a residential school located in a country setting. Montessori believed that by living independently of their families for a few years in a small rural community, young people could be trained in both the history of technology and civilization, while learning the practical habits, values, and skills needed to assume the role of an adult in today’s society.
Envisioning a school where children would grow their own food and live close to nature, she called her program the Erdkinder, which translates from the Dutch as “the children of the Earth” or “children of the land.” Dr. Maria Montessori proposed living and working on a residential farm school as the best possible educational setting for young adolescents (twelve- to fifteen-year-olds) as they transitioned physically, cognitively, socially, emotionally, and morally to adulthood. Montessori believed the demands of puberty warranted a holiday from traditional lecture-based instruction. Instead of confining students to classrooms, she proposed a program that would help them accomplish two key developmental tasks: becoming psychologically and economically independent. Only then, she argued, would young adolescents escape from the pettiness of traditional schooling and engage seriously in the realities of life in society.
Montessori envisioned the Erdkinder as a small community of teenagers and adults located in a rural setting. Here teachers and students would live and work together throughout the year, growing much of their own food and manufacturing many of the things they would need for life in the country, thereby developing a deep sense of their connection to the land and the nature and value of work. She envisioned students, under adult upervision, managing a hostel or hotel for visiting parents. The students would sell farm goods and other products in their own store. These farm management and store economics would form the basis of meaningful academic studies. The Erdkinder curriculum would encourage self-expression through music, art, public speaking, and theater. Students would also study languages, mathematics, science, history of civilizations, cultures, and technological innovations. The Erdkinder would possess a “museum of machinery,” where students could assemble, use, and repair their own farm equipment.
For many years the idea of a residential farm school was explored, but considered impractical. Montessori Secondary schools are now found in urban and suburban settings in the United States, with enrollments ranging from fewer than ten students to public school programs with more than 250 students. The cost of organizing a residential Erdkinder program has been considered far too high for any one school to attempt; instead, Montessori Middle School programs attempt to incorporate as many Erdkinder components as possible. The Montessori community looked on with considerable interest in 2001 when David Kahn, Director of the North American Montessori Teacher’s Association (NAMTA), opened the Montessori Farm School in Huntsburg, Ohio in conjunction with the Hershey Montessori School. Serving students from ages twelve to fifteen, the Montessori Farm School is a lovely facility and an exciting project that has attracted widespread attention, including a substantial article in the London Times.
Many leaders in Secondary Montessori education believe that the future will lie primarily with nonresidential programs. The opening of the Farm School, and others like it that may follow, provides an opportunity to test one of Dr. Montessori’s hypotheses. She proposed that the residential community, with its artificially created social laboratory, will prove to be of most value in the completion of the development of mature, well adjusted young adults. A piece prepared by David Kahn describing the Montessori Farm School in greater depth follows… the entire article can be found here.
This article is from the Montessori Foundation
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Katharine Brown says
You know… after homeschooling 3 children and saying Montessori is sooooo much work and being totally stymied with this marvelous child number 4. I think I’m going to have to look into this. He loves his farm, anything to do with the animals he’s into, I say school he screams. Heaven love him, he’s an amazing child utterly amazing. As I explore a bit further it seems my son is a tad too young for this, he’s 9, almost 10, and Maria Montessori also says that kids often aren’t ready to learn until they’re about 11 and I’m learning that with Elijah. .. my hubby doesn’t get it.. but, I’m beginning to see it, We do a lot of child lead learning and a lot of that is farm learning, which he does love. He’s starting 4-H next week. We enjoy, we laugh, we learn, that’s life 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing. Much to think about this Tuesday!
Live & Learn Farm says
My youngest son is also 9 and will be 10 in December. He also has a business (although it is just starting… he will be selling organic veggies he grows). But, he also has a curriculum plan that he has to follow as well (you can see it here http://liveandlearnfarm.com/2012-2013-homeschool-curriculum/). If you have questions, feel free to email me!! I would be glad to help! | <urn:uuid:5e21f0c5-a6cb-4b60-a591-b27198ad509d> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://liveandlearnfarm.com/introduction-to-a-montessori-middle-school/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296943625.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20230321033306-20230321063306-00767.warc.gz | en | 0.968079 | 1,463 | 3.234375 | 3 | The extract discusses the Montessori method of education, specifically the Erdkinder concept, which emphasizes hands-on learning, independence, and community involvement. It showcases a farm homeschool setting where children manage their own businesses, grow food, and develop practical skills. The content touches on soft skills like self-expression, public speaking, and teamwork, but lacks nuanced interaction and complex problem-solving opportunities.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 259,794 | 0 |
Jack uses the threat of the beast as a means to manipulate others into giving him power. If one does something the other will follow. Also later in the chapter, When Jack warns everyone not to get close contact with Ralph's group they all obey, cause they knew that if they don't obey Jack like the others boys, they will be punish by Jack. This quote shows that boys have changed, they no-longer had a connection with their former civilized lifestyle, and they have turned savage and evil. The storm of sound beat at them, an incantation of hatred. Not your teacher's, not your professor's, not mine, not a critic's, not some authority's.
His message will now never be delivered. Allusions allow an author to inject deep meaning with few words. We are going to have fun on this island! Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Fearing the unknown also promote the existence of the beastie into an imaginary beast that haunts them, breaking their trust for each other and leads them toward savagery. This quote shows how there were expectancy in human behavior, civilization should have permanently left a trace of humanity on the boys. Quote: … hair much too long, tangled here and there, knotted round a dead leaf or twig; clothes, worn away, stiff like his own with sweat, put on, not for decorum or comfort but out of custom; the skin of the body scurfy with brine— 110 Analysis: The boys' appearance has become less and less civilized as the novel progresses.
Chapters 2 and 3 Quote: He says he saw the beastie, the snake thing, and will it come back tonight…he says in the morning it turned them into things like ropes in the trees and hung in the branches 36. Through selfish greed the boys killed Simon and Piggy, with the rescue; a deep sense of sorrow and an emergence of hope showed that good will always prevail. This post is part of the series: Lord of the Flies Study Guide. We are going to have fun on this island. Understanding Allusions An allusion is a reference to an famous person, historical or religious figure, an historical event, or another literary work. Not only that it plays essential role in blacken the book, but it was also developed through the major character, such as Jack.
But Jack on the other hand insists they go hunt it down. Not only that, fear could make us turn enemy against enemy , it turns friends against friends. The greatest ignorance is that of what is truly lurking inside the jungle. They obey cause Jack out of fear. They were savages it was true; but they were human and the ambushing fears of the deep night were coming on. Simon was the one with the information of where the true evil lay.
There was a sudden bright explosion and corkscrew trail across the sky; then darkness again and stars 95. When they came back and hold a meeting, Ralph decided to leave the beast alone and fire their fire somewhere else. They relinquish hope at being rescued in favor of giving in to the madness cloaked by the mystery of the jungle. Chapters 6 and 7 Quote: But a sign came down from the world of grownups, though at the time there was no child awake to read it. Chaos in Paradise Ignorance drives fear on the island more than any other action or event.
The knowledge and awe made him savage 44. Simon is seen by many as a Christ figure. No doubting for a minute, they lashes on to him and Kill him mercilessly. Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them. Also this anarchic situation, strongly projects that the boy is in need of civilization to maintain order.
This interaction between good and evil is the conclustion to Simon's conversation with the pig head in chapter 8. The island itself represents an Edenic paradise until the boys arrive and destroy it. The line of phosphorescence bulged about the sand grains and little pebbles; it held them each in a dimple of tension, then suddenly accepted them with an inaudible syllable and moved on. Then the breeze died too and there was no noise save the drip and tickle of water that ran out of clefts and spilled down, leaf by leaf, to the brown earth of the island. It plays crucial role in developing the characters personality from pure little kids to savages. Along the shoreward edge of the shallows the advancing clearness was full of strange, moonbeam-bodied creatures with fiery eyes. Civilization and order is lost.
This quote shows the emergence of hope, through the process of living on the island the boys developed a sense of savagery and evil. Later on in the book, the books grow more and more afraid of the beastie, as far as it leads them to mistaken Simon as the monster and kill him mercilessly out of fear and for self protection. Here and there a larger pebble clung to its own air and was covered with a coat of pearls. After the tussle, they realize Jack had not come for the conch shell, which now is meaningless, but the glasses, which allow the ability to make fire. This quote shows that hope may be slipping away as time passes by, the boys are ultimately changing mentally as they part away from civilization. Then it turned gently in the water. | <urn:uuid:eac8bf0d-cb96-420e-8150-1f2cf81f0a47> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | http://georgiajudges.org/lord-of-the-flies-island-quotes-with-page-numbers.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296948756.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20230328011555-20230328041555-00490.warc.gz | en | 0.974053 | 1,116 | 2.53125 | 3 | The extract provides a detailed analysis of the novel "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding, exploring themes of savagery, civilization, and the effects of fear on human behavior. While it offers insightful commentary on the characters and plot, it lacks direct discussion of soft skills and their development. However, it touches on aspects of teamwork, leadership, and communication through the characters' interactions and power struggles.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 446,909 | 0 |
The word “internet” occurs 6,030,000,000 times on Google alone. That’s because there are so many questions people ask about the internet. “How to check internet speed”, “what’s internet banking”, “what’s the internet protocol”, “what’s the internet of things” (good question btw), “How to top up internet” and so on. No wonder! Because in 2019, the www is part of the routine for 4.4 billion people… including yourself.
We decided to stick to the existential questions below. And you may ask why? Well, we need to take a step forward for the sake of the many MobileRecharge.com fans we know, and the visitors of this blog, who are already in a good relationship with www and use it as a friendly tool.
1. Who’s controlling the internet?
That’s a bit of a Big Brother question… But it is a totally authorised one. When we visit a service on the internet, we go to the About us page. We want to know who are the people behind, what their expertise is. Of course! It’s the same with the internet.
Let’s remember that the internet is basically a group of protocols that organize communication between computers, servers and cables. These devices are private. Yet, the not-for-profit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, based in California, regulates the domain names (online addresses) the suffixes (“.com”, “.org”, etc).
Also known as ICANN, the entity reports to the US government. You do the math…
2. How big is the internet?
We asked WorldWideWeSize.com. And it automatically said at least 6.08 billion pages. Those are the Web indexed pages. Therefore, billion of trips around the sun… or something like that, right?
3. Does the internet have a DARK PLACE?
Yep! It’s called the dark net. And just like there are peculiar places in a town, the same way the dark net is a network of fishy online places.
You surely have bumped into such a “black hole”. Think about it, how many times did you get virus attacks towards your computer? Or maybe your laptop got infected by a worm? But there’s much more happening on the dark net vs surface net. And it’s difficult to get into the dark net.
The sources of those viruses and worms are the “black holes”. And trust the experts, there are so many websites out there. Legal and illegal markets… Here’s an overview on what dark net comprises and how it affects the world.
4. Is the internet damaging the environment?
Not like a fuel engine! But it uses huge carbon footprint. Then, to keep the net running, we need to keep data centers, computers and peripherals ON.
According to Google reports, we produce 200 milligrams of CO2 for a single search. That happens by producing electricity needed to make that search. To give you an idea, “1000 searches produce the same CO2 emissions as an average European car travelling 1 kilometre.” (NewScientist.com)
Solutions start to show up…
Many interested in this topic claim that we can reduce carbon emissions by making business and industry more efficient. For example, turning to green data centers. Also known as a sustainable data center, this is basically a server facility that uses energy-efficient technologies.
Other public figures suggest managing street lights more efficiently and thus saving up to 40% energy.
Bill Ruh, vice-president of GE Software, suggests using PowerUp, one of the 40 apps that use sensors to collect weather and performance data from wind turbines to help “operators to generate up to 5% more electricity without physically changing it, which generates 20% more profit for our customers.” (TheGuardian.com)
5. Can anyone shut down the internet?
Most probably NOT! Much of the infrastructure and the internet service providers (ISPs) that run them are private. And even if the government would interfere in a country, it would be very difficult to do this change on a worldwide basis. So, there’s no governmental power off threat.
Secondly, it’s hard to imagine a reason why anyone would want to do that. Shutting down the internet may have much higher impact on the economy than the biggest cyber-attacks in history according to science people.
Photo by twinsfisch on Unsplash
Thirdly, it’s hard to switch OFF a complex infrastructure from multiple sources at once.
There is no single “switch” or command that would do this, but there are theoretical ways to sabotage the Internet that would require a great deal of coordination with people in multiple locations. (Jason Tracy, Network Engineer with 20+ years of experience, Quora, Oct 10, 2017)
6. Is online communication good communication?
Social media networks like Facebook are the most popular on the internet. But does the internet improve communication or handicap offline conversations?
Celebrate chat & communities, but
The answer comes from psychologists, sociologists and even students. Matthew Murchie, a 15 year old student, speaks up in the South China Morning Post. He reminds us that the internet’s no.1 goal was to be a communication tool. Right! Then, instant messaging, video conferencing proved its potential and no limits. Online communities intensified communication and made it more personal. People share videos, use emoji to express feelings, chat and send music. Pretty subjective and complex. Something hard to imagine in a 20 minute talk in the street in the 1930’s. Plus communication expanded to more than friends.
BUT, there seems to be something like digital effective communication, not to take online conversations into a total waste of time. Do we use what we learn on the internet in our offline lives?
Being with people vs talking to people
Also, offline communication and online communication seem to be pretty different. Neurotransmitters are the key in the physical closeness, whether that’s OK or less comfortable sometimes.
7. Is the internet self-aware?
Photo by John Mark Arnold on Unsplash
In other words, does the internet have something similar to consciousness? Actually, it’s a totally realistic question, if we consider what the human brain and the world wide web complex network have in common. As Michael Brooks puts it in an article from NewScientist.com “they both hold, process, recall and transmit information.”
Then, the question stays fresh: how does this mechanism that works like a huge brain can develop consciousness, that is self-awareness? Francis Heylighen, who studies collective consciousness, artificial intelligence and the evolution of the information society at the Free University of Brussels claims that a semiconscious network like the internet today can get some help to monitor its knowledge gaps. Then, the internet that knows its parts and functions and strives to become better at organizing itself could turn into consciousness.
8. How does the internet actually work?
First, remember there are 8+ billion devices on the internet, which is a global network of computers. Each computer must have a unique address in the form nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn where nnn must be a number from 0-255. You probably have heard of the IP address. :)
Protocols & packets
Every computer has a protocol stack built into the OS (operating system like Windows, Unix, etc) that tells a computer HOW to communicate on the internet. Experts call it TCP/IP protocol stack. And data that travels is called message and the delivery form is called packet.
Consider routers as a key element
The internet is made up of a massive network of specialized computers called routers. Each router’s job is to know how to move packets along from their source to their destination. A packet will have moved through multiple routers during its journey. (Steven Li, How does the internet work, Medium.com, August 2017)
These routers originated in the 1960s as ARPANET, a military project whose goal was a computer network that was decentralized so the government could access and distribute information in the case of a catastrophic event. Since then, a number of Internet Service Providers (ISP) corporations have added routers onto these ARPANET routers. (Steven Li, How does the internet work, Medium.com, Aug , 2017)
9. How will automation affect the working field?
Tools and online apps take over the skills of employees. Therefore, those working in production (but not only) will have to adapt to a new market demand. Yet, the first effects are already visible. More and more people are replaced by machines.
A Digital Skills Select Committee report to the House of Lords in February estimated that 35% of UK jobs would be lost to automation in the next 20 years. It echoes the sort of thinking that Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee’s The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies predicts. (Eight questions you should be asking about the internet of things, TheGuardian.com, 2015)
10. What things we should never connect?
We connect fridges, smart TVs, watches, vacuum cleaners, heating, you name it… Also, robots will soon be present in a smart home of the future. Yet, what’s the ethical line where to stop?
Photo by Andy Kelly on Unsplash
A student asked Chi Onwurah, the British Labour party politician elected as MP in 2010, if she was in favor of putting tracking implants in kids. That raised a big NO and a reference to what we should never connect: “human beings”. | <urn:uuid:5ffdf67c-d6c0-4761-bfad-ba569a76ee73> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://blog.mobilerecharge.com/news/10-existential-questions-about-the-internet-that-will-blow-your-mind/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250598217.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20200120081337-20200120105337-00143.warc.gz | en | 0.926405 | 2,083 | 2.78125 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive overview of various aspects of the internet, including its infrastructure, environmental impact, and social effects. It touches on soft skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication, but lacks nuanced interaction and complex scenarios. The content is informative and easy to understand, making it a good introduction to internet-related topics. However, it does not offer advanced communication, leadership, or problem-solving scenarios, limiting its potential for professional development.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 160,038 | 0 |
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Use Persuasion for Good Intentions
When you automatically hear the word persuasion, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it a political ad full of propaganda? Perhaps you think of the Jane Austen book, “Persuasion”. Or maybe you automatically consider persuasion is just another word for trickery.
Contrary to popular belief, persuasion is not this evil conspiracy to manipulate people. Persuasion is a form of social influence, and it is the process of guiding another toward the adoption of a new idea, attitude, or action. Doesn’t that sound similar to some of your responsibilities as a leader?
When you’re in a leadership role, it is your job to get things done. One of the most effective ways to make sure this does happen is to use persuasion. Yes, I know that might sound a bit like manipulation, but don’t forget one of the cornerstones of leadership is to influence others. Leaders can use persuasion to push their workers to make new decisions, and also use it to negotiate through difficult situations and arrive at mutual agreements in a skillful way.
Your ability to bring others to your point of view is crucial if you want to change things in your organization, which is why you must present your strategy in a persuasive and compelling way in order to inspire your workers.
If you haven’t learned how to negotiate or persuasively state your opinion, you are most likely missing out on opportunities where you can make a difference in your organization. This is why leaders need to learn how to successfully use persuasion. On the same note, leaders have to be careful to not overuse this skill, particularly when under extreme pressure. You may be perceived as an intimidating opponent rather than a skilled, persuasive negotiator.
Here are some tips on how to develop the right amount of persuasion in your leadership style:
• To improve your presentation skills, consider joining Toastmasters, or take a public speaking or acting class. Practice your presentation in front of a mirror. Ask people for feedback about your presentation.
• Practice active listening skills to sort through sources of conflict. This was mentioned in a previous post here. Listen carefully to each side of a disagreement, and repeat back in your own words the essence of the argument. When people feel heard, they are more likely to be able to listen to another point of view.
• Discuss problem situations with all parties before determining the best course of action. Seek feedback from someone else on the proposed solution before instituting it. Look for win-win solutions.
• When attempting to resolve a dispute, first focus on common goals. Try to find an area of agreement before negotiating disagreement.
• Increase your visibility throughout the organization. Get “loaned” to other parts of the organization. Participate in projects that can benefit from high energy “jump-starts.”
• Take a class or workshop on mediation techniques to help you learn to negotiate “win-win” solutions to problems.
Now it’s your turn. What do you think of persuasion as a leadership skill?
Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net | <urn:uuid:4058d054-8dcc-47f7-a803-5a7187c79b6b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://360degreefeedback.blogspot.com/2012/03/use-persuasion-for-good-intentions.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709337609/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516130217-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94682 | 656 | 2.859375 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive discussion on persuasion as a leadership skill, including its importance, benefits, and tips for development. It covers realistic scenarios, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking opportunities, making it a valuable resource for professional development. The inclusion of practical applications, such as public speaking and active listening skills, enhances its educational value.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 170,541 | 1 |
In the first half of the second week of the profile module (when students are brainstorming people to interview/week six), Natalie Meyer, Associate Teaching Professor, shows her students an interview with the serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and analyzes Stone Phillips’ interview skills. She asks students to discuss what they can learn from the interview to apply to their own profile interviews. Her students, who are part of a Criminal Justice Learning Community, will not be asked to interview any serial killers but instead are asked to interview a person in their career field. As they learn about generating possible questions, they discuss finding the “so what”/main point in an interview for a profile.
Here is an overview of Natalie’s lesson:
1. Have students watch the video “How to Interview People for their Life Stories”
2. Prep students for watching the interview. Ask students what they know about Dahmer and provide some contextual information.
3. Watch the interview.
4. Analyze how the interview went in general. How did the subject of the interview react? How well did Stone Phillips follow the tips given in the video in step 1 (listed below)?
a. Ask questions at the beginning to put your subject at ease
b. Keep questions clear and open-ended
c. Follow the subject’s answers, rather than your questions
d. Make notes to give context (facial expression, tone of voice)
e. Don’t feed the interviewee the answer
f. Always wait for the person to stop talking
5. Discuss as a large group. Based on what students say, Meyer tries to tie it back to tips/strategies they can use in their own interviews. | <urn:uuid:c11379cb-e117-48c4-aeb5-f3c92abe8bda> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://engl.iastate.edu/2023/02/16/engl-150-teaching-tip-profile/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296949598.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20230331082653-20230331112653-00327.warc.gz | en | 0.920608 | 355 | 3.171875 | 3 | The extract demonstrates a lesson that goes beyond basic communication concepts, incorporating realistic scenarios and practical applications. It specifically discusses interview skills, a key aspect of soft skills, and features a nuanced analysis of an interview. The lesson includes opportunities for critical thinking and emotional intelligence, such as understanding the subject's reactions and following open-ended questions.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 354,292 | 0 |
The technology industry is thriving in terms of sales, growing jobs, and developing innovative new products. One area where it gets lower marks is gender balance. Some of the latest research suggests that women hold less than 20% of technology jobs, and Forbes notes that women represent just 5% of leadership at tech companies. Companies, educational institutions, government players, and innovative nonprofits are coming together to find new ways to empower women coders, engineers, and managers to help close the gender gap in the technology and STEM fields. Here’s an overview of some exciting initiatives happening in this space.
Getting Girls Excited about STEM
Investing in STEM education and participation is a global educational priority. When looking at women’s participation in STEM in general—and technology in particular—it’s important to look at what steps are being taken to encourage girls to focus on math, science, and coding. In 2018, research from Microsoft found that despite efforts to increase female participation in STEM, these efforts weren’t as effective as they could be. The researchers underscored the importance of hands-on activities, strong female STEM role models, and inclusive learning and work environments. A number of organizations are doing innovative work to help engage young female learners with technology content, including:
- Girls Who Code offers free summer programs, clubs, and other pathways to encourage girls to learn to code.
- Black Girls Code works to increase the number of women of color in the digital space by empowering girls of color ages 7 to 17 to become innovators in STEM fields.
Facilitating Learning and Career Changes
Shifting careers into a technology-based field can be a smart decision for workers who have already graduated traditional educational contexts. Whether you’re interested in pursuing new challenges or increasing compensation and stability, technology can be a great choice. Organizations are looking at different strategies to help with this, from fostering boot camps to longer-term training rotations that make career change a viable possibility. Northrop Grumman, for example, partnered with the Society of Women Engineers and iRelaunch to hold a 12-week returnship program for people who took a career break (such as to care for kids or family members) and help prepare them to return to careers that align with the company’s key jobs.
Addressing bias in the hiring process is another way technology companies are increasing the number of women they hire in technical roles. Often, this means removing names and photos—and sometimes other details—when resumes are reviewed, for example. Candidates are selected based on merit, and implicit bias is reduced. Tools like Blendoor, GapJumpers, and Hundred5 are all helping lead the way toward making blind hiring a practical component of recruiting efforts.
Addressing Culture and Workplace Strategies
As Forbes notes, companies that want to foster environments where women in tech thrive have to examine both their culture and flexible workplace options: “There’s one surefire way that tech companies can attract more women right now, and that is to create a culture of workplace flexibility. Flexible work arrangements, which allow for remote hours and malleable solutions to work-life balance, are key to solving the brain drain problem and the lack of senior-level women in tech.”
Leading companies in the technology space are providing important examples of different ways to do this. In an interview with Glassdoor, Nokia talked about how they’re implementing a multi-year plan: “Nokia is executing on a five-year strategy on gender balance, empowered by our leaders’ conviction and actions. Awareness is a first major step. We have been taking it very seriously, training our leaders, managers and employees on gender balance best practices.”
Providing Mentorship and Support
Mentorship and support can also play a vital role in helping women thrive. For many technical companies, laying this groundwork can begin with industry partnerships. For example, Dell has partnered with the Women’s Business Enterprise Council (WBENC) to offer targeted programs to support women technology business owners. Another example that’s worth exploring is Million Women Mentors, an organization that helps support careers in STEM by connecting mentors and people moving into these careers.
Other organizations are systematically building an internal infrastructure to help women thrive at all levels. 3M, a manufacturing leader, has an award-winning “I’m In” program that Catalyst describes as follows: “Accelerating Women’s Leadership (“I’m in”) comprises a variety of talent management and leadership development components, including networking, mentoring, talent development, work-life and workplace flexibility programs, and external community efforts.”
Creating the context for women to thrive in STEM—and for technology roles in particular—is a multi-dimensional effort. From investing in programs that help girls learn to code to introducing blind hiring initiatives and investing in corporate programs to support women leaders, there are numerous paths to take. This International Women’s Day, join us in celebrating the women shaping technology today as managers, coders, engineers, and more, while looking forward to many more opportunities for women in the field. | <urn:uuid:a1e34ad9-4a6d-4771-b078-fc4da6f3c111> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://resources.moredirect.com/articles/how-technology-is-helping-empower-women-engineers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250589861.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20200117152059-20200117180059-00061.warc.gz | en | 0.943939 | 1,061 | 3.09375 | 3 | The extract discusses initiatives to empower women in the technology industry, addressing gender balance, STEM education, and career development. It highlights various organizations' efforts to provide mentorship, training, and support, demonstrating a comprehensive approach to promoting diversity and inclusion. The extract showcases realistic scenarios, emotional intelligence, and leadership challenges, warranting a high score.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 181,896 | 1 |
By Divya Shankar
This week, we continue our Science Tuesday with more videos that show the fun and excitement of science! This week you’ll get to learn some more new tricks to impress your friends, watch how science can use everyday tools to make actual hearts and even journey to the extent of the universe. Enjoy!
“Amazing Fire Trick”
Is the water trick not working out? Then easily try this one with a candle and some matches at home too (just don’t do it in BU dorm rooms)! Some commentators suggest letting the candle burn for a long period of time so the smoke in the air is thick enough to re-light—otherwise it might not work out so well.
Printing a Human heart
It’s really amazing what scientists are able to do these days! In this video, you can quickly see how scientists used an inkjet printer to print actual organs. Even after watching this video repeatedly, I could not believe that it was for real, until I noticed that there is another eighteen-minute video explaining the whole process of printing organs.
If you have a bit of time, check out this video, which is actually an excerpt from an Imax movie called Cosmic Voyage. Narrated by Morgan Freeman, the video makes you realize both how vast and amazing the universe is and how minute the particles that make it up are. | <urn:uuid:7314a7bf-1684-40cf-8cfc-270db1dffa30> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | https://freepblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/top-science-videos-part-two/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320595.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20170625235624-20170626015624-00078.warc.gz | en | 0.919989 | 285 | 3.015625 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on science videos and experiments. It provides basic information without practical application, nuanced interaction, or complex problem-solving opportunities. Cultural awareness and digital literacy are absent.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 106,967 | 0 |
“You need to get this work done now! Don’t you know that your future is at stake? If you don’t work hard now, you won’t get a scholarship to the best college, then you won’t get the best job at the best place, and you won’t make lots of money. You don’t want to disappoint me, do you? So memorize these multiplication facts, now!”
A Journey Through Charlotte Mason’s 20 Principles: Principle 4
“These principles (ie., authority and docility) are limited by the respect due to the personality of children which may not be encroached upon whether by the direct use of fear or love, suggestion or influence, or by undue play upon any one natural desire.”
Throughout Charlotte Mason’s volumes, Mason is highly concerned with the development of character. From her observations of children, she saw the biggest problem was that they were “incapable of steady effort, because they had no strength of will, no power to make themselves do that which they knew they ought to do.” As homeschoolers, I think we often see the same problem. The children don’t seem to want to motivate themselves. They don’t have the strength of will to do what they ought to do without reminders and prods and motivation from us. This can be true, not just for children, but for many adults as well. It is comforting to know that Mason saw the same problems and thought long and hard to find a way to help children overcome this fault.
She does this keeping in mind that children are whole people. They have personalities, strengths and weaknesses, and minds capable of great understanding. They are made in the image of God and are to be respected. The personhood of children is not to be undermined or undervalued or encroached upon. It may not be manipulated or coerced. The development of a child’s character as God’s image bearer was of paramount importance to Mason. Children must grow up moral with their affections rightly ordered, and any method employed in the educating of children must not hinder, crush, or maim their character. It was not worldly success that she saw as the purpose of education, but virtue. This is a classical idea.* Plato said, “Education is teaching our children to desire the right things.” In The Liberal Arts Tradition: A Philosophy of Christian Classical Education, Ravi Jain and Kevin Clark call it piety. Mason realized she was educating people. Not computers. Not factories. People.
Knowledge Is Delectable
Not only did Mason have a high view of children, she had a high view of knowledge. “Knowledge is delectable,” she tells us. Knowledge for its own sake should be the motivation. This is God’s world and we are His creatures — we should want to know. It reminds me of the shorter catechism question, ‘What is the chief end of man?”
“Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”
This means our purpose is to glorify and delight in God. We delight in Him by delighting in His Word. We also enjoy and glorify God by delighting in His Creation and His people—learning from those who have gone before, the good and the bad, so that our character may grow to be more Christlike so that we may glorify Him.
This, of course, does not come easily. But there is much that we as teachers and parents can do, and NOT do, to lead our children toward desiring knowledge for themselves. It is because of her view of children as persons and the high importance she places on the development of their character as well as their intellect, that Mason’s fourth principle of education places limits on the methods appropriate to educating children.
“we act our parts and play in an unlawful way upon motives.” – Vol 6, p81
How Not to Motivate
Mason warns that any means a teacher might employ to compel a child to do what is required of them that draws their affections and motivations away from knowledge itself, is to be avoided. To compel a child to work by fear (fear of you, punishment, or failure), love (so that they would do anything for you like a pathetic little puppydog), undue influence and suggestion (which I would call manipulation), is to compromise their character so that they become, as Mason says, “flaccid.” In other words, weak.
“Bob or mary is losing that growing time which should make a self-dependent, self-ordered person, and is day by day becoming a parasite who can go only as he is carried, the easy prey of fanatic or demagogue.” – Quoted from For The Children’s Sake, p67
You will get willing obedience by utilizing these means, but at the expense of developing a strong character who can think for themselves and will do what they ought because it is the right thing to do.
Mason identifies four “natural desires” that are good in their place, being neither good nor bad, but when overemphasized or manipulated, also shift a child’s affection away from knowledge itself. These are:
- Approbation (approval or praise),
- Emulation (desire to excel),
- Avarice (extreme greed for wealth or material gain), and
Each is a good servant, but when one is favored at the expense of others, it is to the detriment of the development of the character of a child.
“We have considered the several desires whose function is to stimulate the mind and save us from that vis inertiae which is our besetting danger. Each such desire has its place but the results are disastrous if any one should dominate.” – Vol 6, p88
Praising your child is natural for any parent. They do something well and we say, “great job!” There is no harm in this, as long as you do it “in such a way that no one set of motives be called unduly into play to the injury of the child’s character.” It’s about balance. It becomes a problem when children do the work SO that they get praise or approval. It becomes especially problematic when they desire it from the wrong people or for the wrong things. Praise for virtuous behavior such as hard work is more desirous than praise for achievements. One of my daughters qualified to take the DukeTIP this year (this means she placed in the 95th percentile or higher in last year’s standardized test and can take the college entrance SAT along with high schoolers). It is tempting to praise her for high academic abilities. But really, she was born with a keen mind, which she had absolutely no control over. Yes, a Charlotte Mason education of reading living books and narration went a long way to help her to place well, but it is her character qualities of diligence and hard work that are worthy to be praised, more than the achievement itself. I have other daughters who work just as hard and have received the same education, that will not, in all likelihood, qualify for DukeTIP. They were not created with the same academic abilities (more to the point, our current education system tests only a certain kind of ability, but I digress). But they are equally hardworking. When children begin to work for approval, instead of the knowledge itself, it is at the expense of character. Too much praise and of the wrong thing can cause a child to become conceited, which is a definite blight to a person’s character.
When high test scores become the goal of education, the child no longer cares what it is he is learning. He crams for the exam to get the marks, only to promptly forget a short time after. Mason was highly critical of the trend she saw in schools of her day where the desire to excel was manipulated by the school system through prizes and rewards to get results.
“Emulation, the desire of excelling, works wonders in the hands of the schoolmaster; and, indeed, this natural desire is an amazing spur to effort, both intellectual and moral……In the intellectual field, however, there is danger; and nothing worse could have happened to our schools than the system of marks, prizes, place-taking, by which many of them are practically governed. A boy is so taken up with the desire to forge “ahead that there is no time to think of anything else. What he learns is not interesting to him; he works to get his remove.” – Vol 6. p85
What has a child gained by getting a good score if they don’t care about the knowledge that they scored high in?
Competitive Examinations aren’t helpful because the motivation isn’t knowledge. It is the “getting on”, achieving scholarships and the like. It doesn’t make them a better person.
Closely connected with Emulation, is Avarice. When greed for wealth or material gain is played upon as a motivation for children to do their work, then we have a big problem. What happens to the child who works so that they can get good grades so they can get a scholarship, so they can go to the best college and get the best job so they can have lots of money and the best car and live on the best street… You get my point. Having these things is not the problem. It is the unhealthy desire for them as the motivation for doing what ought to be done that is the problem. Where is the love of learning? Where is the love of doing the right thing because it’s the right thing? Where is the human?
Ambition hardly needs to be discussed. I think most of us know the difference between Ambition as a servant, that keeps us from stagnation, and Ambition as a master, which is an all-consuming tyrant.
Mason does not say that these “natural desires” are bad in and of themselves. They are good servants when in their place. It is when they are out of balance that it can be a detriment to character.
“… because the balance of character is destroyed by the constant stimulation of this one desire at the expense of the rest.” – Vol 2, p221
Mason’s goal is to see children self-dependent and self-ordered, who grow to love what is lovely and pursue what is good for themselves and for its own sake.
The coming principles will address what can be done toward that ideal, but for now, let me suggest that it is through gentle leading, not coercing, that we guide our children to delight in knowledge—because “knowledge is delectable.”
*For more on Education as a virtue, I really like this post by Mystie Winkler. | <urn:uuid:3292a1d8-5954-46e4-8444-4c9b248a68aa> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | http://mumtomom.net/blog/its-all-about-the-motivation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370504930.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20200331212647-20200401002647-00067.warc.gz | en | 0.974389 | 2,294 | 3.046875 | 3 | The extract discusses the importance of developing character and a love for knowledge in children, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach that avoids manipulation and coercion. It critiques common motivations such as fear, praise, and material gain, instead advocating for gentle guidance and a focus on virtue. The text promotes critical thinking, self-dependence, and a love for learning, making it relevant to soft skills development.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 772,321 | 1 |
Is it normal to have one testicle?
Men normally have two testicles. There can be a number of reasons why you have only one. The most common reason is that one of your testicles did not descend when you were born. This happens in about 3% of all births. Prior to birth, a boy's testicles are in his groin, but they move into the scrotum just before birth. Typically doctors check for this and surgery is done to move the testicle down into the scrotum. However, if that cannot be accomplished in time, the testicle dies and has to be removed.
A damaged testicle also has to be surgically removed, though I would assume you would remember if that happened.
Fortunately, the body is designed that one testicle can supply all the male hormones and sperm to father children. | <urn:uuid:2b8dfac7-b457-4eec-8991-b405f88854b3> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://growingupboys.info/Answers2016/11-05.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549423716.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20170721042214-20170721062214-00017.warc.gz | en | 0.981664 | 173 | 2.78125 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing solely on medical information. There's no coverage of communication, teamwork, leadership, or problem-solving scenarios, and no consideration of cultural awareness or digital literacy. The content is informative but limited to a specific medical topic.
Educational score: 0 | 0 | 0 | 600,261 | 0 |
saw this not-too-new 2017 article on mindshift introducing some ideas teachers can help students to see the (true) nature of learning, and help them develop useful habits of learning. these ideas were proposed by Barbara Oakley. ignore the title of the article cos to me, EVERYONE struggles, from time to time, and whether one would like to admit it or not.
some lines, including words from Oakley, in the article that caught my attention:
“…the common experience of students who reread their notes and think they know the material — only to enter a test and find that they cannot retrieve the information. ”
“students tend to equate speed with smarts, Oakley suggests sharing this metaphor: ‘There’s a race car brain and a hiker brain. They both get to the finish line, but not at the same time. The race car brain gets there really fast, but everything goes by in a blur. The hiker brain takes time. It hears birds singing, sees the rabbit trails, feels the leaves. It’s a very different experience and, in some ways, much richer and deeper. You don’t need to be a super swift learner. In fact, sometimes you can learn more deeply by going slowly.'”
“Learning is all about developing strong chains.” (cf. chunks)
“familiar metaphors allow a learner to draw on a concept they have already mastered and apply it to a new situation. Or as Oakley says, metaphors ‘rapidly on-board’ new ideas.”
“…’Pomodoro Technique.’ Developed by Francesco Cirillo, this strategy uses a timer to help the learner work and break at set intervals. First, choose a task to accomplish. Then, set a timer for 25 minutes and work until the timer goes off. At that point, take a five-minute break: stand up, walk around, take a drink of water, etc. After three or four 25-minute intervals, take a longer break (15 – 30 minutes) to recharge. “
“…I would tell students, you don’t just have to be stuck following your passion. You can broaden your passions enormously.”
one idea chunk came to my mind as i read the article: micro-learning. what myth(s) are pple propagating with this term and it’s associated ‘benefits’ for learning i wonder. is learning fast? how often is learning fast? | <urn:uuid:5d65e1d5-bb41-4fec-b5d4-9b5e6571915e> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://edublog.net/wp/category/references/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250592261.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20200118052321-20200118080321-00020.warc.gz | en | 0.949655 | 538 | 2.9375 | 3 | The extract discusses learning strategies and habits, introducing ideas from Barbara Oakley. It covers communication concepts, such as metaphors for learning, and teamwork is not explicitly mentioned. The extract provides some practical applications, like the Pomodoro Technique, and touches on emotional intelligence and critical thinking. However, it lacks nuanced interaction, complex problem-solving, and comprehensive cultural awareness.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 83,631 | 0 |
From Oxtail Soup for the Island Soul, Peter S. Adler, Ox Bow Press, 2001.
A pig, Ambrose Bierce once opined in the Devil’s Dictionary, is “an animal closely allied to the human race by the splendor and vivacity of its appetite.” On the Island of Hawai‘i, the “Pig Wars” started when the State of Hawai‘i Department of Forestry and Wildlife built two stretches of fence in the Kohala Mountains in the Pu‘u o ‘Umi Forest Reserve. One fence was intended to protect a sensitive environmental area between two steep cliffs from the feral version of Willy Boy Kokubun’s cousins. The other was part of an intended 1,500 acre endangered plant exclosure.
Both fences deeply alarmed local hunters. Angry complaints were voiced in the press. Letters and phone calls were made to local politicians. Portions of the fence were vandalized and Big Island Forestry and Wildlife employees received death threats. In the U.S., most environmental “wars” tend to start this way, with recriminations and threats, with anger and hurt, with escalations into legislative and judicial forums. Once they commence, and once they are politicized, these fights can be filled with invective and unbecoming tactics straight out of Sun Tzu’s Art of War. But every once in a while, people try something different.
It is late in December. On a wet, cool night very close to Christmas, twenty people are gathered around worn benches and rough plywood tables in the clubhouse of the Laupahoehoe and Hamakua Hawaiian Civic Club. Laupahoehoe is an aging sugar plantation community surrounded by remnant cane fields and, above the cane fields, forest. Hamkua is the name of the local district. In the town itself, most of the wooden houses are small and have corrugated iron roofs. The clubhouse is slowly returning to the elements, a victim of age and termites. Nonetheless, it is clean and dignified. It is freshly swept and someone has set a vase of newly picked and fragrant gardenias on the front table.
The group that has assembled inside is known as “The NAWG,” which is an acronym for Natural Areas Working Group. It includes representatives from three Big Island hunting groups, two local community associations, the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, the Audubon Society, the National Biological Survey, and the State of Hawai‘i’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife. My job, as one of two co-mediators, is to structure a process of communication and negotiation and increase the odds that new solutions to some vexing old problems can be invented. My co-mediator’s name is Alice Paet Ah Sing. We have been teamed up by the State of Hawai‘i to try and help do some problem solving.
This meeting is the NAWG’s fifteenth in eight months, and the specific task is to put the finishing touches on a document that contains 50 recommendations aimed at resolving long-standing controversies between hunters, environmentalists, and state foresters. The presenting issue is the impact of ungulates (hoofed animals) in Hawai‘i’s forests. Pigs are everywhere in Hawai‘i, including my neighborhood in urban Honolulu, but the geographic epicenter of this particular conflict is the 80,000 acres making up the Big Island’s Natural Area Reserves (NARs) near Laupahoehoe, Hilo, and Waimea.
Natural Area Reserves are ecologically important tracts of land that have been set aside by the state, in perpetuity, as prime examples of Hawai‘i’s extraordinarily diverse environment. There are many different NARs. On O‘ahu, one of them preserves a coastal strand replete with ancient sand dunes. There is another on top of 14,000-foot Mauna Kea that flags a good example of Hawai‘i’s little-known high altitude tundra. The Mauna Kea reserve is, in fact, the remnant of an ancient glacier. Most reserves, however, seek to sustain and showcase Hawai‘i’s last native rain forests which are perceived to be under siege from both natural and unnatural forces, including pigs.
Scientists marshal considerable evidence to show that pigs indiscriminately tear through local plant life, particularly in the rain forests, and pave the way for such other invasive pests as mosquitos which carry avian malaria and the banana poka vine which chokes out native trees. Pigs like Willy Boy weigh up to 300 pounds. They are prolific breeders and relentless rooters and cause havoc when left unchecked. A lone pig, say ecologists, can completely denude a large swath of land in a single night. Multiplied many fold, they present a spreading danger to the forest habitats for Hawai‘i’s disappearing native creatures. For biologists, the usual remedy is to exterminate them.
Local hunters, most of whom are Kanaka Maoli, hold a very different view. They have vociferously resisted animal eradication and most attempts to remove them from critical bird and plant habitats. They contest much of the scientific evidence presented by environmentalists and assert that pigs are both an organic part of the landscape and an esteemed cultural and recreational resource. They argue further that, during hard times in economically depressed places like Hamakua on the island of Hawai‘i, they are an economic necessity.
For a variety of reasons, therefore, the pig issue greatly rankles many Kanaka Maoli. Wild pigs are traditional food. They are customarily hunted by Kanaka Maoli men and their dogs, most often with guns, but of late, in the traditional way als with knives and spears. These hog battles are a matter of personal and cultural pride. Pigs figure prominently in Hawaiian cosmology and in the legends of local deities that Hawaiian children still hear at home. For many Kanaka Maoli, pigs are very much part of what is deemed to be “natural.”
In this context, and fueled further by the forces of cultural revitalization, pigs are political and symbolic. Kanaka Maoli activists are asserting strong claims for independence and reparations from both the state and federal governments. The pig issue adds to this larger debate and involves charges of “eco-imperialism” and a call for Kanaka Maoli dominion over Hawai‘i’s forests. “Why,” says one of the hunters, “should some scientist from America get to come here and tell us that this plant or that bird is more important than us? We will decide these things for ourselves.”
Which is precisely what the NAWG and this particular mediation effort is all about.
Staked out in the extreme, the opening mediation positions have a Bosnia-like intractability about them. Some members of the working group advocate putting up as many stretches of pig-proof fences as possible, removing the pigs inside, and, over time, expanding the Natural Area Reserve system so that more forest is protected. Others take a polar-opposite approach. They argue that pig populations and hunting opportunities must be expanded, that some of the NARs should be turned into Game Management Areas, and that all existing fences in and around the NARs need to be torn down because they interfere with pig breeding and migration and are dangerous to hikers, hunters, and dogs.
In general, these early arguments have certain weariness about them: the posturing produces a great deal of heat but very little light. At times it feels as if everyone is playing out a pre-choreographed part. In turn, there is also a pattern whereby the natural ideological differences between these camps are exacerbated by a few “conflict junkies” who approach every difference of opinion as a holy war, a personal duel, a general amusement, or as just one more small chance to display the cranky and obstreperous side of their personality.
Luckily, the NAWG is composed of people who hold very strong opinions but who also genuinely want to solve problems and — in the finest tradition of ho‘oponopono, the ancient Kanaka Maoli process of resolving family and clan disputes — seek to “make things right.” There is the inevitable stereotyping, miscommunication, misinformation, noninformation, interpersonal irritation, and battles over process that attend any conflict. Most NAWG members, however, seem preliminarily interested in a search for understanding and agreement.
At the first meeting, pleasantries are exchanged but the underlying mood is dark. People regard one another with suspicion, and everyone eyeballs we mediators since no one quite knows how this process will really work. Then the meeting commences. There are introductions, some perfunctory opening statements, and then we spend two hours negotiating meeting procedures and interpersonal etiquettes. These protocols are extremely important. They provide real rules of engagement, the first tangible agreements, and simple overtures of trust and good will.
At the second and third meetings, and throughout subsequent sessions, the group tackles substance. Despite the heated outbursts which occasionally punctuate the discussions, the group pools critical information. Much of our work as mediators is directed at choreographing and moderating the way ideas, knowledge, data, and assumed wisdom are exchanged. Each group has its “filters” for taking in and giving information. The scientists try to be dispassionate in their presentations which is irksome to the Kanaka Maoli who see them as aloof. The government officials like to think about problems in terms of regulations and political nuances which drives the environmentalists crazy. When the Hawaiians and community people speak, they give long, angry, scolding speeches which irritate the scientists and government people.
These differences in organizational “style” are part of the ambient conditions of the mediation process. Our goal is to help everyone get the questions right, to manage the multiple layers and conflicting cross-currents of information exchange, and to facilitate mutual interpretation of data so that it produces “usable knowledge.” In the process, the group learns practical and immediate tolerance. When one of the environmentalists makes overly sweeping generalizations, other members of her own coalition rope her back to the table. And when one of the hunters presents a completely ungrounded theory of a pig “motherland” and radiating migrations from a certain valley, the rest of the group disagrees with him with respect and forbearance.
Real breakthroughs, however, occur when the NAWG works out a common goal and signs off on a series of guiding statements. These “agreements-in-principle” become the beacons that help navigate the group toward specific solutions. They do not specifically solve the dispute but they create the contours and parameters within which agreements can be fashioned later on. In this case, the guiding principles move everyone to common ground.
The principles go like this: Conceptually everyone concurs that more forest areas could be specifically administered for hunting, and that these areas could sustain more pigs. Other areas it is agreed, might be managed in such a way that there are no pigs or the lowest number possible. Everyone acknowledges that local hunters should be the ones to help manage pig numbers by pressuring the pigs out of the high density areas. Finally, it is agreed that proper forest management is not simply the job of DOFAW. The private and civic sectors and abutting communities need to be involved.
The key to making these agreements work will be joint monitoring and “adaptive management” carried out by a set of newly created local entities called regional forest “Management Advisory Councils” (MACs). Each of the councils will be composed of hunters, scientists, environmental advocates, government foresters, and people from nearby towns. The MACs will help organize joint monitoring projects, volunteer efforts, and local educational programs. Each MAC will also send a representative to sit on a central coordinating committee that, for lack of a better title, is initially identified as the “Big MAC.”
Although there are many disagreements on the road to conceptual clarity, the NAWG progressively works through the nuances involved in these agreements. From my point of view, it is gratifying to watch this group of former enemies learn to tolerate, and in some circumstances actually value, differences of opinion. The discussions are still fierce when it comes to content but increasingly they are self-regulating, comfortable, and collegial in style. Each meeting begins and ends with a prayer or chant, sometimes said by a non-Hawaiian. There is humor. People bring food. They mingle at breaks and inquire about each other’s families. They bring small gifts for each other. They tell stories. Over time, they begin to see each other in new and different ways. As co-mediators, Alice and I notice these things. Process, politics, and relationships merge together with substance.
As the fifteenth meeting comes to a close, there is a tangible sense of accomplishment among the community members, hunters, scientists, and state foresters who make up the NAWG. Adversaries who at one time would not even be seen publicly with one another have walked in each other’s shoes, worked side-by-side, and produced some breakthrough agreements that may just make a difference. These agreements won’t solve every problem but they are a start, and everyone knows it.
Just as important is the unique chemistry of peacemaking that has been engaged by the participants. Something that is simultaneously part-Oriental, part-Polynesian, part-Occidental, yet also uniquely and completely “local,” this sustained discussion process has created a sheltered port in the wider storms that attend environmental decision making. But there is something else as well. Beyond the logic of solving problems lies something more ineffable and a part of the way we do things in Hawai‘i. Consensus, builds trusting communities and heals and strengthens places. In this way, the body politic’s sense of hope is renewed.
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Products and Services | <urn:uuid:24ee83e8-6d3b-4f8f-8c85-2e164ac85825> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://eyeofthestormleadership.com/pg17.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886110578.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20170822104509-20170822124509-00481.warc.gz | en | 0.954293 | 2,963 | 2.671875 | 3 | The extract demonstrates a high level of sophistication in addressing soft skills, particularly in conflict resolution, communication, and teamwork. It showcases a realistic scenario where individuals with diverse backgrounds and opinions come together to resolve a complex environmental issue, integrating emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities. The narrative highlights the importance of cultural awareness, active listening, and empathy in building trust and fostering collaboration. The extract seamlessly weaves together advanced communication, leadership, and problem-solving scenarios, mirroring real-world complexity.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 981,188 | 1 |
What Is Karaoke?
Chances are, if you're reading this, you've heard the term karaoke before. However, depending on where you live, the word could conjure up a different image in your mind. So, let's bring it back to the very start and how karaoke has evolved over the years.
First things first, the word karaoke is a portmanteau of the Japanese word kara (空), which means "empty," and oke (オケ) , a shortened form of the English word "orchestra" (オーケストラ). So, karaoke refers to a lack of orchestra, which gives you a hint of how they were first used. In 1971, a musician and band manager by the name of Daisuke Inoue came up with the idea. Living in Kobe, a city in western Japan, Inoue and his band were unable to provide musical accompaniment for a sing-along café (歌声喫茶, utagoe kissa), which were wildly popular in Japan (America throughout the '60s were also into the sing-along craze). So, this device gave the establishments a way to keep the party going even when the band couldn't be there. By removing the lead singer's vocals, the audience could still sing and have a great time together. This proved to be so popular that Inoue created a few of these tape recorder-like machines to lease to shops and other events, beginning the musical sensation that swept the nation.
Who Does Karaoke?
In essence, pretty much everyone in Japan does karaoke! While there are, of course, people who would rather push needles into their fingertips than sing in public, the private rooms in Japan are much more accommodating for the less-than-stellar singers or the crooners who can't quite find the right key—but wanna sing out nevertheless. As the only people in the room are those in your party, you can feel more comfortable letting loose and not worrying about a stranger's harsh judgment. Not to mention, people in Japan are typically very encouraging and supportive. Teasing is not a part of the culture, and keeping the harmony (a big part of Japanese culture) means uplifting the less-talented singers while being careful not to overly praise the power performers.
As with every topic about a group of people at large, this doesn't apply to everyone. There will always be those groups who are more comfortable with ribbing and joking while singing, but, generally, karaoke in Japan is a safe and open place for all levels of singers.
Furthermore, karaoke rooms can typically accommodate your group, whether large or small. You can rock up to a karaoke shop as a couple, with friends or even a large sports team or company afterparty (keep in mind that large party rooms should be booked in advance). You can even go alone, which is commonly called hitokara (a blending of hitori de, meaning "by oneself," and karaoke). While some people might consider going to karaoke alone a bit sad, it's a great way to work on those songs you wanted to master (but couldn't belt in your shower) or a good place to practice your musical instruments—as music studio rental fees are much higher than a karaoke room.
Where Can You Do Karaoke?
Everywhere! Next question!
Seriously, though, karaoke and nightlife in Japan go hand in hand. If there is a cluster of bars, clubs or restaurants, sure enough you'll find a karaoke joint. While there are small dive bars with karaoke machines (and a price per song), the majority of people (locals and travelers) will end the night at any one of the major chains. The most popular shops include:
Uta Hiroba (歌広場, colloquially called Utahiro)
Big Echo (ビッグエコー)
Karaoke no Tetsujin (カラオケの鉄人)
For a slightly more extravagant evening of crooning, there are a few deluxe shops offering stylish digs. Pasela Resorts (パセラリゾーツ) will make you feel like you're on vacation in Bali, while Shibuya's Karaoke Rainbow (カラオケレインボー) is your first step to Broadway success singing in New York-inspired rooms. And while both of these trendy (and very Instagrammable) places can be a little more expensive, depending on the day and time, they offer higher quality food and drinks. And if you're in Tokyo and missing the Western-style of karaoke and an audience to perform for, head over to Smash Hits in Hiroo, where a crowd will be waiting to hear your lovely voice.
When Can You Do Karaoke?
Anytime! Karaoke chains are open 24/7. You can celebrate milestones or birthdays or just take off work and go singing during the weekday. The price, which is generally charged every 30 minutes of singing, does change depending on when you go, so be aware of that. Daytime singers enjoy a deeper discount; though, if you plan to stay up all night, many places offer a very cheap nighttime package that lets you sing until the sun rises for a flat rate (or get some shut eye, which is quite common when the trains stop running and you need a place to rest your head). The best thing about karaoke is that it'll always be there when you need it, so unless you have a large group of 10 or more, you don't really need to plan ahead to rock out.
The simplest answer to that is: it's fun! However, karaoke is a shared activity that can grant you a wonderful bonding experience with friends and coworkers. If your team at your new job invite you out, it's a great chance to see their personalities shine outside of the corporate environment. Likewise, if you're visiting friends living in Japan, it's a good opportunity to meet some locals. Everyone who thinks all Japanese people are shy and somewhat stiff should go out to karaoke with a Japanese group! And, as mentioned above, singing in a karaoke booth is not about being the best. The room is very supportive and people are more than willing to join you on a song or help you out (while following proper Japanese karaoke etiquette). Get to know the people in your circle better by baring your soul in vocal form. | <urn:uuid:d6762095-1b62-4dbb-873e-6f0a41924c27> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://allabout-japan.com/en/article/6226/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250606696.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20200122042145-20200122071145-00439.warc.gz | en | 0.962109 | 1,366 | 2.671875 | 3 | The extract provides superficial coverage of basic communication and teamwork concepts, such as bonding and socializing, but lacks meaningful depth or practical application. It touches on cultural awareness, specifically Japanese culture, but does not delve into nuanced interaction or complex problem-solving opportunities.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 36,154 | 0 |
My thoughts matter. My feelings matter. My voice matters.
And with or without anyone’s permission or approval,
I will continue to be who I am and speak my truth.
Even if it makes people angry.
Even if it makes them uncomfortable.
Even if they choose to leave.
I refuse to shrink. I choose to take up space.
I choose to honour my feelings.
I choose to give myself permission to get my needs met.
I choose to make self-care a priority. I choose me.”
(Culture) – American hero, Dr. Martin Luther King, is a respected historical figure for Americans who were not born or raised in the United States but now call it home, thus most likely had not heard about him before becoming part of what is often referred to as “New Americans.”
Who would not respect his commitment to nonviolence nor resist his charisma? Many would agree that the more we learn about his battles and victories, our respect for his legacy grows into admiration and love for who he was and what he did.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
This is perhaps the most known phrase from MLK, given at a 250,000 people march in Washington D.C. and one who moved the masses into action. Aside from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream,” what else do you, dear reader, know about him?
Here are 9 facts about MLK:
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) was a pastor whose courage, charisma, and leadership led the civil rights movement in the 60s, for racial equality in the United States.
MLK was born on January 15, 1929
MLK was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.”
MLK won the Nobel prize at age 35.
MLK’s “I Have Dream” speech, is considered one of the most powerful speeches of the 20th Century.
During his lifetime, he wrote 5 books and was incarcerated more than 20 times.
“Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”
MLK was named Man of the Year by Time Magazine in 1963.
In 1965 MLK preached at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.
Since 1983 the United States honors MLK Day every third Monday in January.
Hopefully, by learning about MLK we learn to understand that the African American community as a whole has been prey to injustice in the past; and many would argue that injustice continues in the present, despite some gains in politics, economic justice, and education.
If you found value on this article, please share it on your social media pages: | <urn:uuid:feabbb2c-6b72-47dc-a9a1-c0eab30a71ad> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://lupitanews.com/2015/01/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296948871.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20230328201715-20230328231715-00139.warc.gz | en | 0.978843 | 672 | 3.203125 | 3 | The extract promotes self-empowerment, emotional intelligence, and cultural awareness, with a focus on Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy and the importance of standing up for what is right. It encourages readers to learn about MLK's life and legacy, fostering empathy and understanding of social justice issues. The content is informative, with some practical applications, but lacks nuanced interaction and complex problem-solving opportunities.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 117,283 | 0 |
Role models - potential examples to be imitated - are constantly cropping up in the lives of young people. Many of them include parents and other adults in a family, siblings, teachers, peers and all kinds of public figures and celebrities. Since children tend to copy what they see, a chosen role model may not arise from a direct connection but rather from observation at a distance, for example, in noticing how someone treats or relates to another person, makes an impact on his or her community, makes a difference to society or has dealt with significant barriers or setbacks. Some role models are chosen because of what they have achieved, while others may be followed due to their perceived status.
Marilyn Price-Mitchell, a developmental psychologist, conducted some research into how young people develop the skills, abilities and motivation to become engaged citizens. (See www.rootsofaction.com.) The top five qualities that emerged as important to the young people in her study were:
- Passion and ability to inspire
- Clear set of values
- Commitment to community
- Selflessness and acceptance of others
- Ability to overcome obstacles.
While these attributes are positive, many children and young people select detrimental role models because of strong negative influences, such as fear, or a lack of self-esteem, a craving for acceptance or to fit in, or in the absence of a flourishing vision for themselves.
According to Albert Einstein: “The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking”. Inevitably young people want to be able to think for themselves and do some things differently from their parents and break away from limitations imposed by the culture surrounding them and change some of what they consider are malpractices. At times this healthy progress may require significant courage and lead to experiencing very challenging emotional turbulence.
Two key sources of real-life learning and empowerment are in the home and in the school environment. Ideally both nurture and lovingly support children as they learn to understand and manage their emotions and both should provide plenty of complementary opportunities to learn and practise essential life skills and develop internal strengths, resilience and a belief in themselves so that the individuals can relate well to others, uncover and let their talents blossom and build purpose and meaning into their lives.
As we know from many of the very costly problems facing society today, thousands of children and young people have a great need for appropriate role models because their parents’ own negative experiences of education and life and their values are profoundly adversely affecting their children’s attainment.
Some tips for successful role modelling in a school
Start with yourself – Encourage all members of staff to reflect upon their own behaviour, both within the gaze of pupils and their parents/carers, and in their private lives. Individuals will need to consider their own values, the messages they are transmitting and whether their actions are soundly based and consistent. Development can occur by assessing the impact from the modelling currently taking place and by stimulating even more innovative role modelling.
Establish a vision and aims – Have a clear vision of what explicit role modelling could achieve and by whom (for example, all members of staff, children at all levels, parents and carers) and aims that are applicable to all affected individuals and stakeholders in their particular contexts.
Gain consensus – Have a dialogue with relevant personnel about how explicit role modelling could contribute to the ethos of the school, its functioning and effectiveness and come to an agreement on how best to foster a climate of wellbeing and strategies to actively promote identified, life-enhancing attitudes, skills and behaviours.
Encourage communication and ‘walking your talk’ – The world is constantly changing and so, based on the opening lines of a poem by Rudyard Kipling:
I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are WHAT? and WHY? and WHEN?
And HOW? and WHERE? and WHO?
invite the whole school community to use these six serving-men creatively to guide them as they consciously think about being an inspiring role model for others. Finally, at a time when so much trust has been eroded by many occupying positions that would have been associated with admirable role models, stress authenticity and the importance of genuinely ‘walking your talk’. | <urn:uuid:57dca1ea-a336-446f-ac50-5ec54b48812a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.innovatemyschool.com/industry-expert-articles/item/286-being-a-role-model.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697442043/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094402-00080-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964533 | 879 | 3.390625 | 3 | The extract discusses the importance of role models in shaping young people's skills, values, and motivation, and provides tips for successful role modeling in a school setting. It touches on emotional intelligence, leadership, and critical thinking, and emphasizes the need for authenticity and consistency in role modeling. The content integrates cultural awareness, digital literacy, and practical application, but lacks complex scenarios and nuanced interaction.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 120,820 | 1 |
Talk to anyone about computers and they’ll quickly agree on a few points. The most important being just how quickly the technology advances. In fact, this rapid pace of development applies to almost all technology using advanced electronics.
Here’s the point which many people forget about. People can approach changes to their smartphones or tablets at their own pace. But what happens when medical technology advances at the same rate?
This is part of the reason why continuing medical education, or CME, is an important part of many professions. It initially began in large part as a response to changes in people’s understanding of medical issues.
For example, studies tend to move at a fairly slow pace. It might take a decade of development and studies to take a theory into a fully available treatment. This might seem like it wouldn’t happen that often. But there are tens of thousands of studies going on all around the world. Consider different languages on top of it all and one will have a difficult time keeping track of even a subset of the research.
People realized that it’s not reasonable to suggest people do so at their own leisure or as a hobby. Medical professionals need to have part of their job officially dedicated to keeping up with new advances. And this is where continuing medical education really came into its own. Again, the subject really began with an emphasis on direct research. But around the same time technology began to move forward at an exponential rate. Smartphone development is a good way to realize just how fast medical technology moves as well.
They often share similar underlying technologies. For example, smaller scale components, sensors and ARM processors usually end up shared between phones and any small scale device. And on the other end of things there’s always new developments in higher end computing devices.
But this brings up another question. What should one choose to look into when considering CME courses? For a lot of people the answer is going to come from an unexpected direction. Ultrasound CME courses currently have one of the best returns on the overall time investment. This can come as something of a surprise to people in some fields. But that surprise is itself one of the reasons why ultrasound CME courses are a solid investment.
Everyone from doctors to nurses to techs can benefit from learning more about ultrasound. People often consider it to be something only involved with pregnancy. This is in large part a misconception based on either cursory familiarity or media portrayal. In reality it’s used in a number of different medical subjects. One of the most important relates to cancer.
Ultrasound is an easy way to quickly detect irregularities related to tumors. This can often be performed in situations where one wouldn’t normally think to look for cancer. For example, someone might complain of persistent nausea. An infectious illness is an easy answer. But consider what an ultrasound might show. It could detect a tumor either sitting on the stomach or causing inflammation near it.
A tumor which would be the underlying cause of nausea. And something which wouldn’t normally be detected without an ability to easily look into one’s body. It’s also an important part of anything involving cardiology.
Basically, anyone interested in learning an effective way of working with people’s health stand to gain a lot by learning about ultrasound. It can help to open doors in one’s own field. But it can also prove a potential bridge into other related medical fields. Basically, ultrasound based CME is an effective choice for anyone involved in medical care. | <urn:uuid:46a7c550-b2c5-4899-9c05-35cccef23dc7> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://brianhodgins.com/ultrasound-cme-courses-can-provide-benefits-for-a-wide-variety-of-professions.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224649986.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20230604125132-20230604155132-00174.warc.gz | en | 0.964977 | 727 | 3.265625 | 3 | The extract discusses the importance of continuing medical education (CME) in the rapidly advancing field of medical technology. It highlights the benefits of ultrasound CME courses, which can be applied to various medical subjects, including cancer detection and cardiology. The text demonstrates a basic understanding of communication and teamwork concepts, such as the need for medical professionals to stay updated with new advances. However, it lacks nuanced interaction, complex problem-solving opportunities, and comprehensive professional development.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 632,855 | 0 |
Our Shared Values – Islam and the Olympics
In Islam, calling others to truth takes an invitational form, not a confrontational one. God says, “Invite all to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and reason with them in the best possible way” (Qur’an 16:125). And God says, “There is no compulsion in religion” (Qur’an 2:256). The Qur’anic strategy is thus “to come to a common word” (Qur’an 13:64) in the first instance by uniting on what is agreed between people. This is how the Prophet (pbuh) extended warmth to Christian, Jewish and Zoroastrian rulers and people of his time. The Prophet (SAW) is famous for speaking in a tone that is inviting and warm, one that immediately put the listener to ease, and helped build trust and security.
So if this is our noble tradition, then what better way is there than to come together with our neighbours, colleagues at work, in schools and universities, and within our communities to talk about the shared values of the Olympics? Generally people in modern societies tend not to talk about values, or have any deeper understanding of values in general. This makes it even more important to illuminate the human conscience with what God has to say and the beautiful practical examples of the Prophet (SAW). I have written this article to elaborate on the idea of coming together on what we agree upon, as a starting point in bringing out the warmth that our tradition teaches. You can read more about this topic, and others, in more detail in my forthcoming book called Muslims in the Age of Modernity – Dislocation and Renaissance, which will be published in the summer, God willing.
Opportunity to “know one another” (Qur’an 49:13) then, as the Qur’an states, comes about only when truth seekers from diverse nations, perspectives, secular or otherwise, differ with each other. It is only when we encounter different beliefs, that Muslims have the opportunity to extend security to non-believers and their identities. Dictating to people was something the Prophet (SAW) rejected on the basis that the only way truth can manifest is by convincing people through good character, example, reasoned argument and dialectic. It could hardly be otherwise, as God explains, “Had your Lord so willed, all the people on earth would have believed. Will you then compel mankind, against their will, to believe?” (Qur’an 10:99).
The Qur’an mentions: “We created you from a single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to know one another” (Qur’an 49:13). That is, as the scholar Muhammad Shafi (1896-1976) comments, “division into nations, tribes and sub-tribes of all sizes and races is meant only to give a better identification of one another.”[i] There is no distinction of people on the basis of colour, nationality, gender, and so on, except the “most honoured of you in the sight of God is he who is the most righteous of you” (Qur’an 43:15). Thus, in spite of our insistence in belonging to all manner of identities, groups, clubs, associations and such like, according to Islam, the value we confer to identities that reassure ourselves of our own material “worth,” ultimately has no meaning outside of the axis of righteous action.
God goes on to challenge humanity with a test: “To each among you We have prescribed a Way and a Teaching. Had God so willed He would have made you a single community, but to test you by what He gave you. So vie with one another in good works” (Qur’an 5:48). We know straightaway from this that “test” is implicit in “knowing” the “Other.” There is an inherent weakness, which is, in its self, a sign of “test,” from innate selfishness to look after our own interests at the expense of others’ wellbeing or trampling on the respect, dignity and rights we owe others.
Does committing to God’s instructions with such seemingly possessive determination imply a Divine permission to forcefully exert others to Islamic belief? God clearly rebukes this when He says: “Had your Lord so willed, all the people on earth would have believed. Will you then compel mankind, against their will, to believe?” (Qur’an 10:99). For Muslims this establishes the weighty Divine ordinance to extend hospitality and security even to secular and atheist people and their cultures. Even variation in languages is actually a God-given right, which He speaks of in pluralistic terms: “And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variation in your languages and your colours: in that indeed there are signs for those who deeply know” (Qur’an 30:22).
The stories of Prophets teach Muslims that virtue will always struggle against falsehood, and the best way to engage falsehood is to start by giving good counsel, on common grounds. People with common views and experiences work together assisting and sharing the same goals and aspirations. We have to focus on what we share, recognising that clustering by commonality, is a natural state of affairs. Social Identity Theory indeed articulates that different social contexts trigger people to think, feel and act on the basis of their personal, family or national identities corresponding to a widening circle of group membership.[ii] Even individuals, who view the world through a selfish stance, and even those who oppose external interference in their choices, voluntarily, from time to time, will dip in and out of some kind of wider grouping based on common grounds.
Exclusivity that arises when people are shunned because of “natural distinctions” violates the warmth and inclusiveness taught by Islam. “Natural distinctions” are inconsistent with the notion of humanistic grouping implied in the Qur’anic label “the children of Adam” (Banu Adam). According to the Qur’an, there is no account of natural distinctions among individuals. How can there be when His Mercy is, infinite and open to people who turn to Him, regardless of their circumstances and past misdemeanours.
Many famous twentieth century scholars and thinkers such as Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) and Husain Ahmad Madani (1879-1958) promoted a kind of solidarity that rested in binding covenants, commonality, lineage, culture, shared history and language. Solidarity also requires sharing in the natural wonders encapsulating the territories people lived in. Disdain comes from ideological nationalism and allegiances bound by the simple measure of discrete territories and the idea of “sole identity” implicit in nationalism.
Why is social solidarity important? The answer is simply that it is the primary means of establishing security in a world we all share and which is organised in ways that, as individuals, we do not have control over. We often show no hesitancy in committing to organising within networks, organisations, and trading partners and so on to leverage greater control over broader horizons. Yet, when it comes to declaring our shared values with other people, many Muslims frequently cringe thinking that, by doing so, somehow, it will dilute the distinctiveness of our religion.
We have to replace such fearful thoughts, particularly when they appear to overly confine us to a narrowed tradition, with what God says, “Invite all to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and reason with them in the best possible way” (Qur’an 16:125). “The Sunnah,” as the scholar Yahya Rhodus recently said, “is a vast Sunnah.” So let us use it intelligently in the best possible way, with wisdom and with beautiful execution. Let us start by talking about our shared values with the Olympics, whenever we get the chance to.
Below are the three values of the Olympics. I have mentioned some brief points that hopefully, God willing, show how we can come to know another using our shared values with the Olympics. I am sure you can elaborate on these things in much greater detail.
Respect – Fair play, knowing one’s own limits, and taking care of one’s health and the environment only comes about when human beings are sincere. In Islam this is Naseehah which is, as the Prophet said, “to Allah and His Book, and His messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk” (reported by Muslim).
Excellence – Like giving ones best on the playing field, Islam teaches people to give their best in life. In Islam this is called Ihsan, which can be summarised as the performance of any good action with the most excellent of effort and discretion, and driven by ones love for God and sincerity to all of creation. Islam teaches Muslims to strive for excellence, beautify their actions and to make them profound.
Friendship – Like through sport we can “come to know” one another, Islam teaches that there are no “natural distinctions” between people based on colour, gender or nationality. Islam places great importance on improving our character, maintaining the rights of others, being sincere and showing compassion to people regardless of who they are or where they come from, and this is for Muslims the basis of true friendship between people.
By Mamnun Khan
[i] Muhammad Shafi, Ma’ariful Qur’an, 1996, Vol. 8, p143.
[ii] Michael Hogg and Graham Vaughan, Social Psychology (5th edition), Prentice Hall, 2008. | <urn:uuid:c68aa12f-232a-4e6b-a98e-d3622b52f8bc> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://islamiquemagazine.com/our-shared-values-islam-and-the-olympics/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549425381.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20170725202416-20170725222416-00685.warc.gz | en | 0.951344 | 2,075 | 2.921875 | 3 | The extract discusses the shared values of Islam and the Olympics, promoting interfaith dialogue, respect, and understanding. It encourages readers to engage in conversations about common values, fostering a sense of community and social solidarity. The text integrates emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities, with a focus on practical applications and cultural awareness. However, the scenarios presented are not overly complex, and the emphasis is on fundamental skills and principles.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 599,242 | 0 |
Finding Stability in an Anxious World
How to grow rather than shrink in uncertain times.
Posted August 9, 2021 | Reviewed by Devon Frye
- How humans cope with uncertainty will be a central question for the 21st century.
- Understanding and applying two ancient Jewish words for fear—Yirah and Pachad—could help us navigate this challenge.
- With some mental effort, a changing landscape can be a thrill rather than a nightmare.
Listening to my clients recently, many of us seem to be suffering from one pronounced emotion: the sense of being overwhelmed by the level of uncertainty and sheer pace of change in the modern world.
We looked forward to the lifting of lockdown and the restoration of freedoms, but we’ve emerged blinking into the light to be hit by a bunch of new challenges in a world that feels more uncertain than ever.
Old expectations of perpetual online meetings clash with new demands to be physically present. Financial instability and risks of further restrictions make planning impossible. Huge parts of our lives feel totally up in the air. It’s no wonder that our latest report found that 40 percent of people will miss lockdown life.
How humans cope with the uncertainty and the seemingly perpetual "chaos" around them will, I believe, be the central question for people in the 21st century, influencing both our mental well-being but also how our societal politics evolve.
Ancient wisdom could help guide us here as these problems are not as new as we think they are. For example, I turned to some Old Testament Jewish texts for guidance. Unlike English, Hebrew has two words for fear: Yirah and Pachad.
Pachad is characterised by dread in the face of uncertainty. It’s what many of us are feeling right now. Human beings are wired to appreciate stability, and it’s natural for many of us to respond to turbulence by denying it, being uncontrollably buffeted by it, or trying to fight it. Too often it’s a futile attempt to evade the need to adapt.
Yirah is different. It describes the sense of awe we can derive from something fearful. It’s about opening ourselves up to the opportunities that can come with change, rather than shrinking away from them. It’s about finding agency and a positive purpose in a world that can’t be controlled, but can be navigated.
Imagine approaching the top of a rollercoaster. Responding with Pachad would mean squeezing our eyes tight shut and clawing on with white knuckles trying to prevent the impending plummet. Responding with Yirah, on the other hand, would mean opening our eyes wide and raising our arms high as we let go, beaming with excitement.
Of course, many of us would prefer the latter response to our own personal life rollercoasters. But the question many of my clients ask is—how do I actually go about getting there?
There is no silver bullet that I can offer in a short blog. But there are some key questions I’d advise you to quietly reflect on that might start to help shift your mindset:
- Is my reaction to the pandemic and the sheer uncertainty of the modern world in line with Yirah or Pachad?
- What opportunities could now be open to me if I approached the uncertainty swirling around me with a positive mindset of working with rather than opposing change?
- What do I need to create a sense of agency in the face of the forces that buffet me?
Anxiety in the face of uncertainty is a natural, human reaction. According to social psychologist Geert Hofstede, "uncertainty avoidance" is one of the six dimensions that define the psychology of any nation.
We can’t eradicate change, but we can make an effort to cultivate it into something more universally and personally fulfilling. Rather than deny it, we can use it as a chance to find more sources of meaning in our lives. This is no easy task—and for many with significant economic or social barriers, it is much harder—but it is possible. Good luck, and let me know how it goes. | <urn:uuid:3ea6af71-4bb2-4a0f-bd79-8f99e338809a> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://cdn3.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/global-lens/202108/finding-stability-in-anxious-world | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224657720.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20230610131939-20230610161939-00736.warc.gz | en | 0.941578 | 862 | 2.515625 | 3 | The extract discusses coping with uncertainty and anxiety, introducing ancient Jewish concepts to navigate these challenges. It encourages reflection and mindset shifts, promoting emotional intelligence and agency. While it lacks complex scenarios and practical applications, it provides a foundation for personal growth and resilience.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 608,826 | 0 |
We are seeing more and more young people entering the world of Social Media. Facebook & Twitter are becoming the tools that our youth are choosing to communicate and for many parents this is worrying. Not only do many of them not understand the networks but they are concerned that their children could be leaving themselves open to dangers or acting inappropriately online.
It is important therefore for parents to familiarise themselves with social networks, to understand privacy settings and what levels of privacy are appropriate for young adults. Understanding the tools gives parents the opportunity to open a conversation about social media and for them to create a supportive environment in which children will feel more comfortable reporting any issues.
Some parents approach to social media is to ban its use altogether and it’s worth noting that both Facebook and Twitter do not permit users under the age of 13. However, banning a child over the age threshold from using these sites will just encourage them to use them outside the safety of the home. Internet cafes and friends with computers will give them the opportunity to set up accounts without your permission and without your advice.
It’s not all bad news…
The Good News
A study by EU Kids online showed that Irish Children were the most responsible in Europe, only 7% of our teens add personal contact details to their profiles as opposed to 14% in the rest of Europe and only 11% have public profiles in comparison to 29% in the EU.
Using social media can be very beneficial for young people:
- Confidence – communicating online can give young people added confidence. Even a shy child will often come out of their shell and start talking online. This will build their confidence and communication skills in real life relationships and make it easier for them to integrate into new groups.
- Social media is here to stay, it is already being woven into the fabric of our lives in much the same way as the phone and the email are already. This makes it an important life skill that will become more and more relevant in their future lives.
- Children are able to connect with other like minded people. These could be people they share hobbies and interests with or support groups for children with issues.
- Education – Social media can be a space where children can learn from each other, they can share, view and understand a wide variety of content and opinions and learn to debate these.
- Staying in touch with friends and family geographically far away, this is becoming more valid in Ireland at the moment with many families seeking new homes overseas. Social networks allow children to keep their friendships alive.
How to stay safe online
I’ve created two downloadable guides to Facebook and Twitter privacy for teens.
Download the guide: Facebook privacy – Recommendations for teens and young adults by clicking here
Download the guide: Twitter privacy – Recommendations for teens and young adults by clicking here
After discussions with parents I’ve compiled a list of suggested rules for young people using social media. It is in no way complete and I’d love to hear your thoughts so please do leave a comment.
- Don’t’ become friends with someone you don’t know in real life
- Don’t agree to meet up with strangers
- Don’t include personal contact info, hometown or other information that could have people track you offline
- Think three times before posting something. What you post has longevity and could be connected to you in the future.
- Respect the privacy of others
- Never send personal contact info via a social network
- Don’t use geolocation services that broadcast your current or past location
- Computers should be used in shared family spaces
- Never ever share your password
If you would like Amanda to come to your school or youth group and talk to parents or children about using Social Media safely contact us. | <urn:uuid:64e1be10-cf21-4556-96be-a5e4851bcd76> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://www.spiderworking.com/blog/category/privacy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386163051139/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204131731-00079-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953081 | 780 | 3.328125 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive discussion on social media use among young people, highlighting both concerns and benefits. It offers practical advice and guidelines for safe online behavior, demonstrating awareness of digital literacy and online safety. The text also touches on confidence building, communication skills, and social connections, showing some consideration for soft skills development. However, the discussion remains largely focused on safety and responsible use rather than deeply exploring complex soft skills or intercultural fluency.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 545,216 | 0 |
Once a child has the motivation to learn to read, you as a parent are in the clear. Sometimes a reluctant reader might need a little nudge to discover the brave new world offered by reading. Here are some suggestions.
1. Let your child choose his or her own books at the library. If your child chooses Captain Underpants, swallow your pride and check out that book. A child who falls in love with reading will most likely continue to enjoy it for many years to come.
2. At the library, you should choose a few books for your child as well. Do a little research ahead of time or ask your librarian for suggestions that respect your child’s ability and interests.
3. Model nuanced reading for your child. Release your inner actor and read with gusto! New readers are so consumed with sounded words out and learning new vocabulary that they often lose track of the story.
4. Read aloud together. Reading together is a wonderful social activity at any age. You and your child share the experience and can discuss or refer back to it later.
5. Encourage your reluctant reader with positive feedback. Given the right reasons, every child can be excited about reading–and writing too. Let your child’s interests lead the way.
[photo by saundraG via flickr] | <urn:uuid:48ad46b7-67d2-4189-9073-15a98790128e> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://witshouston.org/notebook/5-ways-parents-can-encourage-a-reluctant-reader/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250594333.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20200119064802-20200119092802-00243.warc.gz | en | 0.955375 | 272 | 3.359375 | 3 | The extract provides basic guidance on encouraging children to read, with suggestions for parents to support their child's reading development. It touches on communication and teamwork concepts, such as reading together and discussing books, but lacks depth and practical application in other soft skills areas.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 184,331 | 0 |
The Award Winning Documentary that shares the Inspiring True Story of Twenty Women Who Raced Across America in the Summer of 1929.
The Derby of 1929 was more than a race; it was a chance to show the world that women can be independent, competitive, self-sufficient, intelligent, graceful, and really good pilots.
In August of 1929 ...
Twenty women pulled on britches, snapped on goggles, and climbed into their cockpits to race across America.
It was the First Women's National Air Derby.
There was the media darling, the Hollywood starlet, the aviatrix record breakers, and the unforgettable foul-mouthed wife of a preacher. Together these women were Ambassadors of Flight during the Golden Age of Aviation.
BREAKING THROUGH THE CLOUDS is the documentary that tells their story.
What chances we took in those pioneer days of flying! What narrow escapes we had during takeoffs and landings on the many rough, short airfields of the twenties!
— Ruth nichols, derby contestant
Front-pages of nearly every newspaper in the country flashed headlines of the derby as readers eagerly followed the women’s progress from Santa Monica, California to Cleveland, Ohio over nine days in the summer of 1929.
Facing cultural stereotypes, mechanical failures, threats of sabotage, navigational challenges, and endless chicken dinners, the pilot's persevered to become pioneering legends in aviation.
The women's personalities shine in this film, from the cigar smoking, sailor swearing antics of Pancho Barnes, to the wildly celebrated Amelia Earhart and the glamorous Ruth Elder. In all, twenty brave pilots' passion for flying brought them to the starting line in California. Together, they defied convention by taking to the skies and racing across America.
This 20th Century's amazing race has largely been ignored until now. BREAKING THROUGH THE CLOUDS shares the womens' stories, stressing the importance the race made for women, aviation, and the country.
BTTC can be seen on PBS stations across America. In addition, the film is available as a DVD and Video on demand. Click here for ways to see the documentary.
IMAGINE: Flying along at 1,000 feet in an open cockpit plane when suddenly you smell smoke and realize the worst has happened, you have a fire!
VISUALIZE making an emergency landing in a field where all you can see are cows. As you descend in your bright red plane, you pray there are no bulls.
FEEL the hot desert sun blazing down and cooking you in the open sky as sweat trickles down your dusty and greasy face.
HEAR the thousands of fans cheering your arrival at every stop and breaking through police barriers clamoring for your autograph.
PICTURE wearing overalls to change the oil in your plane and then changing into a ballroom gown at night to attend one of the many banquets in your honor. Weird sunburn patterns, farmer's tans, and white circles around your eyes (where the goggles had been), create quite the picture.
These are just a few of the scenes that occurred over a nine day period in 1929 during the First Women's National Air Derby. Star power, comradery, danger, public scrutiny, and glamour all come together in this historic race. There were emergency landings, accidents, damaged planes, and rumors of sabotage. There was a case of Typhoid Fever, a wayward trip or two into Mexico, and ultimately, a tragic death. Despite the hard times and challenges, there were plenty of good times, humor, and true friendships that lasted a lifetime.
The drama, courage, laughter, and tears of these twenty brave pilots unfolds in BREAKING THROUGH THE CLOUDS. | <urn:uuid:e2a8a36d-d3c9-497f-9dbc-75ab7877a676> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | https://breakingthroughtheclouds.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549426169.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20170726142211-20170726162211-00207.warc.gz | en | 0.951634 | 776 | 2.828125 | 3 | The extract scores 3 points as it features realistic scenarios that integrate emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities, such as overcoming cultural stereotypes and mechanical failures. The story of the 20 women pilots showcases teamwork, perseverance, and determination, with a strong emphasis on cultural awareness and historical context. However, it lacks complex problem-solving opportunities and sophisticated communication scenarios, limiting its score.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 599,393 | 0 |
Dr. Jeffrey Froh, associate professor of psychology, specializes in studying the effects of expressing gratitude, particularly in children and adolescents. In a study he published in 2008, Dr. Froh found that middle school students who counted their blessings and acknowledged the things they were grateful for reported higher levels of well-being than those who did not. In 2009 Dr. Froh was involved in studies that showed women are better able then men to feel and express gratitude towards others and thus derive the social and personal benefits that come from such expressions. He also found that among adolescents, girls expressed gratitude more readily than boys, but boys may actually derive more of a benefit when they are able to do so.
His book, Making Grateful Kids: The Science of Building Character (Templeton Press, Feb. 2014), teaches parents and other adults with kids in their lives how to make children and adolescents grateful by using over 30 scientifically-supported concrete strategies. Read more at: http://www.templetonpress.org/book/making-grateful-kids
How long have you been teaching at Hofstra?
What are some of the classes you are teaching this semester?
Positive psychology for undergrad students and research methods for our PsyD students in school psychology.
What do you enjoy most about teaching?
Aside from trying to get students to see life differently, and hopefully then live differently, I love mentoring students, taking an interest in them, and steering them towards a path to purpose. I find it interesting that with all of the technological advancements people bring in to the classroom to facilitate learning, some of the tried and true practices still remain the core for effective teaching. For me the number one practice is keeping the human touch alive. So many students simply want to feel valued and know that people care about them. So I try very hard to get to know my students on a personal level. Doing so, I’ve found, doesn’t just help me really connect with them, but it creates a nurturing environment where my students are comfortable being themselves in the classroom and taking risks with their contributions. This sets the stage for students to not just memorize a bunch of facts, but to apply what they learn to their lives and really squeeze the juice out of class.
Your research has been about the importance instilling gratefulness in children and adolescents – what led you to focus your work in this area?
When I was a practicing school psychologist, I worked with one young teen whose family was very poor. Aside from having few material things compared to the well-off kids he went to school with, his life was also much more stressful. For example, rather than being bused in from around the corner, he had to rise at 5:30 a.m. to get the bus because he lived far away from school. So this kid was unfortunately pretty sleep-deprived. One winter day I saw him standing in the middle of the hallway, grinning from ear to ear with his arms spread out, yelling, “Hey Dr. Froh, check out this new cool jacket my teacher gave me.” Now appreciate that this wasn’t really a “cool” jacket; it was an oversized sport jacket. But the teacher gave it to him so he had at least something to keep him warm. And that’s when it really hit me. What makes this kid so special that he can be grateful for a jacket most kids would be embarrassed to wear, I thought? And can we somehow teach other kids to be grateful like him? This experience and these questions drive my research program, which largely focuses on created empirically-supported interventions for making grateful kids.
Is there any one thing parents can do or say every day to work on this with their kids?
I think the most important thing parents can do is to model for their kids how to express gratitude, give thanks, and be generous. Our children want to be like us. That’s a fact. Expressing gratitude verbally, through writing, and through small gifts or acts of reciprocity are all ways to teach children how to become grateful. Doing this will help make your appreciation for the goodness in your life more public, showing your kids that blessings abound and that being thankful is a valued attitude. If your kids witness any of these simple yet beautiful acts, perfect; if they don’t, tell them. A little tutoring goes a long way in fostering their gratitude development. And parents need to remember, little eyes are watching them.
Is the proliferation of technology in the household impacting families’ ability to be grateful? Are we not focusing on the sweet, simple things around us?
Yes. One of the biggest problems with using technology excessively is that it pulls us away from the present moment. When we’re with our kids, it’s critical that we be with them physically and mentally. This may require that we shut off our smart phones during these precious moments (and I’m only using smart phones as one example of technology; I could’ve chosen many others). But doing so helps us focus only our on child which, in turn, helps us strengthen our bond with them. This is critical because a strong, nurturing, and loving parent-child relationship is a major source of gratitude for kids. It’s something they can turn to not just when times are good, but, and more importantly, when times are bad. This relationship, and the gratitude it creates, will fuel a child’s resilience.
What is your favorite feel-good movie? One would think based on your research maybe It’s a Wonderful Life?
It’s a Wonderful Life is an AMAZING movie, and we watch it every Christmas. I absolutely love dramas about social relationships, but for some reason I can’t come up with my favorite one (though I think Good Will Hunting rocks!). With the holidays approaching, however, I can tell you that I’m jumping out of my skin to watch It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, Charlie Brown’s Christmas, The Polar Express, and The Grinch with my family. Dim the lights, get the blankets and some hot chocolate, and I’m good to go!
In the movie of your life, who would you want to play you?
Hands down Hugh Jackman. Aside from being insanely talented, both on the screen and the stage, and jacked (if I can’t have his physique in my real life, why not have it for myself in a movie?) he’s a real family man. He absolutely adores his wife and kids, and he had an amazing relationship with his dad growing up. Without question, my greatest purpose in life is to be the best husband and father possible. My family means everything to me. So if someone were to play me in a movie, I’d need someone who has the same values. And from what I know about Jackman, he does. | <urn:uuid:8a29e8ac-7539-44dc-84ff-78446c827c39> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://news.hofstra.edu/2013/10/01/five-minutes-with-psychology-professor-jeffrey-froh/comment-page-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394021675771/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305121435-00015-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970178 | 1,441 | 3.1875 | 3 | The extract discusses the importance of gratitude, emotional intelligence, and positive relationships in personal and professional development. It highlights the value of empathy, mentorship, and human connection in teaching and learning. The conversation with Dr. Froh showcases his expertise in positive psychology and his passion for helping students and children develop gratitude and resilience. The extract demonstrates a good balance of theoretical knowledge and practical application, with discussions on how to cultivate gratitude in children and adolescents.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 757,573 | 1 |
Most Active Stories
Fri November 30, 2012
Dr. Diana Deutsch, University of California San Diego – Genetics of Perfect Pitch
In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Diana Deutsch of the University of California San Diego discusses the genetic and cultural factors that give some people perfect pitch.
Diana Deutsch is a professor of psychology at the University of California, San Diego, where she conducts research on the perception and memory of sounds, with a particular focus on music. Her current research project is examining why some people have the ability known as perfect pitch and why it is so rare. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego.
Dr. Diana Deutsch – Genetics of Perfect Pitch
Perfect pitch is the ability to identify musical notes by name just by hearing them - an ability that's possessed by many world class musicians. While perfect pitch isn't rare among musicians who speak tone languages such as Mandarin, it's very rare in the Western world, and scientists are puzzled about how it's acquired. In our study, a group of English-speaking adults with perfect pitch displayed an unusually strong memory for spoken words; this strong memory could foster the development of associations between musical notes and their spoken names early in life.
Our subjects were twenty-seven English-speaking adults, seven of whom had perfect pitch. All the subjects had begun extensive musical training at age 6 or earlier. We tested the subjects' memories using the digit span. This measures how many digits a person can hold in memory and immediately recall in correct order. Strings of digits were presented either as spoken words, or as numbers on a computer screen. The subjects with perfect pitch substantially outperformed the others on the audio portion of the test - they recalled 10 digits on the average, while the others recalled just over 8 digits.
Now, since an unusually strong memory for spoken words could promote the development of associations between pitches and their spoken names early in life, this finding could explain why a few people who speak a non-tone language such as English acquire perfect pitch. And since the digit span has been found to have a genetic basis, the large memory span for speech sounds that we found points to a genetic contribution to perfect pitch as well. | <urn:uuid:ffe77174-3c80-42e3-9b91-48a6a895500f> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://wamc.org/post/dr-diana-deutsch-university-california-san-diego-genetics-perfect-pitch?nopop=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1393999651148/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305060731-00053-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964483 | 454 | 3.578125 | 4 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on a scientific study of perfect pitch. It provides superficial coverage of basic concepts without meaningful depth or practical application to soft skills development.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 926,714 | 0 |
Open Education Lab
Open Education is the umbrella term for freely available education and educational resources. The university wants to stimulate OE on the assumption that sharing material increases the quality of the educational material, increases the visibility of the institution, and, in the end, results in saving on expenses. After all, why should, for example, an introduction to statistics have to be made each time again?
When we talk about Open Education, we mean both educational resources that can be shared and edited (Open Educational Resources) and full lessons and courses that are freely available and can be attended at any location. Of course, The MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) undoubtedly stand out.
As part of Open Science, we also support Open Education. One of the first results is Babylon’s Burning: TSHD video lectures in the form of an American talk show.
Open Education: Ico Maly on Algorithmic populism
Do you want to contribute?
There are, of course, many other possibilities. Would you perhaps like to publish your reader as an Open Textbook? Are you in possession of recordings of lectures that you want to release in an attractive way? In any case, the Open Science Community would like to contribute ideas and offer assistance, and invites lecturers to contact the Open Science coordinator Daan Rutten.
“Babylon is Burning”: an Open Access initiativ
by Professor Jan Blommaert
In the beginning of 2019, the Babylon research institute at TiU and the TiU-DCU Diggit Magazine started broadcasting a series of academic talk shows called “Babylon is Burning”.
The talk shows are an instrument to bring high-level academic content, produced and controlled by academics, to a wide audience in a contemporary format embedded in popular digital media culture.
The format design itself is research-based and the reactions of audiences are research objectives. Babylon and Diggit thus engage in a unique project to construct academic digital culture while studying it. The talk shows will be broadcast on Diggit Magazine and YouTube.
Open Access is one of the main policy priorities of academic authorities and governments worldwide, and various measures have been taken and implemented in view of the goal of making academic content widely available, not only to the scholarly community but also to the public beyond the confines of research institutes.
Read the article by Jan Blommaert
Video: Open Educational Resources and Open Textbooks
Michiel de Jong (TU Delft) on Open Educational Resources and the Open Textbooks project (textbooks.open.tudelft.nl) at the university of Delft.
Join the Tilburg University Open Science Community
Talk and learn about open science practices, get practical advice, connect with other Open Science Communities | <urn:uuid:6cfe9ec9-7939-484a-b190-408779f5f07f> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/research/open-science-community/open-education-lab | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585371896913.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20200410110538-20200410141038-00084.warc.gz | en | 0.924998 | 575 | 2.890625 | 3 | The extract provides superficial coverage of basic communication and teamwork concepts, with limited discussion of soft skills. It focuses on Open Education and Open Science, with some practical applications, but lacks nuanced interaction, complex problem-solving, and emotional intelligence.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 935,936 | 0 |
The English Oxford Dictionary defines Dogma as...
A principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true : 'the dogmas of faith'
To apply this to the agile world we only have to look at the Principles behind the Agile Manifesto. These principles are guidelines for good practice. If Agile, in it's purest form, was a faith then these principles would be akin to Christianity's ten commandments.
The principles are based on experience and growth from many different business types using many different techniques over an extensive period of time. In this Agile is less like a faith and more like a science. It is in the latter that true agility can be found, not in the former. The principles are not based on 'we believe that...' but they are based on 'we have discovered that...'.
The principles and values are the heart of the change towards agile working. Besides themselves they inherently encourage and actively promote pragmatic behaviour. This is most clearly expressed in 'At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behaviour accordingly.' (or 'Inspect & Adapt' for short). The dogma of the agile principles is, therefore, rather limited and hugely outweighed by it's pragmatic outlook.
The Rise of the Dogmatic Agilists
In recent years, the agile community has begun to split. While, principles aside, the community was largely very open-minded with many different frameworks and tools and ideas being shared around all over, the proliferation of a combination of bad training and people coming from traditional waterfall mindsets without understanding the core principles and value of agile has led to a growth in dogmatic thinking.
The English Oxford Dictionary defined Dogmatic as...
Inclined to lay down principles as undeniably true
To highlight the split here is a breakdown of different types of agilists on either side...
Characteristics of a Dogmatic Agilist
- Probably favours a single framework
- Understands more about their framework than the values and principles
- May not have understanding of the values and principles at all
- Views Agile as a process rather than a philosophy
- Will compromise the principles as long as the framework holds
Characteristics of a Pragmatic Agilist
- Has experience of, or is at least open to, multiple frameworks
- Understands what the values and principles mean
- Will actively adapt their existing framework to test and implement new ideas from elsewhere
- Views Agile as a philosophy rather than a process
This split is more than just individual, this is reflected within the nature of different frameworks and organisations within the community. For example, I find that The Scrum Alliance and the LESS framework are both on the Pragmatic side of the equation and for me feel more truly agile, while Scrum.org and the SAFe framework feel more Dogmatic.
You can also look at individual implementations. Spotify, one of the Agile implementation poster children, if you will, has clearly developed it's own way of using Agile from many different sources. Spotify are as pragmatic as they come.
The Importance of the Pragmatic Viewpoint
The pragmatic viewpoint which allows for different ideas to come together, to mix and become better for it is crucial to the ongoing life of the agile movement. One of Agile's greatest strengths is in it's ability to challenge; not just organisations but also itself. Without the pragmatists then the agile movement will wither and die.
"Progress is impossible without change and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything" - George Bernard Shaw
How do we make sure this happens?
The heart of this is with the Agile Coaches and the Trainers out there. The best trainers will teach the importance of the philosophical elements to Agile rather than just teaching a specific framework. The best coaches will look for ways to re-orientate their clients to give their implementation the best chance of success. This leads to more open-minded agilists. | <urn:uuid:c8670c9c-febb-4a8c-804a-d5de9b55d3ce> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://www.pragmaticagile.community/articles/the-anti-agility-of-dogma-or-why-agile-is-a-science-and-not-a-faith/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320823.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20170626152050-20170626172050-00413.warc.gz | en | 0.936398 | 827 | 2.578125 | 3 | The extract scores high for its discussion of soft skills, particularly in the context of agile methodology and teamwork. It promotes pragmatic behavior, adaptability, and open-mindedness, while criticizing dogmatic thinking. The text also touches on leadership, critical thinking, and problem-solving, with a strong emphasis on cultural awareness and digital literacy in the agile community.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 34,253 | 1 |
For a parent, dealing with a child who procrastinates can be frustrating and challenging. But there are reasons behind your child's procrastination, and they may surprise you. It's true, sometimes children put off chores
, finishing homework or other responsibilities simply because they don't want to tackle them. But sometimes kids procrastinate for other reasons. Understanding what's behind your child's procrastination may help you better understand your child's needs, and avoid encountering the behavior in the future.
What's Behind Your Child's Procrastination?
They Don't Understand What's Expected: Children may put off chores, homework or other duties simply because they don't understand what it is they are supposed to do. When a child is unsure about his role, or doesn't have the skill set to tackle a job, he's likely not to want to take it on. If you assign your child a chore at home, be sure you take the time to show him exactly how to complete the responsibility, and answer any questions he may have. It might also be a good idea to watch him a time or two, in order to offer up advice on how to make it easier for him. Parents can help children deal with troubling homework assignments with a little tutoring -- but also be sure your child understands how necessary it is to speak up in class if he's not understanding a concept or if he doesn't grasp the homework assignment. Also, be clear about your child's after school expectations. If you want him to finish homework before he plays computer games, make that clear. A chart or a daily schedule can help keep your child on track and avoid procrastination.They Can Get Away With It: Children are smart, and they know at an early age when mom or dad is bluffing. If you threaten to take away television time from your child if he doesn't clean his room but then fail to follow through with the consequence, don't be surprised if he procrastinates the next time you assign the chore. Be sure your child knows what his responsibilities are, what the deadline is, and what the consequences are should he fail to do his job. Then, follow through. That may help your tween take his duties a bit more seriously, and motivate him to follow through when asked.
They're Afraid They'll Do it Wrong or Badly: Sometimes, procrastination goes hand in hand with perfectionism. If you think your child is avoiding a responsibility because he doesn't have the confidence or the skills to do it, then your job is to motivate or teach him, so that he can do the job. Preteens can be afraid of failure, and they don't always understand that practice is the best teacher. If your child avoids practicing an instrument because he just can't understand how to play a certain note, teach him that that's what practice is all about, and he's not expected to get it right on the first try.
There's Something Better to Do: OK, it's true, tweens sometimes put off their chores or homework assignments because they have something better to do, like hanging out with friends, watching television, or going to the movies. Be sure your child does have down time everyday, and try to find a time to schedule chores when there aren't so many distractions. As for homework, some children need a little time after school to relax before they take on additional studies. Try to create a schedule that works with your tween's needs, and then help him stick to it. | <urn:uuid:3aef440b-da77-4b87-b0e1-f479d0f2a380> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://tweenparenting.about.com/od/behaviordiscipline/qt/Kids-And-Procrastination.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1393999642523/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305060722-00029-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973539 | 718 | 2.984375 | 3 | The extract provides practical advice for parents to understand and address their child's procrastination, covering reasons such as lack of understanding, fear of failure, and distractions. It offers straightforward communication scenarios and simple strategies for parents to motivate their children, promoting emotional intelligence and critical thinking. However, it lacks nuanced interaction, complex problem-solving, and cultural awareness.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 831,538 | 0 |
November 20 is Vietnamese Educators’ Day, a day on which students show appreciation to their teachers by giving them small gifts or flowers or by preparing special performances or compositions. Vietnamese culture places a very high value on education, and teachers are well-respected for their commitment to helping children develop into accomplished young adults.
But in many of the rural, marginalized areas of the country, the harsh realities of daily survival often compete with a child’s ability to attend school. Rather than being a time of self-discovery and imagination, childhood in these areas is often muddied with conflict, violence, pressure for early marriage, and poverty. Positive role models, especially for girls, are rare. But fortunately, every once in a while, a very special person appears who creates a large impact in the lives around them -- and very often, this special person is a teacher.
In Long Hau Lower Secondary School in the Mekong Delta region in Vietnam, two very special people, Ms. Lien and Ms. Phuong, have started to change the lives of many of the local children. Both have dedicated their lives to preparing the local children to become confident and capable young adults equipped to navigate a sometimes challenging environment. Both are teachers -- and we honor their passion and commitment.
Ms. Phuong is one of Room to Read's social mobilizers who works with students on our Girls' Education program. She works closely with 54 girls from the school, and with her warm and welcoming demeanor, has developed close relationships with the girls and their families. She is well aware of the family situations of each girl and pays special attention to any signs that the girls may be at risk for dropping out of school because of economic or social pressures. Ms. Lien, the school's head teacher, is very supportive of the work being done by Room to Read and Ms. Phuong and ensures the program is implemented as best it can be in her school.
Both Ms. Lien and Ms. Phuong are strong proponents of the life skills component of the Girls’ Education program -- these include special workshops to develop self-confidence, self-awareness, decision-making and problem-solving skills. Girls often face extreme gender bias in education and beyond, and the goal of our life skills training, both for the girls and their communities, is to enact change in attitude and behavior so that girls can thrive equally in society.
Starting this year, the whole school district of Can Giuoc, of which Long Hau School is part, has adapted the Room to Read model of life skills training to include the entire student body, both boys and girls. With the strong support of the Minister of Education, the school management board and the commitment and teamwork of Ms. Lien and Ms. Phuong, all students now participate in and benefit from life skills trainings on Saturday mornings.
Ms. Lien plays an active role in this expanded program and expresses her enthusiasm, “We really believe that young people need life skills. Thanks to the training we received from Room to Read, we now have many reference documents on life skills, and Ms. Phuong and I can act as resource teachers and model facilitators to train other teachers.”
Ms. Phuong doesn’t mind that her Saturdays are now filled with the extra life skills workshops. Other teachers are joining her sessions and those of Ms. Lien to receive on-site training so that even more students can participate in the program. Though she admits her job is very tiring and time-consuming, Ms. Phuong stays happy and motivated in the knowledge that her students will gain something valuable and useful for their daily lives. | <urn:uuid:a3508209-ac86-46f3-9334-ece9ff10b2a7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.roomtoread.org/room-to-read/2010/11/honoring-those-special-teachers-on-vietnamese-educators-day.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705543116/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115903-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971068 | 756 | 3 | 3 | The extract scores high for its discussion of soft skills, including emotional intelligence, leadership, and critical thinking. It features realistic scenarios of teachers making a positive impact in a challenging environment, promoting life skills training, and demonstrating commitment and teamwork. The extract also highlights cultural awareness, digital literacy, and practical application, showcasing a comprehensive approach to professional development.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 312,346 | 1 |
Two weeks ago I was fortunate to have the opportunity to share two days leading the staff of Our Lady of the Way, Petrie, through a hands on, play focused workshop. Drawing upon a number of different sources, I designed and developed a series of discovery stations, and the teaching staff had almost two whole days to play, experiment, collaborate and investigate with as many stations as they wished. It was so much fun!
In this post, I’d like to share the inspiration for these two days, a little about how the two days ran and what I learnt from the teachers and from running the two day experience.
Over the last few years, I’ve had more than a passing interest in Makerspaces. As a teacher and a librarian, I believe that makerspaces are far more than a fad, and that there is a great value in collaborative, hands on learning, creating something that meets a need or provokes intense interest. I’ve written about my exploits into making several times on my previous blogs – sharing my first experience of running a MakerFaire and exploring why I believe schools and libraries should consider investigating maker activities. I have presented to various groups, sharing how to begin advocating for a makerspace in a library or school setting.
Many schools are also considering makerspaces as a way to introduce and provide context for different aspects of STE(A)M (science, technology, engineering, (arts) and mathematics). This is particularly so in Australia with the recent release of the Digital Technologies curriculum. For the first time, teachers in primary schools are being asked to formally teach computational thinking, programming and the development of digital technology solutions to authentic problems. Many of the activities commonly included in makerspaces, including coding, robotics and computing using tools such as the Arduino, help develop skills in these areas.
Our Lady of the Way is no different in that the staff are always keen to learn new and different ways to teach with the Australian Curriculum. However, there is a strong undercurrent in the ethos of the school, and that is the value of play. Driven by their school principal, Mr John Parkinson, engaging students by incorporating creative play into all aspects of the curriculum is a key priority. Inspired by Tony Wagner‘s Tedx Talk on Play, Passion and Purpose, which you can view below, John and his Assistant Principal, Shelley Isbester, invited me to work with the teachers in developing new ways to see how playful learning might be creatively integrated into the classroom. And so that is what I set out to do.
Incidently, if you enjoyed this presentation, check out the rest of Tony Wagner’s work – he has amazing ideas about how we might re-imagine education.
What we did
The aim of the two days was to maximise the time spent playing, however without a context, the value of this play may have been limited. So for the first session of day one, I presented to the staff some background information about why hands on, collaborative and investigative play continues to be an extremely important aspect of learning. You might enjoy viewing some of these Ted Talks, where this idea is presented persuasively by a range of different speakers.
Everywhere we turn, technology is redefining our lives, and whereas schools may have once prepared students for a lifetime of work in one field, now innovative and flexible thinking, openness to change, and enterprise skills including global citizenship, digital literacy and problem solving are what students need as they embrace a rapidly changing society. Inquiry and problem based learning, models such as the genius hour or 20% time as well as the development of a growth mindset are all ways that enable students to become independent, resilient and life-long learners – as does encouraging students to ‘play’ : with ideas, concepts and resources. In the slides below, I shared information about pedagogy, preparing students for a changing future and resources for how to create activities similar to the ones the teachers were going to play with.
The Activity Stations
There were seven activity stations. Teachers could spend as little or as long a time as they chose at the stations, but they were encouraged to move around during the two days to get a taste of most of them.
Robots R Us:
The Spheros and Ollies are purchased ready to go. They are controlled by a mobile device (iPad or Android tablet) which has the appropriate app installed, and at their most basic level function as fun, high tech robotic, remote controlled vehicles. Once the basic functions have been learnt, however, there are many different challenges to explore, as different apps allow users to construct code which controls the robots, encouraging computational thinking, problem solving and simple coding.
The brushbots and drawbots are very simple, independently moving creations, that the teachers had fun constructing. You can see the drawbots and a brushbot in the photo to the left. Using a toothbrush head, a small battery and a mobile phone vibrating motor, the brushbots can be put together in a matter of minutes. The drawbots take just a few minutes more, being plastic cups with felt pens attached, which leave marks on paper when the vibrating buzzer causes them to jump around. Both of these simple machines can form the basis for countless artistic and engineering explorations.
Using conductive and non-conductive playdough, the teachers had fun making simple models which housed basic circuits, running LED lights and small motors and buzzers charged by coin batteries. We had trouble with the conductive dough not carrying the charge, but sprinkling extra salt through the dough and kneading it through helped solve this problem. The non-conductive dough is made with sugar and demineralised water, which makes the dough an insulator. Testing the different sized batteries, lights and motors, as well as watching how the different levels of salt affected the conductivity of the dough were just some of the investigations the teachers ‘played’ with. In the photo to the left, you can see a squishy light up ‘beetle’, next to a brushbot ladybeetle.
Lots of the teachers were avid sewers, and the ability to create a textile piece that incorporated circuits with leds and buzzers got them very excited. Using conductive thread, the teachers’ knowledge of circuitry was tested, and many of them naturally fell into the design thinking model where prototypes were created, tested and iterated upon. Many of the teachers commented that it was refreshing to see how circuitry and other science concepts could easily be incorporated into a creative, artistic project, and the way they worked together to solve problems was inspiring.
Similar to the sewing circle, teachers had the choice of using copper tape or Bare Conductive paint to integrate papercrafts with simple circuitry. As a way of providing some low-tech options, I also included some simple origami books and origami paper, as another way of introducing play and interactivity into paper craft. Simple buzzers and led lights could easily be attached to a battery using copper tape to make an origami frog that lights up and ‘croaks’ – the options with very inexpensive materials are endless!
Squishy, Slimey, Sparkly
This table surprised me the most. As a complete contrast to robotics and technology, I also included a table with access to cornflour, water, glitter, mica, paint, cotton wool, food colouring and more glitter! I brought along a box of empty glass jars, as well as some tiny craft bottles, and let the teachers make a mess creating rheoscopic fluid bottles and ‘galaxies in a jar‘, as well as cornflour slime. I thought that only the early years teachers would spend any time at this table, as the activities were simple and quick to do, however, the chance to play with different materials, make a mess while making something ultimately quite beautiful and to chat while doing so proved a big draw card! Teachers of older students commented on the calming effect of the rheoscopic fluid bottles, and wanted to make them as a ‘chill out’ activity, and discussion about adapting the activities by combining oil and water coloured differently and including items of different densities demonstrated that once you start playing, the ideas often begin to bubble to the surface!
Arduino and Makey Makey
I included tables with Arduinos and Makey Makeys to provide the teachers with an opportunity to explore these common ‘makerspace’ inclusions. I also spent some time on the second day discussing creative used of the Makey Makey, sharing how I created the ‘talking infographic’ poster and challenging the teachers to think beyond the ‘banana piano’. You can read about how I created the talking infographic poster here. Sometimes the initial thrill at something completely different, like the ability to control a computer with a banana, overwhelms everything else. It is important that enough time is given for real play, that moves beyond basic implementation, and challenges the learner to think about creative, authentic ways the technology may be used to solve real problems.
Read all about it
One thing teachers rarely get to do is sit down and do some quiet professional reading. Thus the inclusion of the ‘read all about it’ table, or chill out zone. I provided not only books on making, inventing and hands on learning but also a range of picture books that encourage readers to be resilient and true to themselves. I think the teachers really liked having the chance to browse through the titles at their own pace, and many spent a good half hour quietly reading at some stage or other during the two days.
On the second day, we began with a marshmallow challenge.
In small groups, I asked the teachers to work together to build the tallest structure they could using just marshmallows and toothpicks. It was fascinating to watch how every group came up with a different idea, and although there were discussions at first about just eating them all up, after the initial giggles, they began serious discussions about the strength of different shapes and how best to create a tower. These discussions all featured various engineering terms and concepts, and although the teachers weren’t surprised, they seemed happy to be reminded of how simple, playful activities can often deliver very real learning outcomes.
What I learnt
At the end of the two days, the feedback I received from the teachers is that they enjoyed having the freedom to choose the amount of time they spent on each activity, and when they would go to each station. Having the luxury of two days to spend on their own free-choice learning is something many teachers do not often experience, as much of their professional development time is allocated to ‘official’ updates and pre-selected workshops. They also commented on how the hands on, playful approach to learning made the two days enjoyable, stress free and therefore, more likely to have a long lasting impact on their thinking. Many said they had new ideas and inspirations for how they would implement different opportunities for students to play while learning. From this, I learnt that it doesn’t matter whether you are an adult or a child, or whether you are learning about pedagogy, digital technologies or STEM- play is a powerful way of creating engagement, stimulating creativity and inviting new ideas.
Based on this experience, I am drawn to reflect on what this means for professional learning and the model of connected learning, which suggests that when academic orientation, peer support and personal interest are combined, a ‘sweet spot’ is created where rich, real and relevant learning can take place. Where does play fit in this model, and can the ‘hands on’ aspect be enhanced by social media technologies? Food for thought!! | <urn:uuid:5b0a71e2-b16e-4d2b-b535-32bba3a8529d> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.linkinglearning.com.au/play-passion-purpose/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875145676.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20200222115524-20200222145524-00113.warc.gz | en | 0.968988 | 2,421 | 2.734375 | 3 | The extract scores high due to its comprehensive coverage of soft skills, including teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. It features realistic scenarios, such as the makerspace workshop, that integrate emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities. The extract also emphasizes the importance of play, creativity, and hands-on learning, providing a nuanced discussion of professional development with practical applications and cultural awareness.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 462,932 | 1 |
- Students discuss possible impacts of zebra mussels on the Hudson River ecosystem
- Students play a population dynamics game.
- They then graph the data collected during the game and compare it with the zebra mussel data collected by scientists.
- Students report and discuss results.
Day 4: Effects of Zebra Mussels on the Hudson River
Students will know how the zebra mussel invasion has changed the Hudson River and be able to use graphed data to explain the history of these changes.
- Pictures of zebra mussels and/or (nonliving) examples collected from the river
- Copies of the lab handout
- Computers with Microsoft Office Excel and/or graphing paper
- Copies of “Zebra Mussel Fact Sheet” to hand out
Engagement: Show students pictures or examples of zebra mussels and the native unionid mussels. Ask: What do you know about the zebra mussel invasion? Remind students that the invasion began in the Hudson River in 1991. If students haven’t done the introduction to the invasive species lesson, use images from that PowerPoint to pique interest. Ask what they think happened to the native mussel population, the population of plankton and water clarity. Record their hypotheses on the board.
Part 1:Game time!
Students play the game “Mussel Your Way In” (instructions below).
- Divide the class into two groups—one small group (2-3 students) of native unionid mussels and one large group of resources.
- Explain that in this game they are going to be native mussels in the Hudson River and, for the purposes of this game, the two resources that they need to survive – plankton (food) and rocks (a place to live). Demonstrate how to make the symbols for each resource. For plankton, place your hands over your stomach. For rocks, cross your arms over your chest.
- Establish two horizontal lines ~10-15 meters apart in an open area. Put the mussels behind one line and the resources behind the other.
- Have the mussels and the resources turn around on the line so that they cannot see one another. Everyone will decide on a resource. The mussels are deciding which component they need or want; the resources are deciding what they are. Each person makes the symbol for his or her chosen resource. Once they are ready, count slowly to three, and then allow both lines to turn around.
- The resources should mill about throughout the space between the two lines. The mussels should look for their resource. Once the mussels have found the resources they want, they link hands with that resource and walk back behind the “mussels” line. Since this mussel has found the resource it needed, it will “use” the resource and be able to survive and reproduce, so the person who was the resource will now become a mussel. Note: Neither the mussel nor the resource can change symbols once they have decided on one during each bout of selection.
- Any mussel that fails to find the resource they needed “dies” and will become a resource. The resource person can only satisfy one mussel, so if two or more mussels try to get the same one, only the first one to reach the resource person survives.
- Starting with number 4, repeat the process for a total of 10-15 rounds, each beginning with the new assignments from the previous round.
- The leader should record the number of mussels and of each resource type at the beginning and end of each round. Running about 10-15 rounds of selection is usually adequate to let participants see how population and resource abundance interact.
- In order to help kids understand how an invasive species impacts a native’ species populations, repeat the game with three other variations:
- (a) Introduce a predator to the system. Begin with: 1 predator, 3-5 native mussels, and the rest of the students as resources. The predator stands in between the two lines and tries to tag native mussels. Any native mussel he or she tags becomes a resource. If the predator tags 2 native mussels, the predator gets to pick one of them to become a predator. However, if the predator doesn’t get any mussels for 2 successive rounds, they “die” and become a resource. As before, keep track of mussel, predator, and resource populations for 10-15 rounds. This activity demonstrates the effect of predator-prey dynamics on a system.
- (b) Introduce 2 invasive zebra mussels to the system--Give students lab goggles to identify them. So you begin with: 2 zebra mussels, 2 native mussels, and the rest of the students are resources. Give new zebra mussels goggles as needed, and keep track of the number of each mussel and resource as before (10-15 rounds). This activity will help students see how resource competition affects population sizes.
- (c) Play the game with both the invasive species and the predator in the system: Begin with 3 zebra mussels (with goggles), 3 native mussels, 1 predator, and the rest of the students as resources. Tell the predators that they can tag native mussels ONLY. Invasive species tend to have few or no predators in their new environment, while the native species, having a long evolutionary history with the region, do have natural predators. As before, keep track of mussel, predator, and resource populations for 10-15 rounds. This final activity demonstrates two common ways that an invasive species impacts a system—they both compete for resources and because they tend to have few predators, they tend to increase predation pressure on native populations.
Part 2: Graphing game dynamics
At the end of the game, divide students into four groups. Give each group one set of the population data from one of the four versions of the game and a large sheet of paper or poster board. Instruct them to plot the data, numbering the y-axis by 5’s to ~35 (or the number of students in your class) and the x-axis up to the number of “years” (rounds) that you repeated the game. Instruct students to plot the values of the zebra mussels and each of the resources on their graphs using a different color or symbol for each population or resource value (native mussels, zebra mussels, plankton, rocks, predators). Discuss axes labels so that students will make sure to graph appropriately (“Resource or population abundance” versus “Year”). **Students often have a hard time creating anything besides a bar plot. They will probably need help to be guided through the process of plotting the points and connecting the points with a line.
Have the students work with their group to tell a story about how and why the mussel population sizes increased and decreased over the years (i.e. there was an abundance of all resources, so the population went up; there was a lot of plankton, but not many rocks to live on, so their populations went down; the zebra mussel populations increased a lot, because they didn’t have any predators; the predator populations fell when there were few native mussels left). Have each group tell the class their story, beginning with the ‘no competition’ scenario (the first version described) and ending with the ‘predation + competition’ scenario (Step 9c, above). Ensure each student gets to tell part of the story, citing data from the graph so that everyone can see on the graph the story they are telling (e.g. ‘In the first two years, there were few mussels and abundant resources, so their populations increased rapidly’). Guide each group to recognize the basic population principle(s) their game version demonstrates (‘no competition, with limited resources;’ ‘competition with limited resources’ [9a]; ‘predator-prey with limited resources’ [9b]; ‘predator-prey + competition with limited resources’ [9c]).
They should be able to discuss how the resources worked as limiting factors for the population’s ability to grow. They should also recognize that both resource availability and the population size are dynamic, and that predators play an important role in moderating population sizes. In groups, have them compare the similarities and differences between the unionid mussel population dynamics and the zebra mussel population dynamics. Encourage the students to ask each other questions.
Part 3: Telling stories with real data
Next, students will look at real data collected by Cary IES scientists. If possible, each student should be able to work at his/her own computer. If no computers are available, or you’d like the students to graph by hand, another version of the worksheet is available with the data. The students should have familiarity with Excel (use the Excel tutorial if necessary). The third option is to use the pre-made graphs embedded in the worksheet.
Explain the objectives of the lab and provide them with a copy of the instructions, making sure they have been able to find their way to Excel. **Be sure to point out that “no data” (“nd”) does NOT mean 0.0. They should simply leave these spaces blank (Excel) or not graph them (if they are graphing by hand). Encourage the students to ask for help when they get stuck and to show you their results and graphs during the exercise. Another common mistake occurs when they are asked to highlight the second set of data points that they want to graph. Many students include the title, when only the data points should be highlighted. They should also be shown how to name and save their graphs.
After reading about how scientists have collected the data in the Hudson River, the students will make two sets of graphs. The first set of graphs will show students how phytoplankton and zooplankton populations have changed in response to the zebra mussel invasion, and the second set of graphs will look at water chemistry and transparency.
Explanation: Zebra mussels were first detected in the Hudson in 1991. By 1992 they had spread throughout the freshwater and slightly brackish parts of the estuary and had a biomass greater than the combined biomass of all other consumers (fish, zooplankton, zoobenthos, bacteria) in the river. The mussels filter the equivalent of all of the water in the Hudson River about once every four days. Native mussels, one of the most rapidly declining animal groups in the U.S., are the largest group of federally listed endangered or threatened invertebrates. Of nearly 300 species of mussels in North America, 13 are considered extinct and 57 are designated federally endangered or threatened species. In the Hudson, their major competitor is the zebra mussel. After the introduction of zebra mussels, populations of phytoplankton and small zooplankton plummeted. Plankton are pillars of the riverine food web, and their decline has effects on all of the life in the river. For example, the zebra mussels filter out so many small plankton that the number of open water (often planktivorous—plankton-eating), fish has decreased, while there has been an increase in the number of fish that depend on shallow-water, vegetated areas. Zooplankton such as cladocerans and larger copepods have not decreased, because they are too large for zebra mussels to eat. Water clarity has increased, while nutrient levels have decreased, due to there being far fewer plankton in the water column. Students should be encouraged to think about how other factors may regulate the changes in the river, besides the zebra mussels. Dissolved oxygen levels have decreased as well. Besides inducing many ecological changes, zebra mussels have also caused economic damage in the Hudson. They attach to water intakes, boat hulls, and other submerged objects in very high numbers. Estimates for zebra mussel damage in the Hudson ranges from $100,000 to $1million per year.
Extension: Students can read further about zebra mussels and their effects on the Hudson River in the “Zebra Mussel Fact Sheet.” They can also make additional graphs and generate more hypotheses using the data provided.
Evaluation: Evaluate students’ graphs and their answers to the questions.
Comments: The ‘Mussel Your Way In’ game was modified from the popular ‘Oh Deer!’ game created by Project Wild (www.projectwild.org). | <urn:uuid:2975842d-659d-4db5-bc91-3e9fd2906a8c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.caryinstitute.org/educators/teaching-materials/changing-hudson-project/invasive-species/day-4-effects-zebra-mussels | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703748374/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112908-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933556 | 2,652 | 3.875 | 4 | This extract scores 3 points. It provides a comprehensive lesson plan that incorporates teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills through a game and graphing activity. Students discuss and analyze data, think about ecological changes, and consider multiple factors, demonstrating emotional intelligence and leadership challenges. The lesson also includes practical applications and cultural awareness, although digital literacy is mainly limited to using Microsoft Office Excel.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 100,552 | 0 |
A new video game, "A Lab of One’s Own," creates an immersive environment in which players discover archival materials that tell the stories of women from MIT’s history. Created by multimedia artists Mariana Roa Oliva and Maya Bjornson with collections from MIT Libraries’ Women@MIT archival initiative, the project aims to create a multi-sensory, choose-your-own-adventure-style experience that challenges the idea that the past is behind us.
“Our goal was to bring these materials into conversation through an engaging virtual space,” says Bjornson. “We felt that by using new digital technologies we could make the archives accessible to a wider audience, and make research feel like play.”
Multimedia and installation artists Roa Oliva and Bjornson were named the spring 2021 Women@MIT Fellows in the MIT Libraries’ Distinctive Collections department. Engaging in archival research using MIT’s rich collections, fellows create projects that contribute to greater understanding of the history of women at the Institute and in the history of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
"A Lab of One’s Own" is a fantastical virtual world in which players encounter quotes from memoirs and oral histories, newspaper clippings, audio clips, and ephemera that all speak to women’s experiences at MIT and in the STEM fields. Perspectives from a variety of individuals and time periods are juxtaposed in a kind of collage that offers new interpretations of these histories. Created using the public game engine Unity, "A Lab of One’s Own" can be downloaded from the project’s website.
In the game, players navigate through different settings — including an island, a cabin in the woods, the interior of a microscope, a lecture hall, and outer space — following a series of floating diamonds that activate quotes and excerpts of text from the MIT archives. Players can also explore their virtual surroundings: examining formulas on a chalkboard, walking through a landscape of floating photographs, or reading pages from scientists’ notebooks. Throughout the game’s world, one can find newspaper stands that offer clippings from publications such as The Tech and the Chronicle of Higher Education on issues of gender, sexuality, and race.
The six chapters of "A Lab of One’s Own" examine different aspects of a variety of women’s lives and work. The cabin contains objects and texts from trailblazers like Ellen Swallow Richards and Emily Wick, who studied the domestic sphere through the lens of science. Chapter Three makes the idea of the “rat race” literal, while texts describe the challenges of balancing career, motherhood, marriage, or a spouse’s career, and an audio track from ChoKyun Rha, the first woman of Asian descent to receive tenure at MIT, talks about her work developing synthetic milk. In the auditorium, players can explore the intersection of gender and race, as articulated in a keynote speech from Angela Davis at the 1994 Black Women in the Academy conference at MIT, and other quotes from archival sources.
“The materials from the Women@MIT archival initiative tell stories of women who’ve been first in graduating from academic institutions, publishing ground-breaking papers, and getting together at first-of-its-kind conferences,” write the fellows in their introduction to the game. “They also offer glimpses into the history that happened just as much in community meetings, quiet lab hours, and the home.”
Accompanying the game is an exhibit in Hayden Library’s loft, located on the 1M level, which illustrates how Roa Oliva and Bjornson utilized Distinctive Collections to create the immersive experience of "A Lab of One’s Own." Archival materials — including audio recordings of Margaret Hutchinson Compton, wife of MIT President Karl Compton, and MIT Sloan School of Management faculty member Lotte Bailyn; a transcription of a 1976 Women’s Luncheon; and minutes from a Women’s Independent Living Group meeting in the 1970s — are on display, paired with reflections from the fellows on their exploration and interpretation of the collections.
"The goal of the exhibit is to showcase the Distinctive Collections’ archival items Mari and Maya used alongside their reflections to illustrate the interpretive process that comes with working with archival materials,” says Alex McGee, interim head of public services for Distinctive Collections. “The many different types of items on display also demonstrates the diversity of our collections. Our hope is that the exhibit illuminates the possibilities for archival research beyond your standard paper or article, instead highlighting the limitless potential for these collections in one’s work."
The MIT Libraries’ Women@MIT archival initiative seeks to add the records of women faculty, staff, students, and alumnae to the historic record by collecting, preserving, and sharing their life and work with MIT and global audiences. These efforts are made possible thanks to the generous support of Barbara Ostrom ’78 and Shirley Sontheimer with the hope that this project will encourage more women and underrepresented people to become engaged in science, technology, and engineering. Extending from this initiative, Distinctive Collections also is committed to acquiring, preserving, and making accessible the papers of gender non-binary and non-conforming individuals at MIT to help share their stories and contributions. | <urn:uuid:d118862c-df0f-46c2-a4e1-2a5cde0d03fc> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://news.mit.edu/2022/immersive-video-game-explores-experience-women-mit-0126 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224655446.86/warc/CC-MAIN-20230609064417-20230609094417-00351.warc.gz | en | 0.932813 | 1,133 | 2.96875 | 3 | The extract scores 2 points as it provides superficial coverage of basic communication and teamwork concepts, and includes discussion of soft skills with straightforward scenarios, but lacks nuanced interaction or complex problem-solving opportunities. The project showcases creative use of digital technologies to make archival materials accessible, but its focus is more on the archival initiative and the game's creation rather than on developing soft skills.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 894,997 | 0 |
Sixty-five countries and economies took part in PISA 2012. Over half a million 15-year-old students, including 21,000 Canadians, were tested on their skills and knowledge in three core learning areas: mathematics, reading, and science.
The international report shows Canadian students rank among the best in the world. Only nine countries and economies performed better than Canada in mathematics, four in reading, and only seven in science
The main focus of PISA 2012 was mathematics, which was assessed through:
- three mathematics processes: formulating situations mathematically; employing mathematical concepts, facts, procedures, and reasoning; and interpreting, applying, and evaluating mathematical outcomes;
- four content areas: quantity, space and shape, change and relationships, and uncertainty and data; and
- four contexts: personal, educational, societal, and scientific.
Reading and science were assessed as minor domains.
Canada is releasing its own companion report, Measuring Up: Canadian Results of the OECD PISA Study, to provide further information on student performance at the provincial level. Results are compared to other participating countries and across Canadian provinces.
Canada's participation in PISA 2012 was made possible through close collaboration among Canada's three partners, CMEC, Employment and Social Development Canada, and Statistics Canada. | <urn:uuid:ac52c6ec-a16b-4f92-9f87-9ee3b8f14f18> | CC-MAIN-2014-15 | http://www.cmec.ca/252/Programs-and-Initiatives/Assessment/Programme-for-International-Student-Assessment-(PISA)/PISA-2012/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-15/segments/1397609539493.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20140416005219-00141-ip-10-147-4-33.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95173 | 261 | 3.265625 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on academic performance in mathematics, reading, and science. It provides statistical information and comparative analysis, but does not address communication, teamwork, or problem-solving scenarios.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 999,764 | 0 |
Are you training up a young writer? Or do you want to switch up your writing instruction for a while? You might consider homeschooling NaNoWriMo this year. NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month, a special opportunity for writers to join a yearly writing competition in November. Many writers struggle with finishing a story because they get stuck editing and re-editing without moving on. Participants are encouraged to leave editing behind and just write. Participating adults must write 50,000 words from November 1 to November 30 at midnight, but children may enter the Young Writer’s Program and set their own word count goals.
How can NaNoWriMo fit into your homeschool?
The BJU Press Writing & Grammar program is excellent for building writing skills and grammatical accuracy, but there’s a difference between testing that knowledge in a graded assignment and letting it loose in novel form. As your budding writer lets her imagination loose on paper, she becomes closely aware of the joys of writing. She’ll also get a sense of accomplishment from reaching her word count, whether she has a goal of 50,000 or 20,000.
But you don’t have to stress about fitting another lengthy learning activity into your homeschool schedule. Though 50,000 words in 30 days averages out to almost 2,000 words a day, as a fiction writer myself, I can tell you that it’s a lot easier to write 2,000 words in a fictional piece than in a literary essay. And since you homeschool, you can put your normal English coursework on hold for the month. Or you can even count the writing your child does towards her final grade in English!
How does NaNoWriMo work?
If you’d like your child to participate in the competition, she may sign up for an account at NaNoWriMo.org, or you may help her sign up for the Young Writer’s Program. Once you’ve set up a profile, your child can create a novel, and starting November 1, she can log how many words she writes each day on the site. If your child finishes 50,000 words by 11:59 pm on November 30, or meets another word goal, you can paste the full text of her novel on the website for a chance to win.
Or if you don’t want to officially participate in the competition, you can follow the rules without creating an account. Perhaps completing the word goal could mean a special dinner or a night out?
How do you prepare for homeschooling NaNoWriMo?
Some participants like to start on November 1 with a brand new novel concept with no development. But if your child wants to participate in NaNoWriMo, she doesn’t have to start from scratch. Here are a few things you can do to prepare.
- Review the writing process with her. Since the goal is writing a whole novel in 30 days, she will spend most of her time drafting. She won’t be able to spend much time at all in the revising, proofreading, and publishing steps. You might consider saving her novel to go back over in the future in order to complete these steps.
- Gather story prompts and share them with her. She can choose a story idea now so that she can start deciding on basic plot details.
- Get a head start on planning. Since the month of November is dedicated to the drafting portion of the writing process, your child can spend the weeks leading up to it on planning. She can work on an outline or fill in a plot pyramid for the major events of her story.
- Practice techniques for busting writer’s block with her. What stops her while she’s writing? Find ways to help her move past those blocks so she knows how to handle them in November.
NaNoWriMo may seem like a daunting task, but in the end, your young writer will have something a lot of other aspiring writers don’t—a start. And with writing, any start is a good start. After meeting her word goal, your young writer will have a better idea of her own writing abilities and potential. Will she decide to take the piece she’s written to the next level? Or will she yearn to complete a bigger goal? | <urn:uuid:079eb563-89a5-418c-a697-3c0028708771> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | http://blog.bjupress.com/blog/tag/writing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579251801423.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20200129164403-20200129193403-00090.warc.gz | en | 0.960141 | 903 | 2.890625 | 3 | The extract earns a score of 3 due to its discussion of soft skills such as writing, creativity, and perseverance, with realistic scenarios and practical applications. It integrates emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities, particularly in the context of writing and overcoming writer's block. However, it lacks complex scenarios requiring sophisticated communication and strategic thinking across multiple contexts.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 325,010 | 0 |
History of Dragonvale is a book authored by renowned historian Altare Spruce. It chronicles the history of the known world from the earliest known civilizations to the present day.
- Timeline Dates: BSW (Before Scar of the World), ASW (After Scar of the World)
Beginnings of Dragonkind
Wizard scholars agree that dragons have been evolving for thousands of years, but what relation they are to other reptiles and birds is a mystery. Some theorize that they evolved from an ancient ancestor called the Protodragon, a wyrm and the first creature to develop magic.
The astronomancer Leo Galli has a different theory. According to his theory, all dragons are descended from space-faring Galaxy and Celestial dragons. Dragons evolved millions of years ago in another solar system and eventually migrated here.
Yet another theory, the most far-fetched of all, suggests that dragons were actually created through a kind of magic by an even more ancient race than the Burcadians. There is little evidence of this theory, except some ancient drawings of a strange shape resembling a twisted ladder, believed to date farther back than the Burcadian civilization. No one knows what the drawing means.
Not much is known about the times before Light and Dark magic was banished. All dragonkind lived in relative peace, among themselves and with the Burcadians, a lost civilization of magic-practicing humans of which almost nothing is known. Myth has blended with history over time, and since the Burcadians had no written language at this time, all our knowledge of this time period comes from artifacts.
Important Humans and Dragons
- Burciter Lympos was believed to be the first leader of the Burcadians and it is believed this civilization got its name from him. A family tree carving of him was found, with their names the only written language of the Burcadians we've ever found, along with the Scrolls of Monolith.
- Zuno Lympos was his wife.
- The parents of Burciter were Laturnus Lympos and Chea Lympos.
- His son is named Vercules Lympos.
- The son of Vercules Lympos and the grandson of Burciter Lympos, Oscar Lympos, made peace with the Olymen and with their help he founded the first event now known as "The Dragon Games".
The Dark War (circa 150-0 BSW)
Most accounts of this time period inform us that in these times, dragons were much more civilized (with organized governments, leaders, and laws) and their magic was much more powerful. This was thousands of years ago, but the Burcadian civilization was already in decline.
Darkness was not always associated with evil. Most of the fear and mistrust of dark magic originated during the Dark War. Sources disagree on many details concerning the Dark War, but they agree on a few key details: A dark dragon, known only as Void, was frustrated with the rule of the Burcadians, especially their strict regulation of dragon magic. Most sources are not specific on what this consisted of, but some say that the Burcadians cast spells over each dragon baby when it was hatched so they could not use magic unless bonded with a wizard, because they feared an uprising. Void believed that they had cast spells over the light dragons (who helped enforce the laws) and were controlling them. Void may have begun with good intentions, but by the end of the war the atrocities committed by his evil dark dragon army had become legendary and stained the reputation of dark dragons for centuries. Void gathered an army of dark dragons and rebelled against the Burcadians. A war ensued. The light, plant, water and earth dragons mainly sided with the Burcadians, but the air, metal, fire, cold and lightning dragons chose to fight on the dark dragons' side. The war stretched on for nearly a hundred years.
Finally, the last remnants of the Burcadian civilization banded together and launched a complex plot to defeat Void and his army forever. Thousands of dragons sacrificed their magic to perform the most complex and powerful spell ever cast. This spell would wipe all dark dragons from the face of the earth and destroy Dark magic forever, but since Light was the opposite of Dark, the same fate would befall the light dragons. The light dragons chose to participate anyway, believing it was the only way to save the world. When the spell was cast, there was a terrible blast, ripping Light and Dark away from our world, annihilating the Burcadian civilization forever, destroying the Tower of Erebus and tearing a deep scar in the earth, a bottomless canyon where to this day no life can survive. This is now known as the Scar of the World. In the Rift where Light and Dark dragons were sent in, time stood still and dragons did not die or age, so the Dark Dragons and Light Dragons today are the same as those thousands of years ago, making them the closest connection to the Burcadians we now have. However, Void did not survive The Cataclysm, as he tried to fly back when pulled in the Rift, making him be in two dimensions at the same time and ripping him apart into puny little pieces.
Important Humans and Dragons
- Void was an evil Dark Dragon who wanted to start a revolution against the Burcadians and started The Dark War.
- Calliste, queen of the Light dragons. She was the first to sacrifice her magic to banish dark magic and inspired the rest of her people to do the same.
The Sand Kings Civilization (146-500 ASW)
The Sand Kings civilization was a land ruled by the Sand Kings living in the Sandara Desert. The last Sand King was Amun-Ris, who read a prophecy telling that in 500 ASW an apocalypse would destroy the entire civilization. In fear of the apocalypse, he suicided in 499 ASW. In 500 ASW the civilization was destroyed in the Sandstorm of Apep, a giant sandstorm caused by the War of Apep.
Important Humans and Dragons
- Ramner was the first Sand King
- Sameres was the son of Ramner and the second Sand King
- Clayopatres was a rivaling land leader who killed Sameres
- Lootanchamon was the son of Sameres, who started ruling at the age of 7 and was killed at the age of 19. The Sand Kings after that are less important.
- Amun-Ris was the last Sand King, who suicided in fear of the apocalypse. A year after his death, the civilization was destroyed during the Sandstorm of Apep.
- Apep was the Sandstorm Dragon who started the War of Apep along with Miaris, a female Earth Dragon, Zandalo, a hatchling Pharaoh Dragon, Sidam, an insane Moss Dragon, and Muton, a greedy Mountain Dragon hoping to take over the Sandara Desert. Their acts led to the destruction of the Sand Kings civilization.
Surya Civilization (150-567 ASW)
The Surya Civilization was the last civilization knowing how to use magic until the Age of the Wizards. They coexisted with the Sand Kings civilization and traded with them. They lived on The Berrywhite Mountains and in the land now known as Verulos, where they built the Sun Stones of Surya. Why and how they disappeared stays a mystery to this day.
Important Humans and Dragons
- Mithars was the leader of the Surya civilization from 200 ASW to 320 ASW. He only became king at the age of 30, so it is unknown how he got so old, but many think it is because of his bond with a Gold Olympus Dragon, which allowed him to use Theomancy to become so old. If this is true then Theomancy was much more powerful then.
- Rocker Hedge is believed to be the architect of the Sun Stones.
The Silent Age (circa 600-1000 ASW)
After the Sand Kings and Surya Civilization vanished, magic was unknown for several centuries. Humans existed only in scattered, nomadic tribes. During this time, other species of predators evolved to fit into the dragons' place, and the creation of the Voyager Malofish was documented by Dragonologists.
The Arrival of the Barbarians (circa 1000 ASW)
Almost a thousand years later, the dragons' governments and laws had mostly collapsed and most dragons lived in tribes or clans in the wilderness. Many tribes of humans still lived here, the descendants of the Burcadians, but they knew nothing of magic.
Meanwhile, from the Barbar Islands across the great southern ocean, a race of Barbarians sailed to the region now known as the Great South. These people had never heard of dragons and only saw Cold Dragons but from far away and mistook them for the then still existing dire zolves. When they met the dragons, the leader of the Barbarians from then believed they were no harm, but his son Dragor murdered him, became king, and declared they were demons of some sort and made his folk hunt them down like animals. The dragons fought back, but this only provoked even more persecution. The violence grew so terrible that the newcomers soon sought to wipe the dragons out.
The dragons, in response to this, banded together and created a law stating that all humans had to be killed on sight, and any dragon who didn't kill a certain number of humans or who helped a human would be immediately put to death. The dragons learned how to make weapons and began to refine battle magic. But still the dragons were being driven farther and farther north, and were running into conflict with the indigenous tribes and with one another.
They also fell into conflict with the tribes, a group of peoples not united enough to wage war against the newcomers, so they chose to side with the dragons. The dragons, however, were prejudiced against all humans and refused to cooperate. An Obsidian Dragon named Conchoida gained a band of followers, mostly Fire Dragons, who called themselves the Fire Order, because they trained to use fire magic and liked to set things on fire to scare their enemies. Conchoida declared that all humans were alike and the tribes were just as evil as the barbarians. Her lunacy split both the tribes and the dragons apart. Some of the tribes sided with the dragons that were against Conchoida and her plan to destroy the humans, but some turned on the dragons and sided with the barbarians, offering to teach them how to fight dragons. Still others fled into the northern highlands, and eventually became the northern nations we know today. The dragons, meanwhile, were split apart as some decided to follow Conchoida, some decided to help the tribes drive out the barbarians and stop Conchoida, and some tried in vain to stay neutral.
Everybody was at war with everybody, and there was no peace in sight.
Everything changed when a young human, whose name is lost to time, became lost in the wilderness and was injured when he fell down a steep cliff. A Plant Dragon, whose name is also unknown, found him, but couldn't bring himself to kill the young human. So they became friends and soon were bonded magically, and the young human became the first plant wizard. Soon the pair shared their secret with their friends and a girl (whom the first Plant wizard would later marry, or so the story goes) became bonded with a Pepper Dragon, and her friend with a Plasma Dragon. They journeyed to The Far North to meet the Cold Dragons, and an ancient Mountain Dragon told them of the Burcadians. They realized that the human-dragon bond was as ancient as both their kinds, and the relationship of dragon and human was not one of predator and prey, but of brotherhood.
Tragically, the plant dragon was discovered with the three humans soon afterward, and his treachery was revealed. The humans escaped, but the plant dragon was captured and executed. But instead of strengthening the dragon's cause, the plant dragon became a martyr. The dragons soon realized not all humans were evil, and then, overthrowing the law they had instituted, they sought to form an alliance with the humans--the only way they could both survive. Conchoida, who had gone truly insane, was imprisoned, and the barbarian's evil king, Dragor the Ferocious, was dethroned and a new, better king, Valior the Great, put in his place.
The age of the wizards had begun.
Important Humans and Dragons
- King Zagdor the Majestic was king of the barbarians at the time they fled. He believed peace with dragons was possible, but was murdered by his son, Dragor, who then became king and declared war against the dragons.
- King Dragor the Ferocious murdered his father to take the throne for himself. He sought to destroy the dragons, but failed.
- Conchoida was a charismatic obsidian dragon who led many dragons to commit terrible acts of violence to make them victorious over humans. She died in prison. At the time of her death, she was very likely insane.
- Valior the Great made peace with the dragons. He is known for giving up some of his power and becoming the leader of the Wizard Council. He was murdered by Torbin the Wicked's sympathizers.
- The First Wizard is the name given to the young human who bonded to a plant dragon.
- The First Bonded Plant Dragon is the name given to the Plant Dragon that bonded with The First Wizard.
Dragon Discoveries and Re-Discoveries
- Plant Dragon was first seen by the barbarians
- Fire Dragon was first seen by the barbarians
- Earth Dragon was first seen by the barbarians
- Forest Dragon was first seen by the barbarians
- Poison Dragon was first seen by the barbarians
- Flower Dragon was first seen by the barbarians
- Moss Dragon was first seen by the barbarians
- Cold Dragon was first seen by the barbarians
- Lightning Dragon was first seen by the barbarians
- Water Dragon was first seen by the barbarians
The Age of the Wizards (circa 1050-1400 ASW)
For some time, the wizards and the non-magic users had many disputes and skirmishes. After being at war for so long, it was hard for the dragons and humans to trust each other. Similar disagreements occurred among the dragons. The different dragon kinds did not want to cooperate with one another. Many of the tribes had been nearly destroyed by the war. Some assimilated with the barbarians, but others fought to hang onto their culture.
Soon, the wizards reorganized their government and instead of a monarchy ruled by a king, a ruling council and a set of laws governed. The recently instated King Valior the Great gladly adapted to this change. Schools were set up where young wizards could be trained, and the dragons made laws and governments of their own.
The fragile peace was shaken when the Valior the Great mysteriously died and Torbin the Magnificent, now known as Torbin the Wicked, became king. Torbin hated dragons, and still remembered all the violence they had caused. He tried to turn the people against the dragons. He nearly destroyed the plant dragons when he tried to burn the Krollsmarsh, but a young plant dragon called Thornbark united them together and led them across the continent to their current home in The Great Forest in an event now known as The Great Plant Migration.
Such rifts in the alliance persisted for many decades, and revolts and riots and massacres kept popping up, but for the most part, the wizards became predominant and formed a new, peaceful society in which both dragons and humans could live safely.
At this time, the wizards began exploring and mapping and gathering knowledge. Many dragons were discovered, and documented in a book Nogard referenced to make his Book of Dragons. Most of the famous wizards we hear about in Nogard's book come from this era.
Also, at this time, wizard schools were founded so that wizards could study magic. Many of these schools still exist to this day.
Important Humans and Dragons
- Franklin Dogood made many advances in the study of magic and discovered many dragons.
- Professor Dravin explored distant islands and documented their dragon species. He is credited with the discovery of the first known opposite dragon, the frostfire dragon, which obliterated many of our assumptions about how magic works. He is known for his book, the Origin of Dragons.
- Wilfred Wiggleswand
- Eduardo Kigamm
- Clarence Agondray
- Becker Ploop
Dragon Discoveries and Re-Discoveries
- Pepper Dragon was first documented by Cheelei
- Plasma Dragon was first seen by Franklin Dogood
- Frostfire Dragon was discovered by Professor Dravin
- Tempest Dragon was discovered by
The War of the Wizards (1400-2025 ASW)
The wizards' magic was growing more powerful, and as Nogard is often quoted as saying, with great power comes great responsibility. But sadly, some wizards couldn't take this responsibility, and started abusing magic. They wanted to destroy everyone else to become the rulers of the world. A civil war began, with the evil wizards on one side, and the rest of the wizards on the other. They started a war, but lost it, because all evil wizards didn't team up with each other while the non-evil wizards did.
The evil wizards were defeated, but wizard society was crumbled and broken. It wouldn't be restored to its former glory until almost a thousand years later.
The Gemstone Migration
During The War of the Wizards, a witch known as Sera kidnapped the Diamond Dragons from The Shimmering Isles and stowed them away in a warehouse in The Far North. Back then, The Shimmering Isles was called The Shimmering Glades because it was still part of the mainland. To prevent the evil wizards' army from kidnapping more Gemstone dragons to increase his power, experienced wizards from the other side of the war used a large amount of Terramancy and Hydromancy to disconnect The Shimmering Glades from the rest of the land. As a side effect of the spells used, all the native Gemstone Dragons were moved to the land next to where The Shimmering Glades used to be. The Gemstone dragons then were brought to The Shimmering Isles with ships in what was called The Gemstone Migration. The Diamond Dragons eventually broke out of the warehouse, but they were not moved to The Shimmering Isles and to this day stay in The Far North.
Important Humans and Dragons
- Torbin the Wicked was the evil wizard that practically started the war. He was responsible for the destruction of many wizard cities, schools and monuments, and was driven to the Great South after he lost the war.
The Time of Desolation (2025-2200 ASW)
After the War of the Wizards, wizard society mostly collapsed into dozens of squabbling nations, and fewer and fewer people were being educated in magic. As knowledge of magic declined, people turned to technology to support themselves. Factories and cities were built. As the population grew, and as wars between nation boosted the economy of many nations, more dragon habitat was destroyed. Soon, many young people who would otherwise have been trained as wizards or witches spent all their days working in factories, without ever seeing a dragon in real life. Many species went extinct.
- Snowstorm Dragon, was already a very rare dragon but became extinct due to global warming. It was a hybrid of Cold and Air. It was an evolutionary offshoot of the Snow Dragon, and very similar in appearance, but it was not the snow dragon's ancestor; the two species coexisted.
- Plasma Dragon, became extinct due to destruction of their habitat. However, some eggs remained in small pools. These eggs hatch when a bolt of electricity goes through them, so when lightning striked those pools, the eggs hatched, making the species come to life again.
- Mercury Dragon, was the ancestor of the more known and more common Quicksilver Dragon. The Quicksilver Dragons adapted to live in other habitats after The Krollsmarsh was destroyed, but the Mercury Dragon wasn't able to live anywhere else. Also was a hybrid of Water and Metal.
- Sky Dragon, was one of the most common dragons, but all were killed by mass hunting for their beautiful scales. Was probably a hybrid of the element Air, but the other element is unknown.
- Grass Dragon, after the Plant Dragon the most common dragon in The Krollsmarsh, wasn't able to escape in time due to being flightless.
- Spruce Dragon, the ancestor of the Evergreen Dragon, became extinct of unknown causes. Also was a hybrid of Cold and Plant.
The Vale is Created (2217 ASW)
The wizards soon realized that the only way to save dragonkind was to create a safe refuge where dragons, magic and knowledge could be preserved. They all worked together to create a new world, accesible from the other world by Magic Portals.
Rediscovery of Dragon Knowledge (2207 ASW)
The wizards rediscovered and compiled all the documentation they could find on the world's dragon species. They worked to restore old manuscripts and protect them in libraries. During this, a couple of wizards found an old manuscript describing an island in the sky that floated by magic, without support of any other kind. The wizards became convinced that this was the solution they were looking for to create dragon parks, and what later would be known as DragonVale. Soon, a team of wizards was put to work trying to recreate the floating islands.
Founding of the Grand City (2210 ASW)
After three whole years of trial and error, the wizards were able to create reliable, stable floating islands. It was at this time that they built a capital city to serve as a central hub for wizard society, called The Grand City.
Creation of Parks (2217 ASW)
Seven years later, the Vale officially opened to park owners.
Important Humans and Dragons
- The Great Nogard was elected leader of the Vale at its founding and leads the Vale to this day.
The Return of the Lost Magics (2248 ASW)
It had been two years since the Wizards had created the Vale. It was a booming place, with new dragons, decor, and magic galore. But there was something missing. The world's magic was incomplete. Dragons and wizards alike knew they had to summon light and dark magic back into the world.
The magic of light and dark had been missed since they were lost. When the dark dragons held an uprising, the remaining Burcadians cast thousands of dragons' magic into the Corundum Crystal, activated it, and banished both elements from the world. Ever since, dragons and humans have been trying to bring them back. Their experiments were unsuccessful, until October of the year 2248 (in DragonVale time).
During this time, a few wizards were excavating for remains of light and dark in the Scar, but found no signs of life. They did, however, find something more important. Blue Amber. Called the "Tears of the Cataclysm", these large ambers were created in the explosion that formed the Scar. The amber once stood were trees were, and when the Scar was formed, it petrified the trees, and hardened the resin into amber. However, as light and dark magic disappeared, some traces were trapped in the amber, and they stand as fossils of two lost magics. They also discovered mysterious rift eggs, which were placed down by the Light and Dark Dragons, as a way to carry on their legacy.
The wizards brought it to Nogard and the High Council of Wizards, and they made up their minds to return the magics. They had terramancers of all kinds collect pieces of the amber, and constructed the Tines of the Scar. The used some of the light and dark in the amber to start up the portals to the Rift.
After a month of casting magic, the DragonVale community successfully summoned light magic back into the world, and with it, Light Dragons, such as Loboduke the Luminous, the first arrival, on November 5, 2248. But before anyone could celebrate, there was a big problem. Without it's opposite, Dark, Light couldn't exist for long in the world. The wizards were torn. They had heard stories of the Dark War, and were wary of bringing back Dark Dragons. However, Nogard explained that, "There needs to be balance in the world of the Vale. Dragons should not be judged be their actions in history, but of their promises for the future.", and many wizards agreed.
After more casting, Dagor the Dark made it through the Rift. He explained to Hartfell, the wizard he first met, that Dark Dragons and dark magic are not evil, just misunderstood. He promised that Dark Dragons would never attack an innocent dragon again, and would return to help make DragonVale an even better place. Hartfell told Nogard, and the two wizards, along with everyone in the Vale, welcomed the new types of dragons back into the world with open wings and hearts.
Under the rule of Loboduke, the Light Dragons sought territory in the Southern Sandara, with endless sun-bathed dunes and warm sunny days. Dark Dragons, under rule of Dagor, sought dark areas, such as the Drag Marshes, which bordered the Sandara, so Light and Dark Dragons could get to know each other better as they tried to start over. Nogard claimed it was time to celebrate, for the magics of Light and Dark had returned! The Tines of the Scar were dismantled and forged into the Rift Monument. Nogard thanked all park-owners for helping, and made it so Light Dragons, Dark Dragons, and their hybrids, could all be bred in the Vale. Finally, the Lost Magic, had returned at last.
The Return of the Cataclysm (2273 ASW)
Exactly twenty-five years after the return of the Lost Magics, something terrible happened. The Rift, once thought to be completely separated from our world at last, suddenly returned. The evil Telemancer Chyrus thought that the world was stupid and decided to destroy and replace it with a new, better world, which he could rule. Along with his ally (or actually more slave than ally) Caron he tried to merge a Pearl Dragon and a Diamond Dragon, as he believed this would open a portal. After this failed, he decided to throw a Platinum Dragon in the mix, to no avail. He then opened The Rift and decided to build a new world there, but it was a terrible blunder to do this next to the Scar of the World. The Rift soon became something like a magic-sucking vacuum cleaner, draining all magic out of the scar and causing a second, more devastating Cataclysm. The Scar grew bigger and the Rift portal exploded, killing both Chyrus and Caron on impact. Wizards and witches everywhere knew what happened and rapidly made dozens of new islands, the Living Vale. In a few days, all humans (wizards and non-wizards) fled to the islands, rescuing as many dragons, plant species and non-dragon creatures as possible. Exactly two minutes after everybody boarded the islands and let them into the air, the whole world was struck by a massive earthquake and covered in a thick magical mist. Everybody thought all life that stayed on the planet ended, but actually the mist let the remaining dragons evolve into new species and elements.
The Return to the Surface (3280 ASW)
A thousand years after the wizards ascended to the floating islands, the Scar of the World finally healed. The healing process had begun when the Lost Magics returned, and finally completed only now, erasing forever the terrible magic of the Cataclysm and healing the broken world. In response to this, the wizards deemed it safe to return to the surface.
To the wizards' shock, they found that new dragons and magics had evolved in an event called The Great Evolution. They were dubbed the New Elements. Many locations had drastically changed as well.
The wizards recolonized the Surface and soon learned the magics of the new dragons. Schools were opened; some of the old schools abandoned when the wizards retreated permanently into the skies were re-opened as well. | <urn:uuid:03f02863-5a34-4e4d-970d-9b8665bd3d11> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://dragonvale-world.wikia.com/wiki/History_of_DragonVale | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320443.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20170625064745-20170625084745-00273.warc.gz | en | 0.979058 | 5,924 | 2.6875 | 3 | The provided extract is a historical and fictional account of the world of DragonVale, detailing the evolution of dragons, human-dragon relationships, and the development of magic. While it is rich in content and world-building, it lacks direct application to soft skills development. However, it can be argued that the narrative indirectly promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and empathy through its complex storytelling and character interactions. The extract does not explicitly focus on soft skills, but its themes of cooperation, understanding, and balance between different groups (humans and dragons) can be seen as promoting teamwork, leadership, and intercultural fluency. Given the indirect nature of these connections and the lack of explicit soft skills discussion, the score would be relatively low.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 106,482 | 0 |
In most classrooms, it’s not a good sign when students’ eyes flick to the clock. It means they’re distracted and waiting to get out. In Nicole Naditz’s 12th-grade class in Sacramento, California, the opposite is true; students desperately eyeball the clock, wishing for more time. Naditz’s trick? She’s incorporated a new style of teaching into her lessons that was originally designed for adult games. The increasingly popular escape room has been given an educational twist—padlocked boxes that can only be accessed by decoding verbs, performing math problems, or solving scientific puzzles.
Naditz is no outlier. Over the last year, there’s been worldwide growth in educational escape rooms, and many educators are adapting the concept to fit the needs of their students—in both physical and digital learning environments. They’re an innovative way to bring technology and critical thinking into the classroom, and the benefits are twofold: Games have a history of promoting engagement in a learning environment, and the collaborative elements help students develop social skills.
Naditz shares a narrative with her class before the game begins. The inventor Claire Levine has been kidnapped, and her robot has been reprogrammed to destroy a hospital. To save it, students must activate the kill switch inside a box—but they need to get through four padlocks to do so, and they’ve only got 45 minutes. Multiple locked boxes and clues are scattered through the room—deciphering these leads to hidden keys and combination passwords. There’s a black-light flashlight that reveals hidden messages, and a QR code that directs players to a video containing a four-digit code.
“Unlike other forms of games where the player controls an avatar [such as Voki or Minecraft], escape rooms place the player directly into the game,” said Scott Nicholson, a professor of game design and development at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada. “Because of that, the effects of experiential learning can be more effective, as there are fewer barriers between the player and the experience.”
Nicholson has been researching the evolution of escape rooms since 2014 to see how they might fit into an educational program. He is widely considered the global expert on escape rooms, in part because he’s published the first academic discourse in this emerging field. “Escape rooms create a moment of passion around specific topics that then can be used as the spark to then ignite interest in something for a player to learn more about later,” he said.
Nicholson considers the growth of educational escape rooms a signal that educators are willing to adapt their behavior in order to better communicate with their students. “The concept of meaningful gamification is not to provide external rewards, but rather to help participants find a deeper connection to the underlying topic,” he wrote in a recent white paper.
While the use of escape rooms in education is a nascent idea, the first recreational escape room can be traced back to Japan in 2007. Now, there are 4,785 globally, the majority recreational, spanning 75 countries, according to the Escape Room Directory. They vary in design and style, but the basic premise is the same: People are trapped inside a space for a specific amount of time and need to solve a number of puzzles to get out. Puzzles tend to be theme-related; in a prison room, you might decode graffiti, pick handcuffs, or defuse a bomb. Turning this into a classroom activity creates a number of challenges—teachers have to grapple with constraints imposed by classroom size, facilities, and the Common Core standards.
But Brian Mayer, a gaming and library-technologies specialist at Genesee Valley School Library System in New York, believes the payoff is worth the effort. He started looking into the concept in April 2016, after he received a request for a literature-themed escape room from a teacher in his district. “It's been people requesting it from us. We’re not pushing people to do this,” he said.
Mayer and his colleague, Lisel Toates, started brainstorming. They specialize in using game design to demonstrate practical applications of mathematics, technology, and communication skills, and the computer game Minecraft seemed a natural fit for building a virtual escape room. They decided to combine the digital space with real-life physical props to encourage lateral thinking. Plus, if it was successful, it would be easy to share with his 22 school districts, as most game assets could exist on a thumb drive.
The eighth-grade class was studying steampunk literature, so Mayer created a corresponding narrative: An eccentric professor was trying to travel back in time to save his daughter's life in Victorian England. To rescue her, participants needed to activate a portal, which involved referencing work they’d studied in class. Mayer ran his first room in May 2016, and structured it so that students started on their computers and then transitioned to their physical classroom, using the props he’d brought (wacky ink and 3D printed models) to help solve clues they’d encountered online.
He was impressed by how readily students took to the game.“It was social interaction, engagement, and immersion,” he said. “And we’ve had feedback from educators saying that students who don’t respond to traditional classes start to shine [here].”
Students are more likely to retain knowledge when they can apply what they’ve learned, a practice often labeled “active learning” or “constructivism” by education scholars. A 2011 study of physics teachers who changed their teaching method from a traditional teacher-centered approach to an active approach showed that learning improved 38 percent in students’ understanding of kinematics. A different higher education-focused study reported that students learning traditionally were twice as likely to drop out of courses and three times as likely to leave college altogether compared to students using active-learning methods.
To quote the student-development theorists Arthur Chickering and Stephen Ehrmann, “Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn much just sitting in classes listening to teachers, memorizing prepackaged assignments, and spitting out answers.”
So far, Mayer has built three escape rooms, covering history, English, and science, and he has run them a total of five times—twice for students, and three times to show teachers how they work. Now he’ll focus on spreading them through his New York districts and beyond. An upcoming talk he’s slated to give at the American Association of School Librarians is titled “Escape Into the Curriculum.”
Nicholson has observed the escape-room trend growing, both inside schools and in the wider world. In a recent global analysis of escape rooms, he discovered that 8 percent had a purely educational framework, while 22 percent included some educational elements. “Many recreational rooms do have components that are educational,” he said. “Some rooms taught about history and other culturally relevant topics, and some took advantage of an interesting story of local interest and used the room to help players learn more.” Good historic examples are the 1866 Ontario Gold Rush room in Ontario, and the Fall of the Berlin Wall in Make a Break Berlin, in Germany. Some have a more political framework, such as the Cuban Crisis game at Escapology in Orlando, Florida.
Shauna Pollock, a Toronto-based educator and the author of Creating Classroom Magic, a book about using the Disney-inspired principles of magic, safety, and courtesy in teaching, believes educational escape rooms have enormous potential to be effective in schools, since they can be adapted to any subject. “[They can] excite learners and help develop their skills, teaching them content through immersive, engaging play,” she wrote in a recent paper.
This style of puzzle-based learning is well suited for web-based games, which also provide access to a larger audience. In 2012, Arizona State University trialed this by building Science Detectives: Training Room Escape, a click-through online escape room for preK-12 learners. “Instead of the typical lecture, we wanted the student to have fun playing a game that just so happens to require using the Scientific Method to succeed,” said Charles Kazilek, the chief technology officer at Arizona State University.
Kazilek said escape rooms are a “natural problem-solving environment,” and he designed Science Detectives to produce a player summary when completed—something that students can print out for their teachers. They’ve had 98,000 visits to their homepage since launch, and Kazilek is working on a follow-up, Science Detectives: The Case of the Mystery Images, to release later this year. “One of our students commented, ‘It’s okay to trick us into learning.’ These types of games have the ability to do just that,” he said.
At the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Sherry Jones, a games-studies instructor, is admittedly receptive to games in education, but was especially impressed with how quickly escape rooms engaged students. She said they’re structured so that players instantly become active participants, with a vested interest in winning. “In games, you read materials and have a Q-and-A session,” she said. “There’s no hand holding here.” Jones believes that escape rooms will start spreading through education as a “way to make the classroom a lot more fun.” That, in turn, could create a stronger incentive for learners to engage with their studies. “Escape rooms in education is pretty new,” she said. “There aren’t many initiatives—apart from Breakout EDU, but that’s not a full-scale escape room.”
Launched in 2015, Breakout EDU is a recurring name in the educational escape-rooms space, and what the French teacher Nicole Naditz uses in her California classroom. The company sells small boxes, priced $89 to $119, filled with escape paraphernalia (think padlocks, UV lights, and hint cards), and an empty thumb drive for downloadable lesson plans, created to complement the curriculum. This allows teachers to access the large Breakout community of more than 8,700 members worldwide, and download custom escape games, as well as build their own.
Naditz heard about Breakout EDU at a teaching conference and was intrigued; the idea of engaging students through collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking was appealing. She created two classroom escape experiences for her class, both in French. “In life and work outside of the classrooms, solutions aren't singular, nor are they neatly packaged or synthesized into multiple-choice responses,” she said. “Breakout events prepare students for a more nuanced approach to solving problems.”
“The current K-12 system is obsolete,” said the Breakout EDU founder James Sanders, a former White House Innovation Fellow with a background in education and tech. So he devised a new one, using the escape-room model as a guide. Rather than breaking out of the room, players are trying to break into the box, and every lock involves challenges that create learning experiences.
“Breakout EDU games can help players explore Common-Core topics,” said Nicholson. “The gamification of the content can create short-term intense engagement.” However, he warns that the teachers don’t become obsolete; they need to create time for the class to analyze their gameplay. “Without reflection, we don't learn. Reflection is how we take a short-term activity, connect it into our existing memories, and embed it into our long-term knowledge,” he said. But not everyone agrees. For some teachers, Breakout EDU is overly simplistic. “I think this is a rudimentary step,” said Jones, the games-studies instructor. “It’s great for starting out, as it’s plug and play, but it doesn't push participants to be more active.”
Since this field is still in its early days, it will take some time before there’s a full scale roll out in schools. And because it’s so new, Nicholson’s research is the extent of the data on how escape rooms benefit learners. Educational escape rooms don’t exist in a vacuum; games must align with education standards and student engagement must be supervised. “Escape rooms are a tool, but not a magic wand,” Nicholson said. “They can engage players in the short term but need to be paired with other activities to bring about long-term change.”
But their potential is undeniable. “In the end, who does not like mystery and puzzles?” Kazilek said. “When you combine them with key learning objectives, you have a winning combination.” | <urn:uuid:efceff99-46b9-4510-aaa0-35265ba63d66> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/07/the-rise-of-educational-escape-rooms/493316/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128319912.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20170622220117-20170623000117-00212.warc.gz | en | 0.964419 | 2,718 | 3.15625 | 3 | The extract discusses the growing trend of educational escape rooms, highlighting their potential to enhance student engagement, social skills, and critical thinking. It features realistic scenarios, expert opinions, and practical applications, demonstrating a strong emphasis on soft skills development, such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. The extract also touches on cultural awareness, digital literacy, and intercultural fluency, showcasing a comprehensive approach to education.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 177,585 | 1 |
“Around the world, businesses, governments and experts agree that carbon pricing is the cheapest and most efficient way to cut carbon pollution,” Catherine McKenna, Canada’s environment and climate change minister, recently tweeted. If what she says is true, it means all other anti-carbon strategies – including regulations and subsidies – are unnecessarily expensive and inefficient.
Yet just a few months earlier, when McKenna announced $100 million in green subsidies to Ontario households and businesses, she said that the spending “pays for itself by saving money, reducing carbon pollution and making our homes and businesses more comfortable and affordable.”
Has her position changed or does she still believe Ottawa’s subsidy programs and corporate welfare remain an efficient use of tax dollars that will somehow pay for itself?
McKenna’s $100 million supported the previous Ontario government’s climate spending program. However, the evidence shows us that the billions the Ontario Liberals had slated for climate spending was a massive waste.
A recent essay by University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe estimated that money spent to “improve energy efficiency in multi-tenant residential buildings” was 29 times more expensive, per tonne of emissions reduced, than cap and trade. And “support to household adoption of low-carbon technology” was about 15 times more expensive.
It turns out that just as the budget doesn’t balance itself, the government’s green spending doesn’t pay for itself either. While Conservative Premier Doug Ford is sensibly axing Ontario’s climate-spending fund in an effort to drag public finances back in the right direction, the federal Liberal government is forging ahead with handouts to rent-seekers.
In just the past few months, federal taxpayer dollars have been torched on everything from corporate welfare for farms in P.E.I., to enlarging the Alberta Indigenous Solar Program, to homeowners’ windows in New Brunswick, to making Ontario’s post-secondary campuses more energy efficient.
Why does the federal government continue to waste billions of dollars of your money this way when – by McKenna’s admission – experts agree that a carbon tax is preferable? The answer lies in what Liberals view to be a problematic feature of a carbon tax as compared to a government command-and-control climate strategy.
Economists prefer taxation over subsidies and regulations because a carbon tax, for example pegged at $20 per tonne, gives people incentive to reduce emissions when, and only when, the cost of doing so is below $20 per tonne. This means the private market has the flexibility to find the cheapest ways to reduce emissions, rather than have the government decide.
But allowing more flexibility for the private sector isn’t something Liberal politicians can go along with. If households and businesses are allowed to make decisions for themselves, the collective wisdom and brilliance of those politicians goes unused. That’s why a heavy government spend-and-regulate regime is in place.
Just as importantly, billions of dollars in spending announcements allow politicians to hold press conferences to burnish their green credentials and repeat tired slogans about how government spending improves both the economy and the environment. Such slogans ignore that the fastest increases in prosperity and cleanliness in human history were supported by private industry, not corporate welfare and green subsidies.
The federal Liberals remain big supporters of the carbon tax, of course. But that has nothing to do with taxes being cheaper and more efficient than regulations and subsidies. They just like the carbon tax because it’s a tax. And they will find ways to spend it even if the policy evidence says it’s a costly mistake.
Matthew Lau is a contributing writer to Canadians for Affordable Energy.
This site is Powered by Troy Media Digital Solutions | <urn:uuid:f491e49e-4300-480a-8a67-b82a13a0e563> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://troymedia.com/environment/ontario-contradictory-climate-policy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250615407.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20200124040939-20200124065939-00458.warc.gz | en | 0.946516 | 772 | 2.9375 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on critical thinking and problem-solving in a real-world context, but without exploring communication, teamwork, or leadership. It presents complex scenarios but primarily for analytical purposes, not for developing soft skills.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 15,907 | 0 |
Promising approaches to supporting students living in violent communities in El Salvador
Ideally, schools provide enriching educational environments where students develop the attitudes, habits and strengths they need to make good choices that keep them on track to succeed in school and life. However, for millions of youth around the world, schools are also a safe haven — an escape from poverty, conflict and fear. This is certainly true in El Salvador, the country that holds the undesirable title of murder capital of the world, with a homicide rate that is more than 20 times greater than the United States. Gang activity is largely to blame, resulting in widespread insecurity that affects much of Salvadoran society.
In 2015, approximately two-thirds of Salvadoran schools reported being affected by gangs, and more than one-quarter reported student dropouts due to gang violence. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to gang influence, as the average age of entry into Salvadoran gangs is between 12 and 16. Many adults come to see youth as part of the problem, not as young people who need to be nurtured and developed.
FHI 360’s recent work in Salvadoran secondary schools has made important progress in providing social-emotional and academic supports to students. The lessons learned from this work can be adapted to other violent contexts to better prepare youth to succeed.
Pilot program transforms perceptions
During the 2015 academic year, FHI 360 implemented the Developmental Assets and Student Success Pilot Program in the high-risk community of Sonsonate, El Salvador. Jim Hahn, Senior Program Officer, Global Education, explained, “The goals of the pilot were to transform mindsets and perceptions about the role of schools in supporting the healthy development of adolescents and to strengthen educator practices in eight lower secondary schools (grades 7-9) to keep students engaged in school and on track to graduate.” This pilot program was part of FHI 360’s Education for Children and Youth Program, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
“The pilot increased the capacity of educators and Ministry of Education officials through two parallel interventions that were adapted from work we are doing in high poverty schools in the United States,” said Risa Sackman, Director of Schools Support and Development, United States Programs. These interventions included: (1) integrating a positive youth development approach and social-emotional supports into schools to build students’ strengths, and (2) introducing schools to the Indicators for Success, FHI 360’s research-based, early warning dropout prevention framework.
Study measures initial outcomes and sustainability
Initial results indicated that the pilot helped change educators’ perceptions of youth and helped schools successfully lay the groundwork for meaningful dropout prevention. Because it takes time to shift paradigms and practices, FHI 360 conducted a mixed-methods follow-up study with the pilot schools one year later to determine how well they had independently sustained the pilot interventions. While results varied, the majority of schools reported improved student-teacher dialogue, perceptions of youth and student behavior. In addition, the majority of schools continued activities designed to build student strengths and support their social-emotional development.
Schools also reported several common barriers to achieving positive results, including lack of time, competing priorities, lack of support from the Ministry of Education and minimal buy-in among some teachers.
Findings apply to other schools in similar contexts
These findings, coupled with a deeper analysis of those pilot schools that had successfully sustained interventions, helped FHI 360 define three recommended practices that we will use with other secondary schools that are in violent communities.
Identify champions to drive the work. The most successful pilot schools had a principal who championed the pilot’s core interventions and worked collaboratively to change staff mindsets. These principals shared the role of champion with teacher-leaders, who trained their peers and modeled effective positive youth development and dropout prevention strategies in the classroom.
In high-risk settings where youth are viewed as problems, a team of champions must alter this perception by educating others about adolescents’ developmental needs so students can receive the supports they need to thrive.
Establish dedicated time, space and resources for teachers to collaboratively develop positive mindsets and practices. Schools that most effectively sustained the interventions incorporated pilot activities in their annual school operating plans, ensuring that future resources and time would be dedicated to advancing the work. They also scheduled time for teachers to meet regularly in teams to continue pilot activities, including reviewing student data and designing interventions for students at risk of dropping out.
Involve parents and communities. In violent settings, it is critical for parents and community members to engage positively with youth in schools. The pilot schools that successfully continued supporting youth had educated parents about adolescents’ needs through workshops, and the schools invited community members to lead student activities. Through these interactions, student support systems were strengthened at home and within the community, and adults learned to recognize youths’ value to Salvadoran society.
While these recommendations are hallmarks of strong schools everywhere, they are particularly important for schools that are affected by violence. Strong leadership, dedicated time and resources for teacher collaboration, and family support can go far in helping schools become the safe, transformational spaces that young people need.
Photo credit: Education for Children and Youth Program/FHI 360 | <urn:uuid:2fd5b2c5-2d4f-45ac-91c6-d3bcb1b0b3b6> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://www.fhi360.org/news/promising-approaches-supporting-students-living-violent-communities-el-salvador | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296948632.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20230327123514-20230327153514-00565.warc.gz | en | 0.965559 | 1,082 | 3.203125 | 3 | The extract discusses a pilot program in El Salvador that aims to support students living in violent communities by providing social-emotional and academic supports. It highlights the importance of transforming mindsets and perceptions about the role of schools in supporting adolescent development. The program's findings and recommended practices demonstrate a nuanced understanding of the complex issues involved, including the need for strong leadership, teacher collaboration, and community engagement.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 377,131 | 1 |
Twitter, used by 126 million people daily and now ubiquitous in some industries, has vowed to reform itself after being enlisted as a tool of misinformation and hate.
But new evidence shows that the platform may be inflicting harm at an even more basic level. It could be making its users, well, a bit witless.
The finding by a team of Italian researchers is not necessarily that the crush of hashtags, likes and retweets destroys brain cells; that's a question for neuroscientists, they said.
Rather, the economists, in a working paper published this month by the economics and finance department at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, found that Twitter not only fails to enhance intellectual attainment but substantially undermines it.
"It's quite detrimental," Gian Paolo Barbetta, a professor of economic policy at the private research university and the paper's lead author, said in an interview with The Washington Post.
"I can't say whether something is changing in the mind, but I can say that something is definitely changing in the behavior and the performance."
To the best of Barbetta's knowledge, his study is the largest and most rigorous examination of Twitter's effect on student achievement, with applications to learning and information retention in other areas of life.
The investigation drew on a sample of roughly 1,500 students attending 70 Italian high schools during the 2016-2017 academic year. Half of the students used Twitter to analyze The Late Mattia Pascal, the 1904 novel by Italian Nobel laureate Luigi Pirandello, which satirizes issues of self-knowledge and self-destruction.
They posted quotes and their own reflections, commenting on tweets written by their classmates. Teachers weighed in to stimulate the online discussion.
The other half relied on traditional classroom teaching methods. Performance was assessed based on a test measuring understanding, comprehension and memorization of the book.
Using Twitter reduced performance on the test by about 25 to 40 percent of a standard deviation from the average result, as the paper explains. Jeff Hancock, the founding director of the Stanford Social Media Lab, described these as "pretty big effects".
Notably, the decline was sharpest among higher-achieving students, including women, those born in Italy and those who had scored higher on a baseline test. This finding, the paper notes, bolsters the conclusion that blogs and social networking sites actively impair performance, rather than simply failing to augment learning.
A spokeswoman for Twitter declined to comment on the study. The company does not purport to make its users smarter. But its mission statement sets forth goals not so different from those of a literature course - "to give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly without barriers."
And in describing the platform as a "digital public square", Twitter's chief executive, Jack Dorsey, appeared to embrace civic and social aspirations, saying last year that the standard to which the company should be held is "building a systemic framework to help encourage more healthy debate, conversations, and critical thinking."
Barbetta said more results were necessary to draw definitive conclusions about the "possible negative effects" of Twitter on learning.
"As results accumulate, we definitely should be more wary about how we use social platforms," he said.
The study focused narrowly on high school literature students. But that approach gave the researchers access to a large sample, as several hundred Italian schools had already adopted a framework for Twitter-based conversations about literary masterpieces, called "TwLetteratura." The method also allowed them to avoid problems plaguing past studies, some of which allowed participants to opt in to social networking, skewing the data toward those with an aptitude or particular interest in online engagement.
The relevance of literature and reading comprehension to evaluations of digital communication was underscored on Wednesday, when special counsel Robert S. Mueller III seemed to enjoin the nation to heed the warnings in his 448-page report - in other words, to do the reading instead of consuming sound bites on social media.
Karen North, a professor at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, said the study had stark implications for politics, adding that its findings were hardly surprising.
"It's the same problem that we have with the level of political discussion," said North, who previously worked on science and technology policy in Washington, both in the White House and on Capitol Hill. "People get 280 characters, and it's not enough. Without the full background, you're more likely to be led astray."
Recent analysis has suggested that broad swaths of the electorate are not as engaged online as is an especially vocal cohort of digital aficionados.
Still, Twitter, which is President Trump's preferred medium of communication, has cemented its place in the political ecosystem, and its role is only likely to expand in advance of the 2020 election.
Twitter is where candidates go to issue announcements and respond instantly to news developments. It's also where pundits react in real time.
But the platform doesn't lend itself to explanation or in-depth analysis, North said. "Remember when we were debating whether people have the attention span to consume 280 characters, instead of just 140?" she recalled.
Although social media shouldn't be dismissed as a learning tool, more thought is required to determine the strengths of different technologies and their proper audience, she said.
Above all, the communications professor emphasized, platforms like Twitter should not replace more traditional methods of engagement, especially in grappling with complex topics - whether that means a presidential election or the plot of The Late Mattia Pascal.
The problem, said Barbetta, is that people will take a shortcut if it's given to them.
"But a shortcut won't take you to the destination in this case," he added. "It will take you somewhere different."
As the study indicates, Twitter is the ultimate shortcut. Barbetta suggested that declining performance among students who had used the social networking site to study the novel was a result of two factors.
The first was a mistaken belief on the part of students that they had absorbed the book by circulating tweets about its contents. The second was that time spent on social media simply replaced time spent actually poring over the book.
The study contributes to growing skepticism that human activities - and learning, specifically - can be transferred to cyberspace without a cost. For instance, analysis has found that screen-based reading lends itself to skimming.
In a 2016 study, it was discovered that test scores were lower among American undergraduates assigned to classrooms where computers were allowed than among those required to resort to pen and paper.
In the case of Twitter and Italian literature, the initial assumption of the study turned out to be faulty. "We thought we were testing a positive intervention," Barbetta said.
Among some researchers, the urgent question is now whether social media - once embraced uncritically - is a net positive, indeed whether it is capable of accurately reflecting reality.
It's a problem once captured by Luigi Pirandello, the author of the literary text used in the Italian study.
"There is someone who is living my life," the Nobel laureate wrote in a diary entry in 1934. "And I know nothing about him."
2019 © The Washington Post
This article was originally published by The Washington Post. | <urn:uuid:f5bf95e9-d9f9-4402-85b9-98a9dfbf84cb> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://www.sciencealert.com/twitter-use-decreases-student-s-test-scores-so-what-s-it-doing-to-the-rest-of-us | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296948817.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20230328073515-20230328103515-00309.warc.gz | en | 0.96639 | 1,489 | 2.65625 | 3 | The extract discusses the impact of Twitter on intellectual attainment, citing a study that found using Twitter to analyze a novel reduced student performance by 25-40%. The article touches on the limitations of social media in promoting deep learning and critical thinking, highlighting the importance of traditional methods of engagement. It also mentions the need for nuanced understanding of technology's role in learning. However, it lacks practical applications, complex problem-solving scenarios, and comprehensive professional development opportunities.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 94,498 | 0 |
Meditation exercise on 39 This situation, argues Hein, is what led to the emergence of the Gopala cult, a brahmanically-engineered religion for people who suffer under extraordinary restraint. 40 The cult s focus is on the god Krsna as a child and teenager who plays (Hla) with the freedom of an Indian child. His life is the polar opposite of the lives of his devotees, just as Indian women are the polar opposite, in terms of power, to the great goddess Durga. The attitude of surrender encouraged by the cult (which Hein regards as a new religion), along with the telling and singing of fairy stories about the exploits of the god, functioned as a kind of pressure valve to relieve social tension. Festivals such as Hold are others. Much of tantra can be understood as a different kind of response. By encouraging its practitioners to breach the taboos based on purity and pollution, which are essentially brahmanical constructs designed to preserve the social hierarchy of the dharmasastras, tantric practitioners challenged the status quo and presented its teachings as repressive ideological constructs. Meditation exercise 2016.
Meditation exercise Photo Gallery
Click on Photos for Next Meditation exercise Gallery Images | <urn:uuid:64182118-45c3-42a9-81ef-a54012d160ba> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://yogaposes8.com/meditation-exercise.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320386.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20170625013851-20170625033851-00439.warc.gz | en | 0.952556 | 248 | 2.671875 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on historical and cultural analysis. It doesn't provide opportunities for practical application, problem-solving, or professional development. The content is theoretical and limited in scope.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 107,049 | 0 |
Long has the debate raged on: is the Czech Republic in Eastern Europe?
For the latter half of the 20th century, Europe’s geographic divisions were based on the former Iron Curtain: the Czech Republic (née Czechoslovakia) was grouped with Poland, Hungary, East Germany and other former Soviet satellite states in a region referred to as Eastern Europe.
But those definitions are now 30 years old, and no one today, for example, would consider Dresden or Berlin (half of it, anyway) to be part of Eastern Europe.
As many will point out, Prague is further west than Vienna. Geographically, the Czech Republic is smack-dab in the center of Europe, and by many definitions considered a part of Central Europe, or among among Central and Eastern European (CEE) territories.
But – especially abroad – the use of Central Europe or CEE terminology isn’t widespread, and basic geographical discussion of the continent still divides Europe into Eastern and Western halves.
In that context, then, where would the Czech Republic belong? Well, look no further than the latest edition of the US textbook Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts:
Yes, that’s the Czech Republic entirely located in what the textbook terms the “European Core” and firmly entrenched in yellow “Western Europe” status.
Slovakia, meanwhile, falls outside both of those definitions.
Of course, that’s only one definition of European geography, and likely to conflict with many others; besides the Czech Republic, geographic labelling of other countries in the image above (taken from this r/Europe post) might cause some heated debate.
But Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts has been published since 1971 and now in its 17th edition, credited to authors Jan Nijman, Peter O. Muller, Harm J. de Blij. It’s used in some US schools, at least, to teach students world geography.
And hey, we’ll take any definition of the Czech Republic as Western Europe that we can get. | <urn:uuid:39f2bf6d-52e9-4acd-8329-fd0caa5dae8c> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://news.expats.cz/weekly-czech-news/confirmed-czech-republic-is-in-western-europe-says-us-textbook/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370500482.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20200331115844-20200331145844-00079.warc.gz | en | 0.944075 | 432 | 2.875 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on geographical debates and regional definitions. It provides some cultural awareness and basic digital literacy, but lacks depth in communication, teamwork, and problem-solving scenarios.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 935,354 | 0 |
“Education is a source of pride in Finnish society. However, the transformation of working life, digitisation, growing inequality, multiculturalism, and globalisation pose challenges for the future of the education sector. How might education and training respond to changing skill needs in the working life of the future? How can we foster educational equality and equal opportunities for all in education and training, in an increasingly polarised society? How can education be reformed in a student-oriented manner, while taking advantage of technology and setting our sights on the future? Instead of the traditional division into subjects, should the education system be based on a phenomenon-oriented approach?”
These are the opening words of the report composed by the SITRA’s New Education Forum. In the report, however, education and learning is not seen as something that is adapting to the changes around us. Learning can be an active force driving the change:
“We insist that education must not settle for adapting to change, but also act as a driver. To raise brave, compassionate citizens capable of independent thought and bearing the responsibility for themselves and for others; curious people, capable of finding things out for themselves and assessing the reliability of whatever information they come across. People with a tolerance of uncertainty, the courage to implement their ideas in practice and even break a few rules, if necessary.”
To do this we must see every individual as a human with a huge potential in them. We must let teachers to renew their working practices — let them to work together, to get the best practices to move in the community of educators. We should get rid of many traditions in a culture of schools: reconsider grades and evaluation, think how we can focus on competences instead of degrees. We can build a system with little red tape and a high impact. And we can design and use technology to serve people trying to do the right things.
You may read the report in here:
- New Education Forum: A land of people who love to learn | <urn:uuid:9b0b4446-709e-4e8b-a50f-a4f09466f372> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://teemuleinonen.fi/2015/08/06/how-to-do-a-learning-revolution-perspective-from-finland/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370491998.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20200328134227-20200328164227-00542.warc.gz | en | 0.961067 | 408 | 2.609375 | 3 | The extract discusses the need for education to drive change and foster skills like independence, compassion, and critical thinking. It promotes a student-oriented approach, collaboration among educators, and the use of technology to support learning. The text touches on various soft skills, including emotional intelligence, leadership, and problem-solving, with a focus on practical application and cultural awareness.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 986,329 | 1 |
Senses let us know that things are real. Everything we know about living experience is learned through our five senses. It’s how we know what is true or not.
Have you heard of the raisin exercise? It is a mindful activity in which you pick up a raisin, smell, see, touch and listen to it, all before eating it. Why? It helps you pay attention. Right here, right now. Boredom is the enemy of a presentation. You want you audience to pay attention, not get distracted but be in the moment, with you, your ideas and your message.
In this article, I will go through the importance of each sense in terms of presentations and suggest how you can use them to improve your presentation skills.
Powerful visuals are a repeated recommendation for great presentations. They solidify a concept, make the abstract tangible and present something complicated in a simple way. Research tells us that 75 percent of learning comes from vision. We use it more than any other sense to connect with the world around us.
We spend so much time prioritizing visuals. Hours spent finding the perfect image to represent a concept. Rearranging text and diagrams in perfect harmony. Visuals are important! But sight isn’t the only focus.
If there’s one thing we think of more than visuals, it’s speech. People agonize over their choice of words. And, undoubtedly, they are important. Words are the main channel of our message. But they aren’t the only form of oral communication. Who says presentations have to be strict and business orientated? Include poetry, sound effects, film dialogues, and other creative forms to make your style stand out.
In this Forbes article, “Three Secrets to Delivering a Powerful Speech” Nick Morgan endorses another mode of sound: music.
Thanks to its highly emotional effects, music has connected people together for centuries. He claims that listening to a heavy bass line anthem like “We Will Rock You” can boost confidence before a speech. With an extra air of authority, you can conduct a presentation with a powerful attitude. Even better, that energy will pass onto your audience. So try making a list of atmospheric songs for your next presentation, depending on which emotion you wish to inspire.
Our sense of smell is the most reactive. Scents inspire an immediate reaction within us. It influences unconscious responses before we can even consciously think about the smell itself. Smell is also the most emotional sense, inspiring 75% of our emotions. It reminds us of memories most effectively. A certain smell can make us feel incredibly happy or terrible in a matter of seconds. That kind of audience influence is great support for any successful presentation.
Real estate agents have used the smell of freshly baked bread to sell houses. Furniture salesmen have used the smell of leather and cedar to sell expensive and luxury items. Research in Las Vegas casinos found scented slot machines made 45% more revenue than non-scented ones.
This promo for Aroma Marketing shows how businesses are already using the scent of smell in sales.
So when giving a presentation, consider the smell of the room. Input your own scent. Give off something connected to your product. Selling a new brand of chocolate? Release delicious chocolatey aromas. Or simply spray a pleasant ambient scent. According to the psychology of association, your audience will connect your presentation to something positive.
Touch is a great sense to use in a presentation because it creates a connection between you and the audience. Some presenters address this straight away. They enter through the audience, high fiving or handshaking their way to the stage. Others create physical contact through icebreakers.
Depending on the audience size and formality of your presentation, there are several icebreakers that embrace touch. You might just ask your audience to just shake hands with the person next to them. Immediately, a tension is broken. The room is refreshed and energized.
Tony Robbins is a presenter who embraces touch. He is intimate with his audience; often addressing individuals, coming to their level, touching their shoulders or hugging them in an empowering way. Robbins also uses touch on himself. He claps his hands together and smacks them to his chest, showing energy and passion.
Touch is the sense most connected to our body. In this video, Robbins discusses his fitness routine. He directly connects physical fitness with great presenting skills. He claims that to give effective presentations, he must be in good shape. Connecting with his body makes him more energetic, spontaneous and interactive with his audience.
Many people talk about taste in presentations, in terms of having good business taste or a taste for design. But what if we were more literal about this sense? Like the others, taste also provokes strong associations. There is so much opportunity to be creative. Why not connect food to an idea?
For example, imagine this scenario:
You are a charity promoting your project for a development of water wells in poor African countries. You call up two members of the audience. One of them is given a pack of dry crackers, which they are asked to eat within two minutes. The other is given a glass of water and told that they cannot give it to the cracker-eating person. At the end of the two minutes, ask them how thirsty they feel, how much they crave the glass of water in the other person’s hand after eating so many dry crackers.
This is a clear and powerful demonstration of how it feels to be thirsty. Immediately, you enhance the appreciation of water. And your project, the development of water wells, becomes a lot more important to the audience. You can talk and talk about the terrible nature of thirst. But seeing somebody in front of you craving water is much more memorable.
Five senses in the world of presentations
Using the senses creates unique and memorable presentations. They help us associate an abstract idea with a tangible world. They inspire emotions, memories and are easily influential. And they enhance the story of your product or concept. By embracing all five senses in a presentation, you don’t just make it creative and memorable, you influence your audience.
Senses have been used in the animal world since the beginning of life. They have been used in the writing world to create immersive imaginary situations for readers. They have been used in the religious world to connect with life in a spiritual way.
Now, lets bring the five senses into the world of presentations! | <urn:uuid:1c3b4435-1935-4c0e-be08-5ff5f2392c66> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://24slides.com/presentbetter/engaging-senses-presentation-can-make-interesting/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370521574.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20200404073139-20200404103139-00395.warc.gz | en | 0.951136 | 1,335 | 2.515625 | 3 | The extract scores high for its comprehensive discussion of soft skills, specifically public speaking and presentation skills, and its creative approach to engaging audiences through the five senses. It provides practical applications and real-world examples, demonstrating a strong emphasis on professional development and cultural awareness. The use of storytelling, emotional intelligence, and sensory details makes the content engaging and memorable.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 722,535 | 1 |
By Alicia Bessette
Photo by Paola Nogueras ’84
Illustration by Esther Bunning
Professor Nathan Wright bases his course on the
conceptual tool of the “cultural diamond,” which has
four corners—the cultural object (in this case music),
its creators, its audience, and its social world.
How did Elvis become King?
A. Perhaps the birth of rock and roll resulted from antitrust legislation, and changes in the nature of radio due to the advent of television.
B. Perhaps the racial context of the 1950s, the mixing of Black and White artists, audiences, and forms of music made Elvis a star.
C. Or, perhaps there was something special about the music itself.
All of the above are viable scenarios in a course on how sociology offers a better understanding of popular music, and how popular music offers a better understanding of society.
Nathan Wright, assistant professor of sociology, built the course around sociologist Wendy Griswold’s conceptual tool of the “cultural diamond”: at its four corners, the cultural object (in this case music), its creators, its audience, and its social world.
“The goal is to use pop music as an analytic lens to explore all these relationships more broadly,” Wright says. “The point is that you can’t understand anything cultural without paying attention to all four points on the diamond, and all six relationships among those four points.”
As students plug variables into the cultural diamond model, lively debates emerge.
One debate that dominated research for decades concerns the role of popular music regarding domination and resistance. Is popular music a tool of domination, run by multinational capitalist entities to enforce an oppressive status quo? Or is popular music a tool for expressing resistance to oppression, and affecting social change?
Ultimately, students tend to find those questions too limiting, observes Wright, and they expand their debates to include additional issues such as sociability, collective rituals, identity formation, and authenticity.
The question of musical taste sparks robust conversation, too. Research suggests that when people express a dislike for a particular musical genre or band, that dislike is rooted in a desire to distance themselves from the kind of people they think like that genre, rather than an actual objective appreciation of the music itself. Often this “taste” happens along social class lines or political affiliations.
“Musical taste isn’t ‘innocent,’ in other words,” explains Wright. “Saying you like ‘everything but country’ is the obvious example here. It’s not because you have carefully listened to all the different subgenres in the history of country music and decided that it doesn’t appeal to you for purely musical reasons. Rather it’s a knee-jerk reaction against your (usually false) notions about who country music fans are.
“Both the field and the students recognize these aspects when it comes to musical taste, yet also recognize that taste can mean different things as well,” Wright adds. “Simon Frith’s book, Performing Rites: On the Value of Popular Music, is the one that ‘saves’ taste for most students, and I think because of this it is the one that many students most gravitate toward by the end of the class.”
‘Make the familiar strange’
Sociology of Popular Music was the first Bryn Mawr class for Genna Cherichello, a Haverford psychology major. “All of the assigned readings left me (and, by the way the class sessions went, most others in the class) with thoughts, questions, and concerns, and since they were focused around the topic of music, for which everyone in the class had a passion, this class was a refreshing way to start my Tuesday and Thursday mornings,” says Cherichello, whose main academic interest is the psychology and neuroscience of music.
Wright requires students to complete an eight- to 12- page research paper applying course insights to an area of pop music of interest, such as particular artists, albums, genres, movements, or subcultures. Cherichello’s research paper concerned mashups, a controversial genre that consists of songs made up of preexisting songs.
She discovered mashups in high school and was intrigued by the intellectual property issues they raised. Drawing upon some of the class readings about the fate of pop music, some philosophy about creativity, and even conversations with one artist in the field, she wrote a paper exploring the past, present, and future of mashups.
Maggie Larson ’10, a Growth and Structure of Cities major with a minor in education, researched sampling artist Gregg Michael Gillis, who goes by the stage name Girl Talk. Drawing from sources such as Pitchfork Magazine and the New York Times, she established the ways Girl Talk has been received across various audiences, focusing on concepts of taste, authenticity, and experience of the listener.
“Popular culture is too often something we seem to only passively accept or engage with in ways that are seemingly separate from analytic thinking,” Larson says. “Though at times what a Bryn Mawr student needs most is a chance to put the academic part of themselves on mute for a little while, exploring popular music as we did in the class allowed us to make the familiar strange and see and listen in new ways.
“The class was tremendously thought provoking,” Larson adds. “It demanded considering new and different ways of listening and thinking about popular culture. While a range of theories was presented, it was sometimes the nuance and subtlety between different schools of thought that were the most difficult but also the most interesting to work through and discuss.”
For Larson, a semester highlight was guest speaker Kip Berman from the band The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. A fan, Larson was thrilled to learn the lead singer would be visiting the class the day following their Philadelphia performance. Berman discussed how he considered music that came before him and his contemporaries, and his talk complemented the course material and reenergized classroom discussions, she says.
In addition to the longer research paper, weekly one- to two-page response papers help students synthesize various topics covered in the course, which include the merchants of cool, pop music as collective activity, the production of culture approach, pop music on the internet, critical theory, pop music as commodity, artists in pop music production, “authentic” popular music, musical taste, the Birmingham school, pop music as resistance, and music fandom and critical practice.
“I hope students leave the course able to appreciate all the ways that historically-contingent and sociallyconstructed structural situations influence the trajectory of their daily lives,” Wright says. “I hope students are able to find the ‘cultural diamond’ a useful model for applying to anything cultural at all, be it religious beliefs and practices—my own main research area—or the clothes they wear, foods they eat, books they read, movies they see, and ideas they encounter.
“I hear from students that they’re surprised how much this course seems to relate to so many of their other courses that seem so far removed from pop music,” Wright adds. “I think that’s because the social processes that are at work in pop music are so similar to the social processes that are at work everywhere.
“That’s actually why I teach this course: to introduce those social processes via a subject area that most college students are automatically interested in and involved in personally.”
Creating Country Music: Fabricating Authenticity by Richard A. Peterson (University of Chicago Press 1997).
Music Genres and Corporate Cultures by Keith Negus (Routledge 1999).
Performing Rites: On the Value of Popular Music by Simon Frith (Cambridge: Harvard University Press 1996).
Subculture: The Meaning of Style by Dick Hebdige (Routledge 1979).
Other referenced readings:
Art Worlds by Howard S. Becker (University of California Press 2008).
Commodify Your Dissent edited by Thomas Frank and Matt Weiland (W.W. Norton 1997).
Culture and Society: Contemporary Debates edited by Jeffrey Alexander and Steven Seidman (University Press 1990).
Cultures and Societies in a Changing World by Wendy Griswold (Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press 2008).
Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the Twentieth Century by Greil Marcus (Harvard University Press 2009).
On Record: Rock, Pop, & the Written Word edited by Simon Frith and Andrew Goodwin (Routledge 2000).
Popular Culture: Production and Consumption edited by C. Lee Harrington and Denise D. Bielby (Blackwell Publishers 2000).
Society Online: The Internet in Context edited by Philip N. Howard and Steve Jones (Sage Publications 2004).
Studies in Entertainment edited by T. Modleski (Indiana University Press 1986).
Understanding Popular Culture by John Fiske (Unwin Hyman 1989).
Welsh Psycho: Extracts from the Teenage Diary of Colin B. Morton by Colin B. Morton (www.beefheart.com/ zine/elshpsycho/index.html).
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“The class demanded considering new and different ways of listening and thinking about popular culture. While a range of theories was presented, it was sometimes the nuance and subtlety between different schools of thought that were the most difficult but also the most interesting to work through and discuss.” — Maggie Larson ’10 | <urn:uuid:221dc7f7-03f1-4777-9ccd-672f9b5d567c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.brynmawr.edu/alumnae/bulletin/may10/vas.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698104521/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095504-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945457 | 2,022 | 2.6875 | 3 | The extract scores high due to its comprehensive coverage of soft skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, and cultural awareness. The course discussed integrates emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and realistic scenarios, promoting nuanced interaction and complex problem-solving. The inclusion of diverse perspectives, guest speakers, and thought-provoking discussions fosters advanced communication, strategic thinking, and intercultural fluency.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 216,790 | 1 |
- Anita Koddick
Charles (Chip) Hauss
What are Apology and Forgiveness?
Apology and forgiveness are two sides of the same emotional coin. They reflect the constructive ways the oppressors and the oppressed in an intractable conflict can come to grips with the pain and suffering the conflict produced.
The oppressors who committed human rights violations and other atrocities have to take responsibility for their actions and apologize. An apology has to be heartfelt and reflect true remorse for past actions. An apology can still matter if it is made by someone who is several generations removed from the abuses, something President William Clinton understood when he apologized for slavery, even though it had been brought to an end almost a century before he was born.
By the same token, the victims of those atrocities have to find the space in their hearts to forgive those who victimized them, even though the pain and suffering will never disappear. But forgiving is just as important as apologizing in any society which wishes to put its struggles behind it and create a more peaceful and cooperative future.
In fact, atrocities are committed by both sides in most intractable conflicts. As a result, there is a need for all parties to make apologies and grant forgiveness. Nonetheless, because most of those disputes are "asymmetric" in the sense that one side has a lot more power than the other, the burden of apologizing tends to lie primarily with one side and that of forgiving with the other, something we saw in the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Why Apologies and Forgiveness Are Important
Apologies and forgiveness are important because intractable conflicts generate such deep and searing emotions. Even after the fighting stops, people still feel the pain, hurt, anger, fear, and hatred that produced the conflict and its horrors in the first place. Without apology and forgiveness, people remain locked in the value systems that produced the conflict. Little progress beyond a ceasefire can be made.
It is not easy, however, to apologize or forgive. To see that, consider two scenes from the remarkable documentary about the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, "Long Night's Journey Into Day."
The film ends with the case of two policemen who had asked for amnesty for their killing of seven young black teenagers during the struggle for the townships in the 1980s. The apology made by the white officer was anything but heartfelt. He remained arrogant, and clearly was making the apology only in order to have a chance at gaining amnesty. His lack of sincerity was obvious; he was refused. The other officer was black. The film showed his hearing before the Commission, where it was clear that he truly felt remorse. Nonetheless, the mothers of the seven boys were still so grief-stricken almost 15 years after the murders that they broke down and had to be taken from the room.
The Commission then set up a meeting between the former officer and the seven women. The officer was in tears for much of the session. For much of the session, the mothers remained adamant in their refusal to forgive him. Finally, one of them noticed that his name means "prayer" in Xhosa, his native language. She told him that, as a Christian, she realized that she had a duty to forgive. At that point, you could feel the tension escape from the room. Those eight people, brought together in tragedy, were ready to move on with their personal and political lives.
The film opens with the story of the Biehl family. Amy Biehl was a Fulbright scholar working on the transition to democracy in South Africa in 1993 when she was killed by a mob of angry young black men in the Guguletu township outside of Cape Town, where the murder of those seven boys occurred. Amy's parents, Peter and Linda Biehl, decided not to seek vengeance but to continue their daughter's work by creating the Amy Biehl Foundation. Meanwhile, the four young men who killed Amy were arrested and sentenced to lengthy prison terms. They then petitioned the TRC for amnesty and release from prison. The Biehls decided to support their claim because of the young men's remorse and their own commitment to the broader process of reconciliation. The day before they testified, they met the families of two of the men. After the film was completed, the Amy Biehl Foundation not only paid for the two who had shown the most remorse to finish their education, they hired them after they graduated.
To again see the importance of apology and forgiveness, consider the reactions of Germany and Japan toward the people they abused during World War II. Every German government since the creation of the Federal Republic in 1949 has sought to establish good working relationships with Israel. German NGOs are actively engaged with Israel as well. All the major German political parties have active foundations which are major supporters of the social sciences and the peace process in Israel. The German national soccer team made a point of visiting Israel's Holocaust memorial when they went there to play an international match. Many -- though by no means all -- Germans have dug deeply into their own souls to try to figure out how their country could have produced the Third Reich, something the novelist Guenter Grass depicted in his novel Dog Years, in which the German teenagers born right after the war all get magic glasses that allow them to see what their parents did. The Israeli government has reciprocated. Although few politicians have ever formally forgiven the Germans, almost all of them work as comfortably with their German counterparts as they do with French, British, or American politicians.
By contrast, the Japanese political elite are still divided over whether their government should apologize for some of its human-rights abuses, including forced prostitution in Korea, the "rape" of Nanjing, and the brutal treatment of British and Dutch prisoners of war. School textbooks, for instance, rarely even mention these events, whereas in Germany the rise and fall of Hitler's regime is a central theme in public education. Not surprisingly, most of the aging victims of those abuses continue to bear the Japanese considerable ill-will. While plenty of Jews are nowhere-near ready to "get over" the Holocaust, there is nothing in their public life that is anything like how the vitriol former British Prisoners of War demonstrate each year when they demand reparations for their treatment.
What Individuals, States, and Third Parties Can Do
As with everything involving reconciliation, apologizing and forgiving are, at their core, acts only individuals can perform. Of course, President Clinton could apologize for slavery or for failing to intervene in Rwanda on behalf of the American people. But his words are only empty rhetoric unless those same American people actually share those feelings.
But it is hard for people to apologize or forgive on their own. There are some remarkable human beings, like the Biehls, who can do so, but they are very much the exception to the rule. As a result, states and international NGOs normally have to take the lead and help average citizens see the need and then find the opportunity to apologize and forgive.
But Not Forget
There is an important but very common misperception about apology and forgiveness. When I talk to many of my fellow Jews about the need to forgive Germans so that we can "get beyond" the victim mentality so many of us still have following the Holocaust and the other trials we have suffered over the centuries, I'm frequently accused of saying I want them to forget those horrid events ever happened.
Absolutely not. We do have to remember the past as we consider ways of making certain holocausts never happen again. I live with the constant pain that much of my family was wiped out. We have pictures of relatives who were born at about the same time my mother was, in the early 1920s. She never met them because international travel was rare in the 1930s. She never will meet them because they are all dead. And I will never meet their children because they were never born. I once toured the Holocaust Museum in Washington with a group of CIA officers. The discussion we had during and after the visit was one of the most powerful and positive dialogues I've ever been a part of.
In other words, I can forgive because I can remember. And because I can forgive, I can work with ease with my German contemporaries, whose fathers may well have killed my cousins. And because so many Germans have apologized for what happened under the Nazis, they can work with people like me without feeling guilty for what their parents' generation did.
Long Night's Journey Into Day, a documentary film written and directed by Frances Reid and Deborah Hoffmann, produced by Frances Reid, Iris Films. Information about the film and a lot of associated information can be found at http://www.irisfilms.org/longnight/index.htm.
For another view of German/Jew reconciliation, read about (or listen to) the "To Reflect and Trust" project described in Julia Chaitin's essay on Narratives and Storytelling. See also the project Web site at http://www.toreflectandtrust.org/ and listen to her interview segment on TRT here.
Use the following to cite this article:
Hauss, Charles (Chip). "Apology and Forgiveness." Beyond Intractability. Eds. Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess. Conflict Information Consortium, University of Colorado, Boulder. Posted: September 2003 <http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/apology-forgiveness>. | <urn:uuid:76ddcd86-69e1-426e-94cb-a24b16278681> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/apology-forgiveness | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1387345776833/warc/CC-MAIN-20131218054936-00080-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975691 | 1,930 | 3.703125 | 4 | The extract provides a comprehensive discussion on apology and forgiveness in the context of intractable conflicts, highlighting their importance in reconciliation and healing. It offers realistic scenarios, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking opportunities, making it a valuable resource for developing soft skills such as empathy, leadership, and conflict resolution. The text also incorporates cultural awareness, digital literacy, and practical applications, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of complex issues.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 477,634 | 1 |
Puberty linked to poor circumstances
Social and economic disadvantage could be an evolutionary trigger for children to hit early puberty.
A major Australian study of almost 3,700 children has found early puberty is linked to social and economic disadvantage, and could carry future health problems.
Early puberty is associated with a higher risk of emotional and social problems from depression to substance abuse, as well as heart disease, stroke, and even cancers such as breast and prostate cancers.
The study by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, found that boys from the lowest socio-economic households were four times more likely to hit puberty early and that girls from such disadvantaged households were almost twice as likely to hit puberty early.
Forty per cent of the lowest status boys in the study – using data from The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) - had entered puberty early, compared to only 12 per cent of the highest status boys.
For girls, 28 per cent of the lowest status group had entered puberty, compared with 16 per cent among the highest status.
“The results raise important questions over how social disadvantage might get under the skin,” says the study’s senior researcher, Professor George Patton.
“It may be that there are mechanisms that we don’t necessarily understand. For example, it could be that a child’s perception of low status somehow translates into biological processes that then unlock the switch that keeps puberty at bay. We don’t know.”
Dr Patton speculates that these processes could be evolutionary - speeding up the process of sexual maturation to increase reproduction to counter a potentially shorter life due to the social-economic disadvantages.
“As a species, when social conditions are unfavourable, we may be programmed to accelerate the process of into puberty and reproductive maturity,” he said.
The study has been published the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. | <urn:uuid:9c75f07a-3623-4072-96a8-38d402b6591e> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | http://www.educationcareer.net.au/archived-news/puberty-linked-to-poor-circumstances | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224654097.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20230608035801-20230608065801-00304.warc.gz | en | 0.947765 | 392 | 2.984375 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing on a scientific study's findings without practical application or scenarios for communication, teamwork, or problem-solving. It provides superficial coverage of a topic unrelated to soft skills development.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 585,540 | 0 |
Why don't my pecan trees produce any nuts?
When I look up the minimum seed bearing age for pecans in the Woody Plant Seed Manual it says it takes 10 to 20 years. So you may start getting flowering and fruiting soon. That is the age if the trees were grown from seed. If you planted trees that already were a few years old from seed then that would take off a few years. The best way to cut the time to fruit production (not just for pecans) is to plant grafted trees. The shoot (top) part that is grafted onto the rootstock already is advanced in age because it is a twig cut from a much older tree. So it bears fruit right away or with little delay. | <urn:uuid:13ff46c8-9d6b-4955-835e-039352f9770c> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://ask.extension.org/questions/259478 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875141653.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20200217030027-20200217060027-00128.warc.gz | en | 0.978109 | 153 | 2.546875 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing solely on a specific topic in horticulture. It provides straightforward information without scenarios requiring communication, leadership, or problem-solving. The content is informative but limited to theoretical knowledge with no practical application of soft skills.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 626,624 | 0 |
Indigenous Peoples as International Political Actors: Indigenousness and Construction of Political Agency - INDIPO
Leader: Monica Tennberg Start of the project: 2005
Research group: Sustainable development End of the project: 2007
The project was funded by the Academy of Finland.
Indigenous peoples have emerged as active participants in international relations. They claim a right to participation and to consultation in political decision-making and to represent their interests based on self-determination. Indigenous peoples’ organisations in the Arctic have been in the forefront of political mobilization of indigenous peoples internationally.
This research project draws on theories and practices in international politics and international law to study the construction of political agency of indigenous peoples and their participation in international policy-making. The research project analyses how indigenousness is used politically as a claim to self-determination and sovereignty in international system and what political consequences this claim has.
Drawing on two different disciplinary starting points, international relations and international law, the project addressed two interrelated questions.
- The first of these was how relations between states, international organisations and indigenous peoples have been and are currently constructed as legal and political practices.
- The second was how indigenous peoples construct their political agency through different strategies to further their political interests.
These questions are addressed from the point of view of power relations. The power to act is the basic form of political agency. However, this power may take different forms of political action, for example, self-identification, participation, influence, and representation.
The main conclusions of the project are:
1) indigenous political agency is based on multiple forms of power;
2) practices of power that enable and constrain indigenous political agency change over time;
3) power circulates and produces multiple sites of encounters for states, international organisations and indigenous people;
4) indigenous political agency is a question of acting; and
5) there are new challenges ahead for indigenous peoples in claiming a political voice, in particular in global climate politics.
The research group studied documents, statements, declarations and speeches by states’, international organizations’ and indigenous peoples‘ representatives. In addition, researchers used different interview techniques to elicit material for analysis, such as conversation analysis, Q-methodology and participant observation.
The research group:
- Leader: research professor Monica Tennberg (Arctic Centre, University of Lapland)
- The research group at the Arctic centre: researcher Scott Forrest, researcher Marjo Lindroth, researcher Merja Pentikäinen (Northern Institute of Minority and Environmental Law), researcher Heidi Sinevaara-Niskanen (Faculty of Education, University of Lapland), and research professor Timo Koivurova (Northern Institute of Environmental and Minority Law)
- The members of the international INDIPO research network are: professor Bård A. Berg (Sami Studies Center, University of Tromsø), director Jens Dahl (International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, Copenhagen), professor René Kuppe (Institute for Law and Religion, University of Vienna), researcher Natalia Loukacheva (University of Toronto) and senior research fellow Tamara Semenova (Russian Research Institute for Natural and Cultural Heritage under the Russian Academy of Sciences). Academy of Sciences).
- INDIPO panel at the International Studies Association’s (ISA) annual convention, 28.2.-3.3.2005 Hawaii, USA
- Presentation of the project in Inari, Finland, 19.11.2005
- VAKAVA graduate course “Producing and Performing Collective Agencies, 30.11.-1.12.2006, Rovaniemi, Finland.
- International INDIPO seminar, 1-2.2.2007, Rovaniemi, Finland.
- INDIPO seminar in Moscow, April 18th, 2008.
- Jens Dahl, “United Nations as a platform for indigenous peoples” presented at the INDIPO seminar 1-2.2.2007, Rovaniemi, Finland
- Scott Forrest, “From Definitions to Norms: Recasting conceptions of indigenous identity” presented at the VAKAVA graduate course 30.11.-1.12.2006, Rovaniemi, Finland.
- Scott Forrest, “People and peoples: Perceptions of indigenousness in Lapland” presented at the INDIPO seminar 1-2.2.2007, Rovaniemi, Finland
- Elina Helander, “Traditional symbols as identity markers in modern Sami politics?” presented at the INDIPO seminar 1-2.2.2007, Rovaniemi, Finland
- Timo Koivurova, “Legal personality in international law: Problems and possibilities for indigenous peoples” presented at the INDIPO seminar 1-2.2.2007, Rovaniemi, Finland
- René Kuppe, “The three dimensions of the rights of indigenous peoples. Recognition and obstacles” presented at the INDIPO seminar 1-2.2.2007, Rovaniemi, Finland
- Marjo Lindroth, Intergovernmental organizations as political arenas for indigenous NGO presented at the VAKAVA graduate course 30.11.-1.12.2006, Rovaniemi, Finland.
- Marjo Lindroth, “Indigenous NGOs and strategies of political agency” presented at the INDIPO seminar 1-2.2.2007, Rovaniemi, Finland
- Marjo Lindroth, “Constructing indigenous political agency in the UN: Arctic indigenous NGOs and the global indigenous movement” presented at Knowledge and Power in the Arctic conference, 16-18.4.2007, Rovaniemi, Finland.
- Natalia Loukacheva, “Indigenous internationalism in the Arctic: In search of a legal justification” presented at the INDIPO seminar 1-2.2.2007, Rovaniemi, Finland
- Merja Pentikäinen, “International human rights and the ’right’ to be different - with a special focus on indigenous peoples” presented at the INDIPO seminar, 1-2.2.2007, Rovaniemi, Finland.
- Tamara Semenova, “Sustainable Development: Views of Northern Indigenous Peoples” presented at the INDIPO seminar 1-2.2.2007, Rovaniemi, Finland
- Heidi Sinevaara-Niskanen, “The political agency of arctic indigenous women – in and between the individual, collective and institutional agencies” presented at the VAKAVA graduate course 30.11.-1.12.2006 Rovaniemi, Finland.
- Monica Tennberg, “The Problem of agency in international relations” presented at the INDIPO seminar 1-2.2.2007, Rovaniemi, Finland.
- Monica Tennberg, “Indigenous Peoples as International Politics Actors: The Problem of Agency in International Relations” presented at the Knowledge and Power in the Arctic conference, 16-18.4.2007, Rovaniemi, Finland.
- Monica Tennberg (2010) Indigenous peoples as international political actors: a summary. Polar Record 46(238):264-270.
- Koivurova, T. 2008. The draft Nordic Saami Convention: nations working together. International Community Law Review 10: 279-293.
- Kuppe, R. 2009. The three dimensions of the rights of indigenous peoples. International Community Law Review 11: 101-116.
- Loukacheva, N. 2009. Arctic indigenous peoples’ internationalism: in search of a legal justification. Polar Record 45(23): 51-58.
- Pentikäinen, M. 2009. Creating an integrated society, managing diversity and human rights in Europe. In: Bloed, A., R. Hofmann, J. Marko, J. Maynall, and J. Packer (editors). European Yearbook of Minority Issues 2006/07 vol 6. Leiden, Boston: Martinus Nijhoff: 329-368.
- Sinevaara-Niskanen, H. 2007. Pohjoisen poliittisissa yhteisöissä. Arktinen Neuvosto ja alkuperäiskansojen naisten toiminnan tilat [In northern political communities. Arctic Council and indigenous women’s spaces of action]. In: Keskitalo-Foley, S., M. Autti, P. Naskali and H. Sinevaara-Niskanen (editors). Kuulumisia. Feministisiä tulkintoja naisten toimijuuksista [Feminist interpretations of women’s agencies]. Rovaniemi: Lapland University.
- Monica Tennberg (2006), Introduction to INDIPO project. Polar Record 42(221):100.
- Timo Koivurova & Leena Heinämäki (2006), The participation of indigenous peoples in international norm-making in the Arctic. Polar Record 42(221):101-109.
- Scott Forrest (2006), Indigenous self-determination in Finland: A case study in normative change. Polar Record 42(222):229-238.
- Marjo Lindroth (2006), Indigenous-state relations in the UN: Establishing the indigenous forum. Polar Record 42(222):239-248.
- Jessica Shadian (2006), Remaking Arctic Governance: The construction of an Arctic Inuit polity. Polar Record 42(222):249-259.
- Tamara Semenova (2007), Political mobilization of northern peoples in Russia. Polar Record 43(224):23-32)
Research Professor Monica Tennberg
Arctic Centre, University of Lapland | <urn:uuid:588f7a0b-da56-44d9-8347-093ac334102a> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.arcticcentre.org/EN/research/Projects/Pages/INDIPO | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875143963.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20200219000604-20200219030604-00448.warc.gz | en | 0.783217 | 2,067 | 2.703125 | 3 | The extract scores 3 points because it specifically includes discussion of soft skills, such as leadership, critical thinking, and problem-solving, and features realistic scenarios that integrate emotional intelligence. The project's focus on indigenous peoples' political agency and participation in international policy-making demonstrates practical applications with meaningful context, incorporating cultural awareness and modern digital literacy skills. However, the extract lacks complex scenarios requiring sophisticated communication and strategic thinking across multiple contexts, limiting its score to 3 points.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 533,957 | 0 |
The recent political climate while challenging and disruptive has brought together a much-needed opportunity for hope, diversity and political activism to the U.S. The midterm election results established many firsts for minority women, women of color and LGBT candidates.
At least 244 LGBT candidates ran for office, according to MarketWatch. Additionally, nearly one-third of candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives were women of color – and many were Indian American at that.
Here’s what you need to know about this record-breaking election:
Major Firsts – Female Power
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Youngest woman elected to Congress
Twenty-nine-year-old Democratic candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the youngest woman ever elected for Congress. She is now a U.S. House of Representatives member-elect for New York’s 14th Congressional District.
Sharice Davids and Debra Haaland: First Native American women elected to Congress
Attorney Sharice Davids became the first lesbian Native American Woman elected to Congress and the first openly LGBT person to represent Kansas. She is now a member-elect of the House for Kansas’ 3rd district. Meanwhile, Debra Haaland, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe and attorney is member-elect for the House for New Mexico’s 1st district. Haaland has served as a White House Fellow during the Obama administration.
Ilahn Omar & Rashida Tlaib: First Muslim women elected to Congress
Ilahn Omar (member-elect of the U.S House of Representative for Minnesota’s 5th district) and Rashida Tlaib are the first Muslim women that have been elected to Congress. Ilahn Omar is the first Somali-American elected to Congress, while Tlaib is the first Palestinian-American elected to Congress. Tlaib is member-elect of the U.S. House of Representatives for Michigan’s 13th district.
Ayanna Pressley: First African-American woman from Massachusetts elected to Congress
Ayanna Pressley, an at-large member of the Boston City Council, is member-elect of the House for Massachusetts 7th district. Pressley was Boston’s first black city councilor and now will serve as Boston’s first black woman elected to Congress.
Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia: First Hispanic women to represent Texas in Congress
Veronica Escobar is member-elect to the House for Texas’ 16th congressional district, where she served as a county commissioner and judge for seven years. State Senator Sylvia Garcia, who served as city controller in Houston, once sworn in, will serve as House Representative for Texas’ 29th congressional district.
State Sen. Sylvia Garcia, who is also a former city controller in Houston, won her race against Republican Phillip Aronoff and Libertarian Cullen Burns in Texas’ 29th congressional district, which includes Houston and Pasadena.
Padma Kuppa: First Indian American woman elected to the Michigan State House
Padma Kuppa is member-elect for the House for Michigan’s 41st District. While she is not the first Indian American woman elected to Congress (a title held by Pramila Jayapal), she is the first Indian American woman from Michigan to be elected to the House.
Nima Kulkarni: First Indian American woman elected to the Kentucky State House
Attorney and community activist Nima Kulkarni will represent Kentucky’s 40th district in the House.
Major Firsts: Asian American Representation in the New York State Senate
Indian American attorney Kevin Thomas and Taiwanese-American John Liu are the first Asian-Americans elected to New York’s State Senate. Liu served as New York City’s comptroller in 2010 and was the first Asian-American to occupy that role. He later served as a city councilman, making him the first Asian-American to be elected to a citywide office.
Thomas was appointed to the New York State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in 2016. Thomas and Liu are both immigrants, making their win even more historic.
Re-election of four members of the House:
- Congressman Ami Bera from California’s 7th congressional district
- Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal from Washington State’s 7th Congressional district
- Ro Khanna from California’s 17th Congressional district
- Raja Krishnamoorthi from Illinois’ 8th Congressional district
Election of six new state legislators:
- Padma Kuppa (Michigan): State House, District 41
- Kevin Thomas (NY): State Senate, District 6
- Mujtaba Mohammed (N.C.): State Senate, District 38
- Amish Shah (Ariz.): State House of Representatives, District 24
- Ram Villivalam (Illinois): State Senate, District 8
- Nima Kulkarni (Kentucky): State House, District 40
Thomas, Kulkarni, Shah, and Villivalam are all the first Indian Americans to serve in their state legislatures.
It’s safe to say that America heard our cry for diversity in representation. These individuals have made history for their states, counties, and heritage. Brown Girl Magazine wishes them the best as they forge ahead and move the needle towards a less divisive and more equal country. | <urn:uuid:a592a2ae-318a-4fc2-bac6-423dd924887c> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://browngirlmagazine.com/diversity-and-politics-winners-from-the-2018-midterm-elections/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296946584.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20230326235016-20230327025016-00716.warc.gz | en | 0.955918 | 1,135 | 2.65625 | 3 | The extract discusses the historic midterm election results, highlighting the achievements of minority women, women of color, and LGBT candidates. While it showcases diversity and representation, it lacks depth in discussing soft skills, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. The article primarily focuses on reporting factual information, providing limited opportunities for nuanced interaction, emotional intelligence, or complex problem-solving.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 352,758 | 0 |
From games in the app stores that hone your thinking skills to professionals agreeing about the frequent need for critical thinking in the workplace, most people think that the upswing in analytical and critical thinking is a good thing that can even be fun.
What do these terms actually mean? How do you develop these skills? And how do they apply in everyday life?
Let’s start with definitions and work our way up to the application of these thought processes from the office to the home.
Critical thinking is the art of thinking well and improving the art of thinking. This is the kind of thinking that drives people to the top of Everest, around the world, and creates such things as Wikipedia. Today, it is often associated with thinking about hard problems or questions that really don’t have answers.
Analytical thinking, on the other hand, is a specific subset of thinking that is concerned with finding the solutions. Examples include the development of gear suited for the extreme conditions of Everest, faster and better traveling methods, and the actual answers that Wikipedia collects. A great example of this is the scientific method.
Because it is a subset of skills, you may find analytical thinking grouped under the term critical thinking. This is similar to comparing consumer math to math. However, for the purposes of this breakdown, the focus will be on critical thinking as it relates to theory and analytical thinking as it relates to practicality.
Critical and Analytical Thinking At Work
The office is one of the best places to practice critical and analytical thinking, with a few caveats. No one really appreciates a smarty-pants and most people have had the (dis) pleasure of dealing with someone like that. Think twice and speak once.
With that out of the way, critical thinking works best in situations and roles where you are planning for the long term. Examples include forecasting where a project should go using what you know now, looking for a better vendor or tool to implement in the office, or considering a department or career change.
Analytical thinking fills in the steps one takes to bring the theory to life. Creating a budget for a new project, testing a vendor or implementing a new tool, and researching where you would want to work next are all ways that analytical thinking would apply to critical considerations.
Critical and Analytical Thinking With Friends
With friends, it can be more difficult to think at all, depending on the friendship in question. How long you have known each other and what you do together can influence your thought process about them. This can get in the way of any sort of thinking, let alone strenuous thinking!
However, analytical and critical thinking can still be done. Examples, where critical thinking can help in a friendship (or just on a night out), include planning the agenda together, making sure that you choose something that most of you will enjoy, and coming up with new places and experiences to try.
Analytical thinking kicks in (again) on the execution side of the equation, like calling to make reservations, remembering everyone’s dietary restrictions, or coordinating the carpool. Sometimes in a friend group, one more analytical thinker will come to the front to finish things up. Give your friend a hand when they need one because ideas come all the time, but experiences do not.
Critical and Analytical Thinking With Family
Depending on the type of family, siblings, fur babies, parents, and a thousand other factors, a family can be one of the toughest situations in which to use critical and analytical thinking.
The major upside of using critical thinking with members of your family is that it can help you consider the why behind old and new issues, situations, and unexpected new challenges that can crop up. Critical thinking enables you to look at a situation from different perspectives to make the best conclusion. Family provides us with a wide range of experience to draw from and can help us consider options we might not naturally. Where the analysis enters is in choosing to apply this insight. Thinking analytically can also help us stay focused on our goals with our family, instead of falling back into old emotional habits.
Critical and analytical thinking skills aren’t the easiest to acquire. In some cases, they can be some of the hardest skills to deploy when you want to. But just like any other skill, you must know what it is and how to practice it. You’ve got this. | <urn:uuid:9e3d93d7-633f-4760-bb0e-54a487eead9c> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://akpsi.org/analytical-and-critical-thinking-explained/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370491998.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20200328134227-20200328164227-00070.warc.gz | en | 0.947646 | 893 | 3.09375 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive discussion of critical and analytical thinking, including definitions, applications, and practical examples in various contexts such as work, friendships, and family. It highlights the importance of these skills in real-life situations, demonstrating a strong emphasis on practical application and nuanced interaction. The extract also touches on emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and cultural awareness, warranting a high score.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 772,611 | 1 |
Understanding National Standards results
Is the publication of results:
(a) A disaster.
(b) A turning point.
(c) A triumph.
(d) All of the above.
Don't fret. There's no easy answer.
Four years of fury and conjecture over the Government's controversial, but popular, national standards policy came before today. Now, for the first time, the results are public.
We can see, for example, that about 8 per cent of the nation's primary and intermediate age pupils have been placed well below the standard in writing. We can see that about 35 per cent were put above the standard for reading - better than the 22 per cent of Pacifica pupils and the 25 per cent of Maori who made the same grade.
Parents will, inevitably, want to know where their child's school fits in to the national picture. But how much store should be put in the figures? Does the national standards data prove anything at all about the quality of a school?
There is a unanimous expert opinion - even among those championing the potential of the National Standards - that it would be very foolish indeed to make judgments about any school on the basis of their results. Not yet, anyway.
The standards, which were rushed in to law as one of the first acts of the National-led Government in 2009, are in to their third year of use for children in years 1 to 8. Since 2010, schools have been required to report to parents at least twice a year on the progress of pupils against the standards, but it was only in May this year that school-level results had to be sent to the Education Ministry.
The Education Review Office (ERO) estimates that about 72 per cent of schools had taken up the standards by the end of last year - an improvement on 60 per cent the year before.
But just using the National Standards is not a simple matter. Teachers don't just open a book marked "National Standards: Maths, Year One" and run a bunch of tests from the book on their class.
When the standards were developed, experts successfully lobbied the Government not to base them on the national testing that is used in other countries.
Instead, the National Standards results have been decided by "Overall Teacher Judgements" (OTJs).
A whole mixture of things goes in to any one OTJ.
Informal assessment by watching the daily activities of a pupil is one. Figuring out what a pupil knows and their ability to express themselves by talking to them is another. And weight is also given to results from more formal assessments, including standardised tests like PAT, STAR and e-asTTle.
Dr Jenny Poskitt, who devised a system to help teachers make OTJs on the National Standards, says teachers need a range of skills and some pretty in-depth knowledge to make solid OTJs. First, they must know the curriculum very well; they must also understand a fair bit about child development; and they have to know what counts as robust assessment and what doesn't.
Getting all of those skills together for every teacher in the country - and marshalling them for use specifically on National Standards - takes time and money.
"What we've learnt from overseas is that reliability, that consistency of judgment takes a number of years of professional development and lots of time spent in teacher discussions to get that consistency," Dr Poskitt says.
"We are not there yet and we are unlikely to be there for three to five years."
Up to now, only a few schools have got to the point of checking their use of the National Standards against others. There has been no formal moderation between schools, and the support for teachers appears to have missed the mark for some.
The first of the four independent evaluation reports into National Standards implementation, carried out by Maths Technology Ltd (MTL) and published last year, found only one-third of teachers were using current assessment evidence for reading and maths OTJs, and a little over half for writing OTJs.
"Most principals described themselves as minimally supported or unsupported by the Ministry of Education. The areas in which principals felt most supported were making OTJs, and reporting to families and whanau, while they felt least supported to moderate OTJs," the report found.
Glennis Vinton, principal of Stanley Bay School in Auckland says schools are reading ministry guidelines for the standards "in very different ways".
"Some are being very lenient in their decisions and some, like us, being very conservative," she says.
Even if the standards reach a point where they are considered more robust, many schools still have doubts about their usefulness and concerns about their potential to cause harm.
"Data hides a lot of stuff," Edendale School principal David McKenzie says.
"Numbers conceal human beings with all the events that shape and make up their lives."
McKenzie notes the untold impact on National Standards results of things like attendance, the amount and quality of pre-school learning and transience.
"The children that we assess from one year to the next can be quite different," he says.
"As a general rule we work on the measure that each shift [of school] impacts a child by negative one term. So if a child is onto their fourth school they have lost four terms which equals one year's worth of learning. Therefore, the reason a child may be below has little to do with the quality of teaching and learning systems within a school, but more to do with the level of instability that is being experienced within the child's home life."
But McKenzie is not wholly against the standards.
Like hundreds of other schools that gave their National Standards data to Fairfax, Edendale School plans to use its data to help pick its priorities for the following year.
"We use the data to help us consider the areas of our school where there are learning needs for the children. We then will set goals for the following year based upon what the data is showing," McKenzie says.
That probably qualifies McKenzie as something like a model student.
Both Education Minister Hekia Parata and ERO chief review officer Graham Stoop are most enthusiastic about the potential for the National Standards data to drive powerful changes in what schools do for their pupils.
Stoop admits it's "early days", but he says the standards are already showing signs of potential.
"If schools are finding on the basis of their National Standards information that there is a group of students that aren't meeting the standards, the question that ERO wants to know is, well, what are you doing about that, what plans have you got in place? What self-review mechanisms have you got in place to help you with making sure that in time those students do meet the standards," Stoop says.
"Potentially, as they're developed further, there will be some good conversations that we'll be able to have about how they're going to use that National Standards information to do something different, innovative perhaps, systematic with the students who need that assistance."
This well-recognised and highly-regarded concept of "assessment for learning" as opposed to just "assessment of learning" has the support of the Government's academic favourite, Professor John Hattie.
In his well-known synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement, Hattie said the best schools boast pupils that are "assessment capable". Kids who know how well they are doing and where they are going to next will invariably get there, Hattie found.
This is perfectly possible without National Standards, but Stoop insists they have given it an extra push.
"In the past, we often found the schools didn't have that [assessment] information or they had it, but they weren't doing anything with it," he says.
"With National Standards, all schools have data and what we're interested in is what schools are doing with that data."
Perhaps most significantly, if they are successful, the standards should improve the links between home and school.
A focus-group study conducted by Colmar Brunton for the Education Ministry in July found a perception among parents that school management tended to only tell them about successes. Parents wanted to feel confident that achievement reported as good or improving was genuine and they could ask the right questions if it was not, the study found.
Poskitt, a former primary school teacher, says schools have historically struggled to give it to parents straight when a child is struggling.
"It's often been coloured or mystified and parents haven't understood," Poskitt says.
"The standards have the potential to give that clarity of telling parents earlier - look, your child is behind."
Once they know what's needed, most parents will move mountains to help their kids succeed, she says.
And there are few things to match the potency of well-engaged parents for a child's learning.
Given the weaknesses of the National Standards data, however, parents are being actively encouraged in a new campaign by ERO to look at a whole range of things when searching for the right school for their children.
Its website has had a revamp and includes advice to parents on "the six dimensions of a successful school".
According to ERO, parents should probe primary schools with questions like what exactly "on track" to meet a standard means, or how much work their child might need to do to catch up.
"We want parents to be increasingly involved in the education of their children, knowing about the school and being able to make informed decisions about which school is best for their children or child," Stoop says.
The importance of one of the six dimensions - school culture - is shown in a 2010 survey of 1168 Kiwi school children in school years 4-8. The study, published in the Educational Research journal, found involvement in bullying was related to empathy and classroom climate, with bullies and their victims having the lowest connection to school and the poorest relationships with their teachers.
Hattie suggests parents watch the playground atmosphere for cues.
"Do the students look each other in the eye? Or do they avoid each other, or sit in cliques," he suggests parents ask.
That's not the kind of thing parents will typically read in an ERO report. While Stoop insists the ERO is improving the parent-friendliness of its reports, Dr Poskitt has an even better idea.
"Nothing beats going in to a school and meeting a principal, walking around the playground and getting a sense for the way of life at that school," Poskitt says.
"How friendly they are, how at ease you feel and if you feel that you could go in with any concerns about your child and be listened to and have them do their best for you and your child.
"Those are really important things that an ERO report can't tell you and nor can National Standards results."
HOW TO RECOGNISE A GOOD SCHOOL
Professor John Hattie suggests 10 indicators for parents:
1. In the playground, do the students look each other in the eye? Or do they avoid each other, or sit in cliques.
2. Diversity breeds fresh thinking. Can they show you genuine evidence it is encouraged?
3. How do they measure success? By the achievements of the few or of the many?
4. Ask to meet the best teacher. If they tell you they're all good, they're not thinking clearly.
5. Who do students turn to? Every student should have someone who knows how they are doing and will spend time with them.
6. Do new students make friends in the first month? It is a critical indicator for success: how does the school make sure it happens with all students?
7. Do they like mistakes? Learning starts from not knowing, so do they embrace that? Do students feel confident enough to talk about errors or not knowing something?
8. Are students "assessment capable" in this school. Can they talk about how well they are doing, where they are now and going next?
9. Do they use acceleration for all? Are students enabled to learn at different speeds?
10. What feedback do students get? Ask - "what did you get told about your work today"?
- © Fairfax NZ News | <urn:uuid:9cc1e36e-1a45-4d15-8864-10eee920a88d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/7712173/Understanding-National-Standards-results | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706631378/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121711-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975881 | 2,527 | 2.875 | 3 | The extract lacks direct discussion of soft skills, focusing on educational policy and standards. However, it touches on aspects like communication, empathy, and critical thinking in the context of education. The article promotes parental involvement, student assessment, and school culture, which indirectly relates to soft skills development. Given the indirect and limited coverage, the score is justified.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 171,606 | 0 |
If you want to others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. – Dalai Lama
“Maybe you should try practicing some compassion,” I said to my friend.
“I do! I try to think of what I did to trigger his actions. What can I say that will make him not get upset?”
My friend was stuck in herself. What could she say or do that would make someone else behave differently? That’s not practicing compassion, that’s practicing controlling. (Controlling can masquerade as consideration, but that’s a topic for another day.)
Compassion employs empathy to imagine what it must be like to be that person in that moment.
Here’s an example:
Sometimes my husband works from home. He’ll come upstairs for lunch and grab a sandwich and then disappear downstairs.
Selfishness takes it personally, “What did I do that made him go back downstairs? Did I piss him off?” Selfishness creates disharmony.
Compassion says “He must have so much to do, I bet he’s feeling a lot of stress. How can I help?”
Compassion is the source of harmony. When I am able to practice a genuine compassion for my family, my customers, my colleagues, my friends, and even complete strangers, then my mind is at ease. I’m happy. If I’m thinking of what other people are going through it’s easier to see where I can be most useful. Being useful helps other people, which in turn makes them happy.
Just for Today
Today I will look at where selfishness has had free rein. I will try to imagine what others’ lives are like and try not to take things so personally.
God, thanks for demonstrating compassion for me. Help me today to follow your example and practice compassion especially towards those people who really irritate me. Help me to remember that the practice of compassion is to help rid me of selfishness and discord. May I do your will. | <urn:uuid:f5907cfd-dc29-4282-b57f-ce40ac54398e> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://heatherdellapi.blog/2018/03/18/compassion/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875145910.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200224071540-20200224101540-00182.warc.gz | en | 0.968156 | 441 | 2.5625 | 3 | The extract discusses compassion and empathy, promoting self-reflection and understanding of others' perspectives. It provides relatable examples and encourages readers to practice compassion, letting go of selfishness and controlling behaviors. The text integrates emotional intelligence, leadership, and critical thinking, earning a high score.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 419,717 | 1 |
The Causes of ESN
ESN’s mission is to represent international students, but it can be done in many ways. Would you like to better understand ESN’s scope of work? Then this article is just for you!
From organising integrating activities for exchange students to contributing to the increase of employability of local youth, ESN’s scope of work is very wide. ESN gathers young people from various cultural and educational backgrounds who contribute to the diversity of the organisation’s work while creating opportunities for personal and professional development of their peers.
The variety of activity can be divided into six causes ESN members advocate for on all levels of the organisation: culture, education & youth, environmental sustainability, health & well-being, skills & employability and social inclusion.
Culture; customs, values and social behavior of a particular group of people at a particular time. Experiencing the way of life in diverse and unknown cultures is a strong motivator for young people to move abroad in order to participate in mobility programmes. One of ESN’s values is unity in diversity, diversity in unity and our members work hard to provide opportunities for cultural understanding to both international and local members of their community, as well as open an intercultural dialogue between them. Our members organise city tours, visits to various cultural institutions, trips to National Parks and other places of importance in the country in order to showcase their cultural and natural heritage, therefore actively contributing to the country’s tourism efforts. However, they also organise events such as international dinners, language and cooking tandems and speed friendings to introduce the international dimension of life to the members of their local community. By introducing international and exchange students to the legacy of their country, the pride our members feel towards their own heritage increases and they learn how to embrace the differences that make them special. Together, they create an environment of acceptance and appreciation based on respect and tolerance. On top of that, thanks to the good cooperation and healthy communication with various stakeholders and partners in the field, ESN is able to join Europe-wide opportunities, like the European Year of Cultural Heritage, and make a broader contribution to the cause.
EDUCATION & YOUTH
As a key volunteer student organisation in international higher education in Europe, our members provide information about mobility programmes and motivate students to study abroad. They organise mobility conferences to increase the accessibility of information, as well as share their own mobility experience in order to showcase how such an experience can be an investment into one's future. Our members can often be found at various mobility and scholarship fairs organised nationally by stakeholders who recognise ESN as a likely partner and a trustworthy source of information. Such recognition allows our members to advocate for better and more accessible mobility opportunities among decision makers in their country, as well as create nation-wide initiatives. Promotion of volunteering and active citizenship is very important to our organisation; ESN contributes to the field by conducting its own research initiatives like the ESNsurvey and publishing papers, like the ErasmusUpgrade Manifesto. Additionally, in collaboration with their university, our members work hard to ensure fair, smooth and enjoyable mobility period for all international and exchange students. We take pride in Erasmus in Schools, an activity where our members promote opportunities and benefits of higher education to elementary and high school students, while their exchange students hold country presentations and discuss their current mobility experience. This way, we ensure the maintenance in popularity of mobility programmes among upcoming generations, as well as create future volunteers and active citizens.
ESN stands for active citizenship, which includes actively partaking in finding solutions for current problems. Environmental sustainability is one of the major struggles of today’s society and, when it comes to this field, our members try to raise awareness about the issue and lead by example. They are always open to debate the connection between veganism and environment or share useful tips and facts when it comes to recycling, reusing and reducing. They also organise events of similar nature, like Erasmus Forest - an activity where local and exchange students plant seeds or saplings, or events aimed at cleaning some contaminated area, like a beach or a park.
HEALTH & WELL-BEING
Mens sana in corpore sano. Moving abroad for an exchange is a big turnaround which includes changing our everyday habits. Regular practices usually happen when we have a stable routine, and it’s kind of hard to plan anything when you are aware that you will have to change your lifestyle again in 6 months or so. When they move to another country, exchange students usually spend quite a lot of time on trying out the national cuisine which often includes dining out, as well as tasting products offered in shops in order to discover which ones actually suit their needs. Also, they have a certain monthly budget they depend on which can make it quite hard to purchase big quantities of healthy food which is usually more expensive. Apart from figuring out their dietary needs, exchange students also spend quite a lot of time setting up their new life which can be a source of some physical and emotional distress. Knowing this, local sections often organise sport related events such as hiking, football matches and dance classes, or make ESNcard discount deals with their local gym. They also organise healthy eating workshops, publish healthy recipes or give tips on where to purchase affordable healthy food in their city. Additionally, ESN also implements Responsible Party, an activity which revolves around the moderate alcohol consumption, and International Erasmus Games, an annual sport competition for exchange students all over Europe.
SKILLS & EMPLOYABILITY
According to the Erasmus Impact Study launched by the European Commission in 2012, 85% of students study or train abroad to enhance their employability and more than 90% of students reported an improvement in their transversal skills. On average, 92% of employers are looking for transversal skills, on top of knowledge in their field (91%) and relevant work experience (78%). On top of recognising mobility programmes as a powerful tool for personal and professional growth, ESN also provides opportunities for self-development for our volunteers by organising workshops and training events where they can gain and develop their skills. Afterwards, they use those newly acquired skills to advance their local community, as well as create additional learning opportunities for their international and exchange students. They quite often organise career fairs and various soft skills related events for local youth, however, they also advocate at their universities for their members to receive ECTS points for their volunteer efforts. ESN has its own internal training programme, Eduk8, aimed at training the members in the field of non-formal education which can also serve as an added value to their CV. Additionally, ESN hasn’t only developed ErasmusIntern, a platform which connects future interns and internship providers in assuring quality internships, but also provides various professional opportunities in the Headquarters, such as internships, European Voluntary Service and European Solidarity Corps placements.
ESN implements the field of social inclusion by widening the participation and social engagement. ESN believes in a more diverse Erasmus+ programme, which is why our members work hard to raise awareness about mobility opportunities for students from underrepresented groups. One of examples of this is Mapped!, aimed at promoting accessible Higher Education possibilities for students with disabilities. ESN believes in implementing volunteer experiences as a natural part of the mobility experience and aims to contribute to social integration of students through volunteering activities under the SocialErasmus project. In this regard, local sections organise activities such as animal shelter visits, workshops in preschools or retirement homes, helping with the meal preparation for the homeless or donating blood. By organising these activities, our members enable exchange students to contribute to the local community, therefore feel integrated in its daily functioning. Fostering social engagement creates inclusive societies.
All in all, ESN can offer a little bit of everything to everyone. Sounds cool? You can always find a local section near you and join us in our work or you can support us in our efforts by making a donation to our organisation. | <urn:uuid:604d3e16-4f7e-44eb-9a6b-23860af7304e> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://esn.org/blog/causes-esn | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370506959.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20200402111815-20200402141815-00161.warc.gz | en | 0.959822 | 1,655 | 2.671875 | 3 | The extract provides a comprehensive overview of ESN's mission, values, and activities, showcasing its commitment to promoting cultural understanding, education, environmental sustainability, health, and social inclusion. It highlights the organization's efforts to provide opportunities for personal and professional development, volunteering, and active citizenship. The text demonstrates a strong emphasis on intercultural fluency, digital literacy, and practical application of skills, with various examples of events, projects, and initiatives that promote these values.
Educational score: 5 | 5 | 4 | 694,726 | 1 |
David Cantor, founder and director of Responsible Policies for Animals, Inc. (RPA) spoke at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany last night as part of an adult education program. His approach to preventing harm to animals is different from the approach of organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). If you go to the PETA website, you’ll see their focus is on preventing cruelty to animals. As part of preparing a sermon a year ago on Ethical Eating, I visited their web site and saw some pretty shocking videos of how cows, pigs and chickens are treated on factory farms. PETA argues these cruel practices are ethically and emotionally offensive and should be stopped.
Cantor worked for several years for PETA and participated in some of these campaigns. Many of them are directed at large corporations who are driving the industrialization of agriculture. Farming isn’t like it used to be. Farmer Brown with a few animals and some crops can’t make it in today’s economy. A large amount of our food comes from production facilities that keep animals in cages their entire lives.
Cantor found the cruelty argument was a weak one and hard to prove in court. Farming practices like keeping chickens in cages and pigs in pens so small they can’t turn around may not intentionally be cruel in that they may not directly cause pain and suffering. Those cages diminish the animal’s quality of life but may not inflict pain. What Cantor argues is animal welfare must be protected by a rights approach rather than a cruelty approach.
Cantor asks a more fundamentalhttp://blog.timesunion.com/trumbore/wp-admin/post-new.php question than if the animal feels pain. He asks, do we have the right to enslave an animal at all? Even if we provide a luxurious pen for the animals and permit them to live what to us seem like happy lives, do we have the right to use them for our own purposes? Do we have the right to domesticate them, modify their genes to be more useful to us, and keep them in captivity? Not just farm animals – he argues the same for pets. Yes, house cats and dogs can have a pretty good life, but do we have the right to enslave them in our homes and extract their love for our enjoyment? Slave holders made this argument – that in captivity, slaves had good and happy lives, protected by the good, benevolent, Christian slave holder, as I expect a few of them may have been.
The only advance Cantor seems to acknowledge in human civilization (built on the backs of domesticated animals and agriculture) is the Constitution’s Bill of Rights. Slavery was universally practiced until the concept of human rights evolved. Today slavery is officially outlawed (but we still have sex slavery and human trafficking around the globe) only because of the development of the ideas of human rights. Cantor argues that the only way to protect animals from exploitation is developing an awareness that they are fellow sentient creatures who are not so different from us and deserve their own protection.
The advance of scientific understanding is showing us that animal consciousness isn’t much different from ours, only less sophisticated than ours. They feel pain like we do. They experience emotions like we do. They want to pass on their genes just like we do. Mammals love their young just like we do. And advances in understanding human nutrition has show us we do not need animal protein to survive or even thrive. In fact there are many health risks associated with eating animal products that T. Colin Campbell and others have identified. Now, more than ever, we no longer need to enslave animals, Cantor would argue, to have a good quality of life. He sees animal rights as the next frontier for moving to a more just world.
Cantor’s arguments for animal rights are very challenging to our modern way of life. Just look at the way we harm animals in so many ways to feed ourselves. The process of plowing, tilling and harvesting crops does all kinds of harm to small rodents who live and birds who nest in agricultural fields. How many of us want to give up having pets? Many of the species we have domesticated would go extinct if reintroduced to the wild? Beginning to look at what rights animals should have brings humanity’s entire process of civilization into question. Cantor is raising fundamental ethical questions about how life forms should relate to each other. We could even go beyond animals and look at our relationship with plants. Do we have the right to kill trees and turn them into lumber and paper? The Jains will not kill plants for food, only eating their fruits and seeds. But isn’t that robbing a seed of the potential for life?
Cantor is asking really uncomfortable questions and not making many friends in the process. But that is the nature of the evolutionary process. These are engaging questions to be considered. As one with severe dietary restrictions, I struggle with how limited my diet would be if I eliminated all animal products. And I want to limit the suffering I cause by being alive and increase the amount of joy, happiness and good health for myself and those around me, including animals.
No easy answers, but good questions – kind of like our Unitarian Universalist approach to religion! | <urn:uuid:26e35659-aa56-4dde-8af1-92b271dcf5cd> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://blog.timesunion.com/trumbore/animal-rights-vs-animal-cruelty/570/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250594209.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20200119035851-20200119063851-00454.warc.gz | en | 0.958235 | 1,092 | 2.5625 | 3 | The extract scores low as it primarily focuses on a philosophical discussion of animal rights, lacking direct application to soft skills development. While it touches on critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and ethical considerations, it does not provide scenarios for practical application, teamwork, or nuanced communication.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 37,921 | 0 |
The future of food has been on the menu at the World Economic Forum (WEF) this week. The central question: how can the world feed 9.8 billion people by 2050 and save the planet?
Inequality is an important part of that puzzle. Nearly 800 million people are undernourished, two billion are deficient in vitamins and minerals, and another two billion are either overweight or obese. More than 820 million people are struggling to feed themselves.
Change in diet
Rising to this challenge requires dietary changes combined with improved food production and reduced food waste, according to the EAT-Lancet Commission reportexternal link, which drew on 37 experts from 16 countries with expertise in health, nutrition, environmental sustainability, food systems, economics and political governance.
Large multinational companies, including many in Switzerland from agribusiness to consumer goods and insurance, need to be at the table alongside smaller producers, governments, NGOs and others.
In Davos, swissinfo.ch spoke to Diane Holdorf of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and former chief sustainability officer at Kellogg Company, who believes companies must look at “how they transform their value chains, how they source and grow their ingredients, how they design and redevelop their foods and what that does for the health of consumers that they serve”.
Companies should also have an incentive to do so. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, for every dollar spent on food, society pays two dollars in health, environmental, and economic costs. This amounts to $5.7 trillion (CHF5.6 trillion) per yearexternal link globally.
Published this month, the EAT-Lancet report lays out a daily diet that limits red meat intake to 14 grammes per day and vegetables to 500 grammes per day. More than a third of the calories (35%) would be drawn from whole grains, root vegetables and vegetable proteins.
That represents a 50% decrease in the global consumption of foods such as red meat and sugar, a sacrifice offset by the doubling of nut, fruit, vegetables and legume consumption.
But a shift to healthier diets won’t be enough.
Reducing Food Waste
The commission recommends four additional strategies: refocusing agriculture from producing high volumes of crops to producing varied nutrient-rich ones; intensifying sustainable farming; preserving natural ecosystems and halving food waste.
The report has encountered criticism, notably from the U.K.-based Sustainable Food Trustexternal link, which took issue with the “blind faith” attached to the “unproven concept” of sustainable intensification.
The bulk of food waste concerns low and middle-income countries. In developed countries like Switzerland, food waste is primarily caused by consumers. Quick fixes here would include improved shopping habits, better understanding of ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ dates, better food storage, preparation, portion sizes and use of leftovers.
The Alpine nation boasts an app that fights food waste by getting supermarkets and shops to put their products online at reduced prices at closing time, but it still has a long way to go. Households, not catering, account for most of the food discarded.
Old, new and tailormade technologies
Experts agree there is no magic silver bullet that can fix our broken food system and point to the need to undertake better risk management across the value chain. There is no use producing more robust maize varieties if 30% of it is lost post-harvest.
When people think about technology and agriculture today they tend to envision drones, genetically-modified crops and green vertical farming systems found in grey concrete jungles, such as the Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) in Milan.
However, solving world hunger will also require a broader and smarter application of tried and true methods: conservation agriculture, agro-forestry, terracing, and watershed management.
Alexandra Brand, chief sustainability officer at Swiss agribusiness company Syngenta, explains that everything from robotics to biologics are areas that the company is exploring to make land more productive and to reduce pesticide use.
“GMO is part of it, but it is going to take all of it,” says Holdorf, managing director of food, land and water at WBCSD.
The challenge is to increase farm productivity without large-scale deforestation – one of the most widespread and critical changes humankind has done to the surface of the earth, according to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization.
A sign of the changing times was the decision by Swiss agribusiness Syngenta – which struggles with a negative reputation born out of the pesticide use debate – to create a chief sustainability officer position in 2018.
Practices such as proper tillage, crop rotation, soil analysis, nutrient management, irrigation and pest control can increase farmers’ yields.
The climate change wild card
Complicating matters is extreme climate events that limit the ability of landscapes and food systems to absorb and withstand shock.
“More extreme events are happening, and they are causing more damage,” Gernot Laganda, who oversees climate and disaster risk reduction issues for the World Food Programme (WFP), told swissinfo.ch in a telephone interview. “A food system can be affected by these events at every stage.”
Food systems consist not only of production but also processing and transporting. When you need to produce and store and deliver milk at higher temperatures, more of it goes to waste. And you need more energy to cool it.
The hardest hit, he adds, are agrarian economies where the bulk of GDP – 40 to 50% – comes from agriculture. An extreme weather event can deprive small-holder farmers from access to markets to sell their products or get inputs such as fertilizers.
One area of progress: weather forecasting has become increasingly accurate. Technologies can increase access to information. But before that, it is important to have a clear picture of what the farmer needs: is it the onset of rainfall or the amount of rain?
“Before the technology gets applied we must understand the needs of people,” says Laganda. “This is the piece we often forget: understanding the needs, making technology deliver a tailor-made solution.” | <urn:uuid:a7133560-b6b2-4138-a1a1-f39f1ffaef0b> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/wef19_wef-delegates-chew-over-the-future-of-food/44690708 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875146066.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20200225110721-20200225140721-00140.warc.gz | en | 0.938861 | 1,298 | 3.140625 | 3 | The extract discusses complex global issues, such as food security and sustainability, requiring collaboration and problem-solving. It presents various perspectives from experts, highlighting the need for dietary changes, reduced food waste, and sustainable farming practices. The text demonstrates a high level of cultural awareness, discussing global challenges and solutions, and incorporates digital literacy through mentions of technology and innovation in agriculture.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 419,600 | 1 |
The Common Core Math Teacher delivers an engaging activity for students as they familiarize themselves with rational numbers! In this activity, students work with comparing, ordering and placing fractions, decimals and percents on a number line. They can compare each individually or use strategies developed in the classroom to compare all three together!
This product includes:
-A recording sheet
-Fraction, Decimal, Percent Cards
-A number line template
-A homework assignment
“Fractions, Decimals & Percents: Ordering and Placing,” by Sandi Davel, a 6th grade math teacher in Northborough, MA, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License | <urn:uuid:bf16219f-abec-466b-9d8a-a46efdfe29ca> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fractions-Decimals-Percents-Ordering-and-Placing-1328035 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549424770.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20170724082331-20170724102331-00349.warc.gz | en | 0.892786 | 147 | 4.0625 | 4 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing solely on a math activity. While it promotes teamwork and problem-solving, it does so in a limited context without exploring emotional intelligence, leadership, or complex communication scenarios. The material is primarily theoretical with basic practical application.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 503,370 | 0 |
Camping and Babysitting skills
Heard an announcement on “local” NPR station for a Red Cross class that’s gives “8 to 11 years old the knowledge and confidence to safely baby-sit infant through toddlers.” Two things struck me about this: 1) it is good such a course is being offered; and, 2) but is this another example of how much has changed since my youth.
Baby-sitting was a major income source girls in the 11 to 14 years of age not that long ago and training for most girls, including myself, was taking care of your own siblings. What happened? Don’t older sisters “watch” their younger siblings anymore?
That question got me thinking about the changes Fred and I have noticed in campers. We recall, while growing up, everyone seemed to have some experience of the out-of-doors. We knew how the build a fire, what was and wasn’t edible in the woods, and, that, if you followed the flow of water you would eventual find a creek, than a stream, and than either a river or lake. This knowledge was learned from the adults, like our parents and troop leaders, in our lives.
What has happened to those adults? One grandson was a Cub Scout last year and never learned how to tie knots, build a campfire, or mark a trail. There was no instructions on how to prepare or cook a meal over an open campfire, read either the night or day sky, or how one should leave a campsite as good, if not better, than when you got there.
While some would say such knowledge is not as important as knowing use your Smart-phone, mastering the latest computer games, or working toward another academic objective, I would disagree.
The National Forest Foundation claims, “Between 1997 and 2003 the proportion of kids age 9 to 12 who spent time hiking, walking, fishing or otherwise enjoy nature declined 50 percent.” To me that reflects a decline in adults who got out-of-doors which is so sad.
Whether adult or youth, experiencing the out-of-doors, e.g. getting out and enjoying nature, has been proven to:
- Reduce stress and improve physical health.
- Increase test scores and improve attention span.
- Enhance creativity.
- Develop better self-confidence and initiative.
- Provide environmental knowledge and appreciation of the out-of-doors.
You don’t need a national forest, although it is a fabulous place option. Visit a city park, your backyard, or someplace that allows to commune with Mother Nature. Don’t wait for the someone to offer a class on how to get out and enjoy.
This entry was posted on Friday, June 15th, 2012 at 3:51 am and is filed under conservation, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. | <urn:uuid:ebed36ac-d0cc-4d11-9b33-57a9668d9029> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forestcamping.com/blog/2012/06/15/camping-and-babysitting-skills/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703317384/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112157-00094-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958364 | 627 | 2.671875 | 3 | The extract touches on the decline of outdoor experiences and basic life skills among youth, highlighting the importance of nature and self-sufficiency. It encourages readers to take initiative and appreciate the outdoors, promoting environmental awareness and personal growth. However, it lacks depth in discussing soft skills, teamwork, and complex problem-solving scenarios.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 122,178 | 0 |
MFL at Belmont
Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) at Belmont aims to develop an interest and thirst for learning other languages and cultures. We aim to introduce the learning of the French language and the understanding of its culture in enjoyable and stimulating ways. Our MFL education fosters children’s curiosity and deepens their understanding of the world. The teaching should enable children to develop confidence and resilience to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond in a respectful way. It should also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes and learn new ways of thinking. Our aim is to encourage children to relate to the diverse and multicultural society in which they live.
- Introduce the learning of the French language
- Learn to recognise, identify and pronounce the common phoneme grapheme correspondences of the language.
- Children have the opportunity to apply their skills through listening, speaking, reading and writing.
- Apply and link knowledge of numbers, words and phrases.
- Practice basic conversational skills in order for their progression to secondary education.
- Develop respect for other languages and cultures beyond those they are exposed to.
- Apply etymology, skills and root words to make connections between similar words from different languages.
- Additional opportunities are offered to children who have particular skills and flare or interest in the subject.
- Rachel Hawkes scheme of learning is followed, which provides quality resources both visually and in an audio format for children to access their learning.
The intended impact of the MFL curriculum is that:
- Children develop a useful bank of basic conversational skills and knowledge.
- Children compare and contrast the differing phoneme grapheme correspondences of spoken languages.
- Children develop respect and greater awareness of other cultures.
- Apply reading and writing skills to an alternative language, and begin to link this to their own spoken languages. | <urn:uuid:53aa7fb5-476b-4822-9f6c-243cac030fb8> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://belmont.bexley.sch.uk/teaching-and-learning/28-curriculum/314-mfl | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224649105.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20230603032950-20230603062950-00039.warc.gz | en | 0.926444 | 394 | 3.71875 | 4 | The extract demonstrates a basic understanding of language learning and cultural awareness, with some discussion of practical application and respect for diversity. However, it lacks nuanced interaction, complex problem-solving, and sophisticated communication scenarios.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 538,830 | 0 |
Bava Batra 58 - 64
- Rabbi Banah measuring the tombs of the righteous, deciphering mysterious wills and advising courts
- Claims regarding drainpipes, ladders, windows and extensions which affect a neighbor
- Protecting privacy of a courtyard by restricting placement of windows and doors
- Protecting public thoroughfare against tunneling and extending
- Mourning for the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash
- What is included in the sale of a house or a field
- Describing the boundaries of the property sold
- Interpreting the language of a gift or a sale
- Does a seller sell in a generous fashion
Z.P.G. – The Road to Disappearance
- Bava Batra 60b
Circles obsessed with the Mathusian theory that population growth threatens the survival of mankind in a world of limited resources have made a Zero Population Growth (ZPG) their goal. This means that no parents should have more than two children to replace them when they leave this world, thus keeping the total world population at static level.
In our gemara we find an interesting view of what would happen to the Jewish people if they ascribed to ZPG.
"Since the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash," says Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha, "we should really have decreed upon ourselves to abstain from eating meat and drinking wine (as an expression of mourning), but we cannot make decrees that most people will not be capable of obeying."
He then adds: "Since the evil empire (the Romans) issued evil decrees and prevented us from learning Torah and doing mitzvot, we should really have decreed upon ourselves to refrain from marrying and bringing children into the world and thus passively allowing for the seed of our Patriarch Avraham to disappear – but since people will not be able to abide by such a decree it is preferable to leave them alone."
Tosefot raises a question in regard to the suggestion made for refraining from bringing children into the world. In contrast to the consumption of meat and wine mentioned in the first suggested decree, procreation is mandatory on the basis of the Torah command to "be fruitful and multiply." (Bereishet 1:28). How then could we make a decree to ignore this command?
The answer given by Tosefot is that the decree would have been limited to continuing married life after minimal fulfillment of the mitzvah through the birth of one son and one daughter. Such a policy would not clash with the obligation of procreation, but would nevertheless have passively led to the disappearance of the Jewish people.
What the Sages Say
"The bed of a Torah sage has nothing beneath it except for storing his winter shoes during the summer and his summer shoes during the winter, while beneath the bed of the ignoramus is a whole treasure (of food and vessels – Rashbam)."
- Rabbi Banah - Bava Batra 58a | <urn:uuid:2161d601-1105-43d4-b7ca-fa8167e6265c> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://ohr.edu/4048/print | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224644817.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20230529074001-20230529104001-00060.warc.gz | en | 0.950527 | 614 | 2.53125 | 3 | The extract touches on various topics, including property rights, mourning, and population growth, with some discussion of leadership and decision-making. However, the depth of soft skills development is limited, with minimal emphasis on nuanced communication, teamwork, or complex problem-solving. The extract primarily focuses on theoretical knowledge and lacks practical application.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 542,435 | 0 |
Teacher's Tools Lectures and note taking WorksheetsDocument Transcript
Energize Me to Teach about Energy Efficiency 1
March 3, 2009 Teacher’s Tools
1. Lectures and note taking
Welcome, introduction of CEEE staff (Who, what, how long)
Participant introductions-See Survey Monkey 2. Worksheets
3. Web quests
Part One: Teaching Tools 4. Hands-on activities and labs
Goal of education: “Build” adults with values and beliefs 5. Games
that benefit our society 6. Videos and TV (IPTV)
How do we do this? With a “toolbox” of methods for: 7. Expert guests
Some of these tools have been grouped together in a process called Inquiry Learning.
Scott Stimmel will describe how he has been taught Inquiry Learning here at UNI.
There are several other descriptions of inquiry learning. For our purposes, we will use information from
the Connecticut State Department of Education. Their Beginning Educator Support and Training (BEST)
website has a series of units to help teachers incorporate inquiry learning in their classrooms. Please
review these materials before our next class. Your evaluation for this class will be based on a portfolio
unit described in the “Portfolio Corner” of the website. It consists of a small inquiry-learning unit you
develop for energy efficiency, wind energy or solar energy using the materials from this class.
Let’s try the inquiry method on a small, but fundamental component we will be using for this class. It
looks like this (show motor pieces). Please find it and a pair of pliers now.
• What is the name of this component?
• What is inside this component?
• How does this component work?
• How is this component reversible?
We use this same piece for both our model solar cars and wind turbines. In exploring this component
and discovering what it is made of and how it works you’ve learned by the inquiry method. You could
have learned the same thing from a lecture, but you would probably have fallen asleep halfway through!
Research has shown that children learn better with inquiry methods.
There are both advantages and disadvantages of inquiry learning. What do you think they are?
Part Two: Energy Efficiency
Energy Basics: Vocabulary
Power/Watts or Kilowatts
Energy Basics: Learning to use the equipment and play the games
1. Jeff Beneke and the Kill-A-Watt meter, Infrared camera, and School Energy Efficiency
Project. Appliance Survey or Home Energy Savings form
2. Light Up Your Life game and home energy inventory
3. Energy Jeopardy Game
Inquiry Learning Questions
With the information and motivation provided in your Energize Me! Kits and any other
resources, please answer the following questions:
1. What are the biggest energy users in your home?
2. What are the smallest, nearly constant energy users in your home?
3. What can be done to reduce the energy used in your home?
4. How can you motivate the people in your home to positively change their energy
5. What other questions would you like to explore? | <urn:uuid:4ebd7014-7084-463e-88dd-ede83157b6ed> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://www.slideshare.net/RockyS11/teachers-tools-lectures-and-note-taking-worksheets | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1387345776257/warc/CC-MAIN-20131218054936-00037-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.881526 | 673 | 3.78125 | 4 | The extract provides a comprehensive overview of a teacher's toolkit for educating students about energy efficiency, incorporating various methods such as lectures, hands-on activities, and inquiry learning. It promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork, with opportunities for practical application and real-world context. The inclusion of diverse resources and activities enhances cultural awareness and digital literacy.
Educational score: 4 | 4 | 3 | 637,720 | 1 |
Wed 17 Apr — Wed 26 June 2013
- 7.00 pm — 9.00 pm
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (find us)
- Teaching Lab
- £80, £72 for Members
- Booking required. Please call the education office on 0131 248 2937.
The ability to recognise plant families is a key skill for botanists and gardeners alike. Explore a range of common flowering plant families and the key characteristics used to identify them, including flowers, fruits and vegetative characters. Learn from the experts on this ten week course, focusing on a different family each week from the buttercup family to the grasses. An ideal precursor to the RBGE Certificate in Practical Field Botany. Taught by RBGE staff. | <urn:uuid:f25aed0e-8339-45c5-821c-d64456e47528> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.rbge.org.uk/whats-on/event-details/2431 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394011176878/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305091936-00063-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911972 | 156 | 2.578125 | 3 | The extract provides basic information about a botany course, lacking discussion of soft skills, complex scenarios, or practical applications beyond plant identification. It offers limited opportunities for professional development, cultural awareness, or digital literacy.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 685,579 | 0 |
Having a garden pond is a good way to beautify your backyard. Maintaining it can also be a great hobby you can start, especially if you love fish. But even when it looks easy to create or take care of, it’s not.
There are some things you need to take into consideration and while they are not exactly difficult things to do, they can require a whole lot of patience from you.
If you’re really interested in making your own pond in your garden, take a look at the following tips and get started on it as soon as you have the materials and the time you need.
One thing that can affect the health of your pond the most is the soil that will be lying under it. Although the soil has nutrients that your fish will need, exposing your pond directly to it can cause uncontrollable growth of algae, and this can mean the end for your fish.
What you can do is install something that will separate your soil from your water. A plastic lining will be good enough for this purpose.
Preventing an excess of soil nutrients is one of the most important considerations you can make. But that’s not everything there is to it.
You have to add in plants called oxygenators whose main function is to provide oxygen to the fish under the water. Another factor that will be important in ensuring the health of your fish is temperature, and a good way to regulate this is still with the use of plants. Floaters, as their name indicates, floats on the water and plays a part in keeping the temperature friendly to the fish.
In the end, what you’ll really want to prevent when you want a nice pond is algal bloom. This is caused mainly by three factors, namely, excess nutrients, extreme heat or cold temperature and lack of oxygenation.
Algae are highly recommended for the pond when it comes in a moderate amount but when it starts to grow excessively, it seriously compromises the quality of the water. Algae also consume oxygen and when there is too much of it in the pond, it can easily deplete dissolved oxygen supply which could have been used by the fish which certainly need oxygen, too.
PH is another factor that can affect the health of the fish in the pond. To test for pH, a kit can be bought from the market. However, what’s important is to understand test results, and how they affect your pond.
A pH of 7 is neutral, which means it is neither acidic nor basic. What you want to avoid is to have this number rising. A high pH means the water has become alkaline and this can cause the fish to peel abnormally. In worst cases, a high pH can lead to water toxicity which will eventually destroy the fish.
Your garden pond could just look more fabulous with a small pond fountain in the middle of it. Get one of those floating pond fountains now and wow everyone when they come to your house for your next party. | <urn:uuid:3ea70122-f641-46e2-8083-016ec13175e7> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://homishome.com/2018/12/18/46-popular-pond-garden-ideas-for-beautiful-backyard/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250593295.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20200118164132-20200118192132-00005.warc.gz | en | 0.969486 | 612 | 2.71875 | 3 | The extract lacks discussion of soft skills, focusing solely on technical information about creating and maintaining a garden pond. 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 a specific topic without any deeper educational value for soft skills development.
Educational score: 0 | 0 | 0 | 180,242 | 0 |
The Hand Clasp Of Neighbors
( Originally Published 1918 )
Anciently, one of the world's most magnificent races. Today, a race of timid, cringing, downtrodden serfs.
That in brief is the history of the Incas of Peru and Bolivia. The greatness of their ancestors is now only a tradition. More vivid to them are the tales of punishments meted out to leaders of the early uprisings tongues cut out, bodies torn limb from limb sights seen by grandfathers now living.
Kept in ignorance, exploited by provincial authorities, brutalized by alcohol for nearly three centuries, the Indian of Peru and Bolivia has become an apathetic beast of burden, virtually a slave.
Meanwhile his masters have lolled at ease. They have almost forgotten how to work. The fire of enterprise has died low in their souls. So long have they depended upon others to work for them that they have lost skill as well as energy. They have become enslaved in idleness and incompetence. There are a few, of course, who have resisted the deadening influences of an inherited life of ease.
Enslaved by Their Slaves
The world does not afford a more striking example of the boomeranging of evil. Much of the national weakness of these countries must be charged to the peonage system which has subjected the Indian to grinding toil and has, in turn, vitiated and undermined the character of the Spanish ruling class.
The ambition of the typical Spanish young man of this region is to acquire a farm and have a few hundred Indians work it for him, while he spends his time chatting over his liquor in the restaurants of the capital city.
To work is a sign of low breeding. To carry a pack-age the size of this book through the streets is a disgrace. If you buy two apples in the market you must drop them in the poncho of some Indian boy who will humbly carry them after you while you stalk empty-handed back to your residence. Empty-hand ednes is the national stamp of gentility. A Bolivian lady who could fry a steak or boil an egg would be ashamed to admit it. When she sees her friends corning to her front door she will run frantically through-out the house to find a servant rather than open the door herself. A gentleman was once excluded from a fashionable club for the real reason that he had been seen using a hand-saw in the patio of his house.
Serfs on Land They Once Owned
The condition of the Indian farmer is pitiful. On the way from Guaqui to La Paz our train was an hour and a quarter passing through the property of one landholder. This property was seventeen miles long by ten miles wide and it was dotted with more than one thousand houses of the Indians. These Indians formerly owned the land themselves, but on one pretext or another it was wrested from them. Now they must work for the owners day after day without payment, and in what little spare time they can get they may till a small patch of land for their own use. The owners rarely go near their farms. In some cases they are afraid to; their Indian slaves would kill them:
Two years ago a wholesale rebellion of the Indians was threatened. They came by night in great numbers and looked down over the edge of the pit at the bottom of which lies the city of La Paz, the proud capital of Bolivia. There was much frightened running to and fro in the streets. It was feared that the Indians might attack the city with bombs dropped from above. Stern measures were employed, the Indians were driven back to their tasks, soldiers guarded the edge of the Alto Plano or plateau above the city, and the rebellion was averted.
Signing Away Freedom for a Drink
The lot of the Indian industrial worker is little if any better than that of the farmer. The mines and mills have been accustomed to secure their Indian workmen by the enganche or "hook " system. A "hooker" as agent for his company goes into a little chicheria or tavern, talks to the men, treats them with liquor and tells them the wonders of the country from which he has come and where the industry he represents is located. He asks them if they would like to go and offers to advance money enough to pay their passage and to have a good time on before going. Offer money to a half drunken Indian and he will do anything you say. The victim signs a paper which requires that he shall work off his debt. When he sobers up and realizes what he has done, he may be reluctant about going. In that case he is simply attested and taken by force to his destination in factory or mine-gallery and notified that he will not be released from his work until the debt is fully paid. Then bis wages are placed at so low a figure and the charge made to him for provisions bought at the company's store is so high that the poor toiler is kept continually in debt.
Peru and Bolivia do not employ the word " slavery " as applied to these practises. But is there any other word more true and appropriate?
The Slavery of Children
There is another form of slavery even worse than the two described. This is the custom of the buying and selling of Indian children common in many of the inland cities.
Suppose, for example, you live in the city of Arequipa, Peru, and you want some one to do the house-work. Perhaps you say to the conductor of the train to the mountains: " I wish you would bring me down a boy."
A few days later a tearful and frightened Indian boy is brought to your door. Perhaps the conductor has paid the parents of the boy ten dollars, so you must pay the conductor that much and a little more to cover his trouble.
That boy is now absolutely your property from his present age, say eight, until he reaches twenty-one. At that time the government will want him for the army. In the meantime he is yours. You need not pay him a cent. You may dress him in any old rags; you may give him any odd corner to sleep in; you may starve and kick him ; you may work him as many hours a day as you please, and if he runs away the government will help get him back to you. If he refuses to work, he will be put into jail, mixed in with his elders but not betters, and kept there until he changes his mind.
The brutality to which he is often subject simply would not be believed in North America. An American in Arequipa told me of seeing a neighbor's slave, a little boy eight years old, frequently kicked in the stomach and sent sprawling as punishment for the most trivial mistakes. Finally the American inter fered. But he found he could do nothing, the law would not back him up, and his interference only cost the child more punishment.
The arguments, once familiar in our own South, are heard here in-defense of this bondage. " Some of the masters are kind.'' This, of course, is true. " The Indians learn to work." There are others who need this learning far more than do the Indians. " The system elevates the ideals of the Indians by bringing them into close contact with the civilization of the white man." What civilization!
Chile's Indian Ancestry an Asset
Is it any wonder that such practises are eating away the very foundation of character underlying the national life of Peru and Bolivia? This truth is illustrated in another way by the experience of. Chile. The Spanish conquerors who came to the land now known as Chile also found Indians, the fierce, warlike, reckless Araucanians. They were very different from the peaceful, industrious Incas of the Andean plateau. The Araucanians refused to be put out on the farms and subjected to a form of slavery while the masters took their. ease in the city. The white farm-owners were compelled to remain on their farms and take a vigorous share in the actual work. Thus Spanish character, strong to begin with, was further strengthened. The Araucanians were never really conquered. They gradually merged with the whites and the result is a mixed race, strong, energetic, and unafraid of work. The Italian foreman in an iron foundry of Valparaiso told me he had had as workmen Argentines, Peruvians, Bolivians, French, and English, but the Chileans were by far the best workmen of all. They were fearless and tireless. When asked if a job were too dangerous for them, they would say : "Soy hombre" (I am a man).
Because of the progressive and aggressive temper of the Chilean work-people, conditions among them are much more wholesome than in the northern countries. There is nothing in Chile that could reasonably be termed slavery. At the same time the condition of the worker is far from ideal. His hours are usually long, wages low, safeguards from accidents few, provisions for health and welfare lacking.
Living Higher Than in the North
Before one visits South America he is apt to take it for granted that the cost of living there is much less than in the United States. When he goes he is dismayed to find that provisions of nearly every sort cost substantially more in South America than in North America. Then are the wages for each kind of work higher than those paid in American cities? Not by any means. The average daily wage of Chile is calculated by our Consul-general at Valparaiso as being about sixty-three cents. In the nitrate fields, where the cost of store goods is almost prohibitive, the wage is little more than a dollar a day. Laborers on the farms are paid twenty-five cents and two plates of beans a day !
Since wages have not gone up in keeping with the continual advances in the prices of all the necessaries of life," reports Consul Davis J. Myers from Punta Arenas, " the laboring classes of this district have not enjoyed the great prosperity that has so favored the merchants and ranchmen. On the contrary they have felt severely a reduction both in the quality and the quantity of clothing and food which they were formerly able to purchase at the same wages." Mr. Myers states that within little more than a year after the beginning of the war, living expenses in this part of Chile had increased by the following percentages : rent, I; fuel, 83; clothing, 38; food, 72. The average of these is 76. The wealthier families are now paying three and a quarter times as much as in the year 1909 for the same comfort. The working families are not paying three and a quarter times as much because they have not the money to pay. Their only way of meeting the situation is to get along with three and a quarter times less comfort.
In Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil there is the same fundamental trouble a speeding up of the nations' work and a lagging behind in making proper provision for the worker.
Native Social Movements
It must not be supposed that South America is entirely blind to the situation. There are many ameliorative efforts, such as the league against alcoholism, the national savings-banks, the building of model homes for workers, and a certain amount of welfare legislation, such as that which provides that mothers who have children under one year of age shall be permitted to spend one hour of the working day in caring for their children. Chile has recently enacted an employers' liability law and while it is of a type long ago. rejected in the United States and Europe, still it is much better than no law at all. It is one thing, how-ever, to enact a law and another thing to enforce it. One of the managers in a large Chilean industry was taking me over his plant. I asked him if it had been necessary for the company to make many readjustments to meet the requirements of the new law. He looked at me blankly and asked: " What law?
He was not even aware that the law existed.
The ameliorative attempts made by the governments of these countries, as well as by private agencies, are thus at present rather sporadic and uncertain.
The Example of North American Industry
There are, however, two forces which, by example and precept, are powerfully influencing South America's attitude toward her workers. These are North American industry and North American missions.
The example of American industrialists has not always been clear and shining wherever they have gone throughout the world. Of course in South America, too, there are North American industries which are squeezing the life out of their employees as a paper-mill squeezes the moisture out of pulp. Such industries, however, are extremely few. On the whole there is inspiration and hope in the splendid leadership in welfare which is being afforded by North American firms in South America.
In the best of the American companies the cholos work but eight hours, and receive from $1.50 to $4.50 a day. This is nothing short of revolutionary in a land where the twelve- or sixteen-hour day and fifty-cent wage are common.
Other nationalities have been somewhat prone to take advantage of the existing low standards. But American firms, such as the Cerro de Pasco Mining Company, in Peru, have followed a shrewder method and in the end gained a greater advantage.
This firm gave decent living wages when there was no demand for such wages, provided houses that were so much too good that some workmen took off the doors and window-sashes and burned them as fuel, equipped an excellent hospital, organized sanitary inspection, started schools, furnished necessities through, a commissary at the lowest possible prices, and then taught the cholos to quit coca-chewing long enough to learn to play football.
A Company Which Influences Two Nations
The campaign, as the manager himself admits, has been entirely selfish and it has been richly rewarded. The best workmen gravitate to this company. They work regularly,, whereas the Indian has formerly been accustomed to follow the example of his Spanish master and make riotous holidays of all feast days, of which there are' one or more every week. They rise to skilled work. The proportion of foreigners has steadily diminished as the natives have become proficient until now only a handful are of foreign birth. And the Cerro de Pasco Mining Company, through knowing how to utilize its human as well as its material resources, has become by far the most powerful industrial enterprise of Peru. The influence of its example simply cannot be calculated. We should not pretend to say that its slate is clean, but it is at least so nearly clean that all Peru looks upon it with wonder. The toiler in every shop and plantation and sugar-mill who feels that he is not squarely treated goes to his employer and reminds him of the conditions afforded by the Cerro de Pasco to their workmen. Greedy employers hate the name of that company. Humane employers study its methods and improve their own. The example of this powerful organization which owns scores of mines and employs tens of thousands of con-tented workmen is slowly but surely lifting the level of industrial welfare throughout both Peru and neigh-boring Bolivia.
The example of this company is being more or less duplicated by many other American interests in the oil-fields, the sugar-plantations, along the veins of silver and gold in the mountains, and on the American-operated railroads. I found everywhere that North American industry was held in high esteem. Some-times the beneficent character of the industry itself, as in the work of the J. G. White Company., engaged in the sanitation of the pestilential port of Guayaquil, Ecuador, is such as to inspire respect for those who are carrying it on. The Standard Oil Company, whatever may be our opinion of its history in the United States, is a blessing to workers of South America. Instead of taking advantage of the ignorance and helplessness of its employees, it is rather endeavoring to place them on a plane of intelligence and independence. The immense packing industry of Argentina and Uruguay is dominated by such firms as Armour's and Swift's, and which are setting a high standard in the treatment of labor. The American mines at Chuquicamata, Chile, are unique in that when a native becomes an employee he is apt to remain on the job the rest of his life, and often his son after him, because of the superior conditions offered. This is in striking contrast with the situation in the usual mining-camp where the miner is frequently a transitory character, coming today, working a brief while, and starting on his away again a few months hence.
In Chile's vast nitrate fields, from which comes the nitrate to make the ammunition without which this war could not go on, one of the best of the one hundred and seventy different plants is said to be that of the Du Pont Powder Company. One concern which was continually losing its best men to the Du Pont Company, finally, in desperation, sent a man to the United States to study welfare methods so that he might install them in its plant, in order that it might meet the competition of the American firm. Other plants also are beginning, either through inclination or necessity, to incorporate the Du Pont methods.
A Mine Which Mothers Twenty Thousand People
It was a memorable trip I took from Santiago up among the peaks of the Andes to visit the Braden Copper Company, a Guggenheim concern. It was the wild and wintry month of June (corresponding to December in northern latitudes) and a white storm swept along with our train up to the peaks where the mining-camp lay almost smothered in snow. You may get some idea of the snowfall from the fact that the tennis-court (when the summer comes in December) always lies buried under about twenty feet of hard-packed snow. It is necessary to saw the snow into blocks, load it on flat cars and haul it away before the boys can play tennis !
But the twenty thousand people who are dependent upon the Braden Copper Company are well protected from the rigors of Andean weather. Their houses are warm and tight. Besides, a great many of them work underground where the temperature is always the same, winter and summer. The huge mountain rises like an immense bee-hive. It is honeycombed with more than a hundred miles of tunnels, and these tunnels are being extended at the rate of a mile a day. The tunnels are arranged on various levels, nearly twenty in all, with elevators and chutes running from one level to another. The mountain, to change the figure, is like an apartment house half a mile high. Ore from the upper stories is dumped into chutes like dumb-waiter shafts (" vultures " they are called because of the readiness with which they will swallow a miner if he makes a misstep) and is dropped to the basement level, where it is carried away like the ashes of an apartment-house. But these are precious ashes ! They are taken to the smelter where pure copper is extracted to the tune of two million dollars' worth or more every month. Five thousand tons of ore are mined every day and the capacity of the plant is to be increased to ten thousand tons.
Night and day thousands of men are burrowing with air drills and pickaxes ; seventeen underground electric trains thunder from one subterranean community of workers to another, while an indicator in the office above the earth constantly shows the exact location of each train; twenty underground telephones flash their messages through miles of rocky tunnels; American foremen from Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, sit at their desks typewriting their reports in neat, boarded, blueprint hung offices a half mile under the surface of the earth; and underground repair shops, carpenter shops, compression rooms and power-plants add to the uncanny din echoing through the hundred miles of streets of this subterranean city.
Doubling the Average Wage of Chile
Life here is necessarily hard and dangerous. But the Braden Copper Company has not hidden behind this excuse. All South America respects the welfare record which has been established by this concern. Great credit is due to Mr. S. S. Sorenson, the general manager, and to his superintendent of welfare, Mr. Colley, as well as to Mr. Graham and Mr. Turner, superintendents of the mine and smelter. They are all welfare superintendents at heart. Perhaps it would be more correct to say that they are all great industrialists who know very well that complete efficiency in industry is impossible unless strict attention is paid to the welfare of the worker.
Formerly the work of the mine was done in two twelve-hour shifts, the one a day and the other a night shift. But it was found that twelve hours of continuous work led to exhaustion from which it was difficult to recuperate, and which often led to disease. Accordingly the order was changed to three eight-hour shifts, so that no man should work more than eight hours out of the twenty-four. The result was an immediate brightening and quickening of the men. That was significant from a human standpoint. The significant fact from the industrial standpoint was that within a few days after the change was made production had increased thirty per cent !
Common workmen in this mine receive about one dollar and seventy-five cents a day. This is more than double, the average wage of Chile. And yet the Braden Copper Company finds that it pays. They believe that a workman cannot keep decent on an in-decent wage.
There was no ignorance here concerning the provisions of the new accident law. But at the same time there will be no struggle to conform with its provisions, because of the simple fact that for many years the Braden Copper Company has been doing far more than this law demands. Accidents are largely prevented. When they do occur, the injured man is given the best of medical attention and, if permanently disabled, is supported indefinitely by the company. Men who are too old to work are also supported. The company has, as Mr. Graham expressed it, " a good many old horses turned out to pasture." This care of the workman who has become worth-less would, of course, be unique even in North America, and in South America it has formerly been unheard of.
Good houses, baths, club-rooms, libraries, moving-picture shows, restaurants, an excellent hospital, and a well-conducted store are supplied for the comfort of the workmen.
" Whisky Guards" to Enforce Prohibition
A model is set not only for South America but for North America in the fact that the use of liquor is absolutely prohibited among the workmen of this company. Nor is this prohibition merely on paper. Fifty guards, or " whisky hounds," stand sentinel on the mountains round about the camp watching for " whisky runners." The methods used by the whisky runners in their attempts to smuggle liquor into the camp are ingenious. One day some men were seen carrying a tool chest into camp. Presently they were seen carrying it out again. After a time they brought it in again. Suspicious guards stopped the party this time and examined the chest. It was full of tools. Several more trips were made and then the guards again halted the party and made a more thorough investigation. This time they found that the chest contained a false bottom under which were stored bottles of whisky.
One whisky runner conceived the idea of taking the works out of a Singer sewing-machine and then filling the machine with bags of whisky. Bottles have come to camp concealed within large cabbages, and at one time eighty-four bottles were discovered in the water-tank of a locomotive. The most common method is to wear a light jacket under the coat and fill the pockets of the jacket with bottles.
But although a little liquor is brought in, the very ingenuity that is required to smuggle it in proves the strictness of the rules. Drunkenness is practically unknown. Any workman discovered with liquor would be promptly discharged. The American foremen and superintendents have no special privileges in this mat-ter. One American who considered the rules good enough for the Chileans but too good for him came to work one morning with a whisky breath. He was sent to the United States on the next ship.
Murder Stays Out When Whisky Stays Out
The result of this strictness is that the men work through all holidays and feast days without a mur-mur, whereas these days in other camps are given up to idleness and wild debauch. Although this camp, like all other mining-camps, contains many rough and criminal characters who have formerly had much experience in handling a knife or a revolver, murder is , extremely rare, and there is not more than one serious fight in a year. Contrast this with the situation in Rancagua, a town not more than forty miles away, where there are almost as many murders as there are days in the year, and where, along the car tracks, one may see shrine after shrine made of Standard Oil tins decorated with wreaths and crosses inside, a candle or tin can of oil with a wick in it to be kept burning at night each shrine marking the spot where a murder has been committed.
The company also encourages saving. The men have been educated as to the importance of saving until now approximately ten per cent. of the total amount paid to the men is brought by them to be placed , to their account in the branch savings-bank fostered by the company. The Valparaiso manager of the National Bank of Savings of Chile said later to me : " In promoting saving among the working people, we get much better cooperation from American companies in Chile than from any other source."
I asked the mine superintendent for his opinion of Chilean workmen. " Well," he said, " a man's ideas concerning the natives depends on how long he has been here. During the first three months he swears at them. After he has been here twelve months he swears by them. When a Chilean distrusts you he will be found very hard to manage. After he comes to have confidence in you there is nothing in the world he won't do for you, no matter how hard or how dangerous. The more you give these people the more they will give you that's all."
Missions Aid Business in Planting Democracy
What cooperation, if any, have these American concerns had from American missions?
A very definite piece of constructive work in this connection is being carried on by the American Institute in La Paz. This school draws its students from two classes, the highest and the lowest, the lily-fingered sons of Spain and the callous-fisted Indians. To bring together these two extreme classes and make them work in harmony and train them both up to competent citizenship is a remarkable achievement.
Sons of wealthy deputies and leading citizens of Bolivia who attend the school are not only learning how to use their hands. They are learning to appreciate the Indian. They are making remarkable discoveries as to the character of these people whom they have thought to be nothing better than a race of slaves.
One Indian boy came to the school followed by his father, who, not being able to afford to hire a donkey, carried the lad's trunk on his own back. That boy, at the end of the year, took first honors in English, forging ahead of all his fellow students. An-other Indian boy joined the Institute football team.
When he appeared in football clothes to take part in the game with a rival school, there were roars of derision from the crowd that had gathered to see the match. The Indian paid no attention and the game began. Soon the taunts of the crowd were changed to shouts of applause. There was not another man on either team who played a better game than the Indian half-back, and when the match was over he had won a new respect, not only for himself, but for his race. Three years later this Indian graduated from the commercial department with first honors.
Mission Graduates Are Bolivia's Future Leaders
From the Institute's remarkable commercial department (commerce was formerly a thing in which no young man with a waxed mustache could be induced to engage) men go out who are beginning to lead the business life of the country. They are stepping into positions of trust at salaries which make older men blink with envy. One lad who, upon graduation, was given work by the Bolivian Railway Company has had his salary multiplied by seventeen in less than three years, and the process of multiplication shows no sign of abating. Other graduates in the employ of the same company, on account of their fine training, are forging ahead almost as rapidly.
One day a number of the older employees of this firm made a protest to the manager concerning the favoritism that was being shown to these young upstarts. The manager explained that there was no favoritism. These young men knew their jobs. It was simply plain business sense to push such workers ahead.
And to one of the missionary professors of the American Institute this manager said :
" I have been in the railroad business in Peru, Chile, and Bolivia for fifteen years. Excepting men whom I have brought over from England, I have never found help to equal the boys the American Institute has sent me. I should like to fill my office with such boys. I will take every one you can recommend from your graduating class this year, even if I have to hold some of them on salary until I can find places for them."
Likewise in the commercial houses, banks, and mines, the manager who can land a graduate. of the American Institute is regarded as fortunate. The demand for graduates is far greater than the school can possibly fill.
Suiting Education to the Needs of the Country
Of special interest is the scientific training afforded by the school. Bolivia is preeminently a mining country. Therefore the chemistry and physics in the Institute are not like those found in the schools of the United States but are a chemistry and physics definitely applied to the mining industry. The analysis of ores is a constant subject for laboratory experiment.. Geological expeditions are made to the near-by mountains. Every boy who takes these subjects gets a working knowledge. of tungsten, wolfram, tin, copper, silver, and gold, and the graduates of such training will set a new pace among the native mining experts and assayers of the country.
The director of the Institute has a dramatic dream for the future. At present Bolivia has almost no native manufactures. She exports her wool to England, where it is made up into clothing and returned to Bolivia. Consequently a man in Bolivia must pay fifty dollars for a suit of clothes that would not have cost more than fifteen dollars if it could have been made inside the country. It is so with tin, copper, iron, silver, leather, rubber, and other materials. They are all exported and later received back in manufactured form at ruinous prices.
The idea of the director is to teach some particular industry as, for example, soap making, and then establish the graduates of this course in the soap business. This, if successful, would mean the end of paying sixty cents for soap which ought to cost not more than twenty cents. Likewise the manufacture of garments, shoes, metal-ware, and of many other necessities might gradually be added to the list of native industries through this method.
If the American Institute can send out young men trained to think of all men as their brothers, trained in Christian ideals and scientific methods and the co-related use of mind and hand, the democratizing influence exerted by American companies will be 'strongly reenforced.
Welfare Work Serves Both Church and Industry
A missionary by the name of Foster, stationed at Arequipa, Peru, observed that young workingmen had no place to spend their evenings except in the cantinas and vicious resorts. Accordingly, he started a club for them and soon had a membership of more than sixty. His club was a recreation center, but it was more than that. He made it a place where character should be trained and studious habits cultivated. Forga and Company, cotton manufacturers, employed one of the boys and found him so studious that finally they asked him where he had obtained his training. He told them of Foster's club. Representatives of the company came to Mr. Foster and made arrangements to secure the services of twenty more of the boys. They were taken into permanent employment, and an adobe room near the factory was built, lighted, and equipped for them to use as a club room. There they are continuing their studies, and as rapidly as Mr. Foster can develop new boys in character and integrity, Forga and Company are only too glad to receive them.
The direct Christian reaction of such work may be seen in the fact that in this city, where it has been extremely difficult to win any converts, Mr. Foster has taken eight new members into the church during the past year. Five of these had been members of his club. Even greater significance lies in the fact that every boy who passed through that club, even though he did not actually join the church, had his character strongly influenced and molded after the Christian pattern and will carry the effects into the industrial life of Peru.
In Valparaiso, the Young Men's Christian Association and a large Presbyterian school are carrying on many interesting activities, one of them being a night school for domestic servants. Household drudges who have not even known how to hold a pencil are being trained for positions of independence. Also the Young Men's Christian Association holds courses of lectures for workingmen, treating such practical subjects as thrift, home buying, home making, sanitation, civic responsibility, and other subjects of a similar nature.
The Santiago College for Girls, in which the daughters of the finest families of Chile are enrolled, is teaching the dignity of work. The Instituto Ingles of Santiago and the Ward School, of Buenos Aires, and similar schools elsewhere furnish good commercial training. Also in Buenos Aires the Salvation Army and some splendid institutional churches are doing a large work among the poorer classes of workers. Five thousand children whose families are too poor to afford them an education are being trained by a splendid Anglican missionary, Mr. William Morris, who, through academic and trade schools, is lifting at least this part of the new generation into competence and self-reliance. Christian love is the driving power of the enterprise and is bound to be carried over into the industry and trade of Argentina through the lives of the graduates of this school.
A Human Dynamo of Service
In beautiful Rio de Janeiro there is a remarkable example of what missions may do to better the lot of the workers. Dr. H. C. Tucker, a modest, plain dynamo of a man, went to Brazil as agent for the American Bible Society. He did good work in that connection, but that work was not enough for him. The slums of Rio de Janeiro, where many of the unskilled workers of the city live, got on his conscience. Finally he opened a mission hall there and held evangelistic services. This led him to begin to study the social conditions of the working people.
The first thing that struck Dr. Tucker, as a result of his investigations, was the prevalence of tuberculosis. So he printed a card dealing with tuberculosis and had it distributed broadcast. Then he sent to-Josiah Strong and got an illustrated lecture on the disease, which he gave in his mission hall. Impressed by the lecture, the president of the board of health asked Dr. Tucker to deliver it in all the public schools and public squares of the city, which he did, telling his story and showing his pictures to tens of thousands. Finally an anti-tuberculosis association was started in connection with the board of health, and Dr. Tucker's dispensary was given a government appropriation to help in an organized campaign against the disease.
The vista of need among the laboring classes led Dr. Tucker into a great many other lines of endeavor. He started a day-school in the slum district. He put in not only the " three R's," but a daily tooth-brush drill and some vigorous courses in physical exercise. But somehow his teachers were unable to get a quick intellectual and moral response from the children. The little tots were as limp as wilted flowers.
This perplexed Dr. Tucker until he thought to investigate the meals of his students. He found that most of the children were trying to get through the day on a cup of black coffee and a pickle ! No won-der they reacted like rusty hinges instead of like steel springs which children usually simulate. So he instituted a noon lunch of whole-wheat mush with milk and sugar.
At the end of a month the school children showed an average increase in weight of two and a fifth pounds, the general physical condition was better, and what was more important the teachers reported an improvement in response that was nothing short of remarkable.
There was a playground in connection with the, school, but its cement pavement was too hard for the children's thinly-soled feet. The ingenious missionary decided on a mixture of asphalt, cork, and sand, which would make a soft, springy pavement. He went to a paving concern, but their price was prohibitive. So he visited the manager of the Anglo-Mexican Products Company, and that worthy, as soon as he had grasped the sensibleness of Tucker's enterprise, contributed two tons of asphalt. Another firm likewise contributed the cork, another the sand, another the coal for fuel, and still another laid the pavement without charging a penny!
Brazil's First Public Playground Work of Missionary
It was not long after this that he scandalized the mayor and the superintendent of parks with the suggestion that a large portion of the city park, which was fenced in with iron rails and protected with " keep off the grass " signs, should be thrown open and equipped as a playground and athletic field for the use of the workers of Rio.
When they got over their shock for a park in Brazil has traditionally been a thing to look at, not to use the mayor and superintendent pulled up at Tucker's door in their most de luxe auto, sumptuously whirled him to the park, allowed him to select one of the choicest tracts, and promised it to him—on one condition.
The condition was that he should equip it ! That meant swings, chutes, bars, tennis outfits, apparatus for football, baseball, basketball, and other outing games, for Tucker's plans were by no means as modest as the man himself.
But how could a poor missionary handle this expensive task ?
Tucker saw some men tearing up the street-car tracks. He went to the manager of the- light and power company and said: May I have the old rails? "
The manager evinced interest. What were these old rails wanted for? Swing supports and apparatus for an athletic field? Pshaw, they weren't good enough. Only the best that money could buy were good enough.
" But I have no money to buy them," Tucker explained.
Well, what equipment is needed? "
" I can show you in a Spalding catalog."
Bring it in."
The catalog was brought in. A little later the manager took a trip to New York. When he came back he brought with him the receipt for seven hundred and forty dollars' worth of the finest apparatus obtain-able in New York City paid for out of his own pocket.
The apparatus was installed, dedication day was announced, the crowds gathered, the Brazilian flag was unfurled, the band played, the mayor made a speech, and the first public playground in Brazil was opened.
A well-to-do man who had been present at the dedication met Tucker on the street.
" What's your purpose in all this? " he asked.
" My purpose is to save men for Jesus Christ and I believe Christ came to save the entire man, body as well as soul."
" Where do you get the money? "
I have none, it comes in voluntary contributions." " The next time you want to start anything like this," said the man, as he walked away, " let me know. I never understood missions before."
The playground was a tremendous success. And now Tucker's help has been enlisted in planning playgrounds to be organized in connection with all the public schools.
He Believes in Saving Both Body and Soul
It would, be impossible here to tell adequately of all this man's activities. He has kept in mind the need of the workers for good food, good clothing, and good training. Accordingly he has established a cooking school with gas stoves donated by the gas company ! A sewing school with machines donated by the Singer sewing-machine company ! A typewriting school with typewriters donated by the Remington company!
Because of the fact that Brazil's public school system is still so incomplete that illiteracy runs over seventy per cent., and the great majority of the working people never have an opportunity to improve their condition through education, Dr. Tucker has secured the organization of an educational association, the purpose of which is to obtain funds from wealthy Brazilians and establish schools in quarters not reached by the public schools.
Screenless Rio is now receiving its first education with regard to the fly as a carrier of disease. Formerly people didn't care whether the fly wiped his feet before coming into the house or not. Even meat and provision shops were unprotected. Through the board of health, Dr. Tucker has projected an educational campaign that is already bringing about a radical change of sentiment toward the fly.
He has also made a first move in the face of the appalling infant mortality of Brazil by publishing and distributing by the thousands a simple statement of instructions for mothers on the care of infants.
And he has recently begun, with the aid of a corps of trained workers, an investigation of industries in Brazil; and such subjects as hours of work, wages, child labor, woman labor, working conditions, and workers' homes are receiving attention.
Many a man who " never understood missions be-fore " has come to believe thoroughly in all that Tucker represents. He has captured the devotion of the people; they love him more than the most beautifully carved saint in the cathedral; they are ready to follow him in anything he may suggest, and the name " missionary " has a tender and honored significance in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Grenfell of Labrador once said: "When you set out to commend your gospel to men who don't want it, there is only one way to go about it-do something for them that they'll understand."
Missions and Industry Must Cooperate
American industries and American missions are doing things for the South Americans that they can understand. The genuine warmth and helpfulness in the North American hand clasp is felt and appreciated by our neighbor of the South. One result is the beginning of a revolution in the attitude of the people toward Protestant missions. When they see a missionary, they no longer begin to look for his horns. The day of stiff opposition is passing and the missionaries have not only themselves to thank, but they must thank the men who have guided the policies of the great North American industries in South America.
There should be larger cooperation between the industrial and the missionary forces. If the missionary boards really desire to better the lot of the workers, they might well join in the appointment of a publicity agent who should keep the newspapers of the continent supplied with stories of the most advanced welfare methods, in conjunction with stories of the value of Christian character in industry. Many good-hearted native employers would be quick to introduce up-to-date methods of betterment if they knew just how to go about it. Other employers, not so good-hearted, would respond if the example of others combined with the pressure of public sentiment through the press were brought to bear upon them.
South America stands in great need of labor legislation. There are no adequate laws for the protection of the workers. It is not the business of the missionary to go into politics and lobby for better laws. It is, however, his business to be intelligent on labor questions, to encourage publicly those employers, either native or foreign, who are stepping ahead of their time, to make widely known for the benefit of others any good thing that is done, and to spread a democratic Christianity, of which Christian legislation will in time be the natural outcome. | <urn:uuid:6b623820-df04-4b89-ac20-1b9c4d297d48> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oldandsold.com/articles28/ancient-people-1.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706413448/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121333-00096-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9799 | 9,212 | 2.671875 | 3 | The extract discusses the social and economic conditions of South America, particularly in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile, highlighting the exploitation of Indian workers and the negative impact of the peonage system. It also showcases the positive influence of American industries and missions in improving the lives of workers through better wages, working conditions, and education. The text demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the complex issues and presents realistic scenarios that integrate emotional intelligence, leadership challenges, and critical thinking opportunities. However, it does not necessarily present complex scenarios requiring sophisticated communication, strategic thinking, and advanced problem-solving across multiple contexts. Therefore, the score is 3 out of 5.
Educational score: 3 | 3 | 2 | 122,370 | 0 |
Intangibles: (Concepts associated with the barracks that can be discussed as part of the station)
Rest and Comfort - The dragoon barracks gave the soldier a place to rest at the end of a long day. Sleeping in the bunk beds protected in a sturdy structure was better than being exposed to the elements. Unfortunately, sharing a bed with a fellow soldier and bedbugs detracted from that comfort.
Cleanliness- While standards of cleanliness may not have been up to today’s standards, for the time period conditions were relatively sanitary. Soldiers did bathe regularly, once a week-a vast improvement over hygiene standards common during the period. Soldiers had laundresses to wash their shirts. Weekly inspections dictated that the quarters also be kept clean. For the most part, Fort Scott provided a better environment than other frontier forts.
Recreation - Much of the recreation after hours was associated with the barracks. Soldiers played checkers, cards, wrote letters and read books (depending on whether they were literate or not), played musical instrument, held dances. Many of these activities took place in the barracks. Recreational pursuits helped to alleviate the monotony of garrison life and were good for the soldier’s mental health.
Camaraderie - While crowded conditions may have caused conflicts, it also promoted camaraderie. Common experiences and close associations produced an environment where many soldiers formed friendships. Living conditions also led to camaraderie between soldiers and laundresses. Many of these associations resulted in lifelong relationships-either as friends or as husbands and wives.
Command Structure - The barracks reveals the command structure of the army. Privates were organized into squads with each squad being commanded by a corporal and a sergeant. This is reflected through the arrangement of the sleeping quarters. Commanding officers for each company lived in separate quarters but did maintain an office in the barracks in order to post daily assignments and to conduct routine business. Discipline was enforced by the noncommissioned officers (sergeants and corporals) under the direction of the commissioned officers (captains and lieutenants). It was also the non-commissioned officers that delivered the majority of the training to the soldiers.
Preparedness - All of the activities that went on at the barracks had the ultimate outcome of preparing the soldier to perform his mission. Necessities of life (food, sleep) were provided at the barracks as was a command structure that delivered training and discipline to the soldier. Camaraderie among the soldiers helped the soldiers to bind together as a unit-psychologically and emotionally. All of the activity at the barracks helped the company to coalesce into an effective unit that carried out the military mission on the frontier.
Theme: The dragoon barracks provided the soldier with creature comforts, a structure that delivered discipline and training, and opportunities for camaraderie- all of which helped the soldiers to coalesce into an effective military unit.
Goals: The goals of this program are to:
Describe the many functions that went on at the dragoon barracks.
Relate the activities of the dragoon barracks to the efficiency of the military unit.
Objectives: After participating in this program, the students will be able to:
Explain why mounted troops were needed on the frontier.
List two qualifications required to be a dragoon.
Give two duties the dragoon soldier would have performed on a typical day.
Explain how activities that took place at the barracks contributed to the soldiers' well being.
Have the students be new recruits and inspect them.
Have one of them open their mouth so that you can inspect their teeth.
Interrogate one of the students to see if they match the age and height requirement.
Invite a couple of the students to lay down on one of the beds-head to toe.
Do a show and tell with the items in your haversack, relating each item to the theme.
If you are musically inclined, you could play a tune with the jaw harp or mouth harmonica.
Resource Management/Safety Issues
Children should not climb on the top bunks.
Weapons safety protocols must be followed at all times.
Advise children to watch their step going up and down stairs.
Do not share your jaw harp or harmonica with other visitors. Advise them that they are for sell if they wish to try it. It’s not a good idea to let visitors put something in their mouth that you had in yours. It also would be a good idea to sterilize the jaw harp or harmonica at the end of each day of use by wiping it off with an alcohol wipe and then rinsing it with hot water, than drying it prior to storage. | <urn:uuid:cc5cdebe-0f2b-4279-b753-e88c2bf428a3> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://www.nps.gov/fosc/learn/education/dragoon2.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579251669967.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20200125041318-20200125070318-00062.warc.gz | en | 0.971112 | 979 | 3.8125 | 4 | The extract provides superficial coverage of basic communication and teamwork concepts, such as camaraderie and command structure, but lacks meaningful depth and practical application. It touches on emotional intelligence and leadership challenges, but scenarios are not complex or nuanced. The material is mostly theoretical, with some interactive elements, but limited opportunities for critical thinking and problem-solving.
Educational score: 2 | 2 | 1 | 61,458 | 0 |
“Judicial Branch” is in reference to all lawyers, including those that function as judges. The Judicial Branch in this country is completely unaccountable to the people. This is particularly dangerous because they have the ultimate power to control the legislature. They are currently operating in the same manner, as every country that has ended up in volatile revolutionary status.
Thousands of people, if not tens of thousands, are being denied due process. These are in both civil and criminal cases. No matter who you are, you are at risk. This is directly a result of the American Bar Association, to which all of the members of the Judiciary belong, having formed a shadow government. They have been incrementally gaining jurisdiction since the 1970’s, and are now running the country, overpowering the the other two branches.
People are being incarcerated unfairly, having their homes foreclosed and just plain having their assets extorted through the courts. And there is just no one to go to-it is a dead end at every turn. Lawyers are self-governing, and even in the “code of conduct” it states that they operate outside the government. There is currently no restitution mechanism for damages causes by a member of the Judicial Branch. They gave themselves absolute immunity in the 1970s, and further empowered themselves in 1995, by changing the United States Constitution under Section 1983, which is the law used to file a civil rights law suit, for violations of due process and discrimination.
The majority of the public is blind to this, and will not see it until it is too late. You cannot call your government to complain. You will reach a digital voicemail, asking you to push a multitude of buttons, only to reach a low-level government employee, who will direct you to another low level employee. Many of us, who are directly involved with the courts, have gone so far as to contact their Attorney Generals, the FBI and Governors’ offices, only to be told they have no “jurisdiction” over the Judicial Branch.
Going before a judge, even when represented by a lawyer, who is a also member of the bar, is a conflict of interest. The only objective they both have is to complicate and prolong the case, to bill for as many hours as possible. Once you become entangled in the court system, you will be sent trivial items via U.S. Mail and confirmations of emails received, but nothing will ever get resolved, UNLESS you have the resources to pay huge fees to members of the bar association. Even if you win, you lose. And you may wind up incarcerated, even if you are innocent, often for prosecutorial misconduct that is rampant. You may wait years or decades, to be freed, and they go unpunished.
If you try to send a letter to a judge, regarding the flaws in the system, it will be refused and returned to you. If you are not represented by a lawyer, you cannot be heard by the Supreme Court. They now only hear cases where parties are represented by attorneys, in violation of the U.S. Constitution of 1776. Many that cannot afford lawyers, have tried to gain access to appeals courts, and all have been rejected.
The New Civil Rights Movement
In 2013, the American Bar Association put out a call to action, stating that there were not enough lawyers in the Legislature, and is building a war chest to gain even more power. In fact, the original Constitution prohibits anyone from holding two offices, and as “officers of the court,” attorneys are not even legally allowed to serve in government offices.
These lawyers are the sole contributors to the judicial election campaigns of every judge. It is clearly documented online. Every judge that serves on a case, has some monetary connection to that lawyer, whether it be through a direct campaign, or through a Political Action Committee (PAC) to hide their names. The judges know this.
Those of us with our eyes wide open, spend every spare minute working to change this. We need to restore the democracy. But our biggest obstacle is the apathy of the public, who only contact us once it is too late. If you are not one of the sleeping majority or would like to be awakened, please create a login at (your privacy is respected) at Pennsylvania Court Watch so we can keep you updated on the legislation and events. We encourage other groups to join us. | <urn:uuid:ef8a804b-a1e5-4818-b95a-562ad907e1c5> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | http://pennsylvaniacourtwatch.com/news-views/civil-rights/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370493121.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20200328225036-20200329015036-00528.warc.gz | en | 0.977262 | 907 | 2.515625 | 3 | The extract lacks coverage of soft skills, focusing instead on a critical examination of the US judicial system and its perceived flaws. It does not provide opportunities for developing communication, teamwork, or problem-solving skills, and cultural awareness and digital literacy are not meaningfully addressed. The tone is informative and argumentative, rather than educational or developmental.
Educational score: 1 | 1 | 0 | 842,458 | 0 |
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