Read Naturally recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, and I thought it?d be fun to take a look at how education and schools have changed over the last two decades.? Many things have changed, and many things have stayed the same.
School Supplies
I began my research by comparing back-to-school supply lists from 1992 and 2012.? My findings surprised me some.? Most of the supplies where the same!? In 1992 students were asked to bring pens, pencils and notebooks, of course.? Some lists asked for tissues or paper towels.? Predictable school supplies like erasers, tape, highlighters and loose leaf paper are found on lists from both 1992 and 2012.? Glue sticks have replaced paste, which must rank as one of many teachers? most welcome changes.? As you can imagine, I did find a few new items on the 2012 lists that weren?t on school supply lists two decades ago.? Dry erase markers were on a number of current lists. Most schools were still using chalk boards in 1992.? Headphones or ear buds appeared on some 2012 lists. I didn?t find that item anywhere on the older lists.? Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes have become common items in 2012, too.? The thumb drive has now become a standard requirement for many schools.? If you recall, in 1992 the disk was still floppy.
New Technology
Floppy disks are long gone, but they marked the beginning of a major change in education.? Computers and technology have made their way into our homes, offices, and our schools.? From desktops to laptop to iPads and iPods, the trend is obvious and likely to continue.? In 1992, very few people had computers at home.? Many schools had a computer lab with a few desktops, but their educational function was still limited.? I mostly remember playing Oregon Trail as a reward for good behavior, rather than any actual learning or instructional software.? Now, in 2012, the number of computers and the variety and quality of educational software products has increase dramatically.? Many students come to school already having computer skills and many parents expect technology to be a major component in their child?s education.? Some districts are even experimenting with virtual classrooms.
Curriculum, Assessment & Standards
Over the last 20 years, there have been many changes in how students are instructed and which skills are focused on.? A simple example is the change from teaching penmanship to keyboarding, but there are many, many more.? Recently, we?ve seen a major push toward Early Childhood Education, Common Core Standards, Response to Intervention, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math).? Schools are engaged much more with standardized testing, benchmark assessments, and progress monitoring these days, and things like Family and Consumer Science have been deemphasized or left behind altogether.? There also seems to be fewer art projects, movie showings (or film reels), and holiday parties nowadays.
Whether you think the changes are positive or negative, we can all agree that things have indeed changed.? It?s a new generation of students and parents.? You have new tools and research at your disposal.? There are new challenges facing you today that simply weren?t a concern 20 years ago.? Times have changed, and as professional educators I?m sure you?ve adapted to make the best of changing situations.? Your efforts are appreciated.
What kind of changes have you experienced over your career and in your local area?? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
I have been with Read Naturally since 2008. I have a number of roles including marketing, finance, and human resources. My contributions will consist primarily of Read Naturally related news. I?ll also act as the administrator for the RN Bookmark. You can reach me at tjihnot (at) readnaturally (dot) com.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? Eagles coach Andy Reid says there's no question Michael Vick will be ready to play the season opener despite injuring his ribs again.
Vick won't practice Wednesday after bruising his ribs and the soft tissue surrounding it during Philadelphia's win at New England on Monday. The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback hasn't been ruled out of Friday night's preseason game at Cleveland, though it's unlikely he will play.
The Eagles play the Browns again in Week 1 on Sept. 9.
Vick has missed three games because of rib injuries in each of the past two seasons. Nick Foles will start on Friday if Vick can't play.
The starters are expected to play about one quarter.
When you think of your favorite store or restaurant, chances are it?s a local, independent, small business. It has charm and character that contribute to the distinctive character of your community. Its customer service is excellent?and personal: They know you.
Small businesses add value for everyone, says the Small Business Administration:
Local independent small businesses tend to be community-minded as well. They hire locally and purchase goods and services from other local merchants. Purchase local goods and services and you get the additional benefit of reduced transportation costs and less environmental impact.
?Purchase? is the key word here. In order to thrive, local independent small businesses need your support, not just for the holidays, but all the time.
Don?t just lament the changing character of your community or shake your head woefully as you pass empty storefronts. Buy from local, independent small businesses.
To ensure the success of local businesses (and their communities), two organizations are teaming up to help small businesses spread the word about the importance of buying local ? ?American Express, the founding partner of ?Small Business Saturday, and the American Independent Business?Alliance (AMIBA), a non-profit that helps communities launch and operate ?buy local? campaigns.
AMIBA and American Express will host training events from September 2012 through May 2013 to educate communities about how to launch successful ?buy local? campaigns, in other words, how to keep their dollars working nearby. Any community can apply by contacting AMIBA.
?American Express? collaboration with AMIBA advances a shared goal ? to support America?s independent small businesses,? said Mary Ann Fitzmaurice Reilly, senior vice president of American Express OPEN. ?Our joint efforts will lead to many new local alliances that will help raise awareness of the value small businesses bring to communities and motivate consumers to ?shop small? all year around ? including on Small Business Saturday.?
This is an opportunity for businesses, local governing boards, Business Improvement Districts, and citizen?s groups to help their communities thrive. Don?t just talk about saving local stores and character: Take action.
Geri Stengel is founder of?Ventureneer, which connects values-driven small business owners with the knowledge they need to make the world a better place and to thrive as businesses.
Survival without water: A key trait of an aquatic invader to spreadPublic release date: 22-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: lvaro Alonso aafernandez1976@yahoo.es Pensoft Publishers
Nowadays, an increasing number of rivers and lakes are being invaded by exotic snails, which come from remote regions, and even other continents. Such species represent a threat to native species, as they compete for food or space with them.
This is the case of the mudsnail Potamopyrgus antipodarum. This small aquatic snail is native to New Zealand, and has spread throughout rivers, lakes or streams in Europe, Australia, America and Asia. The invasion success of this mudsnail may be partly due to the ability of females to reproduce without participation of males (i.e. parthenogenesis). This means that only one female is able to start a new population. Besides, the reproductive potential is huge, up to 230 juveniles per female in a year.
But how can these snails disperse from catchment to catchment? If the species were able to tolerate desiccation, it could be transported attached to birds, fishing tools or terrestrial animals. This possibility has been investigated by the Spanish ecologists lvaro Alonso and Pilar Castro-Dez from the University of Alcal, whose research was published in the open-access journal NeoBiota.
They performed a laboratory experiment, exposing the snails to different dehydration periods and counting the number of surviving snails. In this way they demonstrated that the mudsnail can survive up to 48 hours out of water. From this finding, two (low-cost) and relatively easy control mechanisms for avoiding the spread of mudsnails emerge: 1) exposing to air of any fishing tools and/or boats for more than 53 hours and 2) avoiding the access of wild and domestic animals to infected rivers or lakes via physical barriers or scarecrows. Such simple measures can actually help to preserve water bodies free of invaders.
###
Original source:
Alonso A, Castro-Dez P (2012) Tolerance to air exposure of the New Zealand mudsnail Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Hydrobiidae, Mollusca) as a prerequisite to survival in overland translocations. NeoBiota 14: 67-74. doi: 10.3897/neobiota.14.3140
Posted by Pensoft Publishers.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Survival without water: A key trait of an aquatic invader to spreadPublic release date: 22-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: lvaro Alonso aafernandez1976@yahoo.es Pensoft Publishers
Nowadays, an increasing number of rivers and lakes are being invaded by exotic snails, which come from remote regions, and even other continents. Such species represent a threat to native species, as they compete for food or space with them.
This is the case of the mudsnail Potamopyrgus antipodarum. This small aquatic snail is native to New Zealand, and has spread throughout rivers, lakes or streams in Europe, Australia, America and Asia. The invasion success of this mudsnail may be partly due to the ability of females to reproduce without participation of males (i.e. parthenogenesis). This means that only one female is able to start a new population. Besides, the reproductive potential is huge, up to 230 juveniles per female in a year.
But how can these snails disperse from catchment to catchment? If the species were able to tolerate desiccation, it could be transported attached to birds, fishing tools or terrestrial animals. This possibility has been investigated by the Spanish ecologists lvaro Alonso and Pilar Castro-Dez from the University of Alcal, whose research was published in the open-access journal NeoBiota.
They performed a laboratory experiment, exposing the snails to different dehydration periods and counting the number of surviving snails. In this way they demonstrated that the mudsnail can survive up to 48 hours out of water. From this finding, two (low-cost) and relatively easy control mechanisms for avoiding the spread of mudsnails emerge: 1) exposing to air of any fishing tools and/or boats for more than 53 hours and 2) avoiding the access of wild and domestic animals to infected rivers or lakes via physical barriers or scarecrows. Such simple measures can actually help to preserve water bodies free of invaders.
###
Original source:
Alonso A, Castro-Dez P (2012) Tolerance to air exposure of the New Zealand mudsnail Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Hydrobiidae, Mollusca) as a prerequisite to survival in overland translocations. NeoBiota 14: 67-74. doi: 10.3897/neobiota.14.3140
Posted by Pensoft Publishers.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Probably the most advance form will be metastatic or stage Intravenous breast cancer that is extremely life-threatening. Several patients in that phase ultimately depart life, since it then will become incurable almost in every of the cases. Because studies reveal, about One-three percent of the patients within this stage recover. Why don?t you consider the remaining? They ultimately rest in serenity. It shows these types of obvious signs just before killing:
Severe soreness
Several body parts thinks pain especially those in which the tumor has distribute. One that metalizes in the bone fragments causes joint pains and also bone aches which can be so deep. In case it has attacked the actual liver, a vital body organ, the idea results in frequent abdominal pain. Chest pain will be occurred when metastatic breast cancer offers spread to the lung area, which is very likely as it is often a neighboring organ. According to a research of European Journal of Cancer Care, most of the women affected using this type of disease had excellent control over the pain over the last stages of dying. This means pain isn?t the worst symptom at any time experienced by such people.
Psychological disturbances
Women are especially sensitive and are readily affected by just about any malignant disorder for example metastatic breast cancer. Depression, restlessness and also anxiety are a common incidence as published in European Journal involving Cancer Care. That they conducted a study upon 44 affected individuals using stage IV breast cancer awareness. The actual findings in the document are briefly described below:
About 1 / 2 of the patients suffered from despression symptoms 66 percent of them had got anxiety just before death due to this condition. It was observed while interviewing them all when it comes to research. Other physical symptoms were not associated with the occurrence of such emotional imbalances within the patients. This implies on the fact, no matter the signs are mild as well as severe, the presence of mental problems remain unaffected. They just occur in the past stage regardless of other unstable medical problems concerned. In the study, the actual concerned group of people is actually provide a psychological help and emotional stability to the patients who are now about to point out good bye to their family members.
Gastrointestinal abnormalities
There are a few signs such as irregularity, involuntary urination along with defecation, in which the patient manages to lose control over bowel as well as urinary excretion. Nausea and vomiting are also frequent together with fatigue or exhaustion. Anorexia, loss of appetite is a common incident that subsequently brings about an unintentional weight loss. The study reveals within the European Journal these kinds of disturbances together with fatigue were probably the most severe symptoms of most in the patients before their death.
Swollen body organs
A critical signal is bloating of the abdomen, foot and legs. The precise reason however isn?t known. Abdominal region may be so due to infection, presence of your lump or inflammation. There can be difficulty going for walks in such a condition; the anguish being another outcome of it. Breast inflammation is there from practically the beginning of the disease since the person developed growth inside. As it increases in volume, the actual swollen part is enlarged to accommodate.
For more information about treatment of breast cancer please visit the website.
President Barack Obama took some time on the campaign trail to discuss the world's highest-profile bromance.?
We knew they were friends, but after a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, it appears that Obama and his wife Michelle are downright smitten with actor George Clooney.
The couple gushed over the Oscar-winning actor and the POTUS insisted the only reason they don't keep in touch more is because Clooney is "low maintenance guy," and understands how it would look if they were seen together too often.
"He's very protective about not bothering me," said the president. "I think he's also sensitive to the fact that, you know, that if he's around a lot, then somehow it'll be tagged as 'Obama hanging out with Hollywood stars,' and that's not who he is. But he's a good person."
For her part, the First Lady admitted he's cute on multiple occasions. "It's a fact," she insisted.
The budding friendship began before Obama began his presidential campaign and the two got to know each other while advocating for the people of Darfur while Obama was still a Senator.
Clooney recently helped raise $15 million for Obama's reelection campaign.?