Measures

MEASURES keys to success in place-based learning by James Lewicki (Adapted)

Measurable lifelong-learning skills are embedded in an academic core. These include the skills to:

- follow an interest with a passion
- be able to precisely observe, record, and analyze data
- be a tenacious learner
- demonstrate effective collaborative skills
- recognize and utilize dynamic systems
- develop an intellectual balance of skepticism and openness
- use the power of intuition along with the discipline of deduction
- be able to cooperate through a shared dilemma
- draw conclusions independent of authority
- tolerate ambiguity
- select problem-solving strategies appropriate to a complex task

Effort is obvious and public.
"Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example." Mark Twain

Aligned with clear academic standards.
Open inquiry is active learning, and clear academic standards can keep a student focused.

Student opportunity for initiative, simply put, is endless.
"Practice precedes the possibility of observation and formulation; the results of practice must accumulate before mind has anything to observe." John Dewey

Understood by parents and the community.
Constantly bridging the gaps between school, home, and community is an active ingredient of a worthy place-based project. Parents, besides wanting to know what is learned, will often contribute to the learning itself.

Reflection time for establishment of meaning is built-in; preparatory project understanding is critical. Hands-on learning is only as powerful as the meaningfulness derived from all that activity. To be able to step back and ask, "What worked?" and "What didn't work?" can make all the difference.

Evidence is clear, credible, and compelling, leading to future endeavors. How can you prove to me that you know something? Show me, demonstrate, explain so that I can learn, and -- above all -- convince me that what you accomplished with that place-based project moved you forward in your understanding of the world. Finally, a completed project, in the end, will bring up more questions than it answers.

Sustainable learning beyond the expectations of adults, for learning's sake itself.
Sandi's poem ->
Have You Ever . . . ?
Have you ever stopped to look
to see what you could see?
Have you ever really wondered,
what maybe could be?
Have you ever sneaked a glance,
at wild birds in the sky?
Have you ever seen a stand of oaks
and stopped to wonder why?
Have you ever seen a river,
a-winding off afar?
Have you ever walked upon a ridge,
and wondered where you are?
Have you ever counted colors,
as you strolled along the way?
Have you ever witnessed fall,
and its colorful array?
Have you ever stopped to look,
to see what you could see?
Have you ever really wondered,
how it changes you and me?

"Desire is creation, is the magical element in that process. If there were an instrument by which to measure desire, one could foretell achievement." Willa Cather

Naughtiness at school; failure in life

They are likelier to end up with dud jobs and poor health. - AFP

PARIS - CHILDREN who badly misbehave in school are likelier to end up with a dud job, poor mental health, teen pregnancy or divorce, according to a British study published on Friday.

The paper, published online by the British Medical Journal (BMJ), provides statistical backing for teachers who sound warnings about anti-social behaviour, its authors say.

It draws on an exceptionally long-term investigation, launched among 3,652 Britons who were born in 1946. With their consent, these volunteers have been monitored at occasional intervals since their birth, filling in questionnaires about their health, family and professional life.

At the ages of 13 and 15, this group was assessed by their teachers, who were asked to grade their behaviour as having severe, mild or no conduct problems.

A total of 9.5 per cent of the teenagers were identified as having severe problems; 28.8 per cent had mild problems; and 61.7 per cent no problems.

Forty years later, the follow up inquiry found a clear link between misbehaviour at school and difficulties in adult life.

"Adolescent misconduct might adversely affect developing social behaviours and result in pervasive social and mental health difficulties throughout adult life." the paper suggests.

"青年期不端行将会有威力不利地影响在成人生活中弥漫的社会行为和精神健康困难结果。"

"Thanh niên vi sai trái có thể ảnh hưởng bất lợi đến phát triển xã hội và hành vi kết quả pervasive trong xã hội và sức khỏe tâm thần dành cho người lớn những khó khăn trong suốt cuộc đời."

Compared with those with no conduct problems at school, those who severely misbehaved were twice as likely to become a parent before the age of 20; likelier to get divorced or have relationship problems with spouses, children or friends; four times likelier to leave school with no qualifications, and twice as likely to be in a manual job or unemployed.

Problems in life also extended, but to a lesser degree, to those with milder forms of misbehaviour.

Males accounted for 62.6 per cent of those with severe behavioural problems at school and 54.8 per cent of those with mild problems. If the father had a manual job, this too was a major factor among teenagers in these categories.

The study is led by Ian Colman, an assistant professor of public health at the University of Alberta, Canada.

Prof Colman says the study provides a useful guide for focusing resources to help teenagers whose behaviour could prove costly both to themselves in adulthood, and to society.

He admits that the study has some limitations - there are no data to explain why children misbehaved, for instance.

On the other hand, the teachers' assessment was a good indicator of a child's risk of delinquency, and a better guide than the parents' own assessment, he argues.


FIVE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: Dolores Mirabella (Adapted)
1. Communication:
a) Read and listen actively to learn and communicate.
b) Speak and write effectively for personal, academic and workplace purposes.
2) Human Relations:
a) Use social interactive skills to work in groups effectively.
3) Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving:
a) Think critically in evaluating information, solving problems, and making decisions.
4) Technology:
a) Select the appropriate use of technological tools for personal, academic, and career tasks.
5) Personal Responsibility:
a) Be motivated and able to continue learning and adapt to change.
b) Value one's own skills, abilities, ideas, and art.
c) Take pride in one's work.
d) Manage personal health and safety.


"I tend to be attracted to characters who are up against a wall with very few alternatives. And the film then becomes an examination of how they cope with very few options. And that's, I guess, what interests me in terms of human behavior." William Friedkin

Young & Jobless

College Relationship

"Every year, a diverse mix of students from all over the world make their way to Singapore. Singapore offers world-class education, which is industry-relevant and prepares students for an international career. With more than 7,000 multinational corporations (MNCs) alongside 100,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) having set up their base in Singapore, students can look forward to excellent professional networking as well as job opportunities in one of the best business environments in Asia. Today, there are over 86,000 international students from 120 nationalities studying in Singapore... " Ms. Rebecca Lim, Area Director, West India, Singapore Tourism Board.


"ATTiTUdE: BELiEVE it, you will sEE it."

"You don’t have to get it right, you just have to get it going."

10, 000 hours

There are several myths about success:

1. Hard working entrepreneur pulls himself up by his bootstraps, works hard at an original idea for a few years, and becomes a hugely successful businessman. But there are many hard working entrepreneurs who never make it.

2. Born into the right family with the right connections and a fancy college education, an heir or heiress parlays their grandfather’s business into a huge multi-billion dollar company. But there are many people born into money that lose or squander it all.

3. Lucky all her life, she got all the right breaks, and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. But not everyone is lucky 100 percent of the time.

"To truly master any skill, he suggests, leaning on various pieces of research, requires about 10,000 concentrated hours. If you can get those hours in early, and be in a position to exploit them, then you are an outlier." Malcolm Gladwell, best-selling author of The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference and Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, has a new book coming out called Outliers: The Story of Success.

"If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut." Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

"My mother drew a distinction between achievement and success. She said that 'achievement is the knowledge that you have studied and worked hard and done the best that is in you. Success is being praised by others, and that's nice, too, but not as important or satisfying. Always aim for achievement and forget about success.'" Helen Hayes (1900 - 1993)

"People can be divided into two classes: those who go ahead and do something, and those who sit still and inquire, 'Why wasn't it done the other way?'" Oliver Wendell Holmes

Why I dropped out of school

KOTA KINABALU, MALAYSIA - Thirteen-year-old Michael Losion works as a greasing-boy for a contractor. The mild-mannered Kadazandusun packs a solid handshake and was proud of the job he got a month ago.

"I help to grease the 'Case' and 'Hitachi'. I hope to become a driver," said Michael, pointing to the bulldozer and excavator that he helps to service as an apprentice to his uncle, the mechanic.

He doesn't want to talk about school. After finishing Year Six at SK Rompon in Tambunan, Michael left school.

"I don't know," when pressed on why he quit, but he pledges to ensure his four younger siblings continue schooling.

Pinda Dula, the village chief of Saliku Sumatalun, a remote Murut village in Pensiangan that takes two days to reach by road, river and footpath from here, offers a reason why rural children in Sabah quit school.

"They tell me they cannot catch up with the other children and feel sidelined."

Majunjum Ambiloh of Lumpagas, also in Pensiangan, said most villages did not have schools.

"We have to leave our children in makeshift hostels looked after by teachers, friends or relatives. Some can go through it but others might not.

"I had to stay with my child for over a month when she started school.

"The school is four hours by boat from our home," he said.

Living in hostels far from home also makes these rural children easy prey for bullies.

Anthony Simon, 19, recalls being bullied when he was at the SM Datuk Peter Mojuntin hostel in Penampang. After Form One, he decided to quit.

"I was beaten up for no reason, mocked by others and did terribly in my studies. I did not have anyone to turn to," he said.

Social worker Henry Kassim, a Murut from Saliku Sumatalun, said he was fortunate to have been "rescued" by a teacher at SM Nabawan, Penampang.

"Bullies forced me to flee the school but a teacher caught me as I was escaping from the hostel and took me to his home.

"Things could have been different if the teacher did not take me in."

New Straits Times

"Respect yourself, respect your time, your resources, your knowledge and your company."

"Nine tenths of education is encouragement." Anatole France

"Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands." Anne Frank

"Your ability to learn faster than your competition is your only sustainable competitive advantage." "快速学习能力会是你竞争所能承受的优势。" "Khả năng của bạn để tìm hiểu nhanh hơn của bạn cạnh tranh của bạn là chỉ có lợi thế cạnh tranh bền vững." Arie de Gues

No Pain, No Gain

Ever wonder why you aren't getting anywhere? Then, have your attitude redefined playfully... by JK.

1) Work Smart 爭氣 Làm việc khó khăn
Hard on the effort NOT on yourself

2) Just Do It 索性 chỉ Làm
Wanna do, Stoppa doubt

3) Go for the Kill 一乘势意 Về cho giết
Focus, focus, focus.

4) Up Your Stake 桩注 trên của bạn stake
Seize the moment; grab the break

5) Never Say Die 天無絕人之路 Không bao giờ nói chết
Your thoughts; your destiny

6) Go Deep 深入 Về sâu
A 100ft tree’s not shy.

7) Fear and Pride 恐惧与傲慢 Sợ hãi và Pride
Lose them.

8) Avoid Mental Games 避玩手腕 Tránh tâm thần trò chơi
You won’t have time, anyway.

"You can't 'try' to do things. You simply 'must' do things."

The Practice of Leadership 成功人士的秘密 US $ 1 triệu jackpot

"You cannot escape the results of your thoughts. Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain or rise with your thoughts, your vision, your ideal. You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration." James Allen

"If I supply you with a thought, you may remember it and you may not. But if I can make you think a thought for yourself, I have indeed added to your stature." Elbert Hubbard

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man." Benjamin Franklin

Your Worth in $

We've only just begun

"It takes a minute to have a crush on someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to fall in love with someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone." Author Unknown

Read, Learn, and Think Your Way to Success

Ten Thinking and Dreaming Exercises for Creativity and Innovation

1) Read with pen and notebook in hand; jot down any idea that comes into your consciousness.

2) Keep a notebook in which you can keep track of ideas, by your bed and in your car.

3) Write one idea down on a piece of paper and brainstorm any thought that comes from it: how to accomplish the idea, what to do about the idea, where to use the idea, who can help you implement the idea, and any other thought that enters your mind.

4) Read a non-fiction book every week. Read magazines, journals, online articles... all the time.

5) Clip articles and place them in a folder of related articles or ideas. Periodically, glance through the folder.

6) Create “idea files” in most folders in your computer. Create an idea or to-do file in your email program. Add ideas as they come to you.

7) Take time to stare out your window (if your setting deserves attention), play with a desk toy, take a quiet walk. Do any rote activity that allows thoughts to swirl through your mind.

8) Encourage your staff and coworkers to do all of the above and share ideas with each other at “think” or brainstorm sessions. Schedule annual retreats or off-site meetings to plan and generate ideas.

9) Develop an employee suggestion process.

10) Schedule think weeks, think days, or think hours for yourself or your work group.

Thinking time and learning time are both critical to creativity and innovation. The old adage: “stop to smell the roses” is true for both your current work and your career. Take time to plant and harvest the ideas that fuel your progress and success.
By Susan M. Heathfield (Adapted)


"An entrepreneur assumes the risk and is dedicated and committed to the success of whatever he or she undertakes." Victor Kiam

Web boom in English-obsessed Korea

SEOUL - Armed with the world's fastest Internet and an even stronger desire to learn English, South Koreans are using the latest Web resources to master a language that is the economic and emotional focus of their education.

On any given day, students ranging from kids learning their alphabet to adults preparing for job interviews sign in on their Internet messengers, fire up their webcams and wait for English teachers to appear -- from faraway continents.

They hope one-on-one chats with foreigners will help them fix pronunciation, get rid of native accents and feel more comfortable with a foreign language. The country's official teaching methods, based on grammar exercises and vocabulary lists, have consistently failed to deliver such benefits.

South Korea's average score in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is below the world average despite having the largest number of students taking the test.

"It is really nice to look at my English teacher through the computer screen and feel like having a chat with a new friend outside the country," said Oh Sun-young, who takes a Web-camera English course on Skype with her Philippine instructor.

Web English is the latest hit in South Korea's booming English education market, enabled by handy gadgets and widespread fiber-optics networks.

The new service, along with more traditional conversation courses offered by phone, is one of the fastest growing segments in South Korea's private English education industry, which is estimated at 15 trillion won ($13 billion) a year -- almost half of the country's annual education budget.

About 150 to 200 companies are in the market offering phone and Web English tutoring.

"Students who are very inexperienced with English may initially find the classes challenging, but within three months, there is a tremendous improvement in most of the students' speaking ability," said Tara McKibben, a phone English tutor who has been teaching over seven years from the United States.

KT Corp, South Korea's dominant fixed-line and broadband operator, provides a service called "Hello ET" cooperating with a South Korean English education company.

"We provide Web-cameras to our videophone English customers so that they can log on the website and have live chat with instructors," said Kang Joo-hyun, a "Hello ET" spokeswoman.

One-on-one conversation in English is technically close to real-live talk, held in Web phone service such as Skype. A message board opens adjacent to the conversation browser, so that participants can check the spelling of a word or start writing if they struggle to understand each other.

Internet portal SK Communications runs "Spicus" which includes a job interview drill on a video-chat platform. Applicants hand out their completed English resume before the drill. An interviewer stages a simulation interview through webcam, looking through resumes, and later provides feedback on logical speaking and communication skills.

"Interviewers are former officials in human resources department of big U.S. (companies) such as IBM," Ryu Hee-jo, a spokeswoman for SK Communications, said.

Cheap and credible

Good English test scores and speaking skills are considered an indispensable key for success in South Korea. In their quest for fluent English, a great deal of wealthy South Koreans simply flee their country's school system and its rigid teaching methods.

South Korea ranks No. 1 in the number of international students in the United States, ahead of more populous India and China, according to U.S. Student and Exchange Visitor Information System.

However, for those who cannot afford thousands of dollars a month in learning English abroad or spare time for look for meeting arrangements, video chat at home fulfills their aspiration at much cheaper prices. A three-times-a-week Web English course can be covered for about 100,000 won a month.
(Reuters - By Park Ju-min, Editing by Rhee So-eui and Derek Caney)

"Even a fish wouldn't get into trouble if it had kept its mouth shut."
"Put off for one day and ten days will pass."
"If you starve for three days, there is no thought that does not invade your imagination."
"Words have no wings but they can fly a thousand miles."
"If there is a rich man in the area three villages are ruined."
Source: Korean Wisdom

Spontaneous Order

Mathematician Steven Strogatz shows how flocks of creatures (like birds, fireflies and fish) manage to synchronize and act as a unit -- when no one's giving orders. The powerful tendency extends into the realm of objects, too.

Strogatz is convinced that his research will help solve many problems in science that are related to complex, self-organizing systems in which vast numbers of components influence each other and interact simultaneously.

Self Organisation & Balance of exploitation and exploration


"People are definitely a company's greatest asset. It doesn't make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics. A company is only as good as the people it keeps." Mary Kay Ash

"Fish, to taste right, must swim three times - in water, in butter, and in wine." Polish Proverb

"Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live." Socrates

"We plan, we toil, we suffer - in the hope of what? A camel-load of idol's eyes? The title deeds of Radio City? The empire of Asia? A trip to the moon? No, no, no, no. Simply to wake just in time to smell coffee and bacon and eggs." J.B. Priestly

Student by day, 'kopitiam' boss by night

Meet Lee Cheng Wee - undergraduate by day and Geylang coffeeshop owner by night.

The enterprising 24-year-old, currently a student at the Singapore Institute of Management, came to be his own boss eight months ago when he and two partners pooled together about $10,000 to rent and renovate a coffeeshop.

The store, D E Eating House, is located in Geylang Lorong 17 and houses a total of seven stalls.

However, working and studying at the same time does not come easy for the banking and finance undergraduate.

Mr Lee, who will graduate in June next year, told Lianhe Wanbao that he works seven days a week, rain or shine. Together with his employees, he does all tasks at the coffee shop, including brewing coffee.

As his two partners have their own businesses to take care of, the third-year student has to supervise the daily operations of the coffeeshop.

Whenever he runs into problems at the shop, he will consult his more experienced partners for advice and learn from putting their words into practice.

First coffeeshop in Geylang to have free wifi

Having a young boss can sometimes bring about new ideas for the industry. For instance, Mr Lee has introduced a free wireless Internet service at his coffee shop.

His eatery is believed to be the first in Geylang to do so.

Customers can surf the Internet at the coffee shop upon obtaining a log-in password from the staff.

Cheng Wee pointed out to Lianhe Wanbao that the main motive of this 'free Internet' move is to attract more tourists and white-collared workers.

However, he emphasised that the coffee shop would not neglect other customers or place a premium on food or drinks to cover the cost of providing Internet access.

A father's encouragement

Mr Lee also shared with the Chinese daily that he decided to take this business plunge because of his father's encouragement.

"My father has always cultivated an entrepreneurial spirit within me since young. He was very supportive of my decision to start a business," he explained.

He also revealed that, apart from food and transport fees, every single cent he earned had been re-invested into the coffee shop.

"We should take advantage of our youth to try new things and pick up experience.

"I hope I can break new ground in the food and beverage industry," adding that he hopes to run a chain of youth-oriented coffee shops in the future.
Source: AsiaOne


"Life is not fair; get used to it. As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others. Your time is a valuable resource." Bill Gates

"As long as you're going to be thinking anyway, think big." Donald Trump

"Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise." Ted Turner

Learn, Unlearn, Relearn.

"Learning becomes hard because experience with our first language 'warps' perception. We see things through the lens of our native language and that 'warps' the way we see foreign languages." Dr Paul Iverson

ZoukOut

Over 26,000 people partied all night at the ZoukOut 2008 beach party at Sentosa's Siloso beach. Known as one of the region's biggest dance parties, it also attracts tourists from as far as Australia and India.


"Strange that these party animals should invest a good amount of time to look attractive only to end up having to vomit and what nots on themselves, disheveled and disorientated. Is that the new expression of party fun? The young Brits in the UK have started this alcohol binging trend decades ago, do Singaporeans really need to be copy cats of such ugly display of drinking habits?" Niederanven

"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." Michelangelo Buonarroti 1474-1564, Italian Renaissance Painter and Sculptor

Don't party till you drop
"We lie the loudest when we lie to ourselves." Eric Hoffer

Money for Nothing

One day an employee sends a letter to his boss asking for an increase in his salary.

Dear Bo$$

In thi$ life, we all need $ome thing mo$t de$perately. I think you $hould be under$tanding of the need$ of u$ worker$ who have given $o much $upport including $weat and $ervice to your company.

I am $ure you will be able to gue$$ what I mean and re$pond $oon.

Your$ $incerely,
Norman


The next day, the employee received this letter of reply:

Dear NOrman,

I kNOw you have been working NOt very hard. NOwadays, NOthing much has changed. You must have NOticed that our company is NOt doing NOticeably well as yet.

NOw the newspapers are saying the world`s leading ecoNOmists are sure that the world is getting into aNOther recession. Even after the NOvember presidential elections things do NOt look good.

I have NOthing more to add NOw. You kNOw what I mean.

Yours truly,
Manager

Source: Internet
The Art of Saying “No”

"No one means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous." Henry Brooks Adams

Life Long Learning

"Take anything and everything seriously except yourselves." Rudyard Kipling

Lo Hwei Yen

In Memoria


"People are like stained glass windows: they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within." Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful. Welcome it in every face, in every sky, in every flower." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Whenever God wants to give us a gift, he wraps it up in a problem." Norman Vincent Peale

Mind Talks

Mapping Brain Growth

Theory of How Brain Builds Images Earns Grawemeyer Prize



Can what we eat and drink really increase our focus and concentration?

1. Caffeine Can Make You More Alert - the effects are short term. And more is often less: Overdo it on caffeine and it can make you jittery and uncomfortable.

2. Sugar is your brain's preferred fuel source - That’s why a glass of something sweet to drink can offer a short-term boost to memory, thinking processes, and mental ability. Consume too much, however, and memory can be impaired, along with the rest of you.

3. Protein - Eating a diet rich in lean and low-fat protein is good for weight loss and overall health though it's hard to draw a connection with brain function.

4. Fish Really is Brain Food - Fish is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, essential for brain function and development. For brain and heart health, eat two servings of fish weekly.

5. Add a Daily Dose of Nuts, Dark Chocolate - Nuts and seeds are good sources of the antioxidant vitamin E, which is associated with less cognitive decline as you age.

6. Avocados and Whole Grains - Eating whole grains and fruits like avocados can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and enhance blood flow, offering a simple, tasty way to fire up brain cells.

7. Blueberries Are Super Nutritious - Help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia.

8. Less is more - Strive for a well-balanced diet chock full of a wide variety of healthy, wholesome foods.

9. Exercise - help sharpen thinking. Get a good night's sleep. Meditate to clear thinking and relax.

WebMD (Adapted)


Brain Atlas

The Secret Life of the Brain

Artificial Intelligence


"It is not the brains that matter most, but that which guides them—the character, the heart, generous qualities, progressive ideas." Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821 - 1881) Russian novelist

"The essence of knowledge is, having it, to apply it; not having it, to confess your ignorance." Confucius

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