December, 2009
30
Dec 09
Meet Carly Pocock
Carly Pocock, originally from Adelaide, Australia, graduated from the University of South Australia with a Bachelor of Visual Arts. While working as a fitness instructor on a cruise ship in Chile and Argentina, she met her Argentinean boyfriend. It inspired her to come to Buenos Aires to learn Spanish and experience a different culture. Going on two years now, she has really made a home for herself, living in the neighborhood of Almagro with her boyfriend and two cats, Pochocla and Galletita. Whether it’s improving her culinary talents or going to yoga and body pump gym classes, Carly is always looking for new things to explore.
At Educaedu since October 2008, Carly works as the Content Manager for Australia and the UK, and helps out with other tasks whenever she can. Carly has recently become a Twitter expert and has been put in charge of the Educaedu Twitter account. She keeps everyone up-to-date with what is going on at our office and in the world of eductaion.
Although she misses her family and friends, and especially the incredible beaches (!!!), Carly is currently without plans to move back to Australia. She will be staying in Buenos Aires with her boyfriend and cats, with an annual holiday back home to catch up with her family.
Favorite movie: Back to the Future
Favorite TV show: Project Runway (the U.S. version)
Best class ever taken: Reading the Screen – a cinema studies course at University of South Australia
Ideal made-up course: Pop Culture with Concentration in Trash Culture
28
Dec 09
Course of the Week – Applying for Asylum in France
The full title of this cours is: Applying for Asylum in France – Administrative and Judicial Procedures
According to international refugee law, a refugee is someone who seeks refuge in a foreign country because of war and violence, or out of fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Until a request for refuge has been accepted, the person is referred to as an asylum seeker.
The GALIAD Formation, an institute in Paris, France, has a course for law enforcement officers explaining the legal aspects of asylum seekers. It takes students through the steps visa policies, examination procedures, retaining refugees, re-opening previous cases, and much more.
Considering that France gets thousands of refugees every year, it makes sense that they would need training courses for the people that have to make these decisions.
25
Dec 09
Educaedu Collaborators – Richard Jesus
Richard in La Boca, a neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Hi, I´m Richie. I am Brazilian and worked for Educaedu (in the contents department for the Brazil and Portugal websites) for almost a year. I started working for Educaedu when they first opened their office in Buenos Aires and it was a great learning experience. I met a lot of people, most of which were foreigners like myself, and built great relationships. Being around so many different kinds of people really opened my mind and taught me many things. Even though I´ve moved on and now have my own web projects, I would say Educaedu was a big part of my education.
I am happy knowing that I helped develop this website into the success that it is today. I will miss my friends from the contents department: Andrea (the supportive one), Brenda (the creative mind), Carly (so helpful), Nacho (the responsible one), Keli (so Argentine, haha), Hila (so sweet) and of course everyone else!
For those that will follow: Educaedu is a great place to work!!
23
Dec 09
Universities Around the World Going Green
With the closing of the Climate Change Conference in Copehagen, many are wondering what types of change we can expect. Universities around the world are already taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint. Students and faculty are rallying to do their part to save natural resources and cut back on global warming. Over the past several years universities have improved their green rating, which has now become a selling point to prospective students. The greener the better, right??!!
How can a University go green you ask? Here is a list of energy-saving eco-friendly changes some universities have implemented:
- Many Universities in the U.S. have joined the Green Power Partnership Program and buy green power electrical energy generated by renewable sources.
- On-campus buildings now LEED certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This corresponds to the number of credits earned in five eco-friendly categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality.
- Receptacles for recyclable wastes on some campuses now equal or outnumber trash cans.
- Required GREEN orientations. Students, upon entering a university, must attend an orientation about being eco-conscious.
- Going paperless. Many universities are on their way to having a completely electronic system with no need for paper forms (see the post we wrote about it)
- Organic food options. Students have demanded that food be from environmentally friendly sources (i.e. organic or with minimal pesticides) and have started to support local farmers and promote healthy diversified diets.
- Classes/programs/research about sustainable resources and ecological preservation.
Here is a list to highlight some of the greener universities around the world:
University of Colorado in the U.S.
Earth University in Costa Rica
University of British Columbia in Canada
University of Leeds in the U.K.
Stanford University in the U.S.
University of Hohenheim in Germany
Duke University in the U.S.
21
Dec 09
Course of the Week – Beekeeping Short Course
The course is designed for anyone wishing to either commence keeping honey bees as a hobby or gain employment within the honey industry. It covers the practical and theoretical knowledge required for the establishment, operation and maintenance of a beehive and how to responsibly manage European Honeybees (Apis mellifera) for honey production.
Some activities requires you to closely work with bees. If you are uncertain as to whether or not you are allergic to bee venom, you are advised to carefully consider your participation in this course.
Course content covers:
- Hive equipment
- Hive construction and maintenance
- Honeybee biology
- Colony behaviour
- Annual hive management practices
- Hive manipulations
- Wintering bees
- Feeding hives
- Requeening hives
- Supporting beekeeping operations
- Pest and diseases of bees
- Honey flora
- Removing a honey crop from a hive
- Extracting honey
This course is offered at the Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE in Australia. If you are interested in more information, click here.
18
Dec 09
Meet Brenda Vega
Brenda Vega, from Quito, Ecuador, came to Buenos Aires in search of lost treasures. Having already traveled through the lands of pisco sours and great wines, she found herself residing in this great city, the Paris of Latin America. She completed an undergraduate program in advertising and graduate courses in copywriting and art direction, making her ready to take on the world!
At Educaedu Brenda is responsible for a myriad of tasks. She is our Content Manager for Mexico, Ecuador and Peru and she is our official photographer. Have you seen our pictures on Facebook or Flickr? Well, Brenda took those. She even took the pictures for this blog (except the ones of herself, obviously). Jealous? I thought so…
On whether or not Brenda has plans to return to Ecuador, her response was just: “some day”. She does miss the food, especially the abundance of fresh fruit, but for now she will spend her time writing, sleeping and working at Educaedu.
Worst job ever: Working as the personal assistant to the sales manager of an Ecuadorian television channel. It was way too similar to the Devil Wears Prada.
Ideal cast of a movie: Anthony Hopkins, Heath Ledger, Meryl Streep, Tina Fey, Tom Hanks and Edward Norton (he is dreamy)
Favorite class ever taken: Creative Writing and Art Direction
Ideal made-up course: How to Get a Job at an Advertising Agency Unscathed
16
Dec 09
Silvio Berlusconi – Once, Twice, Three Times a Prime Minister
Silvio Berlusconi is an Italian politician, the current Prime Minister of Italy as well as a billionaire entrepreneur.
How does one acheive all of these feats? Is one destined to become a world leader? Let us look at some of the steps that Silvio took to get to where he is today.
Silvio completed his secondary school education at a Salesian college, a catholic school oriented towards helping youth. He then studied law at the Università degli Studi di Milano, completing a thesis on the legal aspects of advertising and graduating in 1961. From the 1960s onward, Silvio became increasingly successful in business, investing in real estate, media and even a football club, the internationally successful A.C. Milan. All of these successes helped him enter into the political realm in 1994, when he was elected as the Prime Minister of Italy for the fist time. He must be doing something right, because he has subsequently been re-elected twice making him the longest-serving Prime Minister, serving on three occasions: from 1994 to 1995, from 2001 to 2006 and currently since 2008.
On a more current note, Silvio was recently greeting supporters in Milan and a spectator hurled a souvenir statue of a local cathedral towards him. It hit the Primer Minister in the face, fracturing his nose, breaking some teeth and cutting his lip. He was then taken to the hospital and treated for his wounds. I guess he still has some critics.
14
Dec 09
Course of the Week
The Vampire in Literature and Cinema
Dracula and Angel and Edward Cullen! Oh My! Are you obsessed with any or all of these characters? Do you feel the need to study their background even more than you already have? Tomislav Longinovic, professor of Slavic and comparative literature at the University of Wisconsin, can help you out. His undgergraduate class explores the infamous bloodsuckers in literature and film. Originally from Belgrade, he knows a thing or two about vampire lore.
Sorry. You will not be watching any of the Twilight movies or Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns, but you will watch three films: Nosferatu a 1922 film by F. W. Marnau, Dracula directed by Tod Browning, and Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stocker’s Dracula. In addition, the class will read short stories by Tolstoy, Byron, Goethe, Sheridan Le Fanu and many others.
The incredible popularity of vampires in popular media will make many students pretty jealous they can’t take this class.
School:
11
Dec 09
I’m a MAN, I am an ANCHORMAN
Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy.
While many people might recognize Will Ferrell from his portrayal of Ron Burgundy in the movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, most people don’t know Ferrell actually wanted to be a real anchorman. This interest started as a student at University High School in Irvine, California, where he made his school’s daily morning announcements over the public address system in disguised voices.
Later at the University of Southern California, he studied Sports Broadcasting and graduated with a degree in Sports Information in 1989.
Shortly after, he joined The Groundlings, a Los Angeles-based comedy/improvisation group. Looking at his choice in characters, it seems as though his background in broadcasting was a launching pad for his career in comedy.
9
Dec 09
Tiger Woods Learning Center Still Going Strong
Tiger Woods, with children from the Tiger Woods Learning Center
On February 10, 2006, Tiger Woods was joined by former President Bill Clinton, First Lady of California Maria Shriver, Southern California students, teachers and community leaders for the dedication of the Tiger Woods Learning Center (TWLC), a youth-education facility located in Anaheim, California. The event served as the culmination of a four-year, $25 million campaign to transform Woods’ dream of creating an educational center to inspire and support the career exploration of students.
The 35,000-square-foot center provides 4th through 12th grade students with free enrichment programs in reading, math, science and technology. Specific classes promote career exploration and preparation in areas including forensic science, engineering, aerospace, video production and home design.
“My goal for the TWLC is to provide students with a place to explore their dreams and open doors to new opportunities and potential career paths,” Woods said. “This is their center, and I hope it serves as a launching pad to great success.”
After almost four years, the center is still going strong. It holds an annual Block Party that attracts all sorts of guests. This year people at the block party will enjoy an exciting evening including a performance by singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, a delicious meal cooked up by Texan chef Tim Love, and live and silent auctions featuring luxury items, sports memorabilia and vacation packages. All these will help raise money.
The location of the center is no coincidence. Tiger Woods grew up in Southern California and attended Western High School in Anaheim where he played golf and maintained high grades. Education was highly valued in Tiger’s family, and he went on to attend Stanford University before becoming a professional golfer in 1996.
Tiger’s favorites:
Subjects
Math
Physics
Hobbies
Diving
Spear Fishing
Physical Fitness
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