March, 2010
31
Mar 10
Pregnant Teen in Korea Fights for Her Right to an Education
Teen mothers and high school often don’t mix. Many times young girls are forced to drop out because of social stigmas and to take care of their newborn child. In order to encourage students to stay in school despite being pregnant, many schools in the U.S. offer special classes and child care facilities allowing students to finish high school. In some countries, however, there are not as many options.
In Korea, for example, teenage pregnancy in high school is not accepted. The moment that a student’s pregnancy becomes public knowledge, she is immediately forced to drop out. Kim Su-hyeon got pregnant last year as a senior in high school at age 19. She was determined not to give up her child nor her own education, so her mother brought the case to the attention of the National Human Rights Commission. The commission helped Kim and her mother by showing that it was discriminatory for any school to force a student to drop out because of pregnancy. Afterwards, Kim was able to return to school, graduate, and also give birth. She is now a mother and in her first year at university.
Thousands of teens become pregnant in Korea each year. The government’s reaction is to provide 100,000 won ($88.61) each month to unwed mothers. Apart from that, there is no government support to allow them to continue their education. Hopefully with cases like Kim Su-hyeon’s, more attention will be paid to teen pregnancies, helping to support them when they do occur and to help young women continue their education.
30
Mar 10
How to Avoid the Freshman 15
Gaining weight the first year of college is so common that it instills fear into the hearts of seniors in high school. Deemed the “Freshman 15” because of the so-called 15 pounds gained, it is caused by general life changes that occur when 18-year-olds leave their home. If you do gain weight, don’t freak out. Examine your eating and exercise habits and make small adjustments. In a study in which freshmen gained 4 pounds in 12 weeks, the students were only eating an average of 174 extra calories each day. This means that cutting out one can of soda or a midnight snack every day and being more active will help you get back on track.
Here are some quick tips for keeping off those extra 15 pounds:
- Avoid eating when stressed, while studying, or while watching TV (we call this zombie eating).
- Eat slowly and at regular times. A good way to practice is to chat during meals (but hopefully not while your mouth is full).
- Pick lower-fat options when you can, such as low-fat milk instead of whole milk or light salad dressing instead of full-fat dressing
- There might be a buffet in the dining hall, but keep the size of your portions small
- Use the 20-minute rule and wait to go back for seconds right way. You might find out the hunger goes away after just 20 minutes.
- Limit vending machine and fast food meals.
Keep an eye on what you drink. In general, drink water during the day and at all meals. This replaces empty calories found in soft drinks and beer.
Get enough exercise. We know this is an obvious point, but it is a very important one. Try to work 30 minutes of moderate exercise into your schedule each day (like walking, jogging, swimming, or working out at the gym) and you’ll feel and see the results. If you have trouble keeping up with your goals, sign up for a class that meets once a week. Attending a class (like yoga) on a regular schedule can motivate some people to stick with their fitness goals.
Sleep it off. Make sleep a priority, and try to work in 7 or 8 hours each night. Think about it this way – if you are sleeping, you’re not eating.
29
Mar 10
Course of the Week – Cool Hunting
Some people pride themselves on being on top of what the next big thing will be. They wore Ugg boots before Britney Spears and half the female population of the world did. They were cutting off their circulation with skinny jeans before you could get them at Urban Outfitters. These people would be experts in the art of cool hunting, a term referring to a new breed of marketing professionals called coolhunters. It is their job to make observations and predictions in changes of new or existing cultural trends.
The University of the Arts London offers a Short Course in Cool Hunting. Throughout the course students will see London as a source of inspiration, making informed artistic choices and researching current and future markets. Students will visit places and be inspired by art, culture, architecture, history, landscape, food, shopping and music. The objective of the course is to experience London with a like-minded group and to gain confidence in expressing and experimenting with ideas. The course is therefore aimed at those who have a natural curiosity, such as people who like to travel, and have an interest in design and fashion.
So, what will be cool next? Wearing a phone as a hat? We hope that one doesn’t evolve.*
*Sorry, Lady Gaga.
26
Mar 10
Earth Hour 2010
Earth Hour 2010 is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world to switch off lights for one hour in the year. It takes place on Saturday 27 March at 8.30pm (local time). Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia to raise awareness of climate change issues. It is all about allowing people to voice their opinions and about working together to create a sustainable low-carbon future for our planet. Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with hundreds of millions of people participating in 2009. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative. Global landmarks such as the Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in London, the Bosphorous Bridge in Istanbul, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Empire State Building in New York, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Rome’s Colosseum and Leaning Tower of Pisa, Egypt’s Sphinx, the Sydney Opera House, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and the Forbidden City in Beijing, among others, all will stand in darkness this year as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour. Educaedu invites you to get involved, show your support and switch off the light at home for 60 minutes and join together in celebration of the one thing we all have in common – our planet.
25
Mar 10
Coldplay Is “Educated” Music
Recently, the British band Coldplay was touring around Latin America. “Classic” songs like Yellow and In My Place were heard live by more than 3 million people, the total number who attended their concerts on the Viva la Vida 2010 tour, which just ended on March 11th with a grand finale at the Estadio Universitario in Monterrey, Mexico.
Apart from their musical career, did you know that the integral parts of this successful band have a pretty impressive educational background? Chris Martin, the singer, graduated from University College London where he studied Ancient World Studies and graduated with First Class honours in Greek and Latin. Guy Berryman, the bassist, started a degree in engineering, but later changed to architecture. Will Champion, the drummer, studied anthropology at Peter Symonds College before joining Coldplay. And last, but not least, Jon Bucland started his studies in astronomy and mathematics at the Univeristy College London where he met his future bandmates.
It seems that these 4 musicians have both a great education and a dose of musical talent. Their shenanigans in college must have contributed to the success that they have today, showing that even if your educational background doesnt always coincide with your career it will usually make some important impression on your life.
24
Mar 10
Meet the Programming Team
Some of the most important people of any great company are those behind the scences, those who do not always get the acolades they deserve. Educaedu would be nothing without our programmers and that is why we would like to highlight them now. They are the blood that runs through Educaedu’s veins and the glue that keeps it together.
Diego, Daniel, Pedro, Pablo, Matias, Martin, Gastón, and Federico (Fede, for short).
Some of the responsibilities of the team include; software development, search engine optimization (SEO), database administration (DBA), systems administration, quality assurance and project manager.
The team´s educational background varies from electronic engineering and information engineering to systems analyst and… artistic drawing?
When asked about what the team does outside of work many answered that they like to bike, read, play the guitar and SALSA DANCE. One answered that after work he goes home and continues programming.
You know who you are, shame on you.
I must say though, that the end of the year company dinner gave us a whole new perception of the programming department. Those guys know how to party.
Pedro’s favorite movie: Aliens
Fede’s favorite TV show: Myth Busters
Matias’ ideal made-up course: A “How To” Telekinesis Course
Daniel’s favorite book: The Count of Monte Cristo
23
Mar 10
Some Students Can Study Whatever They Want
The Gallatin School of Individualized Study, a small college within New York University, gives students the opportunity to essentially study whatever they want. Students can design a personalized program tailored to their own needs and interests by creating their own curriculum and plan for learning. They can take courses in the various schools of New York University, engage in independent studies, and participate in internships at countless institutions, businesses, and arts organizations in New York City.
Some people make fun of Gallatin by coming up with absurd fake concentrations. “Hi I’m in Gallatin, majoring in Origami” or, “Gee, I’m having trouble finding classes to fit my Vampire Studies concentration.” But meet Coco Lillian, a real Gallatin Junior, majoring in “Grand Romantic Gestures in Literature with a focus on the Renaissance.” She buries herself in the work of Shakespeare, Plato, Dante, Boccaccio, Petrarch, Castiglione, and many others drawing connections between each and finding her own conclusions about love and literature. If someone questions her decisions, she just points out:
“Have you ever read Plato’s Symposium? Have you ever read Boccaccio’s The Decameron? Those are all serious writers writing seriously about love. So what? You’re a finance major with no soul? Congratulations. Love is everything worth living for.”
You go Coco. You go.
22
Mar 10
Course of the Week – Chainsaw Skills
Now here is something to add to your resume – Chainsaw Skills. You never know when they might come in handy. There might be an out-of-control hedge in your backyard or maybe zombies are attacking the city. Either way, you and your trusty chainsaw will be able to take care of it after taking this course.
NorQuest College in Alberta, Canada offers a Chainsaw Course to help you maneuver this wonderous device. Students will learn the proper techniques and safety procedures for operating a chainsaw. In just four hours you could be on your way to trimming trees, carving ice, or hacking at the undead.
*Must have own equipment.
19
Mar 10
Yoga – Between Recess and Long Division
"I used to have a quick temper and yoga has calmed that"
We have all heard about the benefits of yoga for relaxation, meditation and flexibility. In Scotland, yoga is now being brought into the classroom. At Quarry Brae, a primary school in Parkhead, students who were having problems with fighting and agression are learning to channel their frustrations and have seen improvments in behavior and focus through yoga. It was brought to the school by a collaboration between an Indian couple who created a trust called Patajali Yog Peeth UK Trust, and Glasgow City Council. The couple gives several lessons to the students and then free training to the teachers so that they may instruct the classes themselves. The teachers involved in the yoga program claim that they have seen improvements in the relationships between students and the relationship between students and teachers. One teacher was quoted as saying, “we have a laugh and we have good fun with it, it’s really improved my relationship with the children, their concentration levels and their attitude to one another.”
The couple, Sam and Sunita Poddar, who started the program added “Children are our future and health is everyone’s business… it’s all about good health, body and mind.”
More exercise at school has really seemed to improve learning. Scotland isn’t the only country with exercise programs. Schools in Canada have similar programs for students with behavioural problems who get to run for 20 minutes in the morning.
Reference |
18
Mar 10
To Be Like Mozart
Mozart wrote his first sonata for the piano when he was 4 years old and composed his first opera when he was only 12. Igor Falecki, a Polish drummer, was on his first tour giving concerts with experienced musicians when he was just 5, and has become extremely popular with almost 1 million views on Youtube.
Imagine if the Mozarts and the Einsteins of the world were overlooked.
Gifted children include those with extremely high IQ as well as child prodigies in areas such as music, mathematics, or chess, and children with extremely developed talents in unusual areas. However, it was also found that approximately a third of highly gifted children also have learning differences, such as dyslexia and many of them are mistakenly diagnosed with ADHD and are given drugs to “treat” their problem.
Albert Einstein said, “Genuis is 1% talent and 99% percent hardwork…”. The average school systems allow the genius to become bored and extremely apathetic. The child’s interests, their physical and emotional development and social skills might not be equally developed as their intellectual abilities.
Many people are unaware but there are programs that exist to nurture those with special talents and high IQs. Do yo have any interest in working with these kind of people? Programs and courses like the Gifted and Talented Students Program at Kingston University London in the UK, the Master of Education in Gifted Education at Flinders University in Australia and the Gifted Children Online Course at INSTITUTO AMERICANO de Enseñanza Técnica in Argentina can help you get a kick start in your career.
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