Advocating Social Media to Promote Change to Literacy Laws

At the 62nd annual conference for the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), held in Chicago in November 2011, renown experts in the field of education, researchers, educators, advocates, parents, and business and political leaders converged to share the latest advances, techniques, and teaching methods targeting dyslexics and learning disabled children. With literacy levels in the U.S. slipping to all-time lows and growing disenchantment with current education policies, the Dyslexia Association is taking a lead role in drafting model language for State Literacy Law changes and pushing for the passage of the LEARN (Literacy Education for All, Results for the Nation) Act.

In a recent press release, IDA executive director Stephen Peregoy emphasized, "The International Dyslexia Association has been tireless in its effort to promote literacy for all students and ensure that all learners receive the support needed to achieve their full potential." To advance literacy law changes, this year's conference included a forum on using social media to organize, mobilize, network, and motivate parents and educators to improve U.S. literacy. Scott Douglas Redmond, a business strategist, technology architect, President of Clever Industries, and a dyslexic himself, led a discussion at the IDA conference on using social media in grassroots campaigns.

Scott has numeric dyslexia (dyscalculia) and experienced learning challenges while growing up alternately labeled "gifted" then "handicapped" and identified as either a "dumb kid" or a "smart kid."

The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) defines dyscalculia as representing a range of disabilities involving math learning with broad variations that can include difficulty learning the meaning of numbers, trouble counting, recognizing numbers, solving basic math problems, and having other math-related challenges. NCLD posts on its website that "LD [Learning Disability] is more than a difference or difficulty with learning - it is a neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to receive, process, store, and respond to information."

Scott grew up thinking he was dumb, although some things he understood better and more quickly than his peers did. He eventually learned math by creating his own pictorial math process that he now shares with children with numeric dyslexia so they can learn. He attended public and private schools in central California and upstate New York, earned a B.A. degree at San Francisco State college (on the Dean 's List), and audited classes at Stanford University and U.C. Berkeley. Scott's experience shows that with proper teaching methods, dyslexics can learn successfully. IDA is working to structure state literacy law with language that establishes knowledge and practice standards for teachers of reading to make sure all children become literate by the third grade.

In Scott's presentation at the IDA conference, he recounted examples where a few people influenced thousands and even millions. He cited the Association for Child Support Enforcement, begun in Ohio by a single mother that moved state by state across the country; the Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which started as a small effort that convinced dozens of states to toughen drunk driving laws; and other examples where collective power started with one person or a few and grew to reach masses. Through effective use of social media, previously isolated and seemingly powerless people can connect with like-minded people and create a movement to produce results.

How About Philosophy Of Religion?

Religion is something that the mankind appreciates for ages and it becomes a most important aspect of every human life. Every religion has its own principles and each religion teaches the mankind a unique lesson. The religion gives shape to the culture and heritage of the society. It also teaches the way to live the life and the purpose of life. The philosophy of religion is all about learning the life.

The philosophy of religion is all about the religious doctrines, scriptures, stories, beliefs, practices, histories, arguments. Anything that supports to learn the life and know the purpose of life is the philosophy of religion. The studies are carried out to learn about every religion, its authenticity and the values of the each religion. The philosophy associated with religion basically tries to gain an understanding of religious beliefs and faith of each religion and the matters it conveys to the people.

The philosophy of religion tries to comprehend God and the concepts behind religious beliefs. It is more theoretical and it does not have any experimental evidence. It helps to understand the God and conveys the matter that the religion wants to deliver to people. It basically analyzes and justifies the authenticity of the religious belief.

Though theology and philosophy deal with the concepts of religious belief, theology speaks about a particular religion, whereas the philosophy deals with the scientific investigation of a religion and also analyzes the merits and demerits of the religion. In religious philosophy, the sacred writing belonging to a religion is considered as source and theme for the research.

The philosophy of religion analyzes the claims that are put forth by the religion and justifies the claim and gives appropriate explanation. It basically helps to answer the questions raised and trying to find out the solution by doing research on the topics considered for the study. The conclusions are derived from the study subject and the explanations are given appropriately in the context of religion.

This philosophy is viewed differently by each and everyone. Each person look at the same concept in a different perspective based on the idea that individual possess in the mind. It is always true that the individual who is open minded can always analyze the concepts in a better way than the individual who considers the study with some opinion before hand. It is something that helps to give justification to the beliefs of a religion.

How Making Learn Better While Having Fun?

Children who are good learners will succeed in school and be happier. In order to be a learn better, your child needs many skills. Some of these skills cannot be taught; they have to be cultivated in other ways. Blogging is a key way to helping your child gain these skills. The main essential skill to have is to be able to concentrate long enough to learn a subject. Young children usually have very short attention spans when it involves reading and writing. But when it comes to playing, they can spend hours on it without tiring!

The key to being able to focus for long periods of time, is to enjoy what you are doing. Since your child will only blog about topics that he is interested in, he will naturally pay attention to his work. Designing the appearance of the blog, searching for pictures and deciding on what to write - all these activities help to make it a habit for him to concentrate on his work. Learning will thus be made easier.

Besides being able to concentrate, your child needs to be able to communicate his ideas. If he cannot communicate well, his teacher will not be able to understand his point of view. One way to become a good communicator, especially in written form, is to read widely. Encourage your child to explore the many articles from reputable educational websites. He will thus be exposed to all kinds of writing and learn from them. He will absorb the rules of grammar that allow him to be a good communicator.

Another great benefit of blogging that will help your child on his learning journey is the presence of strong family support. Your child must be able to really feel that you care. When the family reads his blog, give positive comments and show it off to friends, your child will lap up the support and encouragement. This will provide him with strong emotional strength and act as a buffer against whatever negative experiences he may have at school. Solid family support is truly irreplaceable. It will make him feel loved and valued for who he is and not on his school grades. It will also spur him to try harder on the few occasions that he fails.

The last way that blogging helps your child is perhaps the most important. In order to produce interesting blog content, your child will be used to carrying out research. He has become an independent learner. He will no longer just wait passively for the teacher to assign homework before learning a topic.

What Palaeontology Predictions for the Year Ahead?

Palaeontology Predictions for 2012

With 2012 already upon us it is time for those of us brave enough to attempt to foresee the future to stick our heads above the parapet and have a go at predicting some of the news stories and articles featuring dinosaurs, fossils and prehistoric animals that will appear in the media in the coming twelve months.

At the start of each year just for a bit of fun, we have had a go at trying to predict what might happen in palaeontology and other Earth Science fields in the year ahead. We have to admit to very mixed results when we review what we said at the end of the year. However, fortune favours the brave as they say, so having put our heads together this is what we have come up with.

Earth Science and Palaeontology Predictions for 2012

1). New Tyrannosaurid to be discovered in China

With the amount of field work going on in China at the moment, it is almost certain that a number of new dinosaur species will be discovered, however, we have suggested that a new member of the Tyrannosaur family will come to light, perhaps a Chinese version of the large Late Cretaceous Theropods that roamed North America. Perhaps another huge Tyrannosaurus from somewhere such as the Shandong Province.

2). Fossil Found in an Unusual Place

With Iguanodon fossils turning up in Sunderland, museum fossil material regarded as "rubbish" turning out to be a new species of dinosaur it is amazing where fossils can be found. We predict that there will be a news story on such an unusual discovery. An Allosaurus in an allotment, that would be unlikely, but perhaps somewhere, a strange-shaped stone in a rockery or on a garden path might turn out to be something rather special.

3). Dinosaurs and the Olympics

With the London Games due to start in a little over 200 days or so, we expect there to be lots of media outlets piggy-backing news and press releases around the Olympics. Natural History Museums and such like will not be exempt from all this as we get closer and closer to the start of the Summer games. Expect lots of news stories with an "Olympic feel".

4). A High Profile Trial and Conviction for Damage to an SSSI

Incidents where important fossil locations have been damaged due to the activities of unscrupulous collectors will no doubt increase again in 2012, but we predict that the authorities will fight back and there will be news of a conviction in the UK resulting from vandalism from a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest).

5). Landslip at Lyme Regis (Jurassic Coast - UK)

With the cliffs at Lyme Regis (Dorset, England) becoming more and more dangerous we predict that 2012 will see another major land slip on this stretch of the English coast. High tides and high winds will combine to further weaken the rock strata and a significant land slip will result.

6). Up, Up and Away with the Discovery of a New Pterosaur Genus

2012 is the year of the Dragon in the Chinese calendar, and we suspect that another winged creature will hit the headlines over the coming year. It is likely that a new species of Pterosaur will come to light, perhaps from the Santana Formation of Brazil, or from the South East of Asia, or even Australia.

7). Advancing Techniques Yield New Data Concerning Dinosaur Skin

Increased use of high-tech. facilities once the sole property of NASA and other high-tech agencies will permit palaeontologists to make more amazing discoveries. High resolution electron microscopy or advanced tomographic systems linked to super efficient computer imagery software will reveal more secrets about ancient animals, perhaps even some further information about dinosaur skin and its potential colour.

8). Land of the Giants - New Titanosaur Discovery in Gondwanaland

Last but not least, our eighth and final prediction deals with the largest terrestrial animals that ever lived. It is likely that in a part of the world that once made up the southern continent of Gondwanaland, scientists will unearth the fragmentary fossilised bones of a new type of Titanosaur (long-necked dinosaur). May be something to rival the "super heavyweights" of Argentina and Africa.

What Your Global Warming Action Plan?

An Intro & The Science

Being an "environmentalist" has been given bad connotations from some groups. And sometimes this is furthered with terms like, "tree huggers" where images of hippie's with bandanas fill the mind. However whatever your religion or party affiliation, you and your children and family deserve to have clean air and water. In that way, we are all environmentalists! We should all look for ways to stop global warming.

Global warming has become the most urgent problem of our lifetime. And...it's not too late; even with 2 F in the "pipeline" (there is a lagged response from what we've put in the air and the global temperature), do we want only the 2 F or 5 F or more warming?

Some sobering facts:

    Americans are the biggest contributors to global warming, yet we do the least as a country.
    The fuel efficiency of U.S. cars has regressed to the lowest rate in 20 years (largely thanks to the popularity of SUV's).
    We continue building carbon-spewing, coal-burning power plants (which account for 40% of emissions).
    There is more CO2 in the atmosphere than at any time in the last 650,000 years, at least 70 tons per day goes into the air.
    More CO2 means more heat, warmer oceans, larger number of intense hurricanes (like Katrina in 2005), more severe weather, more drought in some locations, more heatwaves, melting ice, rising sea levels, and flooding of low lying coastal areas (80% of world population lives in coastal areas).
    99% of Alaska's glaciers are melting.
    Warmer winters mean bad news for the skiing industry with less snow. Less snow is bad for reservoirs in the Western U.S. cities depend on the snow melt to replenish in the spring.
    Syrup production can be adversely affected by mild winters as the trees are "tricked" into production mode too early and quality and amount suffers.

Other consequences of global warming:

    Flowers bloom later; butterfly population at new low
    Polar bears are suffering as their habitat becomes less favorable for hunting seals (lack of ice) and increase mortality of mother and pups. Drowning and lack of food major culprits.
    Extinction of more than a million species expected by 2050
    Increase in poison ivy plants and potency - happen to thrive with an increase in CO2 (don't need to convince anyone that this isn't favorable)
    Agriculture can take a hit with more rapid evaporation, faster drying, but more erratic (and at times) intense precipitation

6 Questions to Ask Before Choosing A Circuit Kit for Your Child

Electricity fascinates kids. To teach your child how electricity works in a safe and fun manner, a number of electrical circuit kits specifically designed for kids are now on the market. Here's a few questions to ask yourself before choosing a circuit kit for your child.

What's Your Child's Age?
Investing in circuit kits for kids starts with how old your child or children are and how long you want to use it for. If your child is young, look for a kit that is easy for them to work with and illustrated. If your child is older, then match the circuit kit's covered concepts, complexity, and skills required to your child.

What is Your Child's Interest in Electricity?
If your child is highly interested in how electricity works, then look for a circuit kit that delves deeper, includes more projects. If you aren't sure how interested your child is in electricity, then look at circuit kits that are expandable, or that you can build upon. If your child has a special interest in alternative energy, look for kits that include wind, solar, and hydroelectric power projects.

What Do You Want Your Child to Learn?
If you are looking just to give your child a basic understanding of electricity and build a few hands-on projects, then look for circuit kits that are project based. If you are looking for a more in-depth education on electricity and circuits, look for an electric circuit kits that includes a large variety of projects that build on each other.

What's Your Child's Abilities?
Three skills often determine how successful a child is going to be with their circuit kit - dexterity, ability to follow directions, and reading ability. Take a look at how connections and components fit together in the kit you are choosing to ensure that your child has the dexterity to complete projects successfully.

Also look at the instructions for the circuit kit you are considering - both the illustrations and the text - to determine if your child will be able to follow the directions or whether they'll need your help.

Do You Want A Solo or a Collaborative Project?
If you are looking for something project-based together with your child, or a kit that your children can do together with each other and friends, then look for a kit that facilitates that. Also, if the kit will be used collaboratively across different ages, then look for a kit that suits the needs of both the youngest and the oldest child.

Will Your Child is it Once or Multiple Times?
Are you looking for a kit for a one-time use, or something that can be used repeatedly, or even passed down to other family members or friends, or even resold once you are done? Consider the needs of your family and how much you expect to reuse a kit when making your choice.

Making Your Choice
Today, it's difficult to go through daily life without encounter electrical circuits. Your child will benefit from any time spent learning about electricity and circuits; you may even be giving them background knowledge and skills that they will use in their adult life.

New Late Cretaceous Dinosaur Species Discovered

Thescelosaurus assinoboiensis - Scampering Saskatchewan Resident

Canadian scientists have announced the discovery of a new dinosaur species, a relatively fast running, Late Cretaceous member of the Ornithopods (a group of bird-hipped dinosaurs). The Maastrichtian stage fossil (66 million years old approximately), consists of parts of the skull, the pelvis and other portions of the skeleton. The new species has been named Thescelosaurus assiniboiensis after the region and the native Indians of that part of Canada.

Commenting on the discovery, Tim Tokaryk, head of Palaeontology for the Royal Saskatchewan Museum stated although the dinosaur was small there are features in the back-end of the skull, and a few features in the pelvis that are quite distinct amongst all other known species of Thescelosaurus. Based on those features, it has been made a new species.

Perhaps no more than three metres in length, this biped had to have sharp senses and a turn of speed if it was to avoid becoming a meal for the large Theropods, such as Tyrannosaurs that shared its Late Cretaceous home. With no obvious defences, running away may have been the best survival strategy for this relatively small dinosaur.

Tokaryk has also worked on Tyrannosaurus rex excavations, the research team know there were small dinosaurs around at that time because they found fragments, teeth and such like that. But to find a partial skeleton of one individual, that makes science interesting and also makes it more useful to be able to identify it as a new species or a species in general.

The specimen was collected from the Frenchman River Valley near Eastend in 1968 but was only identified recently when Caleb Brown, a master's student from the University of Calgary, studied the bones for his thesis. This seems about par for the course as the specific name for the first Thescelosaurus specimen assigned to this genus is T. neglectus a reference to the fact that these fossils were not studied until twenty-two years after they were first discovered.