Acomplishment

September 28, 2014. Dr. Rosa Hilda Lora M., one of our advisors, has been recognized by the Editorial Committee of the magazine Política y Cultura, which was edited within the Autonomous Metropolitan University in Mexico, for her invaluable collaboration as a correspondent for the article: “A war of ideas, a philosophical war: The international society positivist front of the First World War”.

The work she completed was on the philosophy of science where you have to apply the methodological process in order for it to be evaluated and explain the precise technical elements.

Congratulations once again and we wish you best of luck.

Papers published

October 13, 2014. Edomah Norbert Chinedu wrote a paper on “Optimizing Energy Consumption in Industrial Plants through Effective Energy Monitoring & Targeting” in 2013, which after review has been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Engineering & Technology (IJET) UK. Recently he has published another paper on “Energy security challenges in developing African mega cities: the Lagos Experience.” A special interest publication within the Institution of Engineering and Technology on “Infrastructure Risk and Resilience: Managing Complexity and Uncertainty in Developing Cities.” His publication will be available in both a hard copy and digital version with ISBN: 978-1-84919-920-9 Edomah completed a Masters program in Information Systems at AIU. Congratulations once again Edomah, and we wish you more success in the future.



10th Internatio nal Conference of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Call For Papers
The Social Sciences Conference will be held 11-14 June 2015 at the University of Split in Split, Croatia. Special conference focus: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Contemporary Social Change. Modern societies face a number of overarching changes. The consequences of these changes are equally evident at the local as well as global level, influencing the everyday lives of individuals and large societal aggregates. The role of the social sciences is of pivotal significance in the interpretation of these intense social changes. More than other disciplines, the social sciences are in an integral position to recognize changes and problems, determine causal links, interpret the available information, and offer solutions. Accordingly, the aim of the 2015 Social Sciences Conference is to contribute to the identification and understanding of different recent social issues, with a focus on social changes that we face in the various segments of the social world. The conference offers a wide range of topics that may be discussed in local and global terms, either through the prism of the social sciences or through interdisciplinary collaborations. Conference themes:
Proposals for paper presentations, workshops, poster presentations, or colloquia are invited that discuss the broader themes listed below. In addition to the special focus, paper presentations will be grouped into one of the following categories for presentation at the conference:

Theme 1: Social and Community Studies
Theme 2: Civic and Political Studies
Theme 3: Cultural Studies
Theme 4: Global Studies
Theme 5: Environmental Studies
Theme 6: Organizational Studies
Theme 7: Educational Studies
Theme 8: Communication

Presenters may also choose to submit written papers for publication to the fully refereed Interdisciplinary Social Sciences Collection. If you are unable to attend the conference in person, you may still join the community by becoming a member and submit your article for peer review and possible publication, upload an online presentation, and enjoy subscriber access to the journal. Proposals for in-person presentations should be submitted by 9 December 2014 (title and short abstract). Proposals submitted after this day will be accommodated in non-themed sessions at the conference or are eligible for community membership registrations (no attendance at conference required with community membership presentations). *Proposals are reviewed in rounds adhering to monthly deadlines. Check the website often to see the current review round.
Visit the website:
thesocialsciences.com



Graduation Ceremony

October 2014



Jose Mauricio Quintanilla Zapata
Bachelor of Science Information Systems
Australia
Willian Leonicio Rivadeneira Caldas
Doctor of Philosophy Education
Austria
Doreen Ngonda
Doctor of Management
Botswana
Mary Mogolo Mabotho
Doctor of Human Resources
Botswana
Michael Chengwi Neba
Master of Science Information Technology
Cameroon
Ndifor George Tala
Bachelor of Science Civil Engineering
Cameroon
Gilson Luiz Dos Santos Pinheiroz
Bachelor of Psychology
Liu HongZe
Bachelor of Business Administration
China
Eduardo Alcala Kwan o
Bachelor of Education Teaching and Learning
Columbia
Iván Rojas Ayalao
Doctor of Project Management Management Columbia
Julio Flórez Oses
Master of Science Mechanical Engineering
Columbia
Luz Marina Cano Molano
Master of Education Education
Columbia
Luz Marina Cano Molano
Doctor of Education Education
Columbia
Manuel Dario Carvajal Trillos
Bachelor of Psychology Clinical Psychology
Columbia
Rene Mora-Casalda
Doctor of Science Chemical Engineering
Costa Rica
Henry Marcelo Troya Alverca
Master of Science Public Health
Ecuador
Luis Roger Villamarin Coronel
Bachelor of Science Industrial Engineering
Ecuador
Luis Narváez-Ricaurte
Doctor of Science Political Science
El Salvador
Iob Techeste Imam
Doctor of Philosophy Business Administration
Eritrea
Zewdie Gebretsadik Beza
Doctor of Science Agronomy
Ethiopia
Carolina Isabel Velásquez Telón
Master of Science
Anthropology
Guatemala
Maria Angelina Reyes Fuentes
Doctor of Philosophy
Education
Honduras
Will Roberto Moncada
Doctor of Economics
Strategic Planning
Honduras
Mohammed El-Shaikh
Bachelor of Science
Sudan
Osbert Abraham Grey
Master of Engineering
Construction
Jamaica
Stephen Agbobli
Master of Science
Civil Engineering
Liberia
J. Antonio Tafoya Razo
Doctor of Science Agronomy
Mexico
Jorge Arturo Hernández
Bachelor of Science
Mexico
Marco Antonio Damián Garibay
Doctor of Education
Education
Mexico
Victor Fuentes Enríquez
Doctor of Business Administration
Mexico
Emiola Olawale Kolapo Steve
Doctor of Philosophy
Operations Research
Nigeria
Arlindo Bengui André
Doctor of Science
Telecommunications
Norway

Arnulfo Luis Franco Rodriguez
Doctor of Science
Fisheries and Environmenta
. Panama

David Moises Giraldo Cano
Bachelor of Science
Agronomy
Peru
Luis Francisco Vivanco Aldon
Master of Business Administration
Peru
Samir George Abudayeh Giha
Doctor of Philosophy
Political Science
Peru
Felix Bigabo Bizimana
Master of Counseling
Psychology
Rwanda
Ibrahim Othman Al-Saleh
Bachelor of Business Administration
Saudi Arabia
Thu Rein Ko Ko
Doctor of Philosophy
Industrial Engineering
Singapore
Juma Samuel Khamsin Walle
Bachelor of Arts
Public Administration
Sudan

Caroline Sekiwano
Doctor of Business 
Business Administration

Uganda

   



Testimonial

Clemence James Capalamula October 5, 2014
Master of International Relations .

“I am not new to the Atlantic International University having obtained my Bachelor of Arts Degree (Humanities) from this institution of unparalleled education excellence. My experience therefore with the AIU has always been so good, so amazing, wonderful and quite beneficial. My interaction with the university has always proved beyond measure that this institution has all the required capacity to administer college education. This is why, having done my Bachelor’s Degree with the AIU and was genuinely satisfied with the quality of education the institution offers, I could not have endeavor to look anywhere else to do a Master’s Degree. I enrolled on International Relations and here comes another wonderful moment that I have managed to fulfill the requirements of the study program. I cannot wait to be conferred the degree I have so much worked for and had so much desired to have. The degree so much relates to my present field of work as a diplomat and it is therefore so dear to my heart. At AIU, students enjoy the freedom of designing their own curriculums and then pursue studies at their own pace and environment of their choice. This is quite unique. I have been able to combine work, family life and studies ending up in the successful completion of the degree program. It has been possible to manage use of finances for family and personal life but more so for my studies all due to the commendable and considerate flexibility of the AIU policy that give students the rare chance of paying tuition fees by installment. This is another unique aspect not common with other universities worldwide. As the journey continues, it may not come as a surprise at all when I enroll again soon to read for a Ph. D with the same institution. A lot can be said as regards my experience with the AIU. The university’s distant learning programs are well organized, well manned and supervised. I wish to take this opportunity therefore to register my heartfelt and very sincere thanks to the entire management and staff of the AIU. I am deeply and truly grateful to my advisor, Dr. Jack Rosenzweig, for the able advisory role he played throughout the study program.”

Testimonial

Foday Nabay September 28, 2014
Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering

“I must start by thanking every member of this institution that has in diverse ways helped me achieve my long term goal. Being a member of AIU has helped me generate a lot of experience in connecting people around the world and how it feels being part of a broader family. I enjoyed every part of this remarkable journey. One can only realize you are pursuing an online course when you think of having no lecturer delivering live lecture classes to you. The rapid response to questions at AIU has been amazing, the assistance provided anywhere during my entire time of reaching people has never been better than that provided at AIU, and the assistance of tutors have facilitated my every step on the way. That has provided me enough guidance and partnership relations throughout my studies. Beyond all, my years of study at AIU have improved and broadened my knowledge in the petroleum industry. Since I became part of this family, AIU has provided me with a degree of certainty in meeting the challenges that lie ahead. This is something I have yearned for my whole life and I feel very proud for the work I have done in reaching this destination and achieving my long term goal. My sincere appreciation to those who contributed by making my dream a reality. I feel confident in confronting new challenges and look forward to working with AIU in the future.”




Testimonial

Nelson L. Bruing Maximiano October 13, 2014
Master of Economics

“My experience with Atlantic International University was just great, I enjoy having harvest times holding this degree where knowledge and theory are combined to build strong minds in Economics. It was a pleasure for me to take courses where I had to deal with different materials and hard self studying that determined this highest achievement in my academic career. I now understand that prior preparation, self value, and organization do payoff in distance learning. This is a stage that I will never forget in my life. I was so pleased studying at AIU, that I will soon commence studying my PhD degree in Finance at AIU.”




Testimonial

Nana Mintah Akosah September 13, 2014
Master of Communications

“I write with boldness and courage my rich experience with the andragogy system of education with the Atlantic International University. It was a real headache for me how I could continue my education without leaving my job. It was like a miracle – after searching and searching, AIU came in like a storm and I found real interest in their system of learning. It was overwhelming when I was taken through the system, concerning the downloading of my assignments, sending my assignment, online payment, accessing the online library and more; having all these at my fingertips, was so amazing. There is no stress through this flexible style of education. At my own pace, I send assignments for grading, and, on-time or prompt, they are graded. The prompt grading of assignments also encouraged my interest through this program. This has broadened my horizon and has lifted my moral as well as experience I cannot find words to express. I am proud of AIU and recommend it to those who would want to further their education be it undergraduate, master or post graduate program.”






Teaching with games

Much has been written about the potential of commercial computer games (COTS games) as digital learning tools, and many commentators have drawn attention to aspects of these games that might be useful in learning. These discussions tend to concentrate on the use of games outside formal learning environments and yet, today, there are increasing numbers of educators who are already using these games in their teaching practice. We have to know the factors which influence the use of such games in formal educational settings, the attitudes towards this use held by teachers and students, or the extent to which such games may or may not support the curriculum goals of formal education.

The goals
The aim of the Teaching with Games project was to build upon and complement the earlier findings. The objectives are to highlight findings from the study in the following areas • To offer a broad overview of teachers’ and students’ use of computer games and attitudes towards computer games in schools. • To identify key factors which impact upon the incorporation of computer games into existing school practices, including institutional, curricular technical and cultural issues. • To describe the processes by which teachers plan and implement games based learning in existing curricular contexts.

Description
The Teaching with Games project consisted of two main strands of activity: first, two surveys of representative samples of students and teachers aimed at eliciting a broad overview of attitudes to and use of computer games for learning; second, case studies of 12 teachers in four secondary schools (supported by Future lab researchers) who prepared and implemented schemes of work in diverse subject areas using three commercial computer games in formal classroom time. Future lab collaborated with Ipsos MORI to undertake two surveys of teachers and students’ attitudes to and use of games.

The Ipsos MORI Teachers’ Omnibus questioned a representative sample of 924 primary and secondary school teachers in England. The questions focused on ascertaining teachers’ existing use of commercial computer games, any use of such games in the classroom, and their opinions about the impact of using games for learning in school The Ipsos MORI Schools Omnibus consisted of 2,334 completed questionnaires in England and Wales. Again the questions focused on students’ existing use of commercial computer games outside of school and their attitude towards using them in schools.

Selected games
The three games used by the teachers were selected by Future lab researchers. The games selected for use were The Sims 2, Knights of Honor and Roller Coaster Tycoon 3. These games are often referred to as ‘god games’, as the player has control over the entire environment.

Teachers’ games selection
Teachers were presented with the three selected games during a workshop at the start of the project. Researchers asked teachers to choose games so that each school had one teacher using each selected title. This resulted in three games groups’, each with four members all using the same title. Teachers were free at any time to change or stop the use of games during the course of the project if they felt the game was inappropriate for their teaching. In the majority of cases, teachers stayed with their selected game through the course of the project.

Study design
The design of the project was intended to provide an understanding of the ways in which teachers went about exploring the potential (or otherwise) of the selected games for learning in their subject areas, the factors which informed their use of the games, and the ways in which the games were actually used in the classroom context.

Future lab and the teachers in the schools collaborated over the course of the project. Future lab was responsible for selecting the games, for establishing the overarching goals of the research and for collecting research data on teachers’ activities. The teachers were responsible for determining exactly how, when and in what context they wished to use the games in their teaching. The researchers, teachers, technical staff and SMT worked together to overcome technical issues, but issues of curriculum focus, pedagogy and use of the games were decided by the teachers both individually and in discussion in their games groups.

Teachers
The majority (72%) of teachers questioned never play computer games in their leisure time. Despite this lack of gaming experience 36% of primary teachers and 27% of secondary teachers stated they have used games in the classroom. 59% of all teachers would be willing to consider using such games in the future.

67% of teachers aged 25-34 with less than five years’ teaching experience would like to use them. “Motivating students” was the most commonly cited reason for introducing games for learning (53% of this group, or approximately 31% of total sample). The next most commonly cited reasons were: the perception that games would offer an inclusive, interactive way of engaging pupils on their own level (18% of this group, approx. 11% of total sample), and relevance to a lesson/subject area (10% of this group, approx. 6% of total sample). Of those who play computer games, 48% (approximately 13% of total sample) say that they have already spoken to their pupils about games, and a further 16% (or approx. 4% of total sample) expect to in the future. The teachers who would not consider using these games in the classroom express concern that they would have little or no educational value (33% of group, approx. 12% overall) or believe that better resources are available (17% of group, approx. 6% overall). Some also believe that children play enough games in their free time and that the curriculum does not allow time for such activities (for both statements, 10% of group, approx. 4% overall). The poll findings highlighted some barriers to the use of games in schools. 49% believed that there would be a lack of access to equipment capable of running the games, and 14% thought there was a lack of strong evidence of the educational value of games (6% thought that games did not have subject and curriculum relevance). Issues such as coping with different abilities, assessment and lesson length were less frequently mentioned; 3%, 2% and 2% respectively. 13% of teachers saw no barriers to using games in the classroom.

The most common reasons for using COTS games is the perception that they improve pupils’ motor/cognitive skills (91%), ICT skills (77%), higher order thinking skills (63%), or knowledge in a particular area (62%). Social skills are seen to be a benefit by 17% of teachers. However, 71% believe that playing such games could lead to anti-social behaviour while 62% think it leads to stereotypical views of other people or groups. A significant minority of teachers, especially those in primary schools, give this as a reason for not using games

Students
The poll found that 85% of children say they play computer games outside of lessons (at home or at school) at least once every couple of weeks. 22% said they have used such games in class. Boys tend to be the most regular players, with 50% of male students saying that they play every day, compared to only 21% of female students. Younger students also tend to be more regular players of computer games than their older counterparts. For instance, pupils aged 11 and 12 are significantly more likely to play computer games every day (46% and 41% respectively), than 15-16 year-olds (25%). An average of 62% of students say that they would like to use computer games in the classroom; 89% of these (approx. 55% overall) think it would make lessons more interesting. Younger students were most likely to want to use computer games in school: 66% of 11 year-olds compared to 49% of 15-16 year-olds. However, 22% of students think such games should not be used in lessons. Half of these students (11% of the sample) say that they would prefer to do other activities in the classroom, while more than a third of this group (8% of the sample) would rather use computer games at home.

Amongst all students, there are a number of perceived benefits of playing computer games outside lesson time. More than two-thirds (69%) say that it improves computer skills, while roughly half (53%) think that it would help improve their reactions or problem solving skills. 24% think that it improves subject knowledge, and the same percentage thinks game playing improves skills such as working in teams. Although the perceived consequences of playing computer games are largely positive, students also identified a number of negative potential effects. For instance, 30% of students overall believe that playing computer games could lead to increased violence and aggression.

First, it is clear that there is still a generational divide between teachers and students in respect of computer games play, with 72% of teachers never playing games outside school in comparison with 82% of children reporting games play at least once a fortnight. Overall, the surveys suggest that the majority of teachers and students are open to the idea of using games in formal curricular contexts. Both Ipsos MORI polls suggest that computer games are viewed as motivating to students. However, it should be noted that 37% of teachers and 22% of students think that computer games should not be used in the classroom. Teachers and students have similar perceptions about the advantages and disadvantages of using games. Both groups believe that games play improves computer skills and general problem solving abilities. However, teachers are more likely to believe that students can gain subject knowledge from computer games than children –62% compared to 24%– while more children believe it improves social skills –24% compared to 17% of teachers.

Finally, the survey suggests that the main barriers perceived by teachers to the use of games are not those of the curriculum or of assessment, but the technical issues that may need to be overcome. .









The Solutionary School

Maine-based educator Zoe Weil is planning a kindergarten to grade 12 school in New York City. Weil is the founder of the Institute for Humane Education in Surry, Maine.



Her educational philosophy is to teach students to become problem-solvers and to “provide every student with the knowledge, tools and motivation to be conscientious choicemakers and engaged change-makers for a restored and healthy and humane world for all.” The Solutionary School is slated to open in 2016, although the location is yet to be confirmed. Until now, the Institute for Humane Education has focused on offering graduate programs for teachers, but the new school will “be a prototype and proving ground” for their educational method. The Institute has already set up a steering committee for the school and Bill Gladstone has been selected as foundation principal. Gladstone states: “Our world at every level –from the family on up to the planet– is really struggling and suffering. It’s the future generations that are going to have to wrestle with the problems we’re handing down to them. The only way they’re going to do that effectively is if they’re knowledgeable and skilled.” The Solutionary School will be an independent day school and is also intended to be used as a community center. Depending upon the final facility selected, it will utilize green building techniques. There will also be a school garden to enhance students’ understanding of the connection between diet and health. Weil told the Portland Press Herald of the school’s planned vegan cafeteria: “Everything in this school will be aligned with doing the most good and the least harm. The cafeteria will reflect those values. We want to have the school model the healthiest, the most sustainable and the most humane food choices.” Gladstone adds: “A vegan cafeteria provides the opportunity to think deeply about a lot of issues, such as where food comes from, how food is grown, the people involved in food production and the health benefits of what we eat.” This philosophy of understanding the true source of the things one consumes is central to Weil’s educational model. In a YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_ embedded&v=t5HEV96dIuY), Weil explains an exercise she undertakes with students called True Price. By breaking down the origins, stages of manufacture and consequences of the production of common items, students gain an understanding of the impact modern consumer behavior has on the health of people, animals and the planet. The school is scheduled to open in September 2016. It will begin with pre-K to 6th grade classes in the first year. Over the following three years it will develop into a full K-8 school, followed by a high school. The school will also be used to train new teachers in the humane education method. The Institute is currently raising money for the project, developing a curriculum and searching for a venue and staff. Watch a TEDx talk in which Weil explains her educational philosophy (https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ImOi9YnMau8) Source: Article by Beverley Mitchell. www.inhabitots.com





B O O K

Is the brain “a computer made of meat,” and human consciousness a simple product of electrical impulses? The idea that matter is all that exists has dominated science since the late nineteenth century and led to the long-standing scientific and popular understanding of the brain as simply a collection of neurons and neural activity.

But for acclaimed neuroscientist Mario Beauregard, Ph.D., along with a rising number of colleagues and others, this materialist- based view clashes with what we feel and experience every day. In Brain Wars, Dr. Beauregard delivers a paradigm-shifting examination of the role of the brain and mind. Filled with engaging, surprising, and cuttingedge scientific accounts, this eye-opening book makes the increasingly indisputable case that our immaterial minds influence what happens in our brains, our bodies, and even beyond our bodies. Examining the hard science behind “unexplained” phenomena such as the placebo effect, self-healing, brain control, meditation, hypnosis, and near-death and mystical experiences, Dr. Beauregard reveals the mind’s capabilities and explores new answers to age-old mind-body questions. Radically shifting our comprehension of the role of consciousness in the universe, Brain Wars forces us to consider the immense untapped power of the mind and explore the profound social, moral, and spiritual implications that this new understanding holds for our future. www.barnesandnoble.com



Memory crystals

Researchers at the University of Southampton have succeeded in recording and retrieving five dimensional digital data using a quartz crystal. The ‘Superman’ memory crystal is a futuristic storage technique with unprecedented features –including a 360 terabyte per disc data capacity, thermal stability up to 1000°C and a practically unlimited lifetime. “The data is recorded via self-assembled nanostructures created in fused quartz, which is able to store vast quantities of data for over a million years,” explains a press release. “The information encoding is realised in five dimensions: the size and orientation in addition to the three dimensional position of these nanostructures.” What it means is that, using ultrafast lasers, we can encode a piece of quartz with 5D information in the form of nanostructured dots separated by only one millionth of a meter. “The self-assembled nanostructures change the way light travels through glass, modifying polarization of light that can then be read by combination of optical microscope and a polarizer, similar to that found in Polaroid sunglasses,” states the release. “It is thrilling to think that we have created the first document which will likely survive the human race,” said Professor Peter Kazansky a supervising researcher on the project. “This technology can secure the last evidence of civilisation: all we’ve learnt will not be forgotten.” The team is now looking for industry partners to commercialize it. Source: Article by Beth Buczynski. inhabitat.com via Eureakalert and DVice



Green silk leaves

We are constantly getting a bit closer to being able to live in outer space, but one little detail keeps holding us back: oxygen. Plants just don’t like zero gravity environments, and toting around an indefinite oxygen supply isn’t really feasible. Meet the Silk Leaf: a manmade “plant” that can actually create endless oxygen using light and water. Julian Melchiorri wanted to create a way to produce oxygen in space that could handle the harsh environment of interstellar travel. What he created is an artificial leaf that has the chloroplast from the plants we know and love actually suspended inside. Melchiorri used a silk fiber to suspend the chloroplast in place so that it can still act like a plant but with a sort of super-structure to make it extra durable. “I extracted chloroplasts from plant cells and placed them inside this silk protein. As an outcome I have the first photosynthetic material that is living and breathing as a leaf does,” Melchiorri said. He also says that he wanted to build off of nature’s own system to take advantage of a proven method and the leaves won’t just be handy for exploring the far reaches of the galaxy. Back here on Earth, they can be used as biological air filters or oxygen producers. Source: Artificial Leaf Can Make Oxygen in Space with Water and Light by Kristine Lofgren. inhabitat.com Image: Julian Melchiorri



Beautiful Chemistry



This is a new collaboration between Tsinghua University Press and University of Science and Technology of China that seeks to make chemistry more accessible and interesting to the general public. Short films that utilize a 4K UltraHD camera to capture a variety of striking chemical reactions. Filmed and edited by Yan Liang. Source: www.thisiscolossal.com



Wind kinetic sculptures



Kinetic sculptor Anthony Howe creates great moving artworks. The artist uses specialized software to first mockup each piece digitally before fabricating the individual components from metal. The motion is generated completely by the wind, with even the slightest breeze setting the dozens of rotating components in action. You can see more of his recent work on his YouTube channel. Source: www.thisiscolossal.com







Algaemy

Berlin design studio Blond and Bieber’s project that uses algae to create colorful dyes for textile printing has won a competition for young designers organized by Lodz Design Festival. This project has been chosen winner of the Make Me! competition at Poland. The studio founders, Essi Johanna Glomb and Rasa Weber created an analogue textile-printer that produces its own dye using different types of algae. Various species of micoalgae are naturally pigmented with blue, green, brown and red tones. This pigments can be extracted using heat and distillation, then turned into natural dyes. The duo built a machine from beech wood to house all the elements needed to create and print with the algae dyes. The prints are photo sensitive and change tone over time when exposed to sunlight, creating a “biodynamic color palette”. Source: Blond and Bieber’s Algaemy coloured dyes win Lodz Design Festival prize. Dezeen Magazine. dezeen.com



Is sitting the new smoking?

From standing desks and fitness trackers to groundbreaking pilot experiments in high schools in several cities, the movement to sit less and stand more is gaining momentum. Which is a good thing, because new evidence suggests that the more than eight hours the average American spends sitting every day could be exacting a serious toll. There’s a big difference between exercising too little and sitting too much, because a standing body uses energy altogether differently from a sedentary body —and also from an exercising one. We burn calories at a different rate, store them in different ways, and our brains function differently, too. While data is still emerging, one experiment with high school kids found that standing in class instead of sitting improved their test scores by 20%.

This Is Your Body On Sitting
The human body consumes energy in three main ways: every cell needs energy to go about its daily business, whether it’s a muscle cell that contracts and flexes or a liver cell that produces enzymes; we also need to break down the food that we eat; finally, we need energy to move, whether we’re pulling on a shirt or riding a bike. That latter energy —let’s call it activity energy— is further divided into the sweat-inducing kind that you use on the treadmill or in yoga and another kind, which scientists have cleverly called NEAT: non-exercise activity thermogenesis. This includes nearly everything you do requiring movement: folding the laundry, walking up a flight of stairs, even fidgeting. The human body is designed to move, and a moving body is a needy body, siphoning off calories to make sure every cell is doing what it’s supposed to do. But even when we’re not exercising, we’re moving and using energy. That’s why NEAT matters. A body that’s sitting isn’t expending energy, so the signals that normally result in you moving —and which, in turn, burn calories— start to check out, molecularly bored with not being called into duty. Meanwhile, the processes that build up fat get busier. When that happens, it gets harder and harder to get off the chair. People who sit at their desks most of the time, for example, only polish off 300 NEAT calories a day compared to, say, a coffee shop barista who spends most of his or her shift standing — and burning up to 1,300 extra calories daily. There’s also intriguing evidence that sitting less may shortcircuit some bodily processes that lead to diabetes. When we eat meals, our bodies experience a surge in blood sugar that peaks about an hour after we eat. If we’re sedentary and relatively immobile, our muscles and cells aren’t soaking up that glucose to fuel its daily activities. So all that extra sugar gets turned into fat. If we take a walk after lunch, however, some of that sugar is burned off in order to keep us on our feet and propel us forward. The less sugar that’s left after that activity, the less that gets turned into fat and contributes to obesity and eventually diabetes.

Becoming a body in motion
Even if you’re wired in some ways to sit, can you become a stand-up person? Absolutely, says Dr. James Levine, director of the Mayo Clinic-Arizona State University Obesity Solutions Initiative and probably best known as the inventor of the first treadmill desk. Just as sedentary behavior can change the brain and body to prefer sitting, getting up and becoming more active will prompt you to want to stay in motion. And that can have benefits on productivity and possibly creativity as well. “By simply changing your work style, from a chair-based work style to a [standing] one, you can burn 500 to 1,000 extra calories a day,” says Levine. And remember it’s not just the calories that count, it’s all about health. Source: Sitting is killing you, by Alice Park. time.com Image: time.com



Prolonged sitting and standing is unproductive

Sitting 9.6 hours every day for months or years, can lead to:
• Back pain
• Lower back pain
• Joint pain
• Swollen legs
• Heart disease
• Colon cancer
• Varicose veins
Keeping the body in an upright possition over time requires considerable muscular effort which causes:
• Muscular strain in the back and neck
• Joint compression
• Varicose veins

What can you do?
You need to balance. So...
• Check your posture every 20-30 minutes
• Switch between sitting and standing
• Take breaks
• Stretch
Remember: Standing up 16 times for 2 minutes is healthier than excercising for 32 minutes straight.
Source: “Why prolonging sitting and standing is unproductive” designtaxi.com Dharma Inc. / Funders and founders.

2 Experience supersonic hearing.

If you’re chatting up a mumbler at a cocktail party, lean in with your right ear. It’s better than your left at following the rapid rhythms of speech. If, on the other hand, you’re trying to identify that song playing softly in the elevator, turn your left ear toward the sound. The left ear is better at picking up music tones.

3 Calm yourself with cold water.

Nerves getting the best of you. Take a deep breath and spash cold water on your face. This triggers the mammalian diving reflex that is genetically in all animals. The lower temperature of the water and you holding your breath also causes your body to think it’s diving into cold water. This reflex allows you to use oxygen more efficiently.

5 Prevent acid reflux at night.

Sleep on your left side. The esophagus and stomach connect at an angle. When you sleep on your right, the stomach is higher than the esophagus, allowing food and stomach acid to slide up your throat. When you’re on your left, the stomach is lower than the esophagus, so gravity’s in your favor.

6 Cure your toothache.

Just rub ice on the back of your hand, on the V-shaped webbed area between your thumb and index finger. This technique reduces toothache pain by as much as 50 percent compared with using no ice. The nerve pathways at the base of that V stimulate an area of the brain that blocks pain signals from the face and hands.

8 Thaw your brain freeze.

Press your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth, covering as much as you can. Since the nerves in the roof of your mouth get extremely cold, your body thinks your brain is freezing, too. In compensating, it overheats, causing an ice-cream headache. The more pressure you apply to the roof of your mouth, the faster your headache will subside.



9 Swallow big pills.

Take a drink of water, and tilt your head forward instead of backward. The capsule should float, and will be at the back of your throat, ready to swallow.









Spiritual path

Walking a spiritual path is a way of discovering and developing oneself and one’s spirituality. Specifically, it helps us become aware of our relationship to everything around us.

In our journey of self-discovery, sometimes we are guided by a teacher who is also a student of the path. Walking a path involves learning what it means to be of service and being willing to labour in the pursuit of growth and learning. This pursuit is not a self-centred one; it is never undertaken for the sake of personal gain.

Spirituality involves acting consciously and taking responsibility for our behaviour and our thoughts, as well as our relations with others. Both entail an awareness of the way in which we lead our lives. While there are many different paths of spiritual growth, they all have one thing in common, and that is following a discipline. Some paths are based upon a religion and involve worship or prayer.

Others may teach through such disciplines as meditative exercises, chanting, physical movements or postures. Still others use labour or some other service as a vehicle for learning. Many paths combine all of these elements. If we walk a path with a particular goal in mind, spiritual enlightenment for example, or knowledge, we will be walking for the wrong reason. We should not so much seek to acquire knowledge, as to become. Although reaching a specific end point should not be our purpose in walking a path, it is important that we make some forward progress. Source: Walking a spiritual path. www.humanenergy.net Image: wonderfulengineering.com










Sunpower Generator

Rawlemon believes in producing energy where people actually live; in our cities. And they will do this without sacrificing beauty, the transparency of a window, or a comfortable living environment.

They just finalized a crowd-funding campaign on Indiegogo, and are now working hard to supply all of their wonderful backers.

Like all Rawlemon products, the Beta.ray 1.00 outdoor generator features a breakthrough patented micro dual axis tracking unit for full environmental integration, with the lowest possible weather impact that won’t break your budget.

Beta.ray 1.00 (6,000€) comes with a hybrid collector to convert daily electricity and thermal energy at the same time. While reducing the silicon cell area to 25% with the equivalent power output by using our ultra transmission Ball Lens point focusing concentrator, it operates at efficiency levels of nearly 57% in hybrid mode. At nighttime the Ball Lens can transform into a highpower lamp to illuminate your location, simply by using a few LED’s. The station is designed for off grid conditions as well as to supplement buildings’ consumption of electricity and thermal circuits like hot water. Source: www.rawlemon.com









Adopt a jaguar

Jaguars once lived as far north as the Grand Canyon, but habitat loss, overhunting and killings in retaliation for livestock losses drove these big cats from much of their native range.

Today a small, fragile population of jaguars is fighting for survival in Mexico, and occasionally crossing the border and offering hope for the permanent return of jaguars to the U.S. Your adoption helps Defenders’ work to ensure jaguar habitat remains healthy and intact, and provides vital support for their work with communities and governments to protect jaguars in the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico.

All donations support our work to protect and restore the wildlife and wild places you care about. Adopt a Jaguar Group 45 usd a month Adopt a Jaguar Family 25 usd a month Adopt a Jaguar 15 usd a month Named “America’s Best Wildlife Charity” by Reader’s Digest, Defenders of Wildlife has been a leading innovator in developing the most effective ways to conserve imperiled wildlife and wild lands for over 65 years. Your adoption donation will immediately be put to use where it is most needed to achieve these goals. Defenders of Wildlife: secure.defenders.org









Education for all

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2014 was awarded to Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzay for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.

Children must go to school and not be financially exploited. In the poor countries of the world, 60% of the present population is under 25 years of age. It is a prerequisite for peaceful global development that the rights of children and young people be respected. In conflict-ridden areas in particular, the violation of children leads to the continuation of violence from generation to generation.

Showing great personal courage, Kailash Satyarthi, maintaining Gandhi’s tradition, has headed various forms of protests and demonstrations, all peaceful, focusing on the grave exploitation of children for financial gain. He has also contributed to the development of important international conventions on children’s rights.

Despite her youth, Malala Yousafzay has already fought for several years for the right of girls to education, and has shown by example that children and young people, too, can contribute to improving their own situations. This she has done under the most dangerous circumstances. Through her heroic struggle she has become a leading spokesperson for girls’ rights to education. Source: www.nobelprize.org Images: N. Elmehed. ©Nobel Media 2014 / Claude Truong-Ngoc









Navigate the Internet of Things

Analysts predict upwards of 50 billion devices will be connected to the internet by 2020, generating zettabytes of data each day –a phenomenon called the Internet of Things (IoT). This is an interview with Peter Utzschneider, vice president of product management for Java at Oracle, published at Oracle Magazine.

What is IoT, and how does it relate to machine-to-machine, or M2M?
The Internet of Things is a term used to describe the next wave of innovation that our industry is going through. Traditionally, we have thought primarily of humans connecting to the internet, but IoT is really the next step, where “things” are also connecting to the internet and to each other. M2M describes part of IoT, which is machine-to-machine communication.

What challenges do IoT and the massive amount of data being generated by these devices present?
IoT brings a number of challenges: First, there are infrastructural challenges. All these devices will have to be connected, which means the networks to support them have to be able to support that new load. Each of these devices will be producing a lot of high-volume, low-value data. Some of these devices will generate very small pieces of data, but there will be lots of pieces. The industry will have to cope with that new volume of big data and be able to manage it from the devices up through gateways all the way back to the enterprise. Second, once we have that data, what are we going to do with it? This opens up a whole new opportunity for us to continue to drive and to continue to innovate, providing new applications and services based on that data.

What opportunities does IoT present for application developers, and what should they be thinking about when designing connected devices?
We have thought primarily of humans connecting to the internet, but IoT is really the next step, where ‘things’ are also connecting. The world is definitely going to change for application developers. We usually think of developing applications for humans and then having the interaction with those applications coming from their devices. Now, application developers are starting to develop code that will run on very small devices. Then they will extend their application development on the server side to be able to include those devices, which will add new richness and nearly endless new possibilities. Developing on these devices is definitely a new and different domain for most application developers. We refer to these devices as being resource constrained. They might have a smaller memory footprint, and they don’t have a human on the other end that can click on an option or push a button to upgrade. A lot of these devices will be field-deployed in some cases for 10 or 15 years without anyone ever touching them. All this will push developers to shift and adapt to this new embedded development style. On the server side, these are new device clients that will have to be integrated into existing infrastructure, while also integrated with data that we get from other “things” in order to create those new applications. Oracle is evolving and enhancing the Java platform, which has been used on a wide range of devices for quite some time, specifically for IoT. A Java developer will be able to write code, and it will run on a very small device all the way up to a very large device. We are working to make it as easy as possible for Java developers to reuse their Java skills for IoT development.

How do you see IoT, big data, and cloud converging?
We now have several major developments happening in our industry: cloud, big data, social, mobile, and IoT. It’s going to take a tremendous amount of orchestration and coordination across the industry to make sure we’re able to harness all those trends at the same time.Take mobility. With innovation in smartphones and tablets, we can easily do e-commerce and connect to our social apps from these devices. With IoT, mobile device use is going to expand significantly. These same devices are becoming the ultimate remote controls for us to connect and control the physical environment around us. For example, with home automation, I can use my phone to turn the lights and the alarm system off and on, to look at energy consumption, and to manage home entertainment —whether I’m there or not. As far as cloud, it becomes an enabling technology for IoT. For a lot of organizations, adding devices and the huge amount of data they generate to their existing infrastructures or their back-end systems simply won’t scale, and they will need to rethink how those infrastructures are set up. They will look to cloud service providers to make that happen for them.

Besides home automation, what are other emerging markets for IoT?
IoT will affect every business. We’re seeing early adoption in healthcare, including lifestyle health devices, patient monitoring, and home healthcare or telehealth. Another big area is telematics —the automotive industry is already connecting vehicles so that manufacturers can remotely monitor and support their vehicles. It is also a way for them to collect data on vehicles out there in the real world, which they then put into further design and innovation. Telematics also applies to fleet management and logistics, managing things such as delivery vehicles to make sure they are running efficiently, and rental car companies, so they can push in-vehicle service offers or information to enable you to book a hotel or dinner reservations from the car. Industrial automation is another category, especially in the area of manufacturing and process automation. All this technology will enable companies to pull more data off of machinery that’s in factories in order to get a better idea of what’s happening on the factory floor.






Words by Steve Jobs

Connect the dots
“I dropped out of Reed College after the first six months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out? It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife.

Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: “We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?” They said: “Of course.” My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents’ savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn’t see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn’t interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn’t all romantic. I didn’t have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends’ rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on.

Let me give you one example:
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn’t have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can’t capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it’s likely that no personal computer would have them. ... Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something —your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” Help others pursue their own goals. Change a life at MyAIU Pledge Words by Steve Jobs Source: ‘You’ve got to find what you love,’ Jobs says. Prepared text of the Commencement address delivered by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, on June 12, 2005. © Stanford University. All Rights Reserved.







Hamster Wheel Standing Desk.



Rise up, sedentary sentients, and unleash that untapped potential within by marching endlessly towards a brilliant future of focused work. Step forward into a world of infinite potential, bounded only by the smooth arcs of a wheel.

Step forward into the Hamster Wheel Standing Desk that will usher in a new era of unprecedented productivity.

This project is a collaboration at Pier 9 between artist-in-residence Robb Godshaw and Instructables developer Will Doenlen. Since you cannot buy this one, you’ll have build it yourself, after downloading the instructions at www.instructables.com, a place that lets you explore, document and share your creations.





Spaceman USB Light.

This little lunar explorer receives power from your USB port to illuminate spaces with brilliant LED light after dark. Flip his visor back and forth to turn the light on and off. Long and flexible adjustable cord. www.momastore.org







Ostrich pillow mini.

Designed by kawamura-ganjavian, this is the smallest and most fun member of the Ostrich Pillow Family! Bringing you quality napping within arm’s reach. www.studiobananathings.com Get one on Kickstarter!










6 tips and lessons on being self-thaught by BrendaTon


1. Learn by helping others.
2. Be around the people who motivate you and who have the knowledge you wish to possess.
3. Believe in yourself.
4. Prioritize what’s important to you.
5. Challenge yourself.
6. Let the internet be your best friend in the process of learning on your own.







Bachelor of Education

School of social and human studies

The Bachelor of Education (B.Ed, BS) program objective is to prepare highly qualified teachers with the knowledge, disposition, and skills that support standards-based education, student-centered teaching and learning, and an orientation to social education. The Bachelor of Education (B.Ed, BS) program is offered online via distance learning. After evaluating both academic record and life experience, AIU staff working in conjunction with Faculty and Academic Advisors will assist students in setting up a custom-made program, designed on an individual basis. This flexibility to meet student needs is seldom found in other distance learning programs. Our online program does not require all students to take the same subjects/courses, use the same books, or learning materials. Instead, the online Bachelor of Education (B.Ed, BS) curriculum is designed individually by the student and academic advisor. It specifically addresses strengths and weaknesses with respect to market opportunities in the student’s major and intended field of work. Understanding that industry and geographic factors should influence the content of the curriculum instead of a standardized onefits- all design is the hallmark of AIU’s unique approach to adult education. This philosophy addresses the dynamic and constantly changing environment of working professionals by helping adult students in reaching their professional and personal goals within the scope of the degree program.

Important:
Below is an example of the topics or areas you may develop and work on during your studies. By no means is it a complete or required list as AIU programs do not follow a standardized curriculum. It is meant solely as a reference point and example. Want to learn more about the curriculum design at AIU? Go ahead and visit our website, especially the Course and Curriculum section: www.aiu.edu/course-curriculum.html



Core Courses and Topics

Dimensions of Learning
Technology
Measurement and Evaluation
Classroom Management
Psychology of the Exceptional Child
Curriculum Planning
Reading in the Secondary School
Instructional Leadership
Supervision of Instruction
Research Methods & Procedures
Teaching Strategies
Reading Skills & Comprehension
Issues and Innovations

Orientation Courses

Communication & Investigation (Comprehensive Resume)
Organization Theory (Portfolio)
Experiential Learning (Autobiography)
Seminar Administrative Development (Book Summary)
Seminar Cultural Development (Practical Experience)
Seminar International Development (Publications)

Research Project
Bachelor Thesis Project
MBM300 Thesis Proposal
MBM302 Bachelor Thesis (5,000 words)

Publication

Each Bachelor of Education graduate is encouraged to publish their research papers either online in the public domain or through professional journals and periodicals worldwide.

Personal requirements

An understanding and acceptance of cultural differences. An excellent grasp of English-language structure. Able to identify the needs of individual students. Very good communication skills. High-level organisational skills. Prepared to work out of school hours. Patient in dealing with students of differing abilities.

Opportunities

Learning Disabilities Specialist Market Researcher · Academic Advisor Personnel Recruiter School Administrator Continuing Ed. Program Planner Teacher · Curriculum Coordinator Speech Consultant · Private Tutor Counselor/Guidance Counselor Social Worker · ESL Teacher Government Agency Administrator