Tag Archives: Teacher

Special education: Wuhan City School for the Blind helped over 500 children pursue their dreams

Beijing, China, Jul-19-2017 — /EuropaWire/ — Wuhan School for The Blind is the only school of its kind in Hubei province, central China. Not only does it cater to pupils who face enormous challenges because of their disabilities, but it is also proud to have a star teacher who has given new hope to the pupils.

China, with its huge population, has a large number of blind people. More than 5.5 million people are registered blind, among them, some 120,000 children. Though there are more than 50 special schools in major cities catering to the needs of these individuals, the task is never easy. Special facilities and teacher training is hard to come by and the children often feel alienated from society and lack ambition.

Zhang Long, born in 1975, volunteered to teach at Wuhan City School for the Blind in 2011. Though she had no experience teaching children with visual impairment, after seeing the difficulties faced by pupils there, she decided to change the course of her life and accept the challenge of making a difference to their future.

It wasn’t long before the gravity of the situation sunk in. As a music teacher she discovered many pupils at the school of 150 lacked the motivation to even turn up to class, believing their only career option would be to become a massage therapist, a common occupation for blind people in China.

Persevering, Zhang Long established a school radio station, a rock band for the most talented children, and invited performances from other schools. Eventually, the children responded to this new approach revealing both passion for music and hidden talent. One student, Gan Wenjun, proved gifted at piano, for which he won several national awards and even played with famous pianist Richard Clayderman in concert.

Among other successes, Zhang Long was awarded titles such as “Most Admirable Teacher in Wuhan” and a national honor “The Most Beautiful Teacher of China”,“I’ve never treated them as blind children,” says Zhang of the pupils. “It doesn’t matter that those kids can’t see. They can use their own ways to express themselves. I’ve never lowered my standards for them because they are blind, because to me they are just children.” Her approach seems to have worked and now pupils harbor ambitions such as to become a teacher, a professional singer and even an astronaut.

Wuhan City School for the Blind holds the belief that blind children are perfectly capable of the same achievements as sighted kids, given the right guidance and a little courage. Since its establishment, it has helped over 500 children pursue their dreams and been a cradle of many rising stars in music, sports, teaching and other fields. It aims to keep making contribution to China’s endeavors in special education.

SOURCE: EuropaWire

The Learning Genome Project unveils a new solution to personalized education through crowd sourcing

Educator Kelly Tenkely invites educators, parents and investors around the world to join in personalizing education.

Due to an increased disenfranchisement with the education system, Colorado educator, Kelly Tenkely, recognized the need for a product that would honor the uniqueness of children by personalizing learning. Kelly created the Learning Genome Project to fulfill this need.

“Every child deserves to be met right where they are in learning, rather than expected to fit a one-size-fits-all solution. In our society, we have managed to customize everything from ringtones to coffee, why should learning be different?” Said the Learning Genome Project creator, Kelly Tenkely.

The Learning Genome makes personalized learning available to children around the world by:
* Gathering information about an individual child including: their unique interests/passions, learning style preferences, multiple intelligence strengths, brain dominance, and maturation level.
* Crowdsourcing the tagging of both free, as well as premium, education resources and curriculum with hundreds of learning attributes (the ‘genes’ of learning).
* Matching resources and curriculum to students, recommending the materials that best meet their needs and creating a custom learning map for each child.
* Utilizing an open API so that schools, parents, and districts can build additional functionality to meet their specific needs.

This is the Learning Genome Project’s free “hub” that makes personalized learning available to every child.

Said Kelly, “Every child, regardless of their economic situation, deserves an education that is tailored to them. Society benefits when we help kids learn how to best utilize their unique gifts and passions.”

Premium features of the Learning Genome Project will include:
* A student information system
* An e-portfolio
* A teacher and student planner
* Blogging tools
* An e-learning center
* An individual learning map for each child

The premium features will work seamlessly with the Learning Genome hub giving students, teachers, and parents a complete solution to personalized learning.

The Learning Genome Project is seeking crowd-sourced funding through Indiegogo and will use the $85,000 raised to begin programming. The project has 45 days to raise the funds and can be found here: http://www.indiegogo.com/thelearninggenomeproject?c=home&a=1232629

In addition to her work on the Learning Genome Project, Kelly Tenkely is an educator, a prolific education blogger, and created a new educational model. This model is put into practice at Anastasis Academy, a school that Kelly co-founded that is just beginning its 2nd year in operation.

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k12educationmatters.org is Almost Live!

An exciting new website for k12 teachers and administrators is about to go “live”. www.k12educationmatters.org is primarily a blog site with tons of extra content of interest to educators. The new site will feature video interviews with leading authorities and authors in the field of education.

The site will also feature original content and links to just about anywhere an educator could care to go on the internet. There will be links to other blogs, newsletters, cool websites, professional association websites, publisher and author websites and much more.

Contact publisher Greg Michaels for more information including advertising rates.

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Texas Students To Receive State-Of-The-Art Supplemental Science Learning Materials

Students from 5th through 12th grade will, this school year, have internet learning assistance to improve their science grades.

In June, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) had panels of assessors reviewing internet learning submissions from a number of companies. The subject matter review experts on these panels determined which submissions were compliant with the new science Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) statements, which include 5th through 8th grade as well as high school Biology, Chemistry, Physics and IPC. Following the reviews the Commissioner, Robert Scott, recommended a list for adoption by the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE). On July 22, 2011 the SBOE voted to adopt a number of submissions. From the adopted list, schools can elect to purchase access to the software that they feel will suit their students best.

For students, these interactive learning programs will include; virtual experiments, animated simulations and instantly marked assessments, all designed to motivate students to explore the world of science.

In the present economic climate it must be good news that this dynamic learning material is available to Texas students at a fraction of the cost of traditional textbooks.

One of the systems adopted has been created by Texas entrepreneur, Tim Brown.

Tim, the President of Technical Laboratory Systems, has funded a partnership between his Texas-based team and a world leading company in the design of e-learning materials, to produce learning programs for all eight grade levels that are totally compliant with the new science TEKS*.

It is Tim’s opinion that this new TEA initiative creates a real possibility that more Texas students will succeed in school science and then choose to follow careers in science, technology or engineering.

Tim says;

“As a provider of technical education equipment to Texas schools and colleges for more than thirty years, I have been saddened to see the decline in the number of quality students opting for careers in technology and engineering. Middle and High School science is the bedrock for college studies in science, technology and engineering. Science teachers, who do their utmost to motivate students, will find that difficult task so much easier with this software. It was a logical step for me to invest in new technology to improve the prospects of our young students. Here in Texas we have world leading companies in all the technological areas, if we cannot provide them with the skilled and innovative workforce that they require, they will be forced to go elsewhere.”

Academics have lobbied hard for our policymakers to address the state’s declining SAT scores and maybe their message is being heard. Perhaps this new initiative by the TEA will go some way to ease the concerns of many in Texas, that the present financial constraints will damage the prospects for our schoolchildren.

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New Website to Offer Big Discounts to Educators

CEO Greg Michaels of Michaels Associates LLC announced today that the company will soon unveil a new website www.teacher-books.net. The new site represents a complete re-design of www.michaelsassociates.com. Visitors to the old site will be automatically redirected to the updated site.

The company, founded in 1986, had its first website in 1995 and specializes in professional resources for K-12 educators and administrators. Michaels Associates LLC has been named “distributor of the year” three times by the International Reading Association. They are also one of the nation’s leading distributors for resources from Scholastic, Pearson, Maupin House, Sage, Shell Education, Guilford, NCTE, ASCD, and many others. Also sold on the site will be leveled books for guided reading and reading recovery as well as school supply items.

The new website will feature new, best-selling, and classic professional titles from over 30 publishers – at a discount. There will also be a button on the homepage that will take administrators and librarians to a page that offers deep discounts on topic-based professional libraries and multiple copies of the same title.

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Finally it is Teacher Appreciation Week

“Teacher appreciation makes the world of education go around.” Helen Peters. Whether you are 8 or 18 years old, you live in South Korea or in Sweden, you are black or you are white. Everyone around the world has at least one teacher who has inspired them and motivated them to keep on going and never give up. The only thing we can give back is showing our appreciation for their work and effort. This appreciation makes teachers aware of what their efforts mean to us and keeps them doing the great things they do. Students from different country celebrate this in their own way, with their own and unique habits and on different dates.

Finally it is Teacher Appreciation Week

Today starts the week during which students of the US can express their gratefulness for what their teachers have taught them. Today starts the week where for once the teachers don’t give, but the students do. Today starts the week that entire classes work together to surprise their teachers. Today starts the week that makes teachers feel good about what they do. Today starts the week that makes the world of education go around. Today starts Teacher Appreciation Week.

Until May 7th, teachers will walk out of their homes with an even bigger smile on their face than usual. Because they now that this is the week that they get recognition for all the effort they put into this job. “Teachers appreciate being appreciated, for teacher appreciation is their highest award.” - William Prince. They work so hard by teaching us how to write, read and count. They treat us as their own children and from today on, we can show them that we treat them as our second parents. Although we give them headaches and make them upset all the time, there is one week to make it all up and make sure that they don’t forget why they do so much for us.

During this week and especially on Tuesday, everyone does their best to be as creative as possible and surprise their teachers with the most amazing and original ideas. On teacher appreciation info you can find a lot of initiatives that were done in the past and different tips. One tip is to keep in mind which teachers you are surprising. Try to know as much as possible about them and use this to create a present. In this way, your present means much more to those particular teachers and gets a personal touch. Your teachers are happy and so are you, because for once, you managed to give them something that means a lot and not the other way around.

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Bunny Bear’s Holiday Special CD Offer

Bunny Bear’s Adventure’s in Diversity Land will make you laugh and make you sigh! Surprise your youngsters with this brand new collection of stories they can enjoy all year. Buy 2 audio CDs by November 30 and get one Free! Join story teller, trainer, and award- winning author Deborah Levine as she and Bunny Bear tell you about trying to fit, about being the new kid, the different one. Enjoy the humanity of trying very hard and how success comes in many unexpected forms. Teach youngsters how to make being different a positive life lesson. Stories are a big hit with ages 6-11 and adults will find themselves laughing and sighing along with them.

Here’s what grandmother and teacher Mary Jane McKinsey says about Bunny Bear. “I so much enjoyed listening to Bunny Bear’s Adventures in Diversity Land. I think that if I were a young child who has just moved to a new country, I would love to hear the adventures and the difficulties and the homesickness and the fun of a person like Deborah Levine. Your experiences in moving to the United States from Bermuda are so heartwarming and sad and happy, all in one little girl’s life.”

Don’t miss this special holiday opportunity! Mary Jane wants you to know, “I would highly recommend your CD to any child who is the new child on the block. You make one feel that anything is possible in a new situation. And your voice would make any child feel as if you are talking to just him.”

Don’t miss out! Order 2 copies and get your Free CD before the end of November. Go online to the CD Department at www.ADR-Store.com to the Bunny Bear Holiday Special.

Bunny Bear’s Adventures in Diversity Land is an original creation of the American Diversity Report LLC and is available in the ADR-Store of our online magazine at www.americandiversityreport.com.

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New Website for Students and Educators By Fascinating Learning Factory

Fascinating Learning Factory (FLF), a non-profit organization and a leader in innovative, engaging educational programming for classrooms, television and the World Wide Web, has launched an entirely new website offering new on-line tools, information and links for students and educators, and better reflects the breadth and quality of its programs and initiatives.

“The new site is brighter, bolder and lots more fun,” says FLF’s Executive Director Bunnie Strassner. “For teachers and students, the site now features hundreds of educational stories and cartoons f r o m the popular “Our Fascinating Earth” books by Drs. Phil and Nancy Seff, as well as current programs and new projects in development. Plus, we have opportunities for visitors to offer their own ideas for programs. Teachers and students are invited to join the Fascinating Learning factory for free and we will offer new and unique items for sale in the on-line store.”

Another recent addition is 30 one-minute animated features called Facts of Congress, a fun way to teach civics and government.

“I’m very excited“, comments Heather Boyle-Noland, Development Director at the ‘Learning Factory, “It’s a great new step we have taken to bring educational information to the web in a user friendly and engaging. We are also hoping it will drive new donors to visit us and get out our message of the critical need for higher quality and a broader reach of programming.

The site was designed by, and is being maintained by Flashback Media Productions of Lafayette, Colorado.

The Fascinating Learning Factory, a Colorado 501(c)(3), is dedicated to improving the quality of educational programming for ages 10 through adult. Some of their award winning, broadcast programs include “Guerrilla Guide to Politics, “Our Fascinating Earth”, and “Shoshone Voices, Native Choices”, a documentary about the Eastern Shoshone Tribe and their participation in the artifact identification program at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian. For more information, please visit their website, www.fascinatinglearningfactory.org, or call 303-545-9955.

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Online Certificate in Criminal Behavior By Portland State University

Beginning Fall 2009, Portland State University (PSU) will begin offering an online Certificate in Criminal Behavior, further augmenting its portfolio of online coursework. PSU’s Division of Criminology & Criminal Justice, part of the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government, is launching the Certificate in Criminal Behavior to fill a growing interest in this area of study.

Online Certificate in Criminal Behavior

Kris Henning, Program Director of Criminology & Criminal Justice Online said, “We’re very excited about the new Certificate in Criminal Behavior. Popular culture has been driving public interest in this area for some time and we believe this is an offering that laymen and Criminal Justice professionals alike will find informative, helpful and relevant.”

The Certificate in Criminal Behavior will explore a variety of criminal typologies, ranging from juvenile offenders to white collar criminals. Coursework will also focus on psychological and social factors that lead to aggressive behavior. Additionally, students will learn about various rehabilitative techniques that are used with offender populations.

The Division of Criminology & Criminal Justice already offers an online bachelor’s program in Criminology & Criminal Justice as well as certificates in Advanced Crime Analysis, the American Justice System and a post-baccalaureate certificate in Criminology & Criminal Justice online.

The Certificate in Criminal Behavior will only be available online.

For more information visit http://www.online.ccj.pdx.edu.

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Escuela Del Sol Has Hired A Design Firm To Help Communicate Its Unique Brand Of Creative Education To Its Constituents

Albuquerque’s Escuela del Sol had a problem. Even after 40 years of continuous operation, there was growing confusion among parents as to what the Montessori system offered their children, how it differed f r o m other educational methods, and what results they should expect. The lack of communication was making it difficult to maintain, much less grow, enrollment, and had caused some dissatisfaction with currently enrolled families.

Now if Montessori schools know how to do anything, it is how to prepare kids to be creative thinkers and problem solvers. So the school’s board decided to practice what they teach. They put on their thinking caps, thought like a business and came up with a business solution-applying the very same traits they strive to nurture in their students.

This creative bit of problem solving led them to Ripe Inc., an Albuquerque-based design firm that specializes in building brands and identities for businesses. Normally. But the chance to work with such a forward thinking school was too good an opportunity to pass up. Ripe had to be equally creative in taking on a branding assignment f r o m a school. But they did their homework well.

Working closely with the school they developed an engaging, informative, visual and verbal communication system to clarify and deliver the brand message. The message was developed through intensive workshops in which consensus about the key attributes of the school’s brand were uncovered and documented. The analysis and evaluation became an internal brand reference guide book provided to all faculty and staff members-so there’s common understanding and consistent language when communicating the Escuela del Sol brand.

It also became the conceptual platform for developing the graphics libraries, website, messaging system, and electronic template that facilitates the school’s unique educational approach. And for developing its award-winning print collateral as well. The school’s new logo & stationery design has been s e l e c t e d to appear in PRINT’s 2009 Regional Design Annual. Planned advertising campaigns will focus on specific challenges-like boosting enrollment, and increasing parent engagement in the school’s educational process.

Escuela del Sol has made it their business to enhance their communications and their profile within the community. And they expect business to be good.

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Borenson And Associates, Inc., With Headquarters In Allentown, PA Will Be Training Additional Instructors To Conduct The Making Algebra Child’s Play Workshops Nationwide

Since 1990 Borenson and Associates has conducted more than 2500 Making Algebra Child’s Play workshops showing teachers how the visual and kinesthetic approach of Hands-On Equations enables even 4th and 5th graders to succeed with algebraic equations not normally presented until the 8th or 9th grade.

borenson

The instructor candidates, coming from five different states, will be receiving their training at the Holiday Inn in downtown Allentown. The training will take place each day from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It is expected that a student demonstration will take place each day from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

All of the candidates have used Hands-On Equations in their classrooms for several years and are now coming to learn how to present the program to teachers.

Leading the training program will be Dr. Henry Borenson, who received a U.S. Patent for Hands-On Equations. With this group, the company will have about three dozen certified instructors. Borenson anticipates the need for 100 instructors within the next two years to meet the growing interest in his approaching to simplifying the abstract nature of algebra.

Recently, the company received their first order from Educational Opportunities, Inc. who have set a goal of introducing the program to 1,000 classroom in Africa, Asia and India.

“There is no reason for young students to be intimated by algebra,” says Borenson. “Through this visual and kinesthetic approach algebraic concepts become intuitive and are much easier to understand than division of fractions or long division– and much more fun!”

Borenson believes that when young students are successful with algebra their sense of self-esteem is enhanced. “There is no doubt about the effectiveness of this program,” he says. We have almost ten research studies posted at www.borenson.com to prove it.

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Hays Reports Schools Increasingly Turning To Supply Teachers

The demand for supply teachers continues to remain buoyant in the current climate, according to the specialist recruitment company, Hays. Schools have come to rely on supply teachers to fill their staff shortages, as the requirement for sickness and emergency cover is as prevalent now as it has always been.

“Supply teachers who provide sickness support and cover emergencies at short notice are very much in demand, especially given the harsher winter conditions that we’ve experienced this year,” commented Stephen Heard, National Operations Director at Hays Education.

He emphasised, “Supply teachers not only make a significant contribution to staffing needs, but they are also pivotal in ensuring that schools run smoothly and that standards are maintained in the education sector”.

Supply teaching offers a great lifestyle choice and allows for greater flexibility, which suits people who have family or childcare commitments. Stephen continued, “Having the choice to work a limited number of days per week is a valuable option for some teachers, although they have to be flexible – in terms of both school and location – and available to travel at very little notice”.

Working as a supply teacher also allows the individual to cement their experience by working in a number of different schools. An NQT starting out in supply teaching will develop valuable skills and a breadth of experience that they would not have otherwise gained in a permanent role. This gives them a chance to look at different schools and to establish the type of environment that suits their personalities best.

Regular stints as a supply teacher can also serve as a valuable stepping-stone to a permanent teaching job. “It is important to foster relationships with the school as you will also be considered for a permanent job when one becomes available,” explained Stephen.

Opting for a longer-term contract is a way of bridging the permanent and supply teaching divide. It helps to build a teaching career, allowing the teacher to become a more integral part of the school and have greater involvement in planning class activities. Supply teaching provides an excellent platform to build a track record of experience and make a mark in the industry.

“Fostering a relationship with a specialist recruiter that deals in supply teaching vacancies means that you can establish a career and become known among schools, which will subsequently ask for you by name as your reputation in the industry grows,”Stephen concluded.

 

About Hays Education:
Hays Education is part of Hays plc, the leading global specialist recruitment group and specialises in a wide range of teaching jobs from cover supervision to head teacher jobs. It is market leader in the UK and Australia, and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe. On 30 June 2008, the Group employed 8,872 staff operating from 393 offices in 27 countries across 17 specialisms.

For the year ended 30 June 2008:

– the Group had revenues of £2.5 billion, net fees of £786.8 million and operating profit before exceptional items of £253.8 million;
– the Group placed around 80,000 candidates into permanent jobs and around 300,000 people into temporary assignments;
– the temporary placement business represented 49% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 51% of net fees.

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New Publication Seeks To Empower California’s Charter Schools

The Charter News is leading the information empowerment charge for California’s Charter Schools. The Charter News is currently the only statewide charter school newspaper in California, which caters to the charter school community. The Charter News is owned, operated, and published by David Morrow and John Hamilton, who are currently educators in secondary and postsecondary education respectively. According toMorrow, “the vision of The Charter News is to assist with empowering the charter school community in California”.

The Charter News is a monthly publication, which serves the growing 750 charter schools in California. Moreover, The Charter News has the potential to reach over 350,000 students, educators, parents, community members, legislators, and vendors. The Charter News provides national, statewide and local community news, information about activities, academic accomplishments, legislation, and conferences.

The Charter News believes in providing charter schools throughout California information, which educates and stimulates discussions from all levels of the charter community concerning our educational system. Morrow and Hamilton would like to invite educators, students, and community members to provide them with any news involving your region, school, students, and/or community to share with the California charter school community. The Charter News is committed to delivering world-class services designed to generate profound and measurable results for their members and subscribers who they consider family.

Additionally, The Charter News provides a connection for local, regional, and national vendors who have a desire to build a relationship with charter schools in California with their goods and services. Readers are able to access The Charter News through subscriptions (hardcopy and digital) and bulk delivery directly to schools, institutions and homes. Charter schools can advertise for recruitment of teachers and educational staff. Vendors have the opportunity to promote new products or services with various size display advertising targeted at state, regional and local consumers.

Join The Charter News with empowering each other with information and services. You are encouraged to visit and bookmark The Charter News website, which provides a digital copy of the publication at www.thecharternews.com and leave us a comment.

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University of New England’s Online Graduate Education Program Hits Record 500 Enrollments

The University of New England’s online Master of Science in Education (MSEd) program exceeded the 500 student enrollments barrier this fall, just one year after the program was launched.

Said Dr. Arthur Goldstein, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, “We are very excited to see such tremendous success so early in the life of this program. To have come this far so quickly is a testament not only to faculty and staff but also to our students.”

The program is already garnering recognition within the tight-knit education community. Tech & Learning magazine recently identified University of New England’s online master’s in education as one of the top online programs in the country.

Said Dr. Douglas Lynch, Chair, Department of Education, “The online Master of Science in Education program is a fantastic opportunity for motivated teachers and educational leaders to interact and learn. Our student base from across the nation enhances the shared-learning experience. The curriculum requires teachers to employ what they learn in their classroom making the program highly engaging and authentic. Teachers can apply what they learn right away.”

The students themselves appear to share the enthusiasm for the curriculum as is evidenced by the program’s retention. University of New England’s online MSEd program boasts a 98% retention rate, a figure many institutions rarely see.

Said online student Kimberly Rockwell, “I feel I interact more with my instructors online than the traditional format. They are very accessible and regularly check-in. It is much easier to write a quick email anytime of the day than to wait for certain hours to visit the professor in his/her office.”

About University of New England
The University of New England (UNE) is an independent university with two distinctive campuses on the coast of southern Maine, University Campus in Biddeford and Westbrook College Campus in Portland. The University’s mission is to provide a highly integrated learning experience that promotes excellence through interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in education, research and service. UNE has four schools:
the College of Arts & Sciences, College of Health Professions, College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the newly established College of Pharmacy. University of New England is a leading educator of healthcare professionals and an innovator in biomedical and healthcare research. With internationally recognized scholars in the humanities and marine sciences, UNE is building an outstanding faculty and provides a balance between students and faculty that ensures close collaboration and strong interactions. UNE’s student-centered, interdisciplinary programs promote experiential learning, critical thinking, and lifelong service to community.

For more information on the University of New England’s Online Master of Education programs call 1-800-994-2804 or visit www.education.une.edu.

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Portland State University Honors University Of Cincinnati Professor Edward J. Latessa With Hatfield Scholar Award

The Mark O. Hatfield School of Government honored Dr. Edward J. Latessa with the Hatfield Scholar Award. Dr. Latessa has led a distinguished career in the field of Criminal Justice and is currently a Professor and Head of the Division of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati. He has co-authored seven books including Corrections in the Community and Corrections in America. Additionally, Dr. Latessa has directed over 100 funded research projects, including studies of juvenile justice programs, drug courts, and intensive supervision programs.

Senator Mark O. Hatfield, for whom the award is named, said “I admire [Dr. Latessa’s] dedication to public service. Oregon is a state that values new ideas that serve the cause of social justice and consequently, we are proud that he would accept this award.”

Dr. Latessa’s intrepid perspective on academic practice has inspired the creation of two highly reputable online Criminal Justice degree programs. In 2001, the University of Cincinnati launched a Master of Science in Criminal Justice to great success. When approached about the possibility of launching a Bachelor’s degree Dr. Latessa recommended Portland State University’s own Division of Criminology and Criminal Justice as the ideal candidate and in 2005 this recommendation came to fruition.

At the award ceremony, Dr. Latessa said “I have dedicated most of my career to trying to improve programs, trying to make us a little more effective. I am happy if I can get one program, make it more effective, and change a few peoples’ lives. Many times the difference between us and the people that are incarcerated is a very small, thin line. It’s important that we understand that they are human beings, they are citizens, they are our neighbors that are incarcerated. It’s important to work hard to see that what we know works its way into the field.”

About the Hatfield Scholar Award
The Hatfield Scholar Award, named after the distinguished former Governor and Senator from Oregon, Mark O. Hatfield is offered to exceptional scholars whose careers best exemplify the Hatfield ideals of public interest, scholarship, public service, civil and human rights, social justice, and peace. The award is given annually by the combined faculties within the Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University.

About Portland State University
PSU was founded in 1946 to help educate returning World War II veterans, and continues this tradition of adapting to changing social and educational circumstances. PSU’s Criminology and Criminal Justice division, part of the Hatfield School of Government, has been awarding bachelor degrees for nearly 40 years. The online learning program enables distance learners to interact with an interesting, passionate group of fellow students and learn with the same distinguished faculty that teach the on-campus program.

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Climate Cops Programme In Worcester Hosted By Npower

npower, one of the UKs largest energy providers, has been hosting the ‘Climate Cops’ programme, which visited Worcester’s Powick C.E Primary School in an effort to help the school become greener and more sustainable.

Over 52 pupils in years 4 and 5 were involved in the Climate Cops Academy which helps children learn how to become greener at home and in school in a fun and engaging way. The highly interactive day was filled with activities, including generating electricity with body movement, working with miniature examples of renewable energy sources and using thermal imaging cameras to see how much heat is emitted from human body and the effects of insulation.

Worcestershire County Council has been working closely with npower for over 12 months on the Climate Cops programme, helping schools throughout the local area. The scheme follows the Government’s National Framework for Sustainable Schools and forms a key part of npower’s Brighter Futures Programme which aims to inspire young people from the first day of school to the first day of work and brings npower’s education programmes under one umbrella.

The Climate Cops programme can also provide schools with ‘green makeovers’, including free energy audits, helping to implement tailor-made energy efficiency measures to reduce a school’s carbon footprint.

Head teacher at Powick C.E Primary School, Mr Richard Drewett, said: “The Climate Cops Academy has taught the children about climate change and saving energy in a really fun way. They’ve learnt some simple ways to conserve energy that will make a big difference to the school, their homes and the environment.”

Rupert Brakspear, Learning for Sustainability Officer at Worcestershire County Council added: “It’s great to see a class of children so excited, exploring ideas around energy and climate change. I’m certain the experiences they have had during the Climate Cops Academy day will give them plenty to think about over the coming weeks ahead. It is the small things we can all do that add up to making a big difference and we hope this programme will work with other schools in the city to help reduce the overall amount of energy used.”

This year, six other schools and over 375 children in Worcester will experience Climate Cop Academies, including; Cherry Orchard Primary, Turves Green Primary, Fairfield Community Primary, Upton upon Severn Primary and Great Witley Primary School. Lyppard Grange Primary School has already benefitted from the initiative at the start of the year.

Teachers and children can go to the Climate Cops website at www.climatecops.com for interactive games and downloadable activities. Teachers can also visit www.npowerbrighterfutures.com to order their copy of the Climate Cops teaching resources that bring education for sustainable development, science, geography and citizenship to life.

About npower:
npower is one of the UKs largest electricity supplier and draws on 50 years experience in supplying electricity and gas. npower offers a range of essential home and business services to 6.6 million customers across the UK.

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Austin Self Defense (ASD), a premier martial arts and fitness school located in Cedar Park, Texas

Going the extra mile to assist Austin residents, military, police and other service personnel in self defense training and defensive tactics. ASD announces a 2 FOR 1 special for $99. ASD is known for its realistic and no nonsense approach to street survival and conditioning. Classes are offered and structured for persons of all athletic abilities, from ages 7 and up. Conditioning drills are incorporated to build speed, endurance, flexibility and cardiovascular system which results in a complete and well rounded athlete. Additionally, ASD concentrates on the mental conditioning and respect that builds discipline and focus.

Austin Self Defense unique class structure and training methods allows for persons with little to no training as well as those with advanced backgrounds to train together yet advance on individual levels accordingly.

Programs include: Haganah Adults, Haganah Kids, Krav Maga, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and Fitness Kick-Box Bag Classes.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children report, 797,500 children are reported missing each year. In addition to the possibility of abduction, kids are continually faced with school yard bullies who can have a traumatic effect not only on the child’s education and motivation in their studies but also long term effects concerning personality and emotional trauma. ASD offers ‘Haganah Kid’s’, a mixed martial arts (MMA) program for preteens. The program comprises the best practical self defense techniques that suit child learners. Just as importantly, kids will learn life skills such as Respect, Courtesy, Self-Control, Perseverance, Confidence, Self-Esteem and much more.

Emphasizing the importance of self defense and fitness training as a combined discipline, Dan Kiser, President of Austin Self Defense says, “Students will learn techniques relating to the defensive as well as offensive side of an engagement/attack. Just as important, students benefit from improved confidence, peace of mind, less stress, and increased energy and endurance,” he adds.

ASD offers structured classes and private training with fully equipped modern self defense training amenities, certified instructors & unique conditioning with focus on creating self confidence and a balanced mental attitude for survival.

“Instructors are amazing – both knowledgeable and passionate about their work. There is a very welcoming feeling of companionship and high energy in the classroom. The classes have helped increase my assertiveness and confidence, as well as my physical fitness. I would highly recommend Austin Self Defense” – – Shannon

I was an assistant Combatives Instructor for my unit, in the military, and the Haganah course has allowed me to pick up, right where I left off. ASD is keeping me Army Strong! Hooah! – – Ryan

About Austin Self Defense:
Austin Self Defense is a self defense and fitness training facility which was established in 2002. The Texas Self Defense company is known for its unique and precise approach in providing superior martial arts and conditioning. The programs are designed for all ages and physical capacities incorporating real life military survival skills and mindset to eliminate the danger quickly and without hesitation.

Via EPR Network
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