Teacher's Heart

Unfortunately, the salary of a teacher hardly makes the job worth it. Therefore, in the schools we see apathy, burnout, and despair in teachers who really did not want to be in the classroom in the first place. Yet, we are stuck with them. Despite advanced degrees and certifications, no amount of professional development and coaching could make these teachers better because their heart is not in it, though they keep teaching year after year.

On the other hand, take a new teacher, one who has always wanted to help children and teach, yet has little or no experience and may not even be certified. Who would you rather on campus? Many would choose the veteran who has experience, but at what cost? In this age of society, education is continually changing, evolving, moving steadily towards putting (and keeping) the student first, and campuses need teachers who are willing to do the same, teachers with heart.

This “heart” that good teachers possess moves them to continually put students first. This naturally leads these teachers to attend whatever professional developments, listen to whatever advice, and employ whatever strategies necessary for the benefit of their students. This motivation to adapt and evolve cannot be taught and does not automatically accompany a certificate of certification.

Teachers who possess heart take heed to counsel and advice. They embrace new teaching models, such as co-teaching and technology in the classroom. They self-evaluate, study, research, observe, and adjust, all without prodding from department heads and administration. They are thirsty for information and seek to not only hone their skills, but to share them with others. Students cannot help but benefit from these teachers who are open, resourceful, and ready to learn.

Where do you find teachers like this, ones who possess the heart of a teacher? They are probably already on your campus, waiting for an ignition to their fire by supportive administration and staff or are already taking the lead in producing student achievement and simply making good things happen. Otherwise, they are fresh out of school or working an unfulfilling job in another industry, seeking to get onto your campus as soon as possible. Keep your eye out for teachers like these because only this kind of teacher, a teacher with heart, will ultimately bring about student achievement and success.

What of diffrerence in nutrinional between organic food and non-organic food?

For the myths, there is no nutritional difference between organic food and non-organic food.

For the reality : Chemical farming damages the natural fertility of soil because it kills or suppresses the beneficial soil organisms that help ensure the nutrient richness of soil. The soil on an organic farm is loaded with these beneficial organisms and is chock-full of micro-nutrients. The result is that organically grown plants are healthier and more resistant to disease, and the food from them is more nutrient-rich. Research done at the University of California at Davis found that organically grown berries, corn and vegetables have over 50% more antioxidants than the same conventional crops. (Antioxidants are nutrients important to avoiding cancer and maintaining good overall health.) Studies also suggest that organic foods are higher in a variety of minerals.

Organic farming also does not cause the many problems associated with modern conventional farming, such as groundwater and streams that become polluted with pesticides or rivers and bays that are dying from oxygen deprivation due to fertilizer runoff.

So, that should dispel some of the common misperceptions about organic agriculture and organic food. The really good news is the taste of organic food—most people think it has much more flavor than conventionally produced food. And just think about it: Do you really want your kids sticking non-organic french fries up their noses?

CEDAW, How's that for an in-your-face agenda?

Forgiveness does not come easily to the Maidens of Mendacity. Columnist Katha Pollitt recently combed through the laundry list of long-remembered slights. Once Obama informed his daughters he wasn't going to buy them a "girly-dog" - yikes! There was the Barbara Walters interview when Barack had the audacity to interrupt Michelle. And here's the crusher: "No one has forgotten that Barack called a reporter 'sweetie' months ago," Pollitt wailed.

Yes, they were delighted when Hillary ("Research shows the presence of women raises the standards of ethical behavior") was selected as Secretary of State. But when news got out that only one-quarter of Obama's cabinet picks were female (including the eminently qualified Hilda Solis at Labor), the fems lapsed into a purple-faced funk.

Amy Siskind, founder of the New Agenda was disconsolate, admitting, "We had high hopes for president-elect Obama going into this, and it's been very discouraging." And NOW president Kim Gandy put on her best pouty-face: "we still are such a small minority in the top boardrooms of the country starting with the Cabinet."

But the pain of so few female cabinet members was mollified by the hope of establishing a Cabinet-level advisor on women's issues, maybe even a presidential commission.

But when word leaked out that Obama's Council on Women and Girls had no full-time staff, the girls pulled out the long knives. Calling the group a Clinton-era "retread," Martha Burk charged, "I think it falls fall short of what's needed." (Burk, you recall, was the woman who cried wolf because the Augusta National Golf Club did not admit females.)

And what will be the number one priority of the fledgling Council? According to California First Lady Maria Shriver, the group needs to launch a major inquiry into the stresses facing American women.

Poverty's Children

Even a small amount of your time can make a big difference for a child. And society benefits, too. Crime rates decline, youngsters become better educated and then see their futures with more optimistic eyes. Says Eddie Ryeom, a volunteer with Operation Exodus:

"One of the major benefits of working with children is seeing tangible results, from their smiling faces to increased test scores. However small your contribution, you're helping a community deeply in need."

This testimonial and millions like it show that even one volunteer -- perhaps you -- can change a child's life now and for the future. With up to 15 million kids in need, every volunteer is an asset in our ongoing war on child poverty. From helping an individual child to addressing the issue nationwide, there are many choices (some are below) on how to help -- and find greater fulfillment for yourself, too

Psychosis In Women

Women with psychosis were twice as likely to report either physical or sexual abuse compared to healthy women. But no such association was found in men.

The researchers suggest that one explanation for this is that girls are more likely to 'internalise' difficulties than boys. In other words, girls who are abused may distance themselves from other people, and become overly suspicious of other people's behaviour. This may put them at greater risk of psychotic symptoms in the future, such as paranoid delusions.

In contrast, boys may be more likely to 'act out' following physical abuse and potentially be at greater risk for antisocial behaviour.

The lead author on this paper, Helen Fisher, Researcher in Psychosis at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's said: "These findings do not mean that if a child is abused they will develop psychosis; but women with such disorders are more likely to reveal a background which included childhood abuse.

Climate?

Over historic time spans there are a number of static variables that determine climate, including: latitude, altitude, proportion of land to water, and proximity to oceans and mountains.

Other climate determinants are more dynamic: The thermohaline circulation of the ocean distributes heat energy between the equatorial and polar regions; other ocean currents do the same between land and water on a more regional scale.

Degree of vegetation coverage affects solar heat absorption, water retention, and rainfall on a regional level.

Alterations in the quantity of atmospheric greenhouse gases determines the amount of solar energy retained by the planet, leading to global warming or global cooling.

The variables which determine climate are numerous and the interactions complex, but there is general agreement that the broad outlines are understood, at least in so far as the determinants of historical climate change are concerned..

The establishing of an interventionist economic policy

It might seem that such system is likely to strongly complicate business and the life of the consumers. In the era of data-processing payment, this system is much simpler to put in practice than it seems (especially with the use of electronic money). This complexity brought a true degree of freedom to the local economy and preserving it from the global economy. The market local asphyxiated by the shortage will be able to finance new industrial projects. This market should however bring together consumer who consume new technologies very little. Monetary division will allow to develop the underdeveloped part of the country and to adapt specific monetary policies to this part. Thus, it will be possible to apply an economic policy to the specific social problems of the country. For example, if an insufficiency of consumption is the cause of social trouble, a specific fiscal policy could be adopted to these area without impacting other part of the economy. The best policy that I know, is the one applied in South Korea and in Japan between 1970 and 1985. The state controls the growth and uses market statistics assessment of the ministry of the economy in order to direct investment to the most promising sectors of the economy. So, many investments were directed to high technology which are considered by investors to be too risky or provide solution which are far away than present need of the domestic market.

How the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol respond

The UN Convention on Climate Change recognizes this reality: on Education, Training and Public Awareness, it calls on governments to promote the development and implementation of educational and public awareness programmes, promote public access to information and public participation, and promote training of scientific, technical and managerial personnel.

The Kyoto Protocol builds on this and calls on Parties to cooperate in and promote, at the national and international levels, the development and implementation of educational and training programmes, including the strengthening of national capacity building; and to facilitate, at the national level, public awareness and public access to information

Making health care for all a reality

• Every minute, a woman with no medical care dies in pregnancy or childbirth
• Every hour, 300 people die of an AIDS-related illness
• Every day, 4,000 children die of diarrhoea caused by dirty water

Millions of people in poor countries get low-quality health care, or are forced to go without it altogether. Fees are too high, hospitals and clinics are too few, and lack of medical staff means people struggle to get treated.

The result?

Unimaginable suffering – much of it absolutely preventable. And ever-deepening poverty too, because illness affects people’s work, and damages economies.

And until people get basic services like cheap health care and clean water, it’s going to continue.

Doctors – a luxury?

Good health care is a fundamental right, not a luxury.

People everywhere should be able to visit a local clinic or hospital, and get care and affordable medicines, whenever they need them.

Methodology of Economic Development

DELTA provides training and expert assistance to municipal teams (comprised of the members of the local government and the business community) to develop medium- to long-term economic development plans. The goal of the strategies is to improve the business-enabling environment and to generate private sector growth in each partner municipality.

This comprehensive website details the entire project methodology employed in operating such a program. It has been developed by the Foundation for Local Autonomy and Governance, which acted as the chief implementing partner for DELTA Albania. These pages are intended to serve two primary purposes:

• to educate and guide municipalities, donors and experts alike in undertaking local economic development strategic planning; and
  
• to highlight the strategies that have been completed under DELTA Program in Kosovo and Albania
  

There has been a growing consensus in the donor community about the need for government and private sector leadership to forge partnerships for economic development. One of the most important areas of public-private sector interface is in the areas of national business enabling environment. However, barriers to private sector development often occur at the sub-national or local level. Local taxes, municipal fees, and other administrative obstacles may originate in city hall, rather than in the national parliament. Furthermore, local governments often do not have the capacity to develop or implement policies or programs that can help foment growth in their municipality by concurrently removing barriers to investment, developing and institutionalizing public-private partnerships, and formulating economic development strategies about ways to exploit comparative advantages of their region, municipality, or town. Therefore, the impact of national-level policy reforms may be weak, particularly in countries that are going through the decentralization process.

With this in mind, the DELTA program was designed to forge strong public-private partnerships at the municipal level to create alliances for improving the business climate and for stimulating creative ideas, after undertaking a municipal competitive assessment, to foster private sector growth.

To push the door for public participation in legislation

To push the door for public participation in legislation, PATTIRO conducted a research on legislation function in national/local Legislative Assembly (DPR/DPRD). PATTIRO conducted this research with Local and National Legislation Reform Coalition. This research was meant to find out whether structure, function and capacity of DPR/DPRD are conducive to public participation in legislation (regulation/law) process. Beside conducting research, PATTIRO also encouraged the creation of Legislation Body/Committee that plays as a door to let regulation proposals from public initiatives.
Before General Election 2004, PATTIRO also gave political education specifically for women. It aimed at letting women reason to make their choice. At that time, PATTIRO also encouraged political contract with many women politicians. The contract stated that they must fight for women interest when they are elected.

In all of its activities, beside being facilitator of democratization process originated from citizens, PATTIRO often had to be directly involved as actor. Involvement in various political process, whether in negotiation, cooperation or adversity process, is inevitable when it comes to public empowerment. New political power emerged in General Election 2004 who came from educated youth provide wider room for PATTIRO to develop cooperation approach in its advocacy effort. PATTIRO tries to offer various alternatives of public participation in order to improve the condition of society.