In the western world at the dawn of the 21st century, the forces of oligarchy, plutocracy, and aristocracy continue to plague and rule the lives of billions behind the cracking veneer of false democracy. Perhaps it is time for us, the people, to stop blindly hopping around like a mob of kangaroos and reclaim our authentic democracy from those who have stolen and distorted it. This blog is a small contribution to the global battle to democratize the processes of generating, disseminating, and controlling information.
This animation shows all important battles that took place over the last ten centuries. The sizes of the explosions and labels are proportional to the number of casualties.
The execution of Davis has opened the door for an opportunity to have a real dialogue about the use of death penalty in the United States. There are countless reasons why I believe the death penalty should be abolished in the U.S., but I’m going to focus on the three of which most Americans are likely unaware.
Standardized testing is the product of an education system built on the infrastructure of the Industrial Revolution, in which the public was given a basic education in order to be prepared for a life of following orders. This repetitiveness could be found in factories all over the world, and more recently, in the cubicle-filled office spaces. But that has changed. In the 21st century, the idea of the workplace is radically different from what it was even 10 years ago. And as workplaces change, so too must educational institutions, particularly in how they assess and evaluate students.
If the tool is there, we shouldn’t hide it from our students. New tools offer opportunities, and it’s up to educators to design meaningful activities which allow us to utilize the capabilities of our digital age, while educating our students on the process of how these tools work and what their limitations are. I agree with Brabazon in her belief that digital tools such as Google and Wikipedia should represent “the start of learning, not the end.” It’s up to us educators to acknowledge this, adapt to the 21st century, and not fear the massive changes we’re experiencing in the ways we consume media.
This week, I became the Head Band Director. Of “my baby.” The only reason I stayed at that school. I couldn’t bear to leave, knowing I hadn’t finished the project I started, and that leaving would inevitably lead to the speedy crumbling of the JMS Marching Lions. … I had a big goal last year, and I succeeded in many ways, many unexpected ways. It was a challenge. But I had a lot of help. I had a team. I was learning as I went, on how to have a music program, how to hold band practice, how to direct, and get a marching band ready for parades, in NEW ORLEANS of all places. We fought a lot of battles and won.
TimeBanks USA was founded in 1995 and its central office is located in Washington D.C. The mission of TimeBanks is to nurture and expand a movement that promotes equality and builds caring community economies through inclusive exchange of time and talent. We are working with TimeBanks leaders across the US and internationally to strengthen and rebuild community, and use TimeBanks to achieve wide-ranging goals such as social justice, bridges between diverse communities, and local ecological sustainability.
It is commonly accepted that hands-on experiences increase both learning and enjoyment during coursework. Mechatronics projects provide both interesting and relevant hands-on experiences for a wide range of topics including design processes, basic mechatronics concepts, technical communication, and working in a group environment. ME2110: Creative Decisions and Design at Georgia Tech integrates mechatronics and technical communication into a sophomore level mechanical design class. This paper describes the course in detail, highlighting the course goals and layout, tools provided to the students, industry involvement, and the main challenges of administering such a course.
