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Children can learn math very well if it is presented in a way that makes sense. Math is largely based on logical concepts, and is meant to progress step by step. Sometimes a student will be absent, or will move in from a district where thy have not learned the same material.
Students that come into a situation where they do not have a foundation of skills or where they have missed key elements can find themselves very confused. The concepts that students need to understand and comprehend, if missing, can prevent a student from learning other concepts that are based on the missing material.
Teachers can assist the student and help tie elements together at such times, helping the student to make associations and connections between different math concepts.
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As a teacher, the student will need help in making things make sense and relate to each other, especially in math. Practical examples of the ways that concepts affect each other can be a big help to assist the student in understanding and comprehension. Finding ways to associate math to everyday activities and daily life is a great way to help students understand.
To create your own strategies in teaching math, ask yourself some questions:
-What approach to concepts will do the most to provide student encouragement and support?
-What can we do as teachers to support and encourage skill development in each student?
-In what ways can we show support and give encouragement in alternative placements?
Making mathematics accessible and understandable is vital for each of students. In our technological society Math is essential in future career and school opportunities. Having a basic level of mastery and competency is needed to do many life activities, to take advances course in school, to qualify for some job options, or even to gain entrance to college or university.
Some basic strategies a teacher can use for effective Math learning include:
-Help your students to write numbers in a neat manner.
Most mistakes made in math can often be traced to writing numbers in a messy fashion. Some experts estimate that as much as twenty five percent of math errors perhaps can be traced to messy number writing.
One good way to make sure this happens it to provide graph paper as scratch paper, and grade on how neatly they show their work. As a student learns and gets neater, then using graph paper is no longer needed.
-Focus Effort to ensure students grasp Math Concepts
If you don't make sure kids understand the concepts as you go, math becomes just another mental game, doing drills by rote.
One good way is to have things that can be moved and manipulated to work out concepts. For subtraction, you can have objects arranged or available and have students take items away from the group. Then have students relate about how many items or objects are left.
-Explain the method and process to solve Word Problems
Model for your children to examine and read word problems more than one time. Math has a specific method of expression, and to solve and learn how to solve math problems, you have to follow the methods. Some children will benefit from drawing a diagram or a picture to show what has happened in the word problem. Consider an alternative to a specific word problem, such as replacing large numbers with small numbers. Once a child can understand HOW to solve a word problem, and then often they can solve other similar problems with ease.
-Make sure help is available Immediately
Math is a topic or subject where each step or process is always based on the concepts learned just previous. For example if you are having a problem with simple addition, it will be difficult to teach simple subtraction.
One way is to make sure there is a backup help source. An alternative is to have a teacher resource in another room at the same grade, or with a parent, tutor or other adult that can help the student if they get stuck. If your school has a homework hotline or resource center then these can be a source of assistance also.
-Encourage them to use Mental Math
A way to solve math problems is by doing it mentally, or "in ones head". Children who learn this method in a basic way are more likely to be able to apply this with more complex problems.
One method is when you assist children in a math problem, look for opportunities to prompt them to do it mentally without writing it down. It's not good for all applications, but it is something that can help master other concepts.
Also focus on when its good to use mental math, and when its not.
-Do not forget to teach the Basics
Teach the basics, but encourage them to master these concepts by working to do the basics swiftly. If a child can answer basic facts in less than five seconds (three seconds is considered the benchmark) then they have mastered that concept.
Flashcards and repeated drills are perhaps the best approach for this concept.
-Help them to lay out their Math Homework
Performing homework in math allows skills learned in class to be repeated and reinforced.
Show them to start every problem by looking at similar problems, using the worksheet or examining the textbook. Suggest that they take a sample problem and do it again, and pay attention to each step.
Then have them do the assignment, using the examples as a guide.
-Teach Children the Vocabulary involved in Math
If a student learns the vocabulary involved in Mathematics, then they can learn and progress in using and understanding math. If the basic terms are understood and mastered then they can progress on in Mathematics.
-Teach Children to Always do a little more than is required
A great deal of practice is needed to master any math concept. Practice, practice, practice. And if students see doing a bit more than asked as a regular thing, they will gain skills and move forward faster.
These are just a few of the mastery strategies that you can use to teach math effectively. As you progress as a teacher you will undoubtedly come up with ones of your own. | https://www.worksheetlibrary.com/teachingtips/mathapplication.html |
Description: This was developed in collaboration with Raise The Bar. Parents learn what a growth mindset is, why it’s important, and best practices to support their children in developing this learning belief.
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Have you ever wanted your students to be able to better judge at the start of a semester if this is the right unit for them? At the University of Sydney Business School we’ve been experimenting with using interactive videos to give students an indicative preview of their units either before they enrol or in the first few weeks of class.
Often, when people think about adding interactivity into an educational video it means putting ‘check your understanding’ style multiple choice questions at key moments in the video to help ensure that students engage with key concepts. Our research demonstrates that interactive videos can fit a far more flexible set of teaching and learning objectives than just ‘check your understanding’.
The work builds on preparatory videos developed by the London School of Economics under the leadership of Associate Professor Peter Bryant, for disciplines such as public affairs and sociology that require students to have specific literacies before starting study. It fits a gap in the existing literature as most prior research has focussed on clarifying students’ expectations of their program as a whole rather than for individual subjects.
About the interactive videos
The interactive videos were around 6-8 minutes long, and engaged students with 2-3 core learning experiences they would have in the first few weeks of the unit. The videos followed a standard format, starting with a senior academic giving an introduction and talking about how the unit relates to the profession and the course as a whole. It was followed by the Unit Coordinator and/or Head Tutor providing an overview of 2-3 core concepts or skills punctuated with interactive elements for students. Finally, the video finished with a closing from the senior academic who provided a summary and wished the student well in their studies.
Developing the videos
To start with, it is worth noting that each video was a substantial piece of development.
Co-design teams for each video were formed with at least two academics (such as the Unit Coordinator and Head of Discipline) along with an Educational Developer, Learning Designer and Media Producers from the Business Co-Design team.
A five-step process was used, involving planning and concept development, scripting and storyboarding, video filming and post-production, creation of the interactive elements, and then go-live. Each video was released within the Canvas site for the unit as well as a more open webpage that was accessible to all students who could potentially enrol in that unit of study.
How were the interactive videos designed?
When looking at the different videos, we realised how diverse they were.
Some of the units were focussed on quantitative approaches, with different techniques for helping students understand certain algorithms and, more importantly, how the algorithms were useful in the discipline and related professions. One interactive video even provided a downloadable data set for students to interrogate using Excel.
Other units had a conceptual or case-analytic focus, and so spent more time on helping students understand the required mindset for success in that profession or the context in which the disciplinary problems were meaningful. These videos had creative ways of using multiple-choice interactive elements to create ambiguous questions, in which there was no one right answer. So how you justified your response was as important as what the response was.
Analysing the videos
Drawing on Laurillard’s taxonomy of media forms (narrative, interactive, communicative, adaptive and productive) and learning types (acquisition, inquiry, practice, production, discussion and collaboration), we’ve performed content analysis on the videos to break down and identify the component parts that combine to provide students with an indicate experience of the unit.
What this has shown is that interactive videos are very versatile, and much more than just ‘check your understanding’ activities.
Intended learning experiences:
Acquisition:
- deepen understanding of a concept through examples;
- relate concepts (vertical/horizontal integration);
- demonstrate and explain skills/procedures (e.g. calculations);
- define and contrast mindsets.
Application and practice:
- perform calculations and data analysis;
- case/scenario analysis;
- apply a mindset to solve a problem.
Pedagogical techniques used in interactive questions:
- ask a question, student responds, give answer and explain why;
- explain concept or calculation, ask a question (with/without data), give answer and feedback;
- ask an ill-structured question about a contextual issue, then discuss how this issue provides context for the unit;
- mini-scenario with an ill-structured question, then discuss viability of the different possible responses;
- describe a mindset and then ask a question to help illustrate how this operates in practice.
Interactive elements:
- Multiple choice questions – single correct answer/multiple correct answers;
- HTML links – additional content of interest, and University student support services;
- File downloads;
- Drag and drop activity.
Looking across the videos, we found that units with a focus on computational thinking generally used single-correct-answer multiple choice questions and spent more time defining concepts and going through worked examples. On the other hand, units with a focus on case-based and contextualised analysis more often used multiple-correct-answer questions which afforded opinion-based questioning, and spent more time framing the questions and explaining context and mindsets.
This research is ongoing, and will be presented by Dr Andrew Cram, Dr Sandris Zeivots, Dr Dewa Wardak and Associate Professor Peter Bryant at the 2021 Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) conference in late 2021. | https://cdrg.blog/2021/08/19/interactive-videos-help-students-with-selecting-the-right-unit/ |
Pre Algebra Practice Workbook
These are the books for those you who looking for to read the Pre Algebra Practice Workbook, try to read or download Pdf/ePub books and some of authors may have disable the live reading. Check the book if it available for your country and user who already subscribe will have full access all free books from the library source.
Essential Prealgebra Skills Practice Workbook by Chris McMullen Book Summary:
This math workbook, authored by Chris McMullen, Ph.D., is focused on essential prealgebra skills. It includes examples, plenty of practice problems, answers, and full solutions to most problems. Topics include: order of operations; PEMDAS; fractions, decimals, and percents; exponents and square roots; a beginning introduction to working with variables; ratios and rates; negative numbers; and other prealgebra skills. The author, Chris McMullen, Ph.D., has over twenty years of experience teaching math skills to physics students. He prepared this workbook of the Improve Your Math Fluency series to share his strategies for applying arithmetic and prealgebra skills.
Basic Math and Pre-Algebra For Dummies by Mark Zegarelli Book Summary:
The fun and easy way® to understand the basic concepts and problems of pre-algebra Whether you're a student preparing to take algebra or a parent who needs a handy reference to help kids study, this easy-to-understand guide has the tools you need to get in gear. From exponents, square roots, and absolute value to fractions, decimals, and percents, you'll build the skills needed to tackle more advanced topics, such as order of operations, variables, and algebraic equations. Open the book and find: How to find the greatest common factor and least common multiple Tips for adding, subtracting, dividing, and multiplying fractions How to change decimals to fractions (and vice versa) Hints for solving word problems Different ways to solve for x
Pre-Algebra Practice Book, Grades 6 - 12 by Barbara R. Sandall, Ed.D.,Melfried Olson,Travis Olson Book Summary:
Simplifies the concepts of real numbers, integers, properties, operations, exponents, square roots, and patterns. Includes clear instructions, examples, practice problems, definitions, problem-solving strategies, an assessment section, answer keys, and references. Geared toward struggling students. Supports NCTM standards.
Beary Fun Basic Algebra Practice Workbook (With Answers) by Bearlyn Book Summary:
CONCEPT: This algebra workbook has a creative twist: A picture of a Cuddly Bear is used in place of a boring old X for the unknown. The idea behind adding this artistic touch to the equations is to help make algebra seem a little more fun and enjoyable. Students don't need to draw bears in their solutions, though - they can write X if they want. However, there is an opportunity for students to be creative - for example, they could draw smiley faces instead of X's. INSTRUCTION: The staff at Al-Bear Einstein developed a concise, one-page introduction to each chapter that explains what to do in simple terms and provides an instructive example to serve as a guide. The description emphasizes the underlying concept, like dividing both sides by the same number. The material is presented in stages: A new technique is introduced in each stage, allowing students to focus on and master one idea at a time. Review sections help to reinforce the older material and force students to learn when to apply the various techniques. The Cuddly Bears drawn by artist Bearlyn help to engage student interest and make the learning process fun. STRUCTURE: This workbook offers plenty of practice applying basic algebra skills to solve equations. The problems start out simple, like X + 4 = 12, and progressively advance, culminating in equations like 3 X + 8 = 9 X - 16 (but with Cuddly Bears instead of X's). The problems are written in a large font. ANSWERS: Teachers or parents can check the answers at the end of the workbook. LEVEL. This workbook focuses on basic algebra skills. No prior experience with algebra is needed. The goal is to learn how to solve for one unknown in a linear equation using basic arithmetic operations. All of the answers are positive integers. There are no fractions. All of the problems can be solved without a calculator with elementary arithmetic with the numbers 1 thru 9. This way, students can focus on the main idea without distracting complications. CONTENTS: The stages of this workbook are presented as follows: This workbook begins with simple equations that can be solved with a single arithmetic operation, like adding a constant to both sides. Each of the first four sections focuses on a different operation. This allows students to master one technique at a time. A review section mixes the four operations together. The next section combines operations together. For example, it may be necessary to first subtract a number from both sides and then divide both sides by a number. Students next learn how to add the unknown to both sides of the equation in order to solve the problem. The last section offers ample practice with equations of the form 3 X + 8 = 23 - 2 X. Students must add or subtract both constants and unknowns to/from both sides of the equation in order to solve these problems.
Basic Math and Pre-Algebra Workbook For Dummies by Mark Zegarelli Book Summary:
Master the fundamentals first for a smoother ride through math Basic Math & Pre-Algebra Workbook For Dummies is your ticket to finally getting a handle on math! Designed to help you strengthen your weak spots and pinpoint problem areas, this book provides hundreds of practice problems to help you get over the hump. Each section includes a brief review of key concepts and full explanations for every practice problem, so you'll always know exactly where you went wrong. The companion website gives you access to quizzes for each chapter, so you can test your understanding and identify your sticking points before moving on to the next topic. You'll brush up on the rules of basic operations, and then learn what to do when the numbers just won't behave—negative numbers, inequalities, algebraic expressions, scientific notation, and other tricky situations will become second nature as you refresh what you know and learn what you missed. Each math class you take builds on the ones that came before; if you got lost somewhere around fractions, you'll have a difficult time keeping up in Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus—so don't fall behind! This book provides plenty of practice and patient guidance to help you slay the math monster once and for all. Make sense of fractions, decimals, and percentages Learn how to handle inequalities, exponents, square roots, and absolute values Simplify expressions and solve simple algebraic equations Find your way around a triangle, circle, trapezoid, and more Once you get comfortable with the rules and operations, math takes on a whole new dimension. Curiosity replaces anxiety, and problems start feeling like puzzles rather than hurdles. All it takes is practice. Basic Math & Pre-Algebra Workbook For Dummies is your ultimate math coach, with hundreds of guided practice practice problems to help you break through the math barrier.
No-Nonsense Algebra by Fisher Book Summary:
I have tutored many, many people in Math through Calculus, and I have found that if you start off with the basics and take things one step at a time - anyone can learn complex Math topics. This book has literally hundreds of example problems ranging in all levels of complexity. Each problem is broken down into bite-sized-chunks so that no one gets lost. This book will take anyone with no prior exposure to Algebra and raise their scores significantly!
Pre-Algebra by Kumon,Kumon Publishing Book Summary:
With this workbook, your child will master each topic in pre-algebra in a step-by-step manner, building both understanding and confidence. Topics include fractions, exponents, order of operations, positive and negative numbers, algebraic expressions, and more. The contents of this volume were originally published individually as Pre-Algebra Workbook I (2014) and Pre-Algebra Workbook II (2014).
Pre-Algebra Workbook by Michael Smith Book Summary:
Prepare for the Pre-Algebra with a Perfect Workbook! Pre-Algebra Workbook is a learning workbook to prevent learning loss. It helps you retain and strengthen your Math skills and provides a strong foundation for success. This Pre-Algebra book provides you with solid foundation to get a head starts on your upcoming Pre-Algebra Test. Pre-Algebra Workbook is designed by top math instructors to help students prepare for the Pre-Algebra course. It provides students with an in-depth focus on the Pre-Algebra concepts. This is a prestigious resource for those who need an extra practice to succeed on the Pre-Algebra test. Pre-Algebra Workbook contains many exciting and unique features to help you score higher on the Pre-Algebra test, including: Over 2,500 Pre-Algebra Practice questions with answers Complete coverage of all Math concepts which students will need to ace the Pre-Algebra test Two Pre-Algebra practice tests with detailed answers Content 100% aligned with the latest Pre-Algebra courses This Comprehensive Workbook for the Pre-Algebra is a perfect resource for those Pre-Algebra takers who want to review core content areas, brush-up in math, discover their strengths and weaknesses, and achieve their best scores on the Pre-Algebra test. Published By: The Math Notion www.mathnotion.com
Algebra Essentials Practice Workbook with Answers: Linear and Quadratic Equations, Cross Multiplying, and Systems of Equations
Algebra Essentials Practice Workbook with Answers: Linear and Quadratic Equations, Cross Multiplying, and Systems of Equations by Chris Mcmullen, Ph.d.,Chris McMullen Ph D Book Summary:
This Algebra Essentials Practice Workbook with Answers provides ample practice for developing fluency in very fundamental algebra skills - in particular, how to solve standard equations for one or more unknowns. These algebra 1 practice exercises are relevant for students of all levels - from grade 7 thru college algebra. With no pictures, this workbook is geared strictly toward learning the material and developing fluency through practice. This workbook is conveniently divided up into seven chapters so that students can focus on one algebraic method at a time. Skills include solving linear equations with a single unknown (with a separate chapter dedicated toward fractional coefficients), factoring quadratic equations, using the quadratic formula, cross multiplying, and solving systems of linear equations. Not intended to serve as a comprehensive review of algebra, this workbook is instead geared toward the most essential algebra skills. Each section begins with a few pages of instructions for how to solve the equations followed by a few examples. These examples should serve as a useful guide until students are able to solve the problems independently. Answers to exercises are tabulated at the back of the book. This helps students develop confidence and ensures that students practice correct techniques, rather than practice making mistakes. The copyright notice permits parents/teachers who purchase one copy or borrow one copy from a library to make photocopies for their own children/students only. This is very convenient for parents/teachers who have multiple children/students or if a child/student needs additional practice. An introduction describes how parents and teachers can help students make the most of this workbook. Students are encouraged to time and score each page. In this way, they can try to have fun improving on their records, which can help lend them confidence in their math skills.
Practice Makes Perfect Pre-Algebra by Erin Muschla Book Summary:
Pre-algebra skills come easy with plenty of practice! If you are looking for extra pre-algebra help for your child, this invaluable resource has it all. Featuring hundreds of exercises, Practice Makes Perfect: Pre-Algebra offers plenty of opportunities for practice, practice, practice on the math found in sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth grade curriculums. It will help your student build confidence in his or her schoolwork and get better grades! Appropriate for students in grades 6 through 9, Practice Makes Perfect: Pre-Algebra gives your child the tools to master: Integers Rational numbers Patterns Equations Graphing Functions And more
Fundamentals of Algebra Practice Book by Alfred S. Posamentier,Catherine D. LeTourneau,Edward Wiliam Quinn Book Summary:
Download or read Fundamentals of Algebra Practice Book book by clicking button below to visit the book download website. There are multiple format available for you to choose (Pdf, ePub, Doc).
Algebra Word Problems Practice Workbook with Full Solutions by Chris McMullen Book Summary:
The author, Chris McMullen, Ph.D., has over twenty years of experience teaching word problems and math skills to physics students. He prepared this workbook (with full solutions to every problem) to share his strategies for solving algebra word problems. 30 fully-solved examples serve as a guide 70 practice exercises include full solutions a quick algebra refresher reviews essential skills a chapter on strategies and tips introduces the basic concepts A variety of word topics are covered, including: age problems problems with integers relating the digits of a number fractions, decimals, and percentages average values ratios and proportions problems with money simple interest problems rate problems two moving objects mixture problems people working together problems with levers perimeter and area
Calculus Workbook For Dummies by Mark Ryan Book Summary:
Does the thought of calculus give you a coronary? Fear not! This friendly workbook takes you through each concept, operation, and solution, explaining the "how" and "why" in plain English, rather than math-speak. Through relevant instructino and practical examples, you'll soon discover that calculus isn't nearly the monster it's made out to be.
Pre-Algebra, Study Guide & Intervention Workbook by McGraw-Hill Education Book Summary:
Study Guide and Intervention/Practice Workbook provides vocabulary, key concepts, additional worked out examples and exercises to help students who need additional instruction or who have been absent.
Algebra I Workbook For Dummies by Mary Jane Sterling Book Summary:
From signed numbers to story problems — calculate equations with ease Practice is the key to improving your algebra skills, and that's what this workbook is all about. This hands-on guide focuses on helping you solve the many types of algebra problems you'll encounter in a focused, step-by-step manner. With just enough refresher explanations before each set of problems, this workbook shows you how to work with fractions, exponents, factoring, linear and quadratic equations, inequalities, graphs, and more! 100s of problems! Hundreds of practice exercises and helpful explanations Explanations mirror teaching methods and classroom protocols Focused, modular content presented in step-by-step lessons Practice on hundreds of Algebra I problems Review key concepts and formulas Get complete answer explanations for all problems
Glencoe Pre-Algebra, Student Edition by McGraw-Hill Education Book Summary:
Glencoe Pre-Algebra is focused, organized, and easy to follow. The program shows your students how to read, write, and understand the unique language of mathematics, so that they are prepared for every type of problem-solving and assessment situation.
Student Workbook by Ron Larson Book Summary:
Get a head-start! The Student Workbook, which contains all of the Assessments, Activities, and Worksheets from the Instructor's Resource Binder. Use it for classroom discussions, in-class activities, and group Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.
Comprehensive Workbook for Pre-Algebra by Reza Nazari,Ava Ross Book Summary: | https://www.freebooksget.com/book/pre-algebra-practice-workbook |
CLA emphasizes that all students deserve to be fully challenged and motivated to succeed and believes that self-esteem derives from true achievement.
CLA focuses on academic rigor by offering a challenging, content-rich curriculum. At CLA, the school day runs longer than typical schools, CLA’s school year is 181 days long, compared to the traditional 167-day school year and runs from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The total number of hours of instruction during the school year is currently 1,267 hours, which is higher than the local school district average of 1,044 hours. A longer school year and additional hours of instruction provide more time for students to acquire the academic knowledge and skills to prepare them for higher learning. The extra time also allows the staff to provide the remediation required for students who need to “catch up” when they first arrive at CLA. The school believes that it provides students with the opportunity to be nurtured in an environment that is academically rigorous, where students are supported and encouraged toward a future that includes a college degree. Students also learn active citizenship and service learning.
CLA has utilized performance-based grouping from its inception. This concept has allowed the school to appropriately place students in academic environments comprised of smaller groups, more targeted instructional time, opportunity to revisit and master academic content fundamentals, then progress to a higher academic grouping, or integrate back into a their grade level classroom. In the early years of the school this meant that there were numerous groups in every available education space. Over time, the majority of students are now on or above grade level in the majority of academic content areas.
Instructional staff at CLA are observed in the classroom on a regular basis. The terminology used regarding instruction is the “meticulously accurate delivery” of prescribed school curriculum. The school requires a high a level of accountability regarding the fidelity of curricula and its delivery to students. Deviation from the curricula without administrative approval can be a terminable offence at the school. The school’s instructional methods are systems based and instructors are responsible through instructional coaching to develop specific competencies and skill sets for our complex instructional environment.
Reading Street is designed to help teachers build readers through engaging literature, scientifically research-based instruction, and an extensive resource of teaching tools. The program prioritizes skill instruction at each grade level to ensure mastery of the standards. Reading Street is composed of outstanding hands-on and digital components that enhance student achievement. The program takes over-arching themes and questions and develops those ideas throughout the areas of reading and language arts. Those same concepts are tied to social studies and science. Those concepts have been aligned to the Core Knowledge Sequence by grade level and allow for students to have their learning reinforced through cross-curricular delivery. This is especially important for English Language Learners as they learn new vocabulary and are able to practice and apply it throughout all subjects. Reading Street has a strong emphasis on strategies that support English Language Learners. These include: Identification and communication of content and language objectives; Frontloading of lessons; Providing comprehensible input through visual representations, experiential learning, aural input, video, modeling, summarizing, graphic representations, and hands-on activities; Enabling language production through reading, writing, speaking, listening, and collaboration with others on focused lesson content; Assessing content and language understanding.
The Riggs Method incorporates the phonics-based spelling with rules system dating from the Webster-Oxford standardization of English spelling, but also provides realistic phonemic/graphemic correspondences from contemporary dictionaries. It uses roots, prefixes, suffixes, homophones and homographs, antonyms, synonyms and graphic organizers to provide for a high-expectation, skills-based, complete language arts method designed to accompany any vocabulary-rich literature of the user’s choice.
Daily math anticipatory sets include individualized 100 math fact sheets which are timed to five minutes. Lessons begin with a mental math activity for incremental review, followed by a four-step lesson. At the end of a lesson, students complete a daily math quiz or exit ticket to inform the instructor of the student’s mastery of the concept/skill. Homework is assigned daily.
Teachers scaffold instruction, “I do it, we do it, you do it” as a model which included demonstration, prompt and practice. Lessons provide opportunity for students to practice core concepts on their own. Students develop critical thinking skills through encouragement to draw conclusions, summarize, and analyze lesson concepts and responses.
The school focuses on developing a positive relationship between the teacher and learner. This includes helping students make connections between prior and new levels of understanding and perceptions, reinforcing content through participation in hands-on, real-life applications learning activities. Instructors have high expectations and use positive body language, humor, animated verbal and nonverbal behaviors, close proximity and personalized experiences to connect concepts to student learning.
Students who are performing below grade level are provided extensive individualized interventions including one-on-one class pullout/push-in, Saturday School, and after-school tutoring. Students who are performing above grade level are placed in performance-based math groups.
Community Leadership Academy provides students with the highly effective writing curriculum, Power Writing. This curriculum teaches students a specific pattern and formula of developing paragraphs, which is then applied to structure essays. Students as early as Kindergarten master a simple numerical structure which provides the basis for all forms of writing: expository, persuasive, narrative and descriptive.
To ensure mastery of the skills and knowledge for students to become proficient writers, CLA has developed beginning, middle and end-of-year benchmark assessments for students in all grade levels. These benchmarks build upon each grade level. Kindergarten students graduate writing fully constructed paragraphs. When students reach 4th grade, they are proficient in developing 5-paragraph essays.
Three times a year CLA administers a standardized blind writing prompt to students. These prompts are then graded by teachers utilizing a CLA developed grade level rubric or the Colorado Department of Education scoring rubric for writing, depending on the genre of the prompt. These graded prompts are further reviewed by a writing consultant who reads and scores every single student’s essay. Not only is the consultant assessing student performance, but verifying rigor of scoring as well as inter-rater reliability. The weeks following the benchmark assessment, the consultant, administration and grade level teams meet weekly to develop instructional and student goals which drive the design of daily lesson plans. Students are then guided through strategic lessons during their daily 30-60min writing blocks. Weekly assessments ensure mastery to reach quarterly grade-level expectations.
There is additional writing instruction during the Language Arts portion of Reading Street grades PK-5 and during the RIGGS instruction PK-2.
The Core Knowledge Sequence is a detailed outline of specific content to be taught in the key academic areas of Literature, Social Studies and Science. It provides a solid, sequential, coherent foundation of learning. It represents key knowledge that all children should learn in American schools. Many students are exposed to topics, information, and insight that they have never learned about before. The Core Knowledge Sequence is distinguished by its specificity. That specificity provides a solid foundation on which to build skill instruction. As the sequence builds year by year, it helps to prevent repetitions and gaps in instruction that result from vague curricular guidelines. The alignment of the Core Knowledge Sequence to CLA’s other curriculum and Colorado Academic standards has been an ongoing focus for staff.
Physical Education and Health are supported with the SPARK curriculum. The SPARK program fosters environmental and behavioral change by providing a coordinated package of highly active, standard-aligned curriculum, on-site teacher training, extensive follow-up support, and content-matched equipment.
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” Martin Luther King, Jr. | http://www.communityleadershipacademy.org/cla-elementary-education/academics/ |
Colleagues,
Have you read the September 14, 2012 New York Times Education Issue article "The Machines are Taking Over"? http://tinyurl.com/9dbut9w
It's mostly about the development of one (free) computer tutoring program in math, called ASSISTments.
Here are a few excerpts to whet your interest:
In a 1984 paper that is regarded as a classic of educational psychology, Benjamin Bloom, a professor at the University of Chicago, showed that being tutored is the most effective way to learn, vastly superior to being taught in a classroom. The experiments headed by Bloom randomly assigned fourth-, fifth- and eighth-grade students to classes of about 30 pupils per teacher, or to one-on-one tutoring. Children tutored individually performed two standard deviations better than children who received conventional classroom instruction — a huge difference.
ASSISTments incorporates many of the findings made by researchers who, spurred by the 1984 Bloom study, set out to discover what tutors do that is so helpful to student learning. First and foremost, they concluded, tutors provide immediate feedback: they let students know whether what they’re doing is right or wrong. Such responsiveness keeps students on track, preventing them from wandering down “garden paths” of unproductive reasoning.
The second important service tutors provide, researchers discovered, is guiding students’ efforts, offering nudges in the right direction. ASSISTments provides this, too, in the form of a “hint” button.
Dealing with emotion — helping students regulate their feelings, quelling frustration and rousing flagging morale — is the third important function that human tutors fulfill. So Heffernan [the creator of ASSISTments], along with several researchers at W.P.I. and other institutions, is working on an emotion-sensitive tutor: a computer program that can recognize and respond to students’ moods.
Some researchers, like Ken Koedinger, a professor of human-computer interaction and psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, take a different view from Heffernan’s: computerized tutors shouldn’t try to emulate humans, because computers may well be the superior teachers
What do you think of this article? What are your thoughts about using digital tutors? Have you tried ASSISTments? If so, what do you think?
David J. Rosen
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Comments
I applied for an account a while but haven't heard... so I am thinking the NY Times article has 'em swamped.
The title was a little bit misleading; the article included lots of caveats that I appreciated. Human tutors can discern that lost expression that a computer can't. Assistments have "hints" for a person to click on, but different students need different hints.
Also, from the little bit I could tell from what's available to the public, it still uses the instructional philosophy of: "Here's a problem. Try to do it. If you don't know what to do, we'll give you hints."
That is extremely (and painfully) different from teaching.
And, finally, the problems, hints and instructions are all symbolic and procedural... that bridge to the concrete is missing.
Looks like I'd better finish up my little assessment for our "concrete conceptual" math module -- I keep hoping somebody else will do it first ...
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When I used to give daily orientation sessions for online learners my constant refrain was, "let the computer be your tutor." Usually, it was in response to a learner saying that they needed more one-on-one help or that they wanted to move toward their study goal more quickly rather than waiting for the whole class to follow the same lesson plans. The same was true with teachers who wanted online learning to lift some of the burden of their workload. Or sometimes both students and teachers thought we were offering live online classes and I'd clafify saying "the computer is the tutor" before talking about how the management systems of our various programs tracked student progress. My slogan never really took off, but maybe it was ahead of its time (or just an anoying rhyme!).
It wasn't until starting with Essential Education and hearing how GED Academy "acts like a personal tutor" that I realized that this framework of a 'computer as tutor' needs some meat on its bones if it's going to resonate. And I think that time is coming. Computer as tutor means adjusting to the learner's needs, and providing real time feedback, both of which I see in this Assistments math program. GED Academy and Assistments share that approach of constantly assessing the learner's abilities (only using very different analytics and algorhythms).
But, I think Susan is getting at the most important part of the computerized tutoring. It's got to feel more personal. The content/instruction has got to be something they an relate to, that addresses misconceptions and validates prior knowledge. And personally, where adult are concerned, it's got to give more control to the learner so they have the freedom to explore. GED Academy saw those needs over the years and tries to meet them. In the long run, I think it's reasonable for adult learners to expect that computer programs will provide tutoring that is customized to their needs. There's a demand. So let's meet it.
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I have not tried ASSISTments and would love to hear more from people who have.
However, I've worked with several different math programs in a hybrid classroom setting, and I definitely agree that immediate feedback is essential, and keeps students motivated. A site that provides a good example of this is IXL. Even though this site is geared towards K-8, its feedback, rewards, and reporting mechanisms are working really well for my adult basic math students, and also make it easy for me to see where people are getting stuck. It also varies the difficulty of the questions based on the student's responses, and has a nice algorithm for determining their "score"--as they start a new skill with a 0 score, students gain 10 points for each correct answer and lose only 1 for each wrong answer. As they progress within a skill, this gradually reverses, and as they approach a score of 100, they'll lose 10 points for a wrong answer, while only earning 1 point for a correct answer. Students quickly notice this and begin to develop an understanding of and desire for "mastery," rather than just answering lots of questions as quickly as possible.
Although this site does offer explanations to missed questions, it does not aim to be an online tutor--I tell students to use it as an online practice/homework site to reinforce the skills we're covering through paper and online math curricula (including an NROC Developmental math course that uses videos, worked examples, etc. from Khan Academy).
What I've found working with ABE math students is that they get far more out of computer instruction if they ALSO have access to instructors, or even each other, to ask questions when they are confused or are getting wrong answers. Alot of the things that trip up my students, like substituting a comma for a decimal point in their answers, are not typically "explained" by hints or online explanations, and can lead to a lot of frustration. So what I do is present a lesson and we work some online problems together. Then people get to practice on their own with me and some volunteers circulating to help answer questions and keep an eye on signs of frustration (or of work being too easy). Then we reconvene as a group and I invite students to show any problems they missed that they still don't understand (IXL makes it easy to display any student's missed problems). These group sessions seem particularly effective in that by having someone "think out loud" we can often pinpoint what's confused them much better than an algorithm can. And other students seem to really like this too. We get a lot of issues clarified as a class that would otherwise be stumbling blocks for several participants if they were trying practice new skills online by themselves. And I encourage, but do not require, students to try online practice outside of class. Many students took advantage of this last year, but it helped knowing that they could return to class and ask questions if they started floundering in the online practice.
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What I found by Googling ASSISTments leaves me wondering where the "teaching" is? I agree with Susan that assigning a problem, and then coaching as necessary for the student to derive the answer is *not* the first step in teaching. I look at the instructional model as:
1. INPUT: teacher instructs, reviews prior knowledge that is assumed to be known and will be needed to solve this problem, makes the necessary links to this prior knowledge and how this will generalize to this new learning/situation.
2. Teacher Modeling: Teacher models the problem. I see this as the *first* step in the ASSISTments model.... If the student doesn't know how to proceed, s/he can grope around and click on hints or break down the problem to *possibly* connect it to something the student may or may not remember, or something they have mastered from previous learning. Without the first step ( teaching), this can be frustrating for the student. If the student already knows and connects all the prior knowledge necessary, they can simply write the answer and may not need "teaching".
3. Guided practice: The student practices examples with teacher guidance using various types of problems. This is where I think most "electronic tutoring" or "tutoring software" becomes helpful. Students need varying amounts of guided practice to understand the matarial, and they can take as much or as little time as they need to master the learning. Tutoring software is a good tool for this step, in my opinion.
4. Independent practice: Student practices many examples independently, self- monitoring. Does not need coaching. Knows how to proceed. Tutoring software is also good for this step of learning. Overlearning/ mastery.
5. Evaluation: Perhaps the software does a decent job of this, but personally, I like to do my own oral querries about the mastery of concepts to make sure the student is not just rote following examples, and can generalize the learning to varying situations. Are they able to verbally explain what they are doing and why?
In summary.... the "Teaching" is a missing step in the ASSISTment model. Some software programs do have components that at least attempt to state what is being learned, review what is assumed to be known and will be necessary, and show illustrations, but from what I saw with ASSISTments, that piece seems to be missing.... or maybe *I* am the one missing where it is in the program. It all seems to have started with the problem to be solved.
AND... I agree that the keen observation of student's emotional state by a skilled teacher is invaluable to set a positive "affective" climate that facilitates learning. I have seen many a student wildly frustrated for varying reasons when using software without adequate teaching/preparation before the attempt. Metalearning comes about not from isolated study, but from social exchange. Teachers and students actively think about new patterns and rules and make them part of their knowledge base.
There *is* a place for "tutoring software", but let's be mindful of where that is.
Maureen Carro, MS, ET
Academic Learning Solutions
Alamo, CA
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I find myself, when describing the first step -- the teacher "input" -- realizing that sometimes the description looks like The Dreaded Traditional Teaching Model. That first part has an awful lot of student input, too, that guides me in where I'm going to go with guiding the student.
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I would definitely be interested in participating in something like David Rosen outlines. Although I originally came from an academic background (MA in political theory), I'm particulary interested in where theory meets practice in teaching, and have been enjoying "listening" in on the numeracy online discussions because they often target this intersection. I spend a lot of time listening to learners and soliciting their feedback, as well as using measures like CASAS to try to objectively assess the efficacy of my teaching methods and tools.
I'm already doing some "journaling" of my class' experiences this semester with the NROC pilot--and it is particularly sobering to realize that about 1/2 my students don't have the level of computer literacy needed to participate without a lot of "scaffolding" and help from me, classmates, and volunteers. (Some have never had an email account and are challenged just by the process of getting one--which is a pre-req for using the NROC or Khan Academy courseware.)
How would we go about formalizing something like David suggests? Is there anyone out there who could actually get paid to act as "lead"? Or are there any grants we might be able to get to help support this? Also, is anyone else interested? (I'd love to see a demo of ASSISTments, if anyone is using it.)
- Wendy Hoben, ABE teacher
Berkeley Adult School
Berkeley, CA
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OK, I admit, I didn't go try ASSISTments, and it's unlikely I will.
This type of online training was inevitable, but can it replace a face-to-face session with a tutor? In my opinion, no. I'm sure with a subject like Math, there is a point of value to this program, teaching basic skills and equations. There certainly are some people who would favor this type of math instruction, avoiding any possibility of being embarassed or humiliated because they just aren't getting the process.
I seriously question the ability of this program to detect a person's mood, and a comment was made earler about how it cannot possibly detect those small nuances of communication that humans use (body language, facial expressions, voice tone, etc.). Whereas, some people might really do well with this program, getting basic math skills under their belts, I think others are going to miss the human contact and opt for a living, breathing tutor.
Kat Bradley-Bennett
Longmont, CO
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Khan Academy is a great resource for math (and other topics)! It includes the human piece by having a real teacher's vioce and simultaneous flash video of what he's writing on the board. He's very personable and engaging, according to my 15-year-old!
I also know a math teacher in ABE who revised her whole online course to incorporate Khan Academy videos in just about all of her lessons. It totally fixed her problem of explaining math concepts with the limitations of online instruction. She was about to create camptasias for all of her lessons, and found that the Khan site had everything she needed.
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What a wonderful addition to any "teacher tool kit!" I have used this site for several years. Once I introduce it in class, students get hooked and go there frequently at home. Linda
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THe videos were done without editing, and actually have rather many errors (my favorite being his frequent statement that "two plus itself times one" is what "two times one" means). THey are also entirely procedural -- so if the teacher in question thinks that the students are learning concepts, she should expect to be disappointed. His basic videos make frequent assumptions that students know material beyond what he's presenting (e.g., in his "averages" lesson, he expects students to be able to solve an algebra equation with fractions -- if I remember right, it even had an X on the bottom of a fraction).
Yes, he's personable... and if students need a procedural review, he can take a lot of the stress out. HOwever, he's not a math teacher -- he claims himself that he just teaches the way he learned (and he also says he was always good at math)... and then goes on to say that he thinks everybody learns like that... and specifically that people learn by doing lots of problems and then... the concepts come to them.
The students I work with, when presented with a bunch of problems to do, figure out a way to do those problems. THey are *not* particularly good at making the connections; most of them already believe they aren't good at math, and so they don't try. The ones who do try generally make "connections" based on their limited knowledge, with predictable misconceptions that good instruction addresses. Khan's videos "address" misconceptions, I'm afraid, by including them early but not explaining. Granted, in his exponents lesson, he states loudly and repeatedly that students should not just multiply!!! And he shows them the multiplication and says it's wrong... and never does show the actual answer to the problem he presents. Nor does he show or explain the difference between regular multiplication and exponents. In my experience, this kind of instruction means students get the problems that come right after the video right, maybe... but later on, when they see an exponent problem, they think: "Oh, it's something to do with multiplication..."
Again, the videos are quite reasonable for most procedures, for review... tho' there are actually much better ones out ther online, just harder to find ( mathtv.com is one , as well as mathvillage.info ). And if all somebody is trying to do is get through their next math test... it has gotten many students over that bridge. Also -- students who really like math often **love** the site, b ecause they get to go further and faster, and not get held back ... Just know its limitations...
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In my ABE class, I've used some Khan (and some other) math videos, and I find the best way to use them is to watch them as a group, pausing often to have students ask questions, and to ask students to predict how problems will be worked. I've also found that the Khan videos tend to assume prior knowledge that my students don't have and often gloss over areas of misunderstanding.
I like to do some concept work first. Then present a video to start students on a topic once I know they have the pre-requisite knowledge. Then, we go to other sources for practice, since I don't feel that the few problems presented in the videos are enough for most of my students to master the topic. (Getting an answer right and really "owning" the knowledge are two very different things in my experience.)
Saying that Khan is "personable" and therefore is equivalent to a live teacher completely misses the point in my opinion. But that's not to say that the videos can't be a useful adjunct to instruction.
-Wendy Hoben
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It seems relevant to point out that the Secretary of Education just called for the ditching of textbooks as instructional tools. This would seem to necessitate "software that emulates a good human tutor." The NPR story about this described the alternative to textbooks:
A student studying algebra might click to watch a video clip explaining a new concept or property. If they get stuck, interactive help features could figure out the problem. Personalized quizzes ensure they're not missing anything — and if they are, bring them up to speed before they move on to the next lesson. Social networking allows students to interact with teachers and each other even when school isn't in session.
I've been thinking about this idea that layers of instructional design techniques and features that individualize learning plans play a big role in motivating learners. I don't think e-readers are the answer, that's for sure. Text-heavy materials is a sure fire way to lose the attention of would be self-directed learners. Technology can do so much more than help us go paperless, it can personalize curricula. But, when will it those features become standard in adult education?
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Hi all,
I have a few concerns about the instructinoal concept that we need to refrain from text heavy materials. It is critical that adult learners understand how to interact with long and complicated texts. Technology can be interactive and provide learners with the opportunity to be self-directed, but technology and interactivity does not mean that we must reduce the amount of reading that is necessary for students to thrive in society.
Students must read in daily life. For example, they may need to analyze a mortgage contract, understand terms of credit cards and other loans, read instructional manuals. There is a relationship between the skills of a reader (as readers who have higer skills with complext text) achieve higher paid employment and reach higher levels of educational completion.
While the youtube generation may prefer to 'be engaged' through video - we must, even in online learning, provide depth of content in text based instruction. Students must read - it is necessary for an economically sustainable life - and while we provide diverse learning experineces through e-readers, ibooks, and other interactive / multi media online learning - there must be a balance with expectations of reading.
Kathy Tracey
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I also believe our learners have to practice their reading comprehension. But I believe the issue isn't about content, it's instructional design. How can online programs take low reading-level learners through fundamental concepts without subjecting them to lengthy explanations that are written at a level too high for their comprehension? How can computer-based instruction ensure that learners take the time to digest content when only about 20-40% of online text is actually read, once there are more than 100 words on the screen. The most common instinct is to scan the screen looking for the button to advance to the next page.
I agree that online content needs to be designed to meet learners where they are and incrementally increase the rigor. Textbooks aren't much good without teachers. That's why the US Secretary of Ed's call for making textbooks obsolete is supported by descriptions of inspiring alternatives via computer-based instruction:
The transition to digital involves much more than scanning books and uploading them to computers, tablet devices or e-readers. Proponents describe a comprehensive shift to immersive, online learning experiences that engage students in a way a textbook never could.
There is a lot of room for creativity, innovation, and improvement in the way adult education content is delivered through computer-based instruction. The frequent assessements in the Assistments program represent one intriguing approach to a learners' needs. I think GED Academy's computer-adaptive learning plans represent another step forward. But, reading dense pages of text is not the focus for either program, because that's not how most adult students prefer to receive information. Interactivity facilitates knowledge acquisition and engagement better, in my experience.
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Hi Jason,
I think we are on the same page with a slightly different approach to instructional design. I absolutely agree that a student must be placed in an instructional environment that is appropriate for their skills and this content continually build on rigorous and relevent instructional materials.
I think digital content (online learning, ibooks, apps) can really enhance education when it is balanced between reading. Imagine the power of a photo story of the civil rights movement that the student is actively moving through while hearing the speech I Have a Dream and asking the students to reflect on what they have just experienced. This is an incredibly powerful use of technology to support instruction.
Yet, I am concerned about the comments only about 20-40% of online text is actually read, once there are more than 100 words on the screen. I would be very interested in reading that research, and I would love to continue a discussion of what it means to be literate in our technolgy rich enviroment.
In my opinion, we can't limit the amount of text our students encounter becuase 60% of online text is not read, but rather - we need to teach them the skills to read the text based material, support it with a rich and instructionally sound use of multi-media when it benefits the overall instructional goal, and give the students the skills needed to move into self-sustaining careers or higher education.
Instructional design does not exclude text based content, nor does it dismiss the intrinsic value of video, animation, audio, and interactivity that can be provided by technology based instruction - but, I think that these two elements must come together to support the intended learning objective.
Respecfully,
Kathy
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The folks who think this is the greatest idea since sliced bread haven't really thought it through...
... I think/hope we can help make things "standard" by making things that really do personalize education and really are better than a mess of text stuck on a comptuer (which is, still, at least lighter to carry and you can say "find endoplasmic reticulum" and it will...). Just need to have somebody who understands learning doing the programming, planning and marketing...
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I am relatively sure that it was through this list serve that the you-tube video was sent showing how we in the U.S. teach math and how it is done in countries whose standardized test scores are much higher. The upshot was that we teach/tell kids how to do a certain type of problem and then have them do some like that example and in the other countries (Japan) they give the problem to the students and let them wrestle with them alone and in groups to FIGURE out how to solve it. They do far fewer problems, but the struggle they go through to figure it out makes (seemingly) more of an impression as the students understand why something works. It sometimes seems like the long way around, but in the end it works! I have been trying to design lessons like this for years and it is nice to see it has merit, because many colleagues think it takes too long to get through one of my lessons! So it might make sense for the problem to be presented and given hints, but a computer can't see/here what the student is saying or writing, so it can't nudge in the right direction.
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That was probably the video that won first prize in the #mtt2k contest; it's at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHoXRvGTtAQ ...
that teacher has a great blog and a site called mathmistakes.org where people discuss what students were or weren't thinking based on their mistakes.
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Hello All!
Any time instructors discuss Khan Academy, I cringe a little bit. That is, if that is the only instruction learners are receiving in their adult education classes. The main reason is that it is just content. In 2006, a paper was written, "The Components of Numeracy" that addresses how adults learn mathematics (http://www.ncsall.net/fileadmin/resources/research/op_numeracy.pdf). This report states that there are 3 Components in Effective Numeracy Instruction: 1. Context, 2. Content, and 3. Affective and Cognitive; each one of these components have several subcomponents but the idea is that instructors need to create an avenue for learners to build from their own understanding of mathematics. Khan shows just one way to solve problems, which more than likely is not the way that Khan is thinking. Please consider reading this important article about numeracy instruction.
Best,
Brooke Istas
Subject Matter Expert
Math and Numeracy Community
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I agree with Brooke that The Components of Numeracy is a foundational read for math/numeracy instructors. A shorter article by Lynda Ginsburg entitled Designing Numeracy Instruction with the Components of Numeracy in Mind may be a way to "get your feet wet" before reading the longer occasional paper. You can find it on p. 14 of the Numeracy issue of Focus on Basics at http://www.ncsall.net/fileadmin/resources/fob/2008/fob_9a.pdf.
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We recently read a blog post titled “3 Reasons Kids Struggle With Math And How To Help.” We’re taking a stab at putting a “QWERTY spin” on the points raised.
Point 1: Math Can Be Unforgiving When Students Do Not Seek Help
Indeed, it can. A good deal of mathematics education requires that students master certain concepts in order that new concepts can be understood. Unlike some other subjects where “not getting” a particular point has little or no impact on a student’s ability to understand the next one, much of math learning is metaphorically equivalent to building a brick wall; mislay one brick and the consequences for the wall can be disastrous.
There are several things that can be done to ensure that students build “strong walls” (extending the metaphor further).
- Check to see if your student’s math homework is being graded for correctness, or only for completion. Correctness is a much higher bar and one that we believe should be the standard.
- Check to see whether your student’s teacher has a mandatory “re-do” policy that requires students to correct quiz and test errors. Some of the most powerful learning occurs when a student reviews mistakes shortly after making them and then, has to correct errors.
- Teach your student to advocate for him/herself. In our work with students, we emphasize that the right to an education comes with a responsibility to doggedly pursue it. If a concept is not understood, the student should proceed to seek understanding. That can only come if the student views “not getting it” as an opportunity to seek understanding, rather than being “not smart.” When it come stop education, “selfishness,” for lack of a better word, is a virtue.
Point 2. If You Don’t Understand Terms, You’ll Get Lost
Language matters. Math is a subject whose mastery is predicated on precision. Math textbooks are written using an economy of words and rely heavily on the precise vocabulary of the subject. The greatest education in math that this author ever received was to be forced to learn to read a math textbook.
That’s why we teach our students that they should not rely exclusively on the their teachers to completely explicate concepts in math. Students will encounter teachers in their lives whose teaching styles may not play to their learning strengths. Being able to read a math textbook is the greatest defense against that; being able to do that depends heavily on mathematical vocabulary.
- Check to see whether your child’s math class has a component that grades based on mathematical vocabulary mastery.
- Ask your child’s math teacher how s/he checks to see how math vocabulary mastery is being checked. Memorizing terms is not enough. Students must be able to understand the words’ meaning and context.
Point 3. Students Don’t Practice
Don’t confuse familiarity with mastery. Just don’t. Time and time again when helping students to prepare for an exam, we witness them responding to inquiries about particular topics with things like “I get that” or “That was easy” and then watching them conclude that they are prepared. Wrong. Wrong. WRONG!
Mastery of math requires practice – just like a sport or mastering a musical instrument does. One doesn’t simply “watch a video” on soccer or playing a piece to master it. Those disciplines require repetition so that muscle memory and other aspects of automaticity can be built. So too is it with math.
Repetition builds pattern recognition so that when a teacher decides to “throw a curveball” on a test by asking a question that isn’t identical to something given in the homework, the student responds by recognizing the elements and what to do with them, rather than retreating to the safety of “We never had that kind of a problem in the homework.”
- Make sure that your student understands that “reviewing the notes” is only the first step in preparing for an exam or quiz. S/he must actually DO problems to prepare.
- Have your student challenge him/herself while preparing for an exam by practicing some of the unassigned problems, including some of the harder problems
- Ask your child if his/her teacher includes any homework problems that ask questions like “What would happen in the previous problem if XXXXX were to change?”
We agree with the original article’s takeaways:
Help your kids practice math. Research basic concepts online. Enlist the help of teachers or tutors when necessary.
We’d love to hear back from you! | https://www.qwertyed.com/3-reasons-kids-struggle-math-ways-help/ |
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectation for alignment to the CCSS. In Gateway 1, the instructional materials meet the expectations for focus by assessing grade-level content and spending at least 65 percent of class time on the major clusters of the grade, and they are coherent and consistent with the Standards. In Gateway 2, the instructional materials reflect the balances in the Standards and help students meet the Standards’ rigorous expectations, and they connect the Standards for Mathematical Content and the Standards for Mathematical Practice.
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectations for Gateway 1. These materials do not assess above-grade-level content and spend the majority of the time on the major clusters of each grade level. Teachers using these materials as designed will use supporting clusters to enhance the major work of the grade. These materials are consistent with the mathematical progression in the standards, and students are offered extensive work with grade-level problems. Connections are made between clusters and domains where appropriate. Overall, the materials meet the expectations for focusing on the major work of the grade, and the materials also meet the expectations for coherence.
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectation for not assessing topics before the grade level in which the topic should be introduced. The materials do not include any assessment questions that were above grade level.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet expectations that they assess grade-level content. The assessments are aligned to grade-level standards.
Unit 1, End-of-Unit Assessment, Problem 4 assesses 6.EE.1. Students find the area of a square when given a side length and then the side length of a square when provided an area: “A square has a side length 9 cm. What is its area? A square has an area of 9 cm². What is its side length?” Providing this context for students connects the grade-level expectation of evaluating whole number exponents to their previous understandings of area of squares.
The Unit 4, End-of-Unit Assessment assesses dividing fractions, 6.NS.1, which states that students should compute and solve real-world problems that involve division of fractions by a fraction, by using visual models and equations. The seven questions in this End-of-Unit Assessment assess all aspects of 6.NS.1. Problems 1 and 7 are set in a real-world context, Problems 2 and 3 connect to multiplication of fractions, Problem 4 assesses knowledge of the standard algorithm for the division of fractions, and Problems 5 and 6 use visual representations.
Assessments are located on each Unit Page for each of the first eight units. Unit 9 Putting It All Together is an optional culminating unit and has no assessments. Assessments are limited to seven problems, but these are often broken into multiple prompts, assessing numerous standards. There are also four Mid-Unit Assessments for a total of 12 assessments.
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectations for having students and teachers using the materials as designed, devoting the large majority of class time to the major work of the grade. Overall, the materials devote at least 65 percent of class time to major work.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet expectations for spending a majority of instructional time on major work of the grade.
The number of lessons devoted to major work of the grade, including assessments and supporting work, is 88 out of 133 total non-optional lessons, or approximately 66 percent.
The number of days devoted to major work, including assessments and supporting work, is 102 out of 153 days, which is approximately 67 percent.
A lesson-level analysis is most representative of the instructional materials because this calculation includes all lessons with connections to major work with no additional days factored in. As a result, approximately 66 percent of the instructional materials focus on major work of the grade. An analysis of days devoted to major work includes 20 days for review and assessment, but the materials do not dedicate items to be used for the review.
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectations for being coherent and consistent with the standards. Supporting work is connected to the major work of the grade, and the amount of content for one grade level is viable for one school year and fosters coherence between the grades. Content from prior or future grades is clearly identified, and the materials explicitly relate grade-level concepts to prior knowledge from earlier grades. The objectives for the materials are shaped by the CCSSM cluster headings, and they also incorporate natural connections that will prepare a student for upcoming grades.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet expectations that supporting work enhances focus and coherence simultaneously by engaging students in the major work of the grade.
Unit 1, Lessons 5, 6, 9, 10 and 18 connect standards 6.EE.2 and 6.G.A as students substitute numerical values for variables in order to solve for the area or surface area of an object. Within these lessons, 6.G.A is the focus, and 6.EE.2 naturally emerges as students generate and use the developed formula and substitute the appropriate numerical values for calculation. In Lesson 5, students first explore and then create formulas for base-height definitions and relationships as they relate to area. They continue to find base and height and calculate area for a sequence of parallelograms (6.EE.2a). The final task in Lesson 5 includes two parallelograms in which students find the base and height and then evaluate the formula they created in Task 2 to find the area (6.EE.2c).
Unit 3, Lesson 17 is a culminating lesson connecting 6.RP.A back to the Unit 1 focus of 6.G.A. Students work collaboratively on a culminating task involving finding the area of a room and the cost of the paint based on the size of the unit and related discounts.
Unit 6, Lesson 4 connects 6.NS.3 to 6.EE.B as students represent situations with equations and practice solving. This connection happens throughout the lesson as decimal values are incorporated into many equations that can be solved mentally.
Instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet expectations that the amount of content designated for one grade level is viable for one year.
The suggested amount of time and expectations of the materials for teachers and students are viable for one school year as written and would not require significant modifications. As designed, the instructional materials can be completed in 177 days.
The provided scope and sequence found in the Grade 6 Course Guide includes materials for 153 instructional days. There are 133 non-optional lessons, twelve summative assessments, and eight review days.
Each unit is comprised of 15 to 19 lessons. Within each unit, lessons contain a Warm-Up, two or three Activities, a Lesson Synthesis, and a Cool-Down. Guidance regarding the number of minutes needed to complete each component of the lesson is provided in the teacher edition.
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet expectations for the materials being consistent with the progressions in the standards.
Unit 5, Lesson 8 is a “culminating lesson on multiplication” that addresses 6.NS.3 as students employ the standard algorithm for multiplication after “building on” 5.NBT.7 by using diagrams to show partial products. 6.EE.A is identified as a standard this lesson is “building towards” as students will apply these skills later in Unit 6 when working with algebraic expressions.
Unit 2, Lesson 7 Warm-Up makes explicit connections between Grade 4 and Grade 5 fraction and decimal equivalence work on the number line to skills related to equivalent ratio work in Grade 6.
Unit 7, Lessons 2, 3 and 6 include Warm-Ups that make explicit connections between prior-grade work with using the number line and making comparisons with fractions as indicated in the Number Operations-Fractions progression.
Work with ratios begins in Unit 2. Lessons emphasize ratio language and using concrete models. Lessons lead to the use of diagrams. Lesson 6 makes explicit connections to previous work with number lines as an introduction to a continuous model with double-number line diagrams. Students build on the work of prior grades to develop a tool for looking at equivalent ratios and then exploring unit rates. Lesson 11 includes problem contexts that reach the limitations of using double-number lines to introduce the use of ratio tables.
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet expectations that materials foster coherence through connections at a single grade, where appropriate and required by the standards.
In the Unit 3 Unit Narrative, a connection is made to understanding developed in Unit 2, how learning about unit rate is formalized, as well as how understanding of percents and percentages is related to unit rate. Again, there is a link between the understanding of ratio concepts and using them to solve problems.
Unit 4, Lessons 1 through 4 include tasks that revisit prior-grade work with division. Lesson 1 begins the unit with a foundation of how the size of the divisor affects the size of the quotient, Lesson 2 attends to the different meanings of division, and in Lesson 3 there are interpreting division situations which are aligned to the cluster heading of applying and extending previous learnings of multiplication of division to divide fractions by fractions with understanding.
In Unit 6, Lesson 7 Overview, students connect using number lines and contextual situations to “understand” the terms “positive number” and “negative number,” “understand and use absolute value notation,” and “understand” the concept of “infinitely many solutions.” Extending previous number understandings to rational number concepts is present throughout the unit, especially as it relates to previous understanding of number on continuous models like the number line and coordinate plane.
The Unit 1 Unit Narrative description states explicitly that mathematical problems are used for problem exploration because “tasks set in real-world contexts that involve areas of polygons are often contrived and hinder rather than help understanding.” Lessons 1 through 11 reflect an explicit alignment to the cluster heading regarding area, and Lessons 12 through 18 connect with surface area. Lesson 19 closes the unit with tasks which include real-world contexts and mathematical modeling using concepts developed over the unit.
Unit 1, Lesson 5 Activities connect standards 6.G.1 and 6.EE.2 when formulas are derived for finding the area of special quadrilaterals and triangles by evaluating expressions. Lessons 9 and 10 continue to develop these two domains simultaneously as students write, read, and evaluate expressions from formulas.
Unit 4, Lesson 4 standards 6.G.1, 6.G.2, and 6.NS.1 are connected when finding and using fractional dimensions of triangles and prisms by multiplying and dividing rational values to calculate area or volume or to find specific dimensions of the given shape.
Unit 6, Lessons 16 and 17 address both 6.EE.9 and 6.RP.3b. Students extend prior learning with ratio understanding and equivalent ratios in a paint-mixing context, write equations that show a relationship between two quantities, and explore dependent and independent variable relationships. Students create tables of values, graph them, and explore the patterns they see.
In Unit 8, Lesson 9, students determine the mean for a numerical data set and understand the interpretation of the mean as a "leveling out" of the data or an indication of "fair share" as well as understand that the mean is a measure of center that summarizes the data using a single number, thus connecting clusters 6.SP.A and 6.SP.B.
The Unit 8, Lesson 12 Warm-Up builds fluency with dividing by decimal values (6.NS.3) in order to calculate mean and MAD (6.SP.5c) more efficiently in the two Activities that follow.
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectation for aligning with the CCSS expectations for rigor and mathematical practices. The instructional materials attend to each of the three aspects of rigor individually, and they also attend to the balance among the three aspects. The instructional materials emphasize mathematical reasoning, identify the Mathematical Practices (MPs), and attend to the full meaning of each practice standard.
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectations for rigor and balance. The materials meet the expectations for rigor as they help students develop conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application with a balance of all three aspects of rigor.
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet expectations that the materials develop conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts, especially where called for in specific standards or cluster headings.
In Lesson 10 Activity 1, students calculate the area of partitioned rectangles as both a product of length and width and as the sum of the area of two smaller rectangles and write expressions to represent both calculations. In comparing their expressions, students realize they are equivalent because of the distributive property. (6.EE.A.3 and 6.EE.A.4).
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet expectations that they attend to those standards that set an expectation of procedural skill and fluency. Materials attend to the Grade 6 expected fluencies, particularly fluency with multi-digit decimals and computing with them in expressions and equations.
Procedural skills and fluencies are intentionally built on conceptual understanding and the work students have accomplished with operations and equations from prior grades. Opportunities to formally practice developed procedures are found throughout practice problem sets that follow the units and include opportunities to use and practice emerging fluencies in the context of solving problems. According to the Design Principles, “As the unit progresses, students are systematically introduced to representations, contexts, concepts, language, and notation. As their learning progresses, they make connections between different representations and strategies, consolidating their conceptual understanding, and see and understand more efficient methods of solving problems, supporting the shift towards procedural fluency. The distributed practice problems give students ongoing practice, which also supports developing procedural proficiency.” Number Talks included in many lesson Warm-Ups often revisit fluencies developed in earlier grades and specifically relate to the Activities found in the lessons.
In Lesson 5, Items 5 and 6, students solve procedural practice problems using addition and subtraction. Lesson 11 continues to use conceptual foundations from Lessons 9 and 10 (and from prior grades with Warm-Ups related to “unbundling”), but the second Activity uses the standard algorithm (6.NS.2).
In Unit 1, Lessons 5 and 6, students find the area of parallelograms using the formula A=bh (6.EE.2c, 6.G.1). In Lesson 9, students complete a table, finding the area of triangles using the formula and substituting given quantities for the unknown variable. Students use computational skills and apply what they learned about the area formula as well as the base and height of a triangle with multiple given measurements. In Lessons 15 and 17, students continue to develop and use computational skills in order to evaluate expressions that arise from formulas used in real-world problems at specific values of their variables (6.EE.A). While 6.G.4 is identified as the standard being addressed in Lesson 18, students have opportunities to use computational skills involving whole number exponents as well as write, read, and evaluate expressions in which letters stand for numbers.
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet expectations that the materials are designed so that teachers and students spend sufficient time working with engaging applications of the mathematics. Engaging applications include single and multi-step problems, both routine and non-routine, presented in a context in which the mathematics is applied.
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet expectations that the three aspects of rigor are not always treated together and are not always treated separately.
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectations for practice–content connections. The materials identify and use the MPs to enrich the content, attend to the full meaning of each MP, support the Standards' emphasis on mathematical reasoning, and attend to the specialized language of mathematics.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet expectations that the Standards for Mathematical Practice are identified and used to enrich mathematics content within and throughout the grade level.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet expectations that the instructional materials carefully attend to the full meaning of each practice standard.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet expectations that the instructional materials prompt students to construct viable arguments and/or analyze the arguments of others concerning key grade-level mathematics.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet expectations that the instructional materials assist teachers in engaging students to construct viable arguments and analyze the arguments of others concerning key grade-level mathematics.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet expectations that the materials attend to the specialized language of mathematics.
In the teacher materials, the the Grade 6 Glossary is located in the Course Guide. Lesson-specific vocabulary can be found in bold when used within the lesson, and is listed, defined, and linked to the Glossary in the About This Lesson tab. In the student materials, the Grade 6 Glossary is accessible by a tab within each Unit or in the bottom margin of each lesson page. Lesson-specific vocabulary can be found in bold when used within the lesson and at the bottom of each lesson page with a drop-down accessible definition including examples.
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectations for being well-designed and taking into account effective lesson structure and pacing. The instructional materials distinguish between problems and exercises, have exercises that are given in intentional sequences, have a variety in what students are asked to produce, and include manipulatives that are faithful representations of the mathematical objects they represent.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectation that the underlying design of the materials distinguishes between lesson problems and student exercises for each lesson. It is clear when the students are solving problems to learn and when they are applying their skills to build mastery.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectation for not being haphazard; exercises are given in intentional sequences.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectation for having variety in what students are asked to produce.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectation for having manipulatives that are faithful representations of the mathematical objects they represent and, when appropriate, are connected to written methods.
In Unit 4 Lesson 2, students use graduated cylinders and beakers when measuring to create mixtures to explore ratio. A digital version of the task is also provided as an option.
The materials also provide digital applets for manipulating geometric shapes, such as Tangram applets, tailored to the lesson content and tasks. When physical, pictorial, or virtual manipulatives are used, they are aligned to the mathematical concepts they represent.
Unit 5 includes base 10 blocks (or a virtual applet) to support work with operations with decimals, ensure the use of mathematical vocabulary, and to bridge the concept of the place value to the procedural skill.
The visual design in LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 is not distracting or chaotic and supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject.
The digital lesson materials for teachers follow a consistent format for each lesson. Teaching Notes with Supports for English Language Learners and Supports for Students with Disabilities are placed within the activity they support and are specific to the activity. Unit overviews follow a consistent format. The format of course overviews, units, and individual lessons are also consistent across the Grade 6 materials.
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectations for supporting teacher learning and understanding of the standards. The instructional materials: support planning and providing learning experiences with quality questions; contain ample and useful notations and suggestions on how to present the content; contain full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced mathematics concepts; and contain explanations of the grade-level mathematics in the context of the overall mathematics curriculum.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectations for supporting teachers in planning and providing effective learning experiences by providing quality questions to help guide students’ mathematical development.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectation of providing teacher supports with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student edition and in the ancillary materials. Also, where applicable, materials include teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.
The materials are available in both print and digital forms. The digital format has an embed GeoGebra applet. Guidance is provided to both the teacher and the student on how to use the Geometry Toolkit and applet. For example, in Unit 1 Lesson 7 Activity 2, students use tracing paper to decompose parallelograms into triangles. The activity includes directions on how to decompose triangles to find the area of a figure: “Two polygons are identical if they match up exactly when placed one on top of the other. 1) Draw one segment to decompose each of the following polygons into two identical triangles, if possible. If you choose to, you can also draw the triangles. 2) Study the quadrilaterals that were, in fact, decomposable into two identical triangles. What do you notice about them? Write a couple of observations about what these quadrilaterals have in common."
The instructional materials reviewed for the LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet expectations for the teacher edition containing full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced mathematics concepts in the lessons so that teachers can improve their own knowledge.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet expectations for explaining the role of the specific grade-level mathematics in the context of the overall mathematics curriculum.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 provide a list of concepts in the Course Guide that cross-references the standards addressed and provides an estimated instructional time for each unit and lesson.
In About This Lesson there is a table that shows which standard each lesson addresses and another table to show where a standard is found in the materials.
The instructional materials reviewed for the LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 contain strategies for informing parents or caregivers about the mathematics program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.
The instructional materials reviewed for the LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 contain explanations of the program's instructional approaches and identification of the research-based strategies.
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectations for offering teachers resources and tools to collect ongoing data about student progress on the standards. The instructional materials provide strategies for gathering information about students' prior knowledge, opportunities for identifying and addressing common student errors and misconceptions, ongoing review and practice with feedback, and assessments with standards clearly denoted.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectations for providing strategies for gathering information about students' prior knowledge within and across grade levels.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectation for providing strategies for teachers to identify and address common student errors and misconceptions.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectation for providing opportunities for ongoing review and practice, with feedback, for students in learning both concepts and skills.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectation for assessments clearly denoting which standards are being emphasized.
Assessments are located on a separate tab on each unit page and can be accessed at any time. For each unit there is a Pre-Unit Assessment and an End-Unit Assessment. Assessments begin with guidance for teachers on each problem followed by the student-facing problem, solution(s), and the standard targeted. Units 1, 4, 5, and 8 also include a Mid-Unit Assessment.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 partially meet the expectation for assessments including aligned rubrics and scoring guidelines that provide sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow-up.
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 include opportunities for students to monitor their own progress.
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectations for supporting teachers in differentiating instruction for diverse learners within and across grades. The instructional materials provide a balanced portrayal of various demographic and personal characteristics. The instructional materials also consistently provide: strategies to help teachers sequence or scaffold lessons; strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners; tasks with multiple entry-points; support, accommodations, and modifications for English Language Learners and other special populations; and opportunities for advanced students to investigate mathematics content at greater depth.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectation for providing strategies to help teachers sequence or scaffold lessons so that the content is accessible to all learners.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectation for providing teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectation that materials embed tasks with multiple entry points that can be solved using a variety of solution strategies or representations.
In Unit 3 Lesson 9 Card Sort: Is it a Deal?, students are given cards with an original price per unit listed and a new price. Students must determine if they should take the deal or not. The teacher is encouraged to look for multiple solution paths, and examples of different solution paths or student explanations are provided to help the teacher anticipate student solution strategies.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectation that the materials include support, accommodations, and modifications for English Language Learners and other special populations that will support their regular and active participation in learning mathematics.
Social-Emotional Functioning: Peer Tutors. Pair students with their previously-identified peer tutors.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectation that the materials provide opportunities for advanced students to investigate mathematics content at greater depth.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 meet the expectation for providing a balanced portrayal of various demographic and personal characteristics.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 encourage teachers to draw upon home language and culture to facilitate learning.
The instructional materials for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 integrate technology in ways that engage students in the Mathematical Practices. The digital materials are web-based and compatible with multiple internet browsers, and they include opportunities to assess students' mathematical understandings and knowledge of procedural skills. The instructional materials include opportunities for teachers to personalize learning for all students, and the materials offer opportunities for customized, local use. The instructional materials also include opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 integrate technology including interactive tools, virtual manipulatives/objects, and dynamic mathematics software in ways that engage students in the MPs.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 are web-based and compatible with multiple internet browsers.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 include opportunities to assess student mathematical understandings and knowledge of procedural skills using technology.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 include opportunities for teachers to personalize learning for all students.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 can be adapted for local use.
The instructional materials reviewed for LearnZillion Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, Grade 6 incorporate technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other. | https://www.edreports.org/reports/detail/learnzillion-illustrative-mathematics-6-8-math-2018-6 |
effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 (the coronavirus). Each week, IDRA issues an update on the impact of COVID-19-related policies on schools, students and families.
More resources and trainings for teachers, school administrators,
families
and communities are on our
Learning Goes On website
.
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IN THIS ISSUE
* Policy Update:
Policy Recommendations to
Equity Concerns for English Learners in Response to COVID-19
* Virtual VOE: Free Webinars on Education for Immigrant Families
* Next Educator Webinar:
PBL at Home & Across the Curriculum, April 14
* At Home During COVID-19 - Making Math Connections
*
Equity Resources for Online Learning
*
IDRA's COVID-19 Education News Dashboard
Policy Update
Policy Recommendations to Address Equity Concerns for English Learners in Response to COVID-19
As COVID-19 has disrupted almost all aspects of our society, state governments and the federal administration have rushed to respond to the educational impacts of the pandemic. Yet, these responses have not fully accounted for the implications of the virus on equity in education for English learners.
English learners are a large and growing portion of our country's elementary and secondary school students. English learners make up about 10% of the U.S. student population and a growing proportion of students in the South. For example, in Texas, public schools educate over 1 million students designated as English learners, whose families speak over 130 languages. (U.S. Department of Education, 2020b; Sugarman, 2016; TEA, 2018)
Throughout our country's history, many English learners had little or no access to high-quality, equitable education. Federal legislation for bilingual education in 1968 came after decades of schools segregating students whose home language was any other than English. For instance, educators across the Southwest physically punished students for speaking Spanish, segregated them into different classrooms or into completely separate and dilapidated facilities, and conflated language needs with special education status by tracking students away from general education classrooms (Miguel & Valencia, 1998).
Since then, several court decisions led to requirements for all schools serving English learners to provide some specialized instruction that is specifically adapted to address their needs (e.g., Lau vs. Nichols, 1974; Castañeda vs. Pickard, 1983). Educators draw on decades of research on effective policies and strategies for serving English learners (Cortez & Villarreal, 2009; Robledo Montecel, & Cortez, 2001).
Times of chaos, such as a pandemic or natural disaster, intensify and expose the daily inequities that English learners encounter in schools. For example, English learners experienced greater segregation in the New Orleans school system after Hurricane Katrina than before the storm (Weixler, et al., 2017). And families who speak any number of other languages may have difficulty accessing up-to-date information, educational materials, and resources.
The U.S. Department of Education, Congress and state education agencies issued guidelines that evolve daily for how schools should respond to COVID-19 (U.S. Department of Education, 2020a; TEA, 2020). However, at the time of writing, the federal administration
has not issued clear guidelines on distance-
learning for effective bilingual education or English as a second language (ESL) in response to the COVID-19 crisis, and responses from state education agencies remain varied (Education Commission of the States, 2020). This leaves educators and families without much guidance on how to adapt effective bilingual education to this new reality.
The very nature of distance-learning instruction for bilingual education and ESL presents its own challenges. Language is fundamentally interactive. Effective English language instruction requires verbal learning, listening comprehension and engaging dialogue (Goldenberg, 2008).
Even if school districts leverage every resource at their disposal, this new reality of quarantine-induced distance learning has serious implications for educational equity for English learners.
Policy
Recommendations
The U.S. Department of Education and Congress must ensure that federal guidelines and legislation include protections for existing funding and allot additional funding supports, materials, high-quality instruction and appropriate and timely assessments for English learners.
Educational continuity plans - either online or through paper packets - should continue sound language acquisition practices, such as bilingual materials, explicit language and content objectives, comprehensible input, and differentiated assessments.
Technology and other educational continuity expenditures resulting from federal waivers must include bilingual resources, materials and bilingual computer accessibility tools, e.g., first-language operating systems and menus. This should also include access to professionals who speak the home language represented at affected campuses. These translators will help schools and parents communicate about certain documents that schools must have,
such as
language proficiency assessment committee (L
PAC) documents
,
admission, review and dismissal (
ARD) recommendations and letters on graduation requirements.
States should increase the funding for English learners as this educational disruption will have long-lasting effects.
Dissemination of educational continuity resources must provide instructions in students' home languages. This includes bilingual procedures for checking out tablets and other equipment.
In states where parents must sign off on curriculum changes, such as graduation plans, schools must make every effort to speak directly with parents in their home language by leveraging translators.
State governments must develop clear, accessible and multimedia bilingual education and ESL guidelines that do not solely rely on internet access.
School districts can provide ways for families to engage with the at-home instructional materials through suggested activities, interactive projects and instructional guides for families to work through academic content with students. Additional follow-up communication with families from teachers and educational staff via phone, mail and electronically helps to ensure that students' language and instructional needs continue to be met.
As normal school operations and our daily routines are thrown into disarray from COVID-19, either due to precautionary measures like social distancing or from health complications related to the virus, we cannot lose sight of the importance of English learners' education and ensuring high-quality education for all students.
References available online.
For more information and policy news, see
IDRA's Learning Goes On web hub.
VISIT LEARNING GOES ON WEB HUB
Virtual VOE
Free Webinars on Education for Immigrant Families
IDRA and the Consulate General of Mexico in San Antonio have been
partnering to help Mexican and Mexican American families navigate the U.S.
education system and learn about important educational opportunities in both
countries.
But since the consultate is closed due to the COVID-19 crisis, IDRA's Ventanilla de Orientación Educativa (VOE) in San Antonio is launching a portal with bilingual materials and videos for families. Topics include:
* Rights of Immigrant Students (PreK-12)
*
Navigating the U.S. K-12 Education System
*
College Financial Aid Opportunities for Immigrant Students
*
Adult & Community Education Opportunities in Spanish
*
Educational Opportunities in Mexico for Nationals Living in Both Countries
The first video "Rights of Immigrant Students" is now live at the Virtual VOE portal in English and Spanish.
Watch VOE Videos
Learn more about the IDRA VOE
Free Webinar Series
Next Educator Webinar:
PBL at Home & Across the Curriculum
Project-based learning (PBL) is a powerful approach for educators to use with distance learning because it creates quality home learning experiences. Through hands-on experiences, students can explore, create, engage and connect what they are learning to the real-world. Join us as we explain PBL components of this interdisciplinary and inquiry-based learning approach with an equity lens and discuss applications of PBL across the curriculum.
Join Dr. Stephanie Garcia, IDRA's STEM and gender equity education specialist, as she hosts a practical conversation with our guests:
Ryan Beltrán, Founder, Elequa
Dr. Carmen Fies, UTSA Associate Professor of STEM Education and Instructional Technologies
David Padilla, Teacher, Dwight STEM Academy, South San Antonio ISD
Tuesday, April 14, 2020 @ 2:00 pm (cst)
REGISTER NOW
At Home During COVID-19
Making
Math Connections
Math is all around us. Whether you are indoors or out for some fresh air, making math part of your daily routine helps students understand that math is important - and can even be fun. During this time of school closures, educators and parents are finding ways to teach, reteach and explore numeracy and math topics in the real world for students of all ages. Below are essential concepts, by grade level groups, and recommendations to support student learning in math at home
.
Essential Concepts by Grade
Math education is a like building a house. Elementary school math provides a strong foundation and blueprint for learning. Middle school math concepts represent the wiring, plumbing and framing of the structure. Algebra (1 and 2) and geometry finish the home.
Many times, students struggle in math because they have not mastered essential concepts from previous years. While all math skills and concepts learned are important, the section below focuses on a few key math concepts that students must review, practice and understand to successfully build on their math knowledge and increase their mental math speed.
Grades K-5: Laying the Foundation
Number Sense and Basic Operations
Multiplication Tables
Fractions
Grades 6-8: Essential Components
Negative Numbers
Order of Operations (a.k.a., "PEMDAS"
or
parentheses, exponents, multiplication/division, addition/subtraction)
Solving multi-step algebraic equations
Graphing lines
Grades 9-12: Critical Thinking
This grade grouping has the most variation depending on students' skill level and school. Students should strive to complete Algebra 2 to increase access to and success in college. Some advanced students will complete statistics, college algebra, pre-calculus and/or multiple levels of calculus.
Converting word problems into equations and solving
Perimeter, area and volume of geometric shapes and solids
Basic trigonometry
Tips for Parents to Support Their Children's Learning in Math
Early Childhood and Preschool
Talk to your child about numbers. Teachers would like their students to be able to recognize the numbers 1 to 10 and count to 20 when they start school.
Help your child learn the names of shapes, such as squares, circles and triangles. Point out toys and other items in your home that have these shapes.
Teach your children how to say their telephone number and address, which are easier to learn if paired with the melody of a familiar song such as "Mary Had a Little Lamb."
Elementary School
Ask your children to explain what they are learning in math. Letting children take the teacher role gives them the chance to practice new skills and to clarify their thinking on a lesson.
Talk to your child about how adults use math in their everyday lives, for example, grocery shopping, budgeting, balancing a checkbook, and checking clothing sizes.
Teach your child math by teaching about money.
Middle School
Cook up some calculations. Get
your children to measure ingredients while you cook and ask how they would convert a recipe for four into a dinner for two or a banquet for 20.
Discuss unfamiliar words in your child's math homework. Do not be afraid to admit you do not know or remember some of the definitions. Look them up together in the
Illustrated Mathematics Dictionary
(which also has a Google Translate switch).
High School
No matter how old your children are, do not be embarrassed if you do not remember how to work the problems they bring home. There are several online resources that can help you learn, review and brush up on your skills.
You and your child can review lessons on almost any topic for free at
www.math.com
and
www.khanacademy.com
. And for resoruces in Spanish, see
www.mathtv.com
and
es.khanacademy.org.
The most import thing you can do is be positive about math! Children often believe that their success in math is based on their parents' success. Persistence is more important than heredity.
These ideas and many more are in the free eBook,
101 Simple Ways to Help Your Child With Math
, by Jefferson County Public Schools.
Equity Resources for Online Learning
Ensuring Equity in
Online Learning -
Considerations in Response to
COVID-19's Impact on Schooling
PDF
Best Practices for
Online Instruction
in the Wake of COVID-19
PDF
News Dashboard
IDRA's COVID-19 Education News Dashboard
IDRA released a dashboard with news and social media streams related to COVID-19 and education along with key resources.
VISIT OUR DASHBOARD
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Contact Us
The Intercultural Development Research Association is an independent private non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring educational opportunity for every child. IDRA strengthens and transforms public education by providing dynamic training; useful research, evaluation, and frameworks for action; timely policy analyses; and innovative materials and programs.
IDRA works hand-in-hand with hundreds of thousands of educators and families each year in communities and classrooms around the country. All our work rests on an unwavering commitment to creating self-renewing schools that value and promote the success of students of all backgrounds. | https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Learning-Goes-On---New-IDRA-eNews.html?soid=1123015203871&aid=gUUNp3ePFXY |
A Six-Step Approach to Teaching Mathematics To Students With Disabilities Elaborated
By Mary Murray Stowe, M.Ed.
February/March 2014
Emerging research suggests that students with moderate and severe disabilities can learn content aligned with grade-level standards while continuing to work on basic numeracy (Saunders, Bethune, Spooner, & Browder, 2013). Use of evidence-based instructional strategies and practices is critical to ensure students learn necessary content. Based on the findings from several studies, Saunders, Bethune, Spooner, and Browder (2013) developed a six-step approach to teaching mathematics that can be used in all math classrooms—both general and special education. The following example is from a seventh-grade class.
Step One requires selecting the topic and creating objectives. Mathematics classrooms across Virginia use the Virginia Mathematics Standards of Learning (VAMSOL) to guide the selection of topics and creation of objectives. For the purposes of this example, SOL 7.16 was selected and an Enhanced Scope and Sequence lesson was used as the abstract (within the Concrete-Representational-Abstract approach) or final lesson, Properties (7.16). Of further assistance would be an examination of the standards from grade levels that precede the seventh grade SOL. Those leading into work at this grade level include 3.20, 4.16, 5.19, and 6.19.
Step Two involves identifying real-life or real-world situations for application of content. This step makes the learning “real” for the students and provides motivation to engage in the learning. Teaching core content in a meaningful way leads to better maintenance and generalization of the targeted skill (Collins, Hager, & Galloway, 2011). This notion is evident within the Virginia Math SOL, including wording such as real world or practical problems. For the SOL selected (MA 7.16), we must discover real-world application. Several sources were located through an Internet search.
- From The Math Forum
Which of the operations below are commutative (changing the order of addition/multiplication does not change the meaning) and which are not? Explain your answers.
- To put on your coat and to pick up your boots.
- To wash your clothes and to dry them.
- To put on your left shoe and to put on your right shoe.
- To hang up the phone and to say goodbye.
If three envelopes can be mailed using three 24c stamps and three 17c stamps, one of each on each envelope, what would you need if you used one stamp on each envelope instead of two?
3(24 + 17) = 3(41)
- From Algebra Homework Help – People’s Math
Step Three ensures the incorporation of evidence-based instructional practices to provide effective instruction. Effective instruction for students struggling with mathematical concepts must include explicit, systematic instruction with appropriate, corrective feedback. For purposes of this concept, properties, the concrete-representational (pictorial)-abstract (CRA) approach was selected. Several sources exist to support the CRA approach.
- Beller, L. (2010). Creating meaning in mathematics for ALL learners. Norfolk, VA: TTAC Network News. http://ttac.odu.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Feb_March_2010.pdf, p. 4. This article describes the process of creating a CRA lesson.
- CRA Mathematics Planning Tool, accessed by clicking on the word Tool.
- Resources From the TTAC William and Mary Library:
- Hands-on standards, deluxe edition: The first source for introducing math manipulatives (Call Number CMT 134). Lessons covering the concept of properties for addition and multiplication are included in both editions listed here: Grades 5-6 Edition and Grades 7-8 Edition.
- Teaching inclusive mathematics to special learners, K- 6 by Julie A. Sliva (Call Number CMT 97). The text offers excellent information, including a chart of strategies and supports (pp. 51-53).
- Teaching mathematics meaningfully: Solutions for reaching struggling learners by David Allsopp (CMT 86) with his colleagues, Maggie Kyger, and Louan Lovin (2007). This source provides a guide for creating CRA lessons.
- Response to intervention in math by Paul J. Riccomini and Bradley S. Witzel (2010). (Call number currently being assigned.)
- Dr. Bradley Witzel explaining the CRA instructional sequence
- The Math Vids website includes a page on the instructional sequence using the CRA approach
Teachers should also consider additional avenues to intensify instruction. These considerations may be found within the chart linked here. Finally, teachers must identify Mathematical Process Skills to be present within effective lessons. Click here to access the document outlining these skills and their evidence within a well-constructed lesson.
Step Four includes consideration of instructional supports. Instructional supports include graphic organizers to aid with problem solving. Teaching Inclusive Mathematics to Special Learners, K- 6 by Julie A. Sliva (Call Number CMT 97) mentioned above provides a chart of strategies and supports (pp. 51-53). If the teacher has not selected the CRA approach as the evidence-based instructional strategy, manipulatives would be considered a support. Other supports might include extended time on tasks or exams, increased white space on paper, preferred seating, structured notes for differentiation, reduction of the number of written problems, and so on.
Step Five points to the importance of progress monitoring both during and after instruction. The type of progress monitoring selected depends on the concept being taught and the instructional delivery method used. If the CRA approach is used, a CRA assessment may be used to determine where along the continuum understanding has been mastered, and then approach instruction at the level of student understanding. Allsopp and colleagues (2007) discussed this approach to beginning instruction. Progress is subsequently monitored as the student moves through the levels of understanding.
Step Six involves planning for generalization. The instructional process must incorporate a plan for addressing generalization and mastery of the skill being taught. Struggling students will need sufficient practice of the skill (to include additional numbers and contexts) and inclusion of real-world situations emulating Step Two to increase the likelihood of generalization taking place.
Use of this six-step process increases mastery for struggling students as the necessary components are built into the plan to ensure understanding.
References
Allsopp, D., Kyger, M., & Lovin, L. (2007). Teaching mathematics meaningfully: Solutions for reaching struggling learners. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing.
Beller, L. (2010). Creating meaning in mathematics for ALL learners. Norfolk, VA: TTAC Network News. http://ttac.odu.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Feb_March_2010.pdf, p. 4.
Collins, B. C., Hager, K. L., & Galloway, C.C. (2011). Addition of functional content during core content instruction with students with moderate disabilities. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 46, 22-39.
Saunders, A. F., Bethune, K. S., Spooner, F., & Browder, D. (2013). Solving the common core equation: Teaching mathematics CCSS to students with moderate and severe disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 45(3), 24-33. | https://education.wm.edu/centers/ttac/resources/articles/teachtechnique/sixstepapproachtomath/index.php |
It’s safe to say we were all caught off guard in March of 2020. As schools across the country closed, educators scrambled to fill the gap in any form possible. From lists of documentaries to stream online, to virtual museum “field trips,” to take-home packets, teachers did whatever they could to keep the learning going even as we were still grappling to understand the full impact of the pandemic.
If one thing has become clear the past few months, it’s that preparing to pivot learning will be critical in the near (and possibly distant) future. Hindsight is always 20/20, but we know that schools that already had virtual learning components in their district fared better overall than those without. From the basics of having an Internet infrastructure in place to acquiring and delivering equipment to students, schools with a proverbial foot in the edtech door had a leg up. But beyond the initial setup, there are things educators can do now to prepare for what will likely be an unpredictable and unprecedented school year.
Preparing to Pivot Learning
As schools and districts develop in-person, virtual, and hybrid options for their students this school year, preparing to pivot learning from one option to another with little to no notice must also be considered. Educators need plans in place to successfully transition between what some are calling brick (in-person) and click (virtual) learning as required based on a variety of factors like the state of the pandemic in your local area, parent requests, and individual student needs.
Preparing to pivot learning requires some early planning around five key areas:
- Structure. What will teaching and learning look like? How often will it occur? How will it be delivered?
- Content. What content and curriculum will be utilized? How will it be prepared? Will it vary based on learning location?
- Facilitation. What roles and responsibilities will teachers have? How will teachers interact with and monitor students? How will teachers grade and provide feedback?
- Special Populations. Who will be responsible for meeting the needs of students in special populations? How will accommodations be met? What type of additional supports will be given?
- Communication. How will you communicate with staff, parents, and students? What sort of resources do you have available for parents?
Developing Digital Agility
Preparing to pivot learning involves developing digital agility. John Watson, Founder of Evergreen Education Group, says, “When instruction shifts from face-to-face to online, the best starting point is not considering how to recreate classroom teaching. Instead, the better launch point is contemplating instructional goals, and then determining how they can be met in the online learning environment.”
He goes on to discuss how online learning requires rethinking how educators spend their time and evaluating what can be done remotely or asynchronously versus what needs to be done either via a live video conference or during in-person class time. Deborah Rayow, VP of Instructional Design and Learning Science for Edgenuity®, believes this starts with identifying the key concepts and skills students need to master by the end of the week. Reframing weekly targets from the amount of work a student needs to complete each week to learning goals that isolate the most critical concepts enables educators to identify activities that are most important in service to that goal.
While students will do many other things in their class in a given week, teachers and students understand that these learning goals are the most important things to master. The lessons and activities a student completes throughout the week are in service of these goals, and the lesson in and of itself is not the goal.
Learning goals can be structured into three segments:
- What do you need to know?
- What do you need to be able to do?
- What do you need to produce?
For example:
- This week, I need to know definitions and parts of speech of 10 vocabulary words.
- This week, I need to be able to identify the theme of a fiction text and explain how the author develops the theme with textual evidence.
- This week, I need to produce an outline for a literary essay about the theme of one of the texts we read last week.
Embracing the Benefits
Dealing with the daunting challenge the 2020–2021 school year presents can be overwhelming, but there are definite benefits to incorporating digital tools into the classroom. From grading assignments to delivering initial instruction, edtech tools can free up a teacher’s time to focus on the individual needs of a student. And with the plethora of data at your fingertips in online curriculum, educators can identify where their students are struggling and succeeding without having to pass out (and grade) tests.
Warm-up activities and mid-lesson concept checks incorporated into learning software can serve as a formative assessment, enabling educators to better understand their students’ comprehension of key topics. This may mean instead of spending three weeks on unit two and three weeks on unit three, you spend two weeks on unit two and four on unit three because you can easily see that the majority of your students struggle with the concepts in the third unit and need more time and practice to master it.
Asking questions to the class in a text format gives everyone the chance to think about their answers, and some teachers have reported seeing more interaction online from even their shiest students. Plus, you can ensure everyone knows the answer, rather than calling on one student who raised their hand and waiting until the unit test to know about the remainder of the class.
Finally, technology enables students to move at their own pace. High-flyers aren’t bored, and students who need a little more help can rewatch the lecture, review additional materials, and get extra practice without being left behind because the teacher has to stick to the schedule.
This year is likely to be filled with twists and turns, so take some time to plan on how your district, school, or classroom will address those challenges with our Preparing to Pivot Learning Workbook. | https://blog.edgenuity.com/preparing-to-pivot-learning/ |
The College and Career Readiness Standards require a crucial shift within mathematics instruction as determined by the Critical Areas of Focus and Content Emphases by Cluster for each grade level. During this session, participants will examine the critical areas and major clusters across grade levels to discover both the connection and progression of related standards. Additionally, participants will examine progress-monitoring resources to assist with tracking of student progression toward mastery within the Critical Areas of Focus and Content Emphases by Cluster.
Fluency is More than Facts: What’s the Plan?
Developing fluency is one of the requirements of the College and Career Readiness Standards for Mathematics. To prepare students to have both accuracy and speed, a flexible understanding of mathematics must be developed within students instead of defaulting to “skill and drill” procedures. This session will review several strategies that can be used to assist teachers with the incorporation of conceptual understanding tasks and flexible thinking strategies within the classroom to build a solid mathematical foundation within the student.
Many K-2 teachers are dealing with the frustration of teaching multiple strategies for math skills. This session is designed for K-2 teachers to assist them in the development of effective strategies to address conceptual understanding of the math standards. K-2 teachers have the responsibility of developing conceptual understanding in their students. Through this session, they will learn strategies for building understanding through the use of several math strategies, without frustrating students.
This hands-on session will help teachers and administrators deepen their understanding of the progression of the College and Career Readiness Standards across grade levels. Teachers will have the opportunity to “dive into” the standards to better understand the depth of the skills and concepts expected for specific grade levels. Participants will connect grade specific standards and understand research-based strategies that ensure an appropriate succession of skills across grade levels. Participants will leave this session with the tools needed to create instructional goals to ensure the standards are addressed appropriately in each grade.
How do we teach advanced students after they have mastered the skills required for the grade level College and Career Readiness Standards? Students will be required to think deeper and complete performance tasks while thinking more strategically. This session will address the need for teachers to develop deep conceptual understanding with advanced students rather than taking them to skills associated with future grades. Participants will develop strategies for more in-depth practice of the grade level standards.
As the College and Career Readiness Standards are being implemented, teachers may find that students enter a grade level lacking the prerequisite skills and conceptual knowledge required. Such learning gaps limit the teacher’s ability to engage with the content at the level of depth required by the standards. As a result, teachers are presented with the task of teaching grade level content while remediating students who have conceptual and skill based gaps. During this session, teachers will explore how to identify and analyze student learning gaps. They will also learn how to move forward with grade level content while simultaneously remediating students. As part of this session, teachers will develop a plan of action to utilize in their classrooms.
Educators know that development of the conceptual understanding of math skills requires students to use interactive strategies and move away from the typical “skill & drill” practices that have been used in the past. Participants in this session will learn strategies to implement writing and language in math instruction. They will learn to adapt the strategies in order to personalize them for the math classroom. Teachers will also study strategies to manage and embrace math discussions to build deep conceptual understanding of the math standards.
This interactive session will focus on effectively teaching math concepts through the use of manipulatives. The College Career Readiness Standards require a deeper understanding of specific skills and concepts. This session will focus on the use of physical, as well as virtual manipulatives to ensure student understanding.
Standards for Mathematical Practice: How to I Teach Them?
Past standards have focused on teaching our students rules, formulas, and algorithms for solving math problems without ensuring that they have developed a deep conceptual understanding. In this session, teachers will learn to increase the rigor in their instruction by emphasizing specific mathematical practices in each lesson. As they begin to incorporate strategic higher-order questioning techniques, they will see their students begin to demonstrate a true understanding of the concepts being taught.
As teachers are planning for instruction in the classroom, one question is often asked, “What does this look like in the classroom?” During this session, participants will investigate classrooms that are utilizing the Mathematical Practices to implement rigorous instruction. Teachers will also learn how to use resources that can support them as they plan lessons aligned to the Mathematical Practices. As part of this session, teachers will plan, prepare, and deliver a quality lesson that exhibits strategies needed for student success in the everyday classroom.
The Textbooks is Not Enough! What Else Can I Use?
This session will guide teachers in utilizing available resources to effectively teach math concepts and skills. Teachers will research multiple on-line and print resources to determine what can be used in their classrooms. They will also develop plans to use these resources to supplement the textbook. Teachers will learn how to use the resources to develop high quality units and lessons for instruction.
The mathematics textbook can play an effective role in supporting instruction. During this session, teachers will have the opportunity to identify ways to utilize the textbook to support planning for course instruction while accessing supplemental resources to compliment the text. Participants will evaluate the rigor of the textbook through the lens of the College and Career Readiness Math Standards. They will also identify key problem sets and tasks that will best support them in reaching the goal of the standards.
This interactive session is designed to support teachers in the development of assessments that will measure the progress of their students within the breadth and depth of the College and Career Readiness Standards. During this session, teachers will have the opportunity to explore various resources that can be used to support them in assessment development. They will also learn how to adapt pre-existing assessment resources, such that they meet the level of rigor of the math standards. During this work session, teachers will also explore strategies to analyze and track the data generated from the high rigor assessments.
Research has shown that students learn better by doing. This hands-on session will introduce teachers to activities for the integration of math and science. Participants will research best practices for connecting math and science in the 3-8 classroom. Science and Math teachers will collaborate to align concepts and develop units and daily lessons which connect the subjects.
It is widely recognized that no factor under school control impacts student performance on the ACT more than an effective teacher in the classroom. Bailey Education Group facilitator will work with designated teachers to understand research-based strategies to utilize in the classroom. Throughout this hands-on session, teachers engage in the research based strategies which will directly impact student performance on the ACT. Additionally, teachers will receive a tool-kit for strategies that can be utilized in the classroom. | http://baileyeducationgroup.com/integrated-continuous-learning-model/onsite-workshops/mathematics/ |
In a 1970 Life Magazine article, Marvin Minsky, cofounder of the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab predicted, “In three to eight years we will have a machine with the general intelligence of an average human being.” Forty-seven years later and I can’t say to my Amazon Echo “Alexa, Damage Report” and learn all the things that my children have screwed up since the last time I asked. While we’ve made significant progress, most artificial intelligence (AI) systems struggle with tasks that your average four-year-old has mastered (like basic grammar). How could Minsky, who had developed self-propagating neural networks, be so wrong?
Historians will point to significant limits in computer power, the challenges associated with a combinatorial explosion, and the difficulty of computer science to develop new approaches to knowledge representation. All of these are reasonable explanations for why, decades later, we’re only beginning to enter the age of Naïve Artificial Intelligence, but still far away from a machine with the average intelligence of a human being. Explaining how Minsky and others could be so wrong requires the red-headed stepchild of the sciences, psychology.
The Import of Social and Cognitive Psychology to AI
Despite my lineage, (my last name is Freud, after all) Sigmund Freud’s theories have no relevance and little support as the prevailing paradigm within the psychological community. Social and cognitive psychology is where the most interesting academic research is taking place, and in order for AI to advance, insights from these disciplines will be critical.
Daniel Kahneman, along with Amos Tversky, are perhaps the most important psychologists of the last 150 years and their work spawned a revolution that led to the widespread adoption of “behavioral economics.” I would summarize their findings by stating—humans are flawed information processors and we use a variety of heuristics that lead to significant errors in judgment and decision making. Even the smartest amongst us like Minsky are subject to these errors.
You Just Can’t Fix Stupid…And Here’s Why
Daniel Kahneman, in his book Thinking Fast and Slow, summarizes a lifetime of research and provides a simplified framework for how the brain works. He proposes that there are two systems:
- System 1 is automatic and processes information quickly so that we make judgments and decisions at a real-time pace. We intuitively make decisions quickly processing the data we encounter, and are always able to make judgments even when there is incomplete information or significant uncertainty. When System 1 classifies something as “abnormal” or “surprising,” System 2 activates.
- System 2 requires effort and attention, and it’s only then that we use algorithms and processes to slowly embark on a knowledge discovery process (which if done by humans as smart as Minsky can lead to first principle scientific discovery). Before we can activate System 2, we’re subject to the error caused by the machinery of System 1, and the bias introduced by the use of heuristics is why we’re all naturally stupid.
Heuristics and Biases
In 1974, Kahneman and Tversky published an article in “Science,” volume 185 entitled “Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases” where they describe how decisions based on beliefs concerning the likelihood of uncertain events are made (like election outcomes, guilt of a defendant). We can think of a Heuristic as “a judgmental short cut that gets us where we typically need to go quickly, but at the expense of introducing bias or error.” This article describes three such heuristics:
- Representativeness is “the degree to which an event is similar in essential characteristics to its parent population and (ii) reflects the salient features of the process by which it is generated.”When people rely on representativeness to make judgments, they’re likely to judge incorrectly. Simply the fact that something is more representative doesn’t actually make it more likely.
- Availability relies on immediate examples that come to a given person’s mind when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method, or decision. Thisheuristic operates on the notion that if “it” can be recalled, it must be critical compared to alternative solutions/explanations. Availability causes us to rely too heavily on more recent/available information.
- Anchoring and adjustment describes the inclination to rely too heavily on the first piece of information offered (the “anchor”) when making decisions. Once set there is a bias/error toward interpreting other information around the anchor.
In addition, there are other heuristics that System 1 uses which lead to error in judgment. The Substitution heuristic is where System 1 will assign subjective probabilities by answering a different/simpler question, which of course leads to bias and error in the interest of speed and convenience. It is beyond the scope of this blog to go through all the heuristics in System 1, which lead us to be naturally stupid despite the best efforts of System 2.
Exceptions to the Rule
One should acknowledge that there is significant individual differences in knowledge, skills, and abilities. There are, for example Grand Masters at Chess who can play 20 games simultaneously, and based on their intelligence and time on task (practice) turn what for most humans is a System 2 process into a System 1 task. Even Poker, which is significantly more random, has enough regularity that a clever human can implement a set of automated rules that over time will enable them to succeed.
There are many disciplines where experts can’t predict any better than chance. For example, think of the 2016 US presidential election where almost every pundit predicted a Hillary Clinton victory. Even data scientist Nate Silver, who uses an incredibly sophisticated approach, was unable to predict the outcome. His System 2 capabilities are substantive, but the error in System 1 judgments led to mistakes that surface in System 2 problem solving. Human predictions fail when there are not enough feedback loops, when the world is so chaotic that nothing is predictable, and when there are weak correlations between features and outcomes.
Artificially Intelligent
Since our internal cognitive machinery is prone to error and our ability to change it is limited, the next major leap in knowledge discovery will come via automation in machine learning and other AI technologies. In my next blog, we’ll explore the issues associated with the adoption of AI into our work and professional lives.
For More Information
- Read the rest of our Predictive Thursdays blog posts.
- Learn more about predictive analytics solutions from SAP. | https://blogs.sap.com/2017/02/09/predictive-thursdays-naturally-stupid-versus-artificially-intelligent-part-on/ |
At this point we have all heard of the benefits of developing a meditation practice: reduces stress, improves immune health, improves concentration…the list goes on. I heard about meditation from a Tim Ferriss podcast back in 2015 that piqued my interest. Since then my relationship with meditation has been on and off; something I couldn’t quite get to prioritize in my daily routine like other habits….until recently.
Using three main psychological tools I’ve been able to stick with it over the last 6 months. These tools will prove useful for meditation, or any other habit you are trying to get to stick! Let’s get into it.
Understand The Availability Bias.
Now what is the availability bias? Here is what Wikipedia has to say:
“The availability heuristic, also known as availability bias, is a mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to a given person’s mind when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method or decision. The availability heuristic operates on the notion that if something can be recalled, it must be important, or at least more important than alternative solutions which are not as readily recalled. Subsequently, under the availability heuristic, people tend to heavily weigh their judgments toward more recent information, making new opinions biased toward that latest news.”
I first learned about this concept from Daniel Khaneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow which brings to light many heuristics; I have found the availability heuristic to be one of the most practical in my day to day life.
How can one make this practical? “People tend to heavily weigh their judgments toward more recent information.” For me, if I am reading a book on personal finance – I am way more likely to be thinking about this throughout my day. If I am studying more Jiu-Jitsu videos I will be more inclined to make sure I prioritize getting to practice. Same goes for meditation or mindfulness.
To leverage the availability heuristic, make an effort to read about or listen to people talking about the topic you are trying to build a habit on.
Keep a Compelling Scorecard
What gets measured gets managed. If I know I want an average of three meditations per week I will take a look at how many weeks are in the quarter when doing my quarterly goal setting and set a cumulative goal for the quarter (for a 12 week quarter, set a cumulative goal of 36 meditations). This I have found to be way more effective than the goal of “meditate 3 times per week”, because if I miss one week the goal has been missed. However, with a cumulative goal if I miss one session the week prior I can pick up the slack the next week.
So now that the goal is set, have it written down somewhere – and keep track as you move closer to the goal. I like using an index card for my quarterly goals which I make the background of my phone.
To keep a compelling scorecard, have a visible place to track progress.
Daily Goal Setting
Two weeks ago I wrote about how keeping a journal can improve consistency. If I have a compelling scorecard and I know what goals I have set for the quarter – the next step is to pull out the journal each morning and ask myself “what am I going to do to move closer towards my goals today”? Make a quick list. I don’t always hit everything on there, but I am more likely to move closer to my goals if it is written down somewhere.
Write down each morning what you plan on doing to move towards your long term goals.
—–
The picture is from the super simple, and free app I use, Oak, to track my seated time. | https://kevinconnelly.blog/2020/06/25/3-things-that-can-help-develop-a-meditation-habit-or-any-practice/ |
In our daily encounters, we are confronted with decisions almost constantly that it is impossible to think about and process all of the relevant information in a careful and deliberate manner—reason being that deliberate conscious thinking is difficult and requires effort. Because we cannot afford to expend large amounts of time or energy making every judgment required during the day, we rely on so called “heuristics” or simplifying strategies to make reasonable guesses.
Heuristics—otherwise called rules of thumb—are time-saving mental short cuts (almost) everyone uses to speed up judgments. They are quick and easy, yet they are also where things potentially go wrong as they often result in biases skewing our judgment.
Usually the increased speed of decision making outweighs the loss in decision quality. However, people do not consciously make this trade-off between decision quality and speed because they are typically unaware that they are using a heuristic instead of more time-consuming, but more accurate, strategies.
Historical Background
The term heuristic is derived from Greek, meaning “serving to find out, or discover.” In his Nobel prize–winning paper, Einstein (1905) used the term heuristic in its title to indicate an idea that he considered incomplete, given the limits of our knowledge, but useful.
From the Gestalt psychologists to Herbert Simon, and from machine learning to decision making (Payne et al., 1993), heuristic have been as positive tools that help when uncertainty is high, optimization out of reach and deadlines looming.
Heuristic refers to the cognitive process that generates a decision. A model of a heuristic describes the steps of this process.
In the simplest case, these include a search rule (what information is searched for in what order, inside or outside of memory), a stopping rule (when search is stopped and further information ignored), and a decision rule (how a decision is derived from the information found).
When the term heuristic became used in the cognitive illusions program around 1970, its meaning was changed in several respects. It was now used in problems that could be solved by probability theory. In these problems, a heuristic could per definition only result in bad judgments, and every single demonstration was negative.
In fact, the term heuristic and bias became almost synonymous and were used interchangeably. For instance, Jolls, Sunstein, and Thaler (1998) list both biases and the availability heuristic under the rubic “judgmental errors.”
Heuristics help people reduce the amount of work needed to collect and process the array of information related to making a decision. They greatly simplify our lives and usually yield fairly accurate judgments, but sometimes they can lead us astray and result in errors.
Although people use several heuristics, cognitive psychologists have identified three types of heuristics people commonly use in decisionmaking (often concurrently), including the representative, availability, and anchoring-and-adjustment heuristics.
Representative Heuristic
The representative heuristic Opens in new window, which deals with biases when categorizing (perhaps random events or probabilities), potentially skew our judgment. Psychologists Scott Pious explains the ‘representative heuristic’ in his 1993 book The Psychology of Judgment and Decision Making by using the example of Linda, who is ‘committed to social justice’.
When a research group is asked to decide what’s more likely: ‘Linda is a bank teller’ or ‘Linda is a bank teller and an active feminist’ the majority pick the second option. While there are inevitably more bank tellers than there are feminist bank tellers, respondents have picked up on the words ‘social justice’ and ‘feminist’ and made an illogical connection.
A further example of the representative heuristic is a ‘gambler’s fallacy’ that past events change the probability of future results: a classic being the assumption that a run of roulette-wheel reds will continue (or be broken by a black) when the previous results have no influence on the next.
Of course, while the confident may assume their luck will continue, the under-confident will use the representative heuristic to support their conviction of poor luck.
Availability heuristic
The availability heuristic Opens in new window, according to Plous, concerns ‘availability’ – i.e., the information we use to assess the probability of an eventuality. It’s the availability heuristic that keeps people buying lottery tickets because big wins are big news, so they incorrectly assess the likelihood of their own win. And it’s the availability heuristic that induces fear of flying, again because crashes are big news and therefore seem more frequent.
Anchoring and Adjustment
Anchoring and adjustment heuristic Opens in new window involves making a judgment by starting from some initial point and then adjusting to yield a final decision. The initial point, known as the anchor, can come from the way a problem is framed, from historical factors, or from random information.
Even when an anchor is absurd and people recognize it as such, their subsequent judgments are often very close to that starting point (Dawes, 1988). This means that regardless of the initial anchor point, subsequent adjustments to be insufficient, thus resulting in bias information processing.
For example, some school systems categorize children into certain performance categories at an early age. Whereas a child anchored in a low-performance group might meet expectations, another child of similar ability but anchored in higher-performance category could be perceived as being a better performer simply s/he was categorized as being a high performer.
These three general heuristics represent ways in which people might simplify the decision-making process. As shown, these simplifications can result in specific types of biases. When we consider cultural variation and the role it plays in social cognition, we can anticipate systematic differences in how these heuristics are applied and the resulting biases. In reality, more than one of the heuristics might be used in any single decision. In addition, many other types of biases result from the use of these three heuristics or rules of thumb.
Developing Critical Thinking
Looking beyond heuristics is therefore an important part of developing strong judgment. Yet the world’s ever-growing complexity makes this increasingly difficult — leaving us more and more hostage to the knee-jerk (and usually negative) assessments that have been the average person’s burden since early childhood. One way round this — at least according to educational psychologists Richard W. Paul and Linda Elder — is to develop the tools for critical thinking.
In Critical Thinking, their landmark 2002 book, Paul and Elder describe critical thinkers (i.e. those with strong judgment) as having ‘intellectual virtues’ that reinforce good decisions. These include humility, courage, empathy, integrity, perseverance, ability to reason, autonomy (i.e. being capable of independent thought) and fair-mindedness.
And while this sounds like a tall order for the average person—blighted as they are by a lifetime of poor self-reinforcing judgments—in reality it’s little more than the application of Dweck’s growth mindset. It’s the journey towards good judgment that matters. And this can be rationalized by exploding judgment into its components.
According to Paul and Elder these are:
- Purpose — What are you seeking to achieve from a judgment?
- Point of view — From what perspective are you currently thinking?
- Assumptions — What assumptions are within your current thinking, and should these be examined?
- Implications — What are the likely consequences of any judgment?
- Information — What information is required and is it at hand?
- Inferences — What can be deduced from the information you already have?
- Concepts — What ‘principles’ or ‘theories’ (or even heuristics are at play here, and are they worth questioning?
- Questions — Indeed, what should you be asking yourself throughout the entire assessment process, and where will questions have to remain unanswered?
This might look like a lot to ask from anyone trying to improve their judgment. Yet critical thinking is in fact a natural process that, according to Paul and Elder, we develop from experience. By adopting the above rationalization we’re simply making ourselves aware of the process.
Critical thinking when applied to decision-making, say Paul and Elder, ‘enhances the rationality of decisions made by raising the pattern of decision-making to the level of conscious and deliberate choices.’
And if this sounds like a treatise for protracted decision-making, perhaps it should. Good decisions are made slowly — not least because rapid decisions are often fearful and reactive. | https://ifioque.com/social-psychology/heuristics |
People are prone to mistakes in judgements and predictions, deviating from the rational standards asserted by economic decision theory. However, these mistakes are not random because we err in predictable ways. Often, we don't use deliberate and careful reasoning in our decision making. Instead, we resort to decision making shortcuts.
These shortcuts have been referred to as judgmental heuristics. Sometimes they cause us to have biases and misjudgments and they lead to faulty decision making. This is due to attribute substitution, which is when the information needed to make a judgement isn't readily available and we base our decisions instead on information which quickly comes into our minds.
Representative Heuristic - This is when we use a mental model of a typical group or category to make judgments on individual objects or events. For example, one may think it would be a great thing to join a startup technology firm because in their mind they may think of enormously successful startups such as Apple or Microsoft. This causes us to ignore base rates, which are the number of individuals in each category...successes and failures. If fact, the vast majority of startups end up in failure. Based on this, one should avoid working for a startup technology company because the odds are that it will fail.
Availability Heuristic - This is when we estimate the likelihood of based on the ease of which examples come into mind. People tend to overestimate the likelihood of an event if they can easily imagine it or have recently experienced it. For example, research shows that doctors are more likely to diagnose a patient with a particular condition if they have recently diagnosed another patient with the same condition.
Affect Heuristic - This is when information that increases the perceived benefits of an activity tends to decrease the perceived risks and information that increases the perceived risks of an activity tends to decrease the perceived benefits.
Anchoring - This is when we fixate unconsciously on the initial value or estimate ending in a final judgment that is biased based on the initial value. This can affect our judgements if the starting estimate is poorly chosen or even arbitrary.
Loss Aversion - This occurs when we the displeasure of losing something outweighs the pleasure Most people of gaining something of equal value. Most people will reject a fair gamble unless the payoff is about three times the amount of the loss.
Unrealistic Optimism - This is when decision makers tend to anticipate predominately good news. At high levels, optimism can cause counter productive and even reckless behavior. extreme optimists save less, have a shorter time horizons for financial planning, and are less cautious with their investments.
Conclusion - Due to the constraints of limited time, information, attention, and memory, humans do not always make rational decisions. In many cases our decisions are the result of automatic mental shortcuts. With this knowledge and awareness of how our intuitions can be wrong, we can be more careful and thoughtful and this will allow us to make better and more profitable decisions. | http://bullsheadtrading.com/chart-of-the-day/2018/7/30/the-psychology-of-decisions |
A mental technique designed for quick problem-solving; snap judgments so called "rule of thumbs"
Heuristic
An ability to understand a situation or event without conscious effort based on situational similarities with past experience
Expert intuition
The idea that likes and dislikes have a significant effect on one's world view such as influence over perceived pros/cons of things one likes or dislikes which can range from something as simple as a tattoo to something as broad as foreign policy
affect heuristic
the process of answering a difficult question by instead substituting an easier question usually without noticing the substitution
intuitive heuristic
the brain's automatic operations that occur quickly and with little to no effort
system 1
there is a finite amount of attention that is able to be allocated. this makes doing multiple effortful tasks difficult
limited budget of attention
a disagreement between a learned automatic response and a new usual task
conflict
a cognitive process that regulates one's behavior to achieve specific goals and behaviors
self-control
the process of consciously devoting attention to finding the best solution to a specific problem or situation
mental arithmetic
a phenomenon in which anything outside of one's immediate mental attention is overlooked or missed
effective blindness
the brain's effortful mental operations that require immediate attention
system 2
the idea that if there are several ways to achieve a goal, people will eventually gravitate towards the simplest option to conserve energy/effort
law of least effort
the full immersion of consciousness in performing an activity that one enjoys
flow
the idea that individuals have a limited amount of willpower or self-control that is weakened after completing a task that requires any amount of mental energy
ego depletion
the process of making decisions that are fully formed, consistent, and logical
rational
when the activation of one associative link activists others creating a chain of activations of associative neural and semantic networks
associative activation
the act of subtly influenced by our environment and circumstances without even realizing it it is the exposure to particular words could encourage recognition or evocation of related words more easily for instance if you have recently seen or heard the word eat you are temporarily more likely to fill in so_p as soup rather than soap
priming effect
non conscious form of human memory concerned with perceptual identification of words and objects it refers to activating particular representation or associations in memory just before carrying out an action or task priming is a technique whereby exposure to one stimulus influences a response to a subsequent stimulus, without conscious guidance or intention
priming
a result of priming effect in which thoughts and ideas can influence a persons actions and behaviors without them being consciously aware of the influence
ideomotor effect
a priming effect that effects one's feeling of cleanliness they feel as though they must be cleansed
Lady Macbeth Effect
mental state indicative of familiar environment, stimuli, and absence of cognitively demanding or attentionally demanding tasks typically accompanied by more casual or superficial thinking
cognitive ease
mental stat indicative of system 2 levels of attention and effort in order to complete tasks unable to be solved in a state of cognitive ease this state is also indicative of an unfamiliar environment or circumstances and results in more effort and less mistakes due to increased vigilance
cognitive strain
the idea that a statement or idea feels more true due to familiarity with any or all parts of it while this sense can be incorrect when one has no other options with which to verify validity one has no choice but to go with what if most cognitively familiar
impression of familiarity
the ability to create an original idea using your imagination in psychology creativity can also define as a measure of associative memory
creativity
the tendency to develop preference for something based merely on familiarity this effect extends even to unconsciously processed stimuli
mere exposure effect
the idea of not actively expecting something to happen at any given time but not being surprised when it does happen these are primarily things that do not surprise us if they do happen but are improbable enough to not actively expect to happen
passive expectation
the automatic perception of events occurring as a result of cause and effect this takes place even if events are known to be impossible
causality
an illusion that occurs when one believes two or more independent events are somehow intertwined and produce an observable outcome but ate in fact unrelated
illusion of causality
the potential of something to have multiple meanings though these meanings fo not necessary have ti be equally likely in order for something to be ambiguous
ambiguity
memory responsible for learning and remembering associations between people, places or things
associative memory
systematic error we make because we look for evidence that are consistent with what we think and expect the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories this error leads the individual to stop gathering information when the evidence gathered so far confirms the views (prejudices) one would like to be true
confirmation bias
deliberate search for confirming evidence of a question or assumption
positive test strategy
an abbreviation referencing the tendency of system 1 and associative memory to not search for unactivated information in memory when attempting to answer a question this leads to the brain quickly jumping to conclusions and what we know as intuition or intuitive thinking
WYSIAT (what you see is all there is)
the continuous evaluation of both information gathered by your senses and what is going on inside your mind by system 1
basic assessment
judgment based on quick or surface level observations like those made during Basic assessment typically substituted as answers for difficult questions
intuitive judgment
a phenomenon that occurs when you focus on certain characteristics of a person, or thing and ignore the other variables to make a prediction across different dimensions of the subject which is often statistically incorrect
intensity matching
the idea that the brain computes many more things about a given person, place or thing than are actually necessary or requested intentionally
mental shotgun
the tendency for an individual's current emotional state to influence their experiences or environment
mood heuristic
using ones "best judgment" in determining statistical importance of a given thing instead of calculating actual risk
intuitive statistic
a cognitive bias that is created when a person relies too heavily on information that may or may not be accurate that is initially presented in a decision making process
anchoring effect
if one object is processed more fluently, faster, or more smoothly than another the mind infers that this object has the higher value with respect to the question being considered
fluency
___ pupil is a visible indication of intense mental effort
pupil dilation
According to Baumeister's findings what biological phenomenon occurs when a person is involved in complex cognitive reasoning or working through a task that requires self-control
glucose levels drop
Being amused tends to make you smile, and smiling tends to make you feel amused. This is an example of which of the following:
reciprocal links
In the break room coffee experiment a poster was changed week to week above coffee pot and "honesty box" where people paid an amount of their choosing for drinking the coffee what were the results
on weeks with eyes more money was paid overall
people prime by ___ are more likely to have independent characteristics than they would be without the associated trigger
money
someone who is shaking their head up and down in a 'yes' motion while being spoken to are more likely to
accept the message they are being told
bob is hungry he sees a sign with a letter in mud making only MEA_ visible because he has been ___ by his hunger he quickly thought of the word MEAL
primed
when you are in a state of cognitive ease you are more likely to
trust your intuitions
Messages are perceived as more positive, familiar, true, and easier to understand when they are presented:
in bold font
If you want to feel as though you had more fun at an event, which of these options would increase the likelihood that you'd report being happy with the event?
finding reasons to smile and avoiding frowning
Allison is writing a persuasive message to her customers in order to get them to come to her store. She knows she should use strategies that reduce cognitive strain to help her customers believe her message. Which of the following is NOT a strategy Allison should use in her persuasive message?
using complexity
If politicians want us to believe lies, they should _________ our System 2 to keep us from realizing they're being dishonest.
deplete
People are prone to apply _____ thinking to situations that require statistical reasoning.
...
Which of the following names could NOT replace 'Moses" in the Moses illusion
Conner
Kahneman's concept of WYSIATI suggests that....
We often make decisions without searching for additional information
While there is no evidence to support that facial features are a predictor of political performance Princeton students still rated the faces of politicians based on pictures alone this is an example of
...
System 1 carries out many computations at once, usually way more than we need, and it is difficult for System 1 not to do more than System 2 charges it to do. The author calls this the ___________.
...
Paul Solvic proposed a heuristic in which people let their likes and dislikes determine their beliefs about the world what is this heuristic called
...
Basic assessments are ___ and ___
...
"My mom dislikes tattoos, so she thinks they're all dangerous and will keep people from being able to find jobs." This is an example of:
affect heuristic
What is the purpose of a heuristic question?
To answer an easier question that will in turn help to answer a difficult one
When Tordorov gave his students brief exposure to pictured of political candidates without any context to their political beliefs/positions he found that a later comparison between the likability/comparison ratings of his students and the final outcomes of the elections
in about 70% of the races the candidate whose face had the higher rating of competence by the students won their actual race
a heuristic is a ___ procedure that helps find ____ though often ___ answers to difficult questions
...
The size of a category and the number of instances it contains tends to be ignored in judgments of what Kahneman likes to call
...
When explaining an example of substitution Kahneman discusses a survey in which students were asked about their love life and happiness and how the order of which the questions were significantly changed statistic results of the students answer about happiness this is probably because
students were already asked about the happiness in their love life making it easier to substitute a positive answer for their overall happiness
In figure 9 Kahneman shows a picture of 3 men climbing up a road and asks which one is bigger naturally our minds assumes that the one highest on the inclined road is the biggest when in fact they are all the same size if you take out a ruler to measure them the book claims this is an example of ___ and in this case the ____ impression of the 3D size dictates the ____ of the 2D size
substitution, dominant, judgment
In classic experiments people adjusted to the loudness of a sound when evaluating the severity of crimes this is an example of
intensity matching
Extreme outcomes (both high and low) are more likely found in what?
small samples
Which of the following best describes Tversky's explanation for anchoring effects
...
Mary creates a study in which she uses a sample of 10 students. She wants to generalize the results to the entire U.S. population, but her professor tells her that is unlikely to happen because she mistakenly placed her trust in what Kahneman refers to as:
law of small numbers
What did Galinsky and Mussweiler suggest as a subtle way to resist the effects of anchoring during negotiation
...
Tversky, Gilvoch, and Vallone's study of the hot hand in basketball found that:
there is no evidence for a hot hand
In a famous study, spouses were asked "how large was your personal contribution to keeping the place tidy, in percentages? Results demonstrated that the combination of each spouses estimation added to more than 100% what is the explanation
availability bias
After hearing about a plane crash on the news you begin to feel that flying on a plane isn't as safe as you once believed this is an example of ___
availability heuristic
According to Schwarz and his colleagues, people who let themselves be guided by system 1 are
more susceptible to availability bias
automatic, easy-decision making
jumping to conclusions
enjoy reading a story because it tells a story
system 1
purposeful, difficult decision-making don't like reading textbook because should be studying it
System 2
not fully informed, not consistent, not looking at other options
irrational
its predictable that we're going to be wrong
predictable irrational
random deviation
label we give to errors when they occur as random
noise
predictable pattern of errors
systematic pattern
bias
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Verified questions
QUESTION
A researcher is conducting a study and wants to ensure that the sample chosen to participate will yield good results. • Why is it better to have a large sample of data instead of a small sample? • What happens to reliability as sample size increases?
Verified answer
QUESTION
Which of the following is a “Big Five“ personality factor? a. Seriousness. b. Neuroticism. c. Dutifulness. d. Dominance e. Abstractedness.
Verified answer
QUESTION
Which of the following provides the best evidence that race is more of a social construct than a biological category? a. People of varying ancestry may categorize themselves in the same race. b. The races arose in different continents. c. Behavior traits (like running speed) are associated with race. d. Skin cancer rates vary by race. e. The incidence of high blood pressure varies by race.
Verified answer
QUESTION
Which of the following examples is the best illustration of cognitive dissonance? a. The cult member who admires the leader of his group and follows the leader without doubt. b. The teacher who reprimands a student who she feels could do much better academically. c. The soldier who receives orders from a superior that violate his personal moral beliefs. d. The librarian who dreams of returning to graduate school to become a professor. e. The student who gives up trying to master calculus because it seems too hard. | https://quizlet.com/619532745/judgment-and-decision-making-exam-1-flash-cards/ |
Cognitive biases (also called cognitive biases) are psychological effects that cause impaired processing of information captured by our senses, which generates distortion, misjudgment, inconsistent or illogical interpretation based on the information we have.
Social-type biases are those that refer to attribution bias and disrupt our interactions with other people in our daily lives.
Cognitive biases: the mind deceives us
The phenomenon of cognitive bias was born as a evolving need so that human beings can make immediate judgments that our brains use to respond with agility to certain stimuli, problems or situations, which due to their complexity would be impossible to process all information, and therefore require selective or subjective filtering. It is true that a cognitive bias can lead us to errors, but in certain contexts it makes it possible to decide more quickly or to make an intuitive decision when the immediacy of the situation does not allow its rational examination.
Cognitive psychology is responsible for studying these types of effects, as well as other techniques and structures that we use to process information.
Concept of prejudice or cognitive bias
Cognitive prejudices or prejudices arise from different processes that are not easily distinguished. These include heuristic processing (mental shortcuts), emotional and moral motivations, where the social influence.
The concept of cognitive bias first appeared thanks to Daniel Kahneman in 1972, when he realized that it was impossible for people to reason intuitively with very large magnitudes. Kahneman and other researchers proved the existence of scenario models in which judgments and decisions were not based on the predictable according to rational choice theory. They provided explanatory support to these differences by finding the key to heurism, processes that are intuitive but which are generally the source of systematic errors.
Studies on cognitive biases were increasingly extensive and other disciplines were also doing research, such as medicine or political science. In this way, the discipline of Behavioral economics, Which he devoted to Kahneman after winning the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2002 for integrating psychological investigation into economics, discovering associations in human judgment and decision making.
However, some critics of Kahneman argue that heuristics should not lead to conceiving of human thinking as a puzzle of irrational cognitive bias, but rather to understanding rationality as an adaptive tool that does not mimic the rules of logic. formal or probabilistic.
The most studied cognitive biases
Retrospective bias or a posteriori bias: it is the propensity to perceive past events as predictable.
Match bias: also called attribution error: It is the tendency to put an excessive emphasis on explanations, behaviors or personal experiences of others.
Confirmation bias: it is the tendency to discover or interpret information that confirms preconceptions.
Self-service bias: It is the tendency to demand more responsibility for successes than for failures. It also arises when we tend to interpret ambiguous information as useful to their intentions.
False consensus bias: it is the tendency to judge that one’s own opinions, beliefs, values and customs are more prevalent among others than they actually are.
Memory bias: A memory bias can upset the content of what we remember.
Representation bias: When we assume that something is more likely from a premise that does not actually predict anything.
An example of cognitive bias: Bouba or Kiki
the bouba / kiki effect it is one of the most well-known cognitive biases. It was detected in 1929 by the Estonian psychologist Wolfgang kohler. In an experiment on Tenerife (Spain), the researcher showed shapes similar to those in Figure 1 to several participants, and detected a strong preference among the subjects, who linked the pointed shape with the name “takete”, and the rounded shape with the name “baluba”. In 2001, V. Ramachandran repeated the experiment using the names “kiki” and “bouba”, and asked many people which of the forms was called “bouba” and which “kiki”.
In this study, more than 95% of people chose the round shape as “bouba” and the pointed shape as “kiki”. This provided an experimental basis for understanding that the human brain extracts the abstract properties of shapes and sounds. In fact, a recent survey of Daphne Maurer has shown that even children under the age of three (who cannot yet read) already report this effect.
Explanations of the Kiki / Bouba effect
Ramachandran and Hubbard interpret the kiki / bouba effect as a demonstration of the implications for the evolution of human language, as it gives clues that indicate that the naming of certain objects is not entirely arbitrary.
The call “bouba” in the rounded shape might suggest that this bias arises from the way we pronounce the word, with the mouth in a more rounded position to emit the sound, while serving a more tense and angular pronunciation of the sound ” kiki “. It should also be noted that the sounds of the letter “k” are louder than those of the “b”. The presence of such “synesthetic maps” suggests that this phenomenon may form the neurological basis of auditory symbolism, In which the phonemes are mapped and linked to certain objects and events in a non-arbitrary manner.
People with autism, however, do not show such a strong preference. While all the subjects studied obtained scores greater than 90% for attributing “bouba” to the rounded shape and “kiki” to the inclined shape, the percentage fell to 60% in people with autism.
Bibliographical references:
- Bunge, M. and Ardila, R. (2002). Philosophy of psychology. Mexico: 21st century.
- Myers, David G. (2005). Psychology. Mexico: Pan-American medicine.
- Triglia, Adrián; Regader, Bertrand; García-Allen, Jonathan (2016). Psychologically speaking. Paidós. | https://psychologysays.net/intelligence/cognitive-biases-discovering-an-interesting-psychological-effect/ |
Alan Henry created a great infographic of 10 Cognitive Biases in Decision Making on LifeHacker. BJ liked the information so much he built an episode to explain cognitive biases and ways to avoid them to fellow developers.
Each day we make over 30,000 decisions most of which we do not put much effort into thinking about. There are many influences on us that affect our decision-making. The following are just a few of the more pervasive patterns that affect developers when making important decisions about code or life.
Episode Breakdown
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15:52 Bandwagon Effect and Confirmation Bias
“You see it on the internet all the time, the echo effect. Take a look at Tumblr for example.”
The bandwagon effect comes from the saying, “hopping on the bandwagon” which means to do something because the people around you are doing it. Popularity of an item can make it seem more desirable look for example to reviews on shopping websites and how they influence the popularity of an item
Along with jumping on the bandwagon we have a tendency to prioritize information that confirms our own beliefs. We will seek information that supports our own preconceptions. Both of these are popularity based, the popular opinion influences our decisions.
“This is what internet marketing, or really any marketing is based on.”
To combat these biases avoid relying on a few popular opinions without first considering a broad range and weighing the information available. Sometimes opinions are the only available information such as product reviews on Amazon. In these cases look at both positive and negative reviews of multiple similar products.
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21:40 Reactance
“It’s the opposite of the herd mentality.”
This is the rebel without a cause mindset of wanting to do the opposite of what is is advised. Many times it falsely claimed to maintain freedom of choice but in reality the advice conflicts with our own preconceptions.
The trick to avoiding reactance is to leave ego at the door. Ask yourself, “Why am I rejecting the advice?” If you can state a solid reason then you are not a rebel without a cause.
These first two points tie in together as examples of not thinking for yourself. Where the first is following the crowd or your own preconceptions the latter is rejecting the crowd for no other reason than to not follow the crowd.
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26:05 Availability Heuristic
In decision making often we will base our choices on the results of similar decisions we’ve made in the past. Ones that easily come to mind or on quickly retrievable information. There is a tendency to give higher value to easily remembered information.
“This can very much skew your decision on anything.”
Combating this involves substituting intuition with data or not relying solely or heavily on intuition. When making a decision assess all the available data for that instance.
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30:37 Dunning-Kruger Effect
“One of the painful things about our time is that those who feel certainty are stupid, and those with any imagination and understanding are filled with doubt and indecision.” ~ Bertrand Russell
The Dunning-Kruger Effect states that unskilled individuals tend to overestimate their abilities. The corollary to which is that skilled individuals underestimate their abilities. In both cases it is a failure to adequately assess competence. Junior developers can know just enough to get in trouble and have a sense they know much more whereas more senior developers may suffer from impostor syndrome.
“As you get better, who do you notice more?”
The orders of ignorance come into play here where first order ignorance is knowing that you don’t know something. This applies to the skilled individual as the more they learn the more they realize how much more there is to know. Whereas second order ignorance applies to the less skilled individuals. It is not knowing that you do not know.
This cognitive bias is a tricky one to avoid as it involves using objective methods to assess your own skills. Here is a case where the judgement of others can be useful as well as assessment tools such as tests and training exercises.
“We are in a profession that is very difficult to measure and it’s impossible to self measure anyway and we’re trying to stack the probability of being right on both of those.”
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42:02 Curse of Knowledge
Often as highly skilled individuals it is difficult to see a problem from a non skilled perspective. In the first episode of Complete Developer Podcast Will and BJ addressed this in talking tech with non-developers. It aslo comes to play in mentoring or teaching junior developers.
Do not make assumptions about the knowledge base of the individual. Begin with the basics and build from there. If they already know the basics then it can become a conversation. Also give context through the liberal use of examples. Will has an example for this…
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44:30 Framing Effect
“How the material is presented creates an emotional reaction.”
The framing effect occurs when the same information is presented in a different manner and those receiving it have different conclusions based on the presentation. This is seen mostly in politics and the media.
This particular bias is also used in certain testing and surveys to provide validity to the test. In psychological tests the same question will be asked multiple times in multiple ways to make sure the test taker is not just filling in bubbles on the page.
When being presented with information look for the meaning of the information out of the context of the presentation. Once that is understood you will be able to see how the presentation is influencing the understanding of the information.
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45:53 Anchoring Effect
“News stories break and there’s all kinds of inaccurate information … and then six months later people will be repeating it because they heard it first.”
Similar to the availability heuristic the anchoring effect focuses on the first piece of information received. People tend to be swayed if they feel they are getting a bargain.
Car dealerships are the most notable example of using this bias in price negotiations. The sticker price on cars is never the actual price. It allows the sales team to “negotiate” with the customer giving the customer the sense of getting a deal.
“It’s a game theory thing, out of a population of people there’s going to be a curve of where those people would price that vehicle”
Focus on the value base of an item or decision rather than the price or first information received. In the car dealership example, look up the value of the vehicle on something like Kelly Blue Book and expect to pay a little more as the dealership will need to make a profit.
IoTease: Learning
Online IoT Courses You Should Know
Designed to be an introduction to working in the Internet of Things these are beginner courses on the Internet of Things Wiki. They are a great way to get started with courses for beginners to specific technology courses such as Raspberry Pi, Arduino, or Drones and Robots. Courses for beginning include how to get started, various technologies, multimedia, and even one on beginner augmented reality. Many of the courses or free or not very expensive. If you are wanting to get started in the Internet of Things these lessons are a great place to look.
Tricks of the Trade
“What is harder writing code or debugging code?”
Debugging code is much harder than writing therefore if you write code as best as possible you by definition cannot debug it. The point is not to make the code as simple as can be but to make it so you and others can follow. Sometimes using the newest pattern makes the code unusable no matter how good it decouples the code.
As developers move from mid-level to senior their code begins to become simpler. This can be seen in martial arts where you begin with the basics then move to more complex kata. The masters however will practice the basics every day.
As a junior developer moving up to mid-level your focus is on adding complexity and understanding complex code. Yet moving from mid-level to senior your focus is removing the complexity while still writing effective code.
“The reason you know a particular movement is wasted is because you have wasted it at some point. | https://completedeveloperpodcast.com/episode-35/ |
Obstacles to accurate social cognition:
Too much effort
Expectations can effect perceptions
Basic Research
Knowledge of theories and processes
Applied research
Understanding of and solutions to real-world problems
Hindsight Bias
Tendency for people to exaggerate how much they could have predicted an outcome after knowing that it occurred
Observational Method
The technique whereby a researcher observes people and records measurements or impressions of their behavior
Ethnography
The method by which researchers attempt to understand a group or culture by observing it from the inside, without imposing any preconceived notions they might have
Interjudge Reliability
The level of agreement between two or more people who independently observe and code a set of data
Archival Analysis
A form of the observational method in which the researcher examines accumulated documents (archives)
Correlational Method
Two or more variables are systematically measured and the relationship between them is assessed
Correlation coefficient
Statistical technique that assesses how well you can predict one variable from another (-1 to 1)
Random Selection
Giving everyone in the population an equal chance of being selected for the sample
Limits of correlational research
-Ambiguous causal direction
-Third variables
Experimental method
Used to examine cause and effect between variables. Research randomly assigns participants to different conditions and ensures that these conditions are identical except for the independent variable
Internal validity
Making sure that nothing besides the IV can affect the DV
Confounding variables
Alternative cause for behavior
Random assignment
Each person participating in the study must have an equal chance of being in any condition in the experiment
Probability level (p-value)
A statistic that tells researchers how likely it is that their result occurred by chance and not because of the IV
External validity
Extent to which results of a study can be generalized to other situations and other people
Mundane realism
Extent to which experiment is similar to real-life situations
Psychological realism
Extent to which psychological processes triggered in experiment are similar to psychological processes that occur in everyday life
Cover study
A description of the purpose of a study that is different from the true purpose
Replication
Repeating a study, often with different subject populations, or in a different setting
Meta-analysis
Statistical technique that averages the results of two or more studies to see if the effect of an IV is reliable
Cross cultural Research
Research conducted with members of different cultures, to see whether the psychological process of interest are present in both cultures or whether they are specific to the culture in which people were raised
Universality
People in different cultures express emotions on their faces in the same way, even in remote cultures having no contact with the rest of the world
Cultural influences
People are best at recognizing emotions expressed by members of their own cultural group
How to increase external validity?
field experiments
Deception
Misleading participants about the true purpose of a study or the events that will actually transpire
Informed Consent
The researcher explains the nature of the experiment to participants before it begins and asks for their consent to participate
Social Cognition
How people think about themselves and the social world...how people select, interpret, and remember and use social information to make judgments and decisions
Low-effort thinking
People often size up a new situation very quickly: they figure out who is there, what is happening, and what might happen next
Automatic thinking
Thinking that is nonconscious, unintentional, involuntary, and effortless
Schemas
Mental structures people use to organize their knowledge about the social world around themes or subjects and that influence the information people notice, think about, and remember
Accessibility
The extent to which schemas and concepts are at the forefront of people's mind and are therefore likely to be used when we are making judgments about the social world
Something can become accessible for three reasons:
1. Some schemas are chronically accessible due to past experience
2. Something can become accessible because it is related to a current goal
3. Schemas can become temporarily accessible because of our recent experiences
Self-fulfilling prophecy
The case whereby people have an expectation about what another person is like, which influences how they act toward that person, which causes that person to behave more consistently with people's original expectations, making the expectation come true
Judgmental heuristics
Mental shortcuts that help us make judgments quickly and efficiently
Representativeness Heuristic
A mental shortcut whereby people classify something according to how similar is is to a typical case
Base-rate information
Information about the frequency of members of different categories in the population
Availability Heuristic
A mental rule of thumb whereby people base a judgment on he ease with which they can bring something to mind
When do we use heuristics?
1. Don't have time for systematic analysis
2. Overloaded with information
3. Issues not important to us
4. Have little other knowledge to use when making decisions
5. Something in situation calls to mind heuristic
Analytic thinking style
A type of thinking in which people focus on the properties of objects without considering their surrounding context; this type of thinking is common in Western cultures
Holistic thinking style
A type of thinking in which people focus on the overall context, particularly the ways in which objects relate to each other; this type of thinking is common in east Asian cultures
Social Perception
The study of how we form impressions of and make inferences about other people
Impression Formation
First step in social perception: nonverbal cues, traits
Attributions
Our thoughts about what cause people to act in a certain way
Nonverbal communication
The way in which people communicate, intentionally or unintentionally, without words
Six major emotional expressions
-anger
-happiness
-surprise
-fear
-disgust
-sadness
Affect blends
Occur when one part of the face registers one emotion and another part, a different emotion
Display rules
Particular to each culture and dictate what kinds of emotional expressions people are supposed to show
Emblems
Nonverbal gestures that have well-understood definitions within a given culture
Implicit Personality Theory
A type of schema people use to group various kinds of personality traits together
Attribution theory
A description of the way in which people explain the cause of their own and other people's behavior
Two dimensions of causality:
Internal
External
Internal Attribution
The inference that a person is behaving in a certain way because of something about the person, such as attitude, character, or personality
External attribution
The inference that a person is behaving a certain way because of something about the situation he or she is in.
-The assumption is that most people would respond the same way in that situation
Kelley's covariation model
To form an attribution about what caused a person's behavior, we systematically note the pattern between the presence or absence of possible causal factors and whether or not the behavior occurs
Consensus
Do others react the same way?
Consistency
Does this person react the same way all the time?
Distinctiveness
Does this person react the same way to other things?
Correspondence bias
The tendency to believe that people's behavior matches (corresponds to) their dispositions
Fundamental attribution error
The tendency to overestimate the extent to which people's behavior is due to internal, dispositional factors and to underestimate the role of situational factors
Perceptual salience
The seeming importance of information that is the focus of people's attention
-(Why correspondence bias occurs)
Two step process of making attributions
1. Automatically make an internal attribution
2. Consciously choose to think of situational attributions
Self-serving attributions
Explanations for one's successes that credit internal, dispositional factors and explanations for one's failures that blame external, situational factors
Why do we do this?
-Maintain self-esteem
-Maintain he esteem that other people have for us
-Extra information leads to positive outcomes being expected
Defensive attributions
Explanations for behavior that avoids feelings of vulnerability and mortality
Belief in a just world
People assume that bad things happen to bad people, and good things happen to good people
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE... | https://quizlet.com/70168043/social-psychology-flash-cards/ |
Weekly Blog #40 - How our mind plays tricks on us...
How confident do you feel about the quality of decisions and actions that you make and take on a daily basis if I told you that one of the most renowned economist and psychologist and a Nobel laureate who has been studying the human brain and behavior for over 40 years admits that his brain is still and regularly playing tricks on him - and that it didn't improve over the past decades?
I felt a bit downhearted to be honest - but also incited to try and understand the most common tricks that our brain plays on us. In this article I want to share some of the most common ones with you.
The Halo-Effect...
The Halo-Effect is a type of cognitive bias in which our overall impression of a person influences how we feel and think about their character. Essentially, your overall impression of a person ("He is nice!") impacts your evaluations of that person's specific traits ("He is also smart!").
This effect manipulates our judgement not only in regards to people, but also past experiences quite a bit. Imagine a situation where you are asked to interview a potential candidate for a management position in your company. Statistics show that if this person is attractive and nice - and you are not conducting a structured and standardized interview that prevents you from falling for the Halo-Effect - you will pass on a better impression of this person to your HR department than if the person was not as attractive.
A key aspect of the Halo-Effect is that our brain tends to generalize when it comes to evaluations like this. Having a good chat with someone at a party might lead to thinking of that person if you look for someone to donate to a charity. We are generalizing "being nice" by also characterizing that person as "being charitable", even though it's not the same.
A good way to circumvent the Halo-Effect while making important decisions is to ask yourself: "Do I really know this? Or am I just projecting this attribute on to the person/the situation/etc.?"
The Fundamental Attribution Error...
Another interesting error that we tend to make also revolves around our judgement of other people. It is one of the basic errors that are frequently researched in different fields of psychology.
In social psychology, the fundamental attribution error (FAE), also known as correspondence bias or attribution effect, is the tendency for people to under-emphasize situational (external) explanations for an individual's observed behavior while over-emphasizing dispositional (internal) and personality-based explanations for their behavior.
In general, if we look at a situation, e.g. a person's behavior in a restaurant, we have different ways and options of judging their behavior. Imagine this person is angry at the waiter in a restaurant because the food is bad... We now have different options to judge this situation:
Is this person only angry here and now (or also in other restaurants)? - yes (only here): internal attribution, no (also in other places): external attribution
Are there other people that are angry as well? - no: internal attribution, yes: external attribution
Is he angry always at the same place (if you are able to observe this)? - yes: internal and external attribution
However, the general tendency is that we attribute the person's behavior to internal factors, e.g. "the person is the grumpy type", "the person already looked angry when he turned up", etc.. Knowing this should help us to look at the circumstances and external factors more often before making "quick and dirty" judgements - especially since we tend to use heuristics, stereotypes and intuition more often than we should...
The "Less-is-More" Effect or "Conjunction-Fallacy"...
Ok, this one is a bit longer - but it's also one of the most famous and most dangerous ones, because it neglects base rates - and therefore a very important factor that everyone should take into consideration with every decision they make.
The less-is-more effect refers to the finding that heuristic decision strategies can yield more accurate judgments than alternative strategies that use more pieces of information. Understanding these effects is part of the study of ecological rationality.
There's one famous study by Kahneman and Tversky around the case of "Linda". This case involves the representativeness heuristic (judging the probability of something in terms of how similar that something is to a stereotype), and our tendency to ignore base rates when making these judgments.
Here's a description of a hypothetical woman named Linda: Linda is thirty-one years old, single, outspoken, and very bright. She majored in philosophy. As a student, she was deeply concerned with issues of discrimination and social justice, and also participated in antinuclear demonstrations.
Subjects are given a list of eight possible scenarios for Linda and asked to rank them in terms of which scenarios are more or less likely to be true for Linda. Here they are:
Linda...
... is a teacher in an elementary school.
... works in a bookstore and takes yoga classes.
... is active in the feminist movement.
... is a psychiatric social worker.
... is a member of the League of Women Voters.
... is a bank teller.
... is an insurance salesperson.
... is a bank teller and is active in the feminist movement.
The participants of the study tend to agree that Linda is a very good fit for an active feminist, a good fit for someone who works in a bookstore and takes yoga classes - and a poor fit for a bank teller or an insurance salesperson.
In the second question they were asked if it is more likely that Linda is "a bank clerk" or "a feminist bank clerk". Most of the participants suggested the latter...
There are lots of factors that can influence how likely people are to commit the conjunction fallacy. One of the most well-known is that when people are asked the questions in terms of natural frequencies ("how many?", "what fraction?", etc.) rather than in terms probabilities or percentages ("what is more probable?", "estimate the percentage"), they're less prone to the error. This is probably because this language naturally invokes a spatial representation of the problem, where set and subset relationships are clear. The language of probability and percentages is more abstract, it seems, and fails to evoke a spatial picture of the problem.
This is one of the most frequently discussed "de-biasing" techniques when it comes to reasoning with probabilities. If you give people the information in terms of natural frequencies and proportions rather than in terms of probabilities or percentages, their probability judgments are more reliable - in some cases, significantly so.
The Primacy & Recency Effect... (also: Serial-Position Effect)
The next few effects, errors and biases revolve around information and the mistakes we make while dealing with information given to us, looking at data, etc..
The first one is called the Primacy & Recency Effect. When asked to recall a list of items in any order (free recall), people tend to begin recall with the end of the list, recalling those items best (the recency effect). Among earlier list items, the first few items are recalled more frequently than the middle items (the primacy effect).
The effects described above can help us a great deal if we are conscious about them and use them to our advantage. Understanding the Primacy and Recency effects helps - not only in learning, but in understanding why we respond to certain situations as we do. Some interesting applications of theses effects are:
Advertisers use recency to make sure the first and last portions of their promotions create a desire to purchase
Lawyers will call their strongest witnesses either first or last
Speakers at conferences are scheduled with the strongest first and last
Teachers use recency to determine the sequence of lectures within a course of instruction
A similar bias is the serial position effect (also called the beginning-ending list bias). Given a large number of choices, people who don’t read the entire list tend to pick items at the beginning or at the end of the list. Even if they do read the whole lists, people tend to remember the first or last choice they read and are therefore more likely to choose the first or last options.
Central Tendency...
This one we usually encounter whenever we are asked to fill out a questionnaire or a customer satisfactory form...
The central tendency bias (sometimes called central tendency error) is a tendency for a rater to place most items in the middle of a rating scale. For example, on a 10 point scale, a manager might place most of his employees in the middle (4-7), with a few people getting high (8-10) or low (1-3) rated performances.
Here are some examples of how to avoid this bias:
Making questions clear. If the rater isn’t clear on what the question is asking for, they are more likely to answer in the middle.
Not requiring justification for higher ratings. Some employee performance scales require a manager to provide written justification for placing an employee higher on the scale. This has been shown to increase bias.
Having raters rank items from highest to lowest. If no two items can have the same rank, this avoids the rater placing items in the middle.
Leaving out the center items. For example, use the numbers 0-1-5-9 on a customer satisfactory scale instead of 1-2-3-4-5. This is common practice in the so called "house of quality" framework while deciding on product features in regards to their impact on product quality.
Peak-End-Rule and Duration-Neglect...
Last but not least, I want to share with you how our brain deals with evaluating our own experiences and the mistakes we make with remembering and recalling past experiences.
Do you generally feel like you judge past experiences accurately, including the duration and quality of the whole event? Think again.
Kahneman presents two selves in his book "Thinking, Fast and Slow":
The experiencing self: the self that feels pleasure and pain, moment to moment. This experienced utility would best be assessed by measuring happiness over time, then summing the total happiness felt over time.
The remembering self: the self that reflects on past experiences and evaluates it overall.
The remembering self factors heavily in our thinking. After a moment has passed, only the remembering self exists when thinking about our past lives. The remembering self is often the one making future decisions.
But the remembering self evaluates differently from the experiencing self in two critical ways:
Duration neglect: The duration of the experience has little effect on the memory of the event.
Peak-end rule: The overall rating is determined by the peak intensity of the experience and the end of the experience. It does not care much about the averages throughout the experience.
Both effects operate in classic "intuitive thinking" style: by averages and norms, not by sums. This leads to preferences that the experiencing self would find odd, and shows that we cannot trust our preferences to reflect our interests.
Reading about this dazzled me at first, but after thinking about it for a while, I realized how true it was and how often it happened to me.
I want to share the two experiments that were made by Kahneman and his associates to provide empirical results for both, duration neglect and the peak-end rule:
In the so called "Ice Water Experiment", participants were asked to stick their hand in cold water, then to evaluate their experience. This happened in two episodes:
1) A short episode: 60 seconds in 14°C water, and
2) A long episode: 60 seconds in 14°C, plus an additional 30 seconds, during which the temperature increased by one degree.
They were then asked which they would repeat for a third trial. The experiencing self would clearly consider the long episode worse - you’re suffering for more time. But the longer episode had a more pleasant end.
Counter-intuitively, 80% of participants preferred the long episode, therefore suffering 30 seconds of needless pain. They picked the option they liked more. Oddly, people would prescribe the shorter episode for others, since they care about the experiencing self of others. But when thinking about themselves, they care more about the remembering self.
Honorable Mentions...
To close this chapter here are a couple of interesting phenomenons that are worth mentioning.
Regression to the Mean...
In statistics, regression to the mean is the phenomenon that arises if a sample point of a random variable is extreme (nearly an outlier), a future point will be closer to the mean or average on further measurements.
In real life, a lot of managers misinterpret this statistical phenomenon. Whenever they give positive feedback to one of their employees for an outstanding performance, they see the same person regressing to the mean on the next occasion. This leads them to think that people perform worse when receiving positive feedback and stop giving good feedback altogether.
Oftentimes, the opposite happens - which is even worse: they start shaming and blaming whenever they get the opportunity. And after their employees regressed to the mean - e.g. by improving their performance after having a bad day - they start thinking that criticizing, lecturing or even punishing their employees leads to a better performance.
The Mere-Exposure Effect...
The mere-exposure effect means that people prefer things that they are most familiar with.
It is also called the familiarity principle, because it's built on the establishment of familiarity.
Remember the days when you were in school? Who were you friends with? The first friends you made were most probably the ones you sat next to in the first couple of weeks (you are not necessarily friends with them now, but try to remember.) This is a good example of the mere-exposure effect.
Another example is that we tend to pick the things while shopping for groceries that we've been familiarized with over a longer period of time. Whenever I recognize an item that my mother's been using in the kitchen, I think about buying this one instead of the cheaper or "better" option...
On these occasions the mere-exposure effect goes hand in hand with other biases and heuristics, such as the availability bias (thinking that examples of things that come readily to mind are more representative/better than it is actually the case) and the representativeness heuristic (estimating the likelihood of an event by comparing it to an existing prototype that already exists in our minds).
What you see is all there is (WYSIATI)...
WYSIATI is the acronym for "What You See Is All There Is", a cognitive bias which explains how irrational we are when making decisions and how little it matters to us. I wrote a whole article about this bias and you can find it here:
This is just an extract of all the tricks that our brain plays on us. I might return to them in the future or deep-dive into one of them in upcoming articles. Which one of these have you experienced lately? Are you more or less prone to these errors and biases? Let's discuss!
And if you want to find out more about this topic, please consider buying Daniel Kahneman's book "Thinking, Fast and Slow"! | https://www.marcuslycke.com/post/weekly-blog-40-how-our-mind-plays-tricks-on-us |
Study Analysis Groups (SAGs) and Science Interest Groups (SIGs). Much of the ExoPAG's work is conducted by Study Analysis Groups (SAGs) and Science Interest Groups (SIGs), which focus on specific exoplanet topics or goals. The exoplanet community is encouraged to participate in the ExoPAG and in SAGs or SIGs of interest.
*SAGs 3, 4, 6, and 7 were initiated but later deactivated; often their topic areas were assigned to other SAGs.
Products: "The Exozodiacal Dust Problem for Direct Observations of Exo-Earths"
Overview: Debris disks arise from collisions between and evaporation of extrasolar asteroids and comets, the same processes that produce the zodiacal dust in the Solar System.
How well must we know exozodi brightness levels to determine the performance of various types of direct imaging/spectroscopy exoplanet missions?
How is the problem complicated by possible asymmetries and other complex morphologies in exozodiacal dust disks?
What are the exozodiacal dust levels around nearby stars?
Collect existing information on the impact of exozodiacal background on various exoplanet mission concepts. Describe what additional analyses need to be done, and work with members of past or existing mission concept teams to see that they are performed in a uniform fashion.
Collect reliable information on the expected sensitivity of all upcoming facilities to debris dust at different distances from various types of nearby stars.
Determine how many stars we must observe with what exozodi sensitivity to confidently predict the number of feasible targets for direct exoplanet imaging/spectroscopy. Start by organizing a theoretical study that will produce a plausible expected distribution of exozodi brightness levels.
From this foundation, the community may be able to plan the required observations of debris disks, and narrow the range of possible scenarios for teams studying future mission performance.
Products: "KISS/KITP Workshop: Exoplanet Science Measurements from Solar System Probes"
Overview: This SAG (Science Analysis Group) would bring together scientists, engineers, theorists, and NASA leadership from the exoplanetary and planetary/solar system communities to investigate the scientific potential and practicality of doing exoplanet science using spacecraft that primarily study our own Solar System.
This could involve observations during cruise phase or an extended mission and possibly the addition of low-impact instruments to missions in development. Past examples of successful collaborations include the measurements of Earth made from afar by the recent EPOXI mission and by the TES instrument aboard Mars Global Surveyor in 2004. Future examples of such exoplanet science could include zodiacal light studies, microlensing observations, transits, etc. The product of this SAG would be a report on potential exoplanet science that could be performed from the platform of a solar system mission including: top level science goals, top-level instrument concepts, potential solar system missions which could accommodate exoplanet science instruments, and preliminary assessment of impacts of exoplanet science instruments on solar system missions. In connection with this SAG, the ExoPAG plans to hold a session on exoplanet collaboration at the DPS (Division of Planetary Sciences) meeting next October and/or request a talk at DPS to discuss this topic with the planetary science community.
Products: "Flagship Exoplanet Imaging Mission Science Goals and Requirements Report"
Overview: This group will work toward a unified view of the science requirements for a combined flagship exoplanet imaging and general astrophysics mission for the 2020s.
We will discuss and evaluate possible features of a decision process for NASA HQ to select either an internal coronagraph or an external occulter (starshade) as the favored mission architecture for exoplanet direct detection. NASA's selected architecture will be presented to the Decadal Survey Implementation Advisory Committee (DSIAC) in 2015, will guide technology development in the years 2015-2020, and eventually will be presented to the Astrophysics Decadal Survey in 2020. We will assemble science requirements from the Exoplanet Exploration Program and Cosmic Origins Program, forming a unified set of requirements for a combined mission; and we will add a list of technical and programmatic criteria which should be considered in the decision. Our report will contain the elements which are deemed relevant to a robust decision between the two architecture families in the future.
Products: "Radial Velocity Prospects Current and Future"
Overview: Precision radial velocity measurement has been the workhorse technique in the exoplanet field, for both detection and characterization of exoplanets.
What are the near-term, medium-term, and long-term needs for Doppler measurements to support NASA science objectives, i.e., how many measurements, of what precision and what time baseline, and for how many stars of what magnitudes and spectral types?
What are the astrophysical limitations on radial velocity precision for measurements of nearby stars?
How does this precision vary as a function of stellar type and wavelength?
What are the implications of these limitations for new ensemble survey science goals and for finding the nearest low-mass exoplanets for future characterization?
What approaches can improve radial-velocity instrumental precision to the astrophysical limits?
What can be done to increase the efficiency and sensitivity of radial-velocity facilities?
What potential exists for red/near-infrared radial velocity precision?
What are the benefits or disadvantages of increased investment in telescope time (and for which class of telescope)?
How should we prioritize increased investment in existing telescope resources versus investment in new, dedicated facilities and/or technology development for precision calibration/stabilization?
What competitive opportunities exist in the short and long term in the context of existing and planned US and global facilities?
Overview: The ExoPAG Study Analysis Group 9 (SAG-9) will define metrics by which the science yield of various exoplanet probe-scale to medium-scale direct-imaging mission designs can be compared and evaluated in order to facilitate a well-informed decision process by NASA.
What is the minimum threshold science to justify an exoplanet probe-scale direct imaging mission?
What are the additional science goals that can be used as "discriminators" to evaluate science performance beyond the minimum thresholds?
What are the possible achievements from the ground by plausible launch date, and overlapping the expected mission lifetime?
What quantitative metrics for these "discriminators" can we provide to help define the weighting process to be used in the comparison of mission concepts?
Products: "Characterizing Transiting Planet Atmospheres through 2025"
Overview: The past decade has seen rapid progress in the study of exoplanet atmospheres. It has become common --if not routine-- to measure albedo, atmospheric composition, as well as the vertical and horizontal temperature structure on these distant worlds; in a few cases we can even observe a planet's seasonal response to varying insolation.
What is the full diversity of planet properties (mass, atmosphere, insolation, orbits, etc.) needed to characterize and understand the climate of short-period exoplanets?
Which measurement suites and how much observing time are needed to characterize the climate of transiting planets?
Will JWST be able to characterize the atmospheres of transiting terrestrial planets?
Which critical measurements will be too expensive or inaccessible to JWST, and can these be obtained with planned observatories (eg: dedicated ground-based spectrographs, balloon-borne experiments, SOFIA, exoplanet-specific Explorer missions)?
Overview: Although the launch of the WFIRST mission is still many years off, it is nevertheless vitally important to consider what activities must be carried out in the near future in order to retire any scientific risks associated with, and maximize the returns from, the WFIRST microlensing survey.
Emphasize programs that can be executed using existing (NASA) resources.
Topic: Scientific potential and feasibility of high-precision astrometry for exoplanet detection and characterization.
Overview: High-precision astrometry has the potential to play an important role in the detection and characterization of exoplanets. High-precision astrometry can complement high-contrast direct imaging surveys by allowing for improved yields, as well as measurement of planet masses.
What is the scientific potential of astrometry for different precision levels? What types of planets can be studied with astrometry? How effective is astrometry to confirm planet candidates?
What are the technical limitations to achieving astrometry of a given precision? Can we implement observational strategies or post processing to improve the astrometry? What are the hardware changes that would enable high-precision astrometry on planned missions?
Identify mission concepts that are well suited for astrometry and study potential collaboration with current and future European astrometry missions.
Overview: Future direct imaging missions may allow observations of flux density as a function of wavelength, polarization, time (orbital and rotational phases) for a broad variety of exoplanets ranging from rocky sub-earths through super-earths and neptunes to giant planets.
What are the most important science questions in exoplanet characterization apart from biosignature searches?
What type of data (spectra, polarization, photometry) with what quality (resolution, signal-tonoise, cadence) is required to answer these science questions?
By providing a single, unified source of requirements on exoplanet data in advance of the Decadal Survey, the science yield of various missions designs can be evaluated realistically, with the same set of assumptions.
Our goal is to carry out this SAG study by building on both the EXOPAG and NExSS communities. We aim to complete a report by Spring 2017 and submit it to a refereed journal, although this timeline can be adjusted to maximize the impact of the SAG15 study for the ongoing and nearfuture STDTs and other mission planning processes. Synergy with a potential future SAG proposed by Shawn Domagal-Goldman: While the SAG proposed here will include studies of habitable zone rocky planets, it will focus on planets without significant biological processes. A future SAG may be proposed by Shawn DomagalGoldman to explore biosignatures; if such a SAG is proposed, we envision a close collaboration on these complementary, but distinct problems.
Overview: The future of exoplanet observations will begin a shift from the physical and astronomical characterization of planet size and orbital properties towards the characterization of planet chemical composition, habitability, and inhabitance. We are proposing a SAG to explore the last of these issues, focused on biosignatures.
The future of exoplanet observations will begin a shift from the physical and astronomical characterization of planet size and orbital properties towards the characterization of planet chemical composition, habitability, and inhabitance. We are proposing a SAG to explore the last of these issues, focused on biosignatures. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of biosignature research, it is paramount that the astrobiology and exoplanet communities come together for this effort. This SAG will bring these groups together, in the pursuit of three goals: 1) review the existing state of biosignature science, 2) develop a plan for uncovering novel biosignatures, and 3) list the features of existing biosignatures as an input to mission development and planning activities. In order to most comprehensively achieve these goals, we will organize a workshop to bring together scientists across disciplines, collect notes from that activity to draft a report, and then circulate that report to the community to obtain feedback for a final report. This process will engage a broad range of experts from the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI), the Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS), NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP), and the community served by the ExoPlanet Assessment Group (ExoPAG) and planetary AGs.
Overview: K2, operating since 2013 and expected to continue operations through 2017, is producing hundreds of candidate planets (approximately 50 – 100 per field).
Additionally, TESS, when launched in 2017, will produce thousands of candidates from the selected TESS targets, and potentially hundreds of thousands of candidates from the full‐frame images. In order to confirm these candidates, follow‐up observations, from either the ground or space, are required. Spectroscopy is needed for stellar characterization; radial velocity observations are needed to determine companion masses, and imaging (both seeing‐limited and high‐resolution) is needed to ascertain the target blending and hence determine accurate planetary radii and possible false positives. Some amount of triage work can also be done by time‐series photometric follow‐up with higher angular resolution. SAG 17 will study and enumerate the resources needed by the community to effectively and efficiently validate as many K2 and TESS candidates as possible, and propose methods to allow the community to coordinate and self‐organize the process. This SAG is geared more towards the validation efforts needed rather than the characterization of the systems, but the two efforts are related, and as such, This SAG is complementary to previous and ongoing SAGs (8: RV; 10: Atmospheres; 12: Astrometry; 14: TESS Stars; 15: Directing Imaging Science; 16: Biosignatures). Finally, the purpose of this SAG is not to define what is needed by the TESS project to satisfy their level 1 science requirements, but rather what is needed by the community to validate and study the bounty of the full range of planetary candidates being discovered by K2 and will be discovered by TESS. The following are specific goals of SAG 17: Identify needed follow‐up observations for K2 and TESS including but not limited to imaging, spectroscopy, and time‐series follow‐up Identify telescopes, instrument, and financial resources available to the US community Identify how archival resources can be utilized (e.g., Gaia) Identify how the community can be organized and communication facilitated particularly with regards TESS full frame images, candidate identification, single transiting events, and candidate prioritization. Identify needs to ensure efficient and effective characterization with JWST (and WFIRST) Identify connections to other SAG efforts (e.g., SAGs 15 and 16) Identify synergies of resources with non‐exoplanet science.
Overview: The use of starshades for future direct-imaging missions is being studied and developed by various groups. Extensive testing of starshade performance has been conducted over a wide range of scales and test conditions.
One missing piece has been a clear set of metrics to standardize the starlight-suppression performance of a test and requirements of a flight mission. There have been informal definitions of contrast as the amount of residual starlight at the location of an exoplanet of interest and of suppression as the total amount of residual starlight entering the telescope. But more precise definitions are needed to compare test results across groups and to then define flight requirements using these same definitions. An agreed-upon set of metrics would allow unbiased comparisons between separate tests and between tests and flight requirements. A second SAG (SAG19, chaired by Dimitri Mawet) will be starting at the same time and working in parallel to answer similar questions but focused more on signal detection theory. We will coordinate closely with this SAG and develop compatible standards as much as possible. We propose to form SAG18 to identify the areas of starshade performance where standardized metrics would be beneficial and to create rigorous definitions of key terms. Some questions that may be answered by this SAG are list below. Refining these questions and goals will be the first task for the SAG group. We expect that the outputs from this SAG will be published so that the results can be used in the continuing starshade development work. The minimum outputs will be a glossary of terms as they are used in the community. 1. How can contrast or suppression be used as metrics of starshade performance (pros and cons)? Contrast is directly linked to planet detectability, but is not flight-like if image is over-resolved. Suppression is independent of telescope/ resolution, but it doesn’t take into account the spatial distribution of light, so it’s a very worst-case assessment. 2. How should contrast be defined? The contrast should be calculated using a standard pixel location in the image, such as an annulus near the petal tips. For test where there is no off-axis object in the field, a contrast limit must be calculated. This could be the average light in the chosen pixels, a statistical measure of the noise in the pixels (e.g. StDev), or a simulation of a point source detectability limit in the image. If the test image is over-resolved compared to a flight-like configuration, the image could be post-processed to compensate. A method of compensation should be determined. New starshade metrics should be based off of existing metrics where possible. Coronagraph groups have developed methods of defining contrast achieved in their testbeds and contrast required for planet detection. In additional, standard astronomical techniques for detecting faint sources will be referenced. The starshade metrics will be unique only where some aspect of the residual stray light from starshades requires a new approach. 3. How should suppression be defined? If a test only measures the focal plane, then the suppression must be calculated by summing over an area in that image. Create a standard for what area of the image is included, including what features can be masked off and what radius the area should extend to. If there is a smooth background present in the image, this could be subtracted either as a constant level or a smooth distribution.
overarching to all direct imaging instrument, strategies, and methods. The scope of SAG19 is: 1- To go back to the basics of Bayesian Signal Detection Theory (SDT). Bayesian SDT implies H0:signal absent / H1:signal present hypothesis testing, and invokes well-known concepts such as: the confusion/contingency matrix, false positive (type I error), false negative (type II error), true positive, and true negative fractions, and useful combinations of these quantities such as sensitivity (or completeness) and specificity. 2- To rebuild a solid set of usual definitions used for or in lieu of “contrast” in different contexts, such as astrophysical contrast or ground truth, instrumental contrast used for coronagraph/instrument designs, and the measured on-sky data-driven contrast. Bayesian, hypothesis testing SDT will automatically force our community to be inclusive of all possible aspects of exoplanet detection, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) metrics, including signal-related parameters: planet-star contrast, SED, polarization, variability; instrument parameters: throughput, bandwidth, Strehl ratio/encircled energy, background (sky/thermal, or astrophysical), detector characteristics; noise characteristics as affected by the starlight suppression technique (in a very broad sense): mean intensity, RMS pixel intensities, RMS resolution element (resel, of characteristic size wavelength/telescope diameter) intensities, the probability density function (PDF) computed over pixels, the same PDF computed over resels, their nature and higher order moments, the sample zone and size, outlier management, etc. 3- To identify what we can learn and apply from communities outside our field (e.g. medical imaging). A good example is the widespread use of receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC). ROC plots the true positive fraction against the false positive fraction, and is useful to capture the true performance of a given high contrast imaging instrument, or post-processing/detection algorithm. Other formalisms, alternative to the ROC curve, such as the precision-recall curve will also be considered. 4- To define precise contrast computation and ROC curve computation recipes, a new “industry standard”. The goal is to be able to compare results from surveys, instrument and/or telescope designs on a level-playing field. 5- To identify how the new metrics and recipes can be used to define confidence levels for detection (H1) and subsequently error bars for photometric, spectroscopic, astrometric characterization. Ancillary goals: better understanding what limits exoplanet characterization, not just detection. For instance, understanding the limiting precision of extracted planet spectra from algorithms that anneal the planet signal and gaining proper error assessments from spectral extraction. This is particularly important in cases where the prior on the signal/wavelength to be detected is unknown and iterative forward-modeling must be applied. 6- To perform a community data challenge before and after applying our proposed set of standardized SDT rules and recipes, and apply lessons learned.
Overview: The purpose of this SAG is to gather and summarize input from the exoplanet community regarding how the JWST delay will affect their science, and the overall scientific return of JWST, and what actions (funded or unfunded) taken between now and the JWST launch could mitigate the impact on their and others’ JWST science return.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will have many scientific applications to exoplanetary science, both for transiting and directly imaged exoplanets. The science of exoplanets is a fast moving field, and the state of the field may be markedly different at the time of JWST's launch, compared to its original (2018) launch date. JWST's instrumentation features multiple spectroscopic modes, with many different inter-related applications to exoplanetary science. Some aspects of exoplanetary science may be hindered by the delay of JWST, but other aspects may be better matched to the later launch (e.g., theory and models will be more mature). The broad purpose of this SAG is to define and study the negative and positive aspects of the launch delay, and to suggest strategies for using the time effectively to maximize the exoplanetary scientific return from JWST.
How is your immediate science -- 5 year plan -- impacted, positively or negatively, by the JWST delay?
Are there science program(s) that the JWST delay will prevent you from accomplishing or make more difficult/costly?
Are there science programs(s) that you will now have more time to prepare for/work on due to the JWST delay?
Are there scientific/observational/computational/community resources that would help mitigate the impact of/take advantage of the JWST delay on your science?
Is your immediate funding situation impacted by the JWST delay? This includes funding for yourself and/or students and postdocs for whom you are responsible for funding.
How are you adjusting your science and/or funding program to help mitigate the impact of/take advantage of the JWST delay?
The summary of community input will be shared with the NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program Office as a White Paper. We will have this White Paper ready to share within three months of the survey being released to the community. | https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/exopag/sag/ |
Whe in the home pot, when the heat is brought up in the boiling broth in so-called convection cells, it also looks on our sun. The only difference is that the individual cells are not just a few centimeters in size, but are the size of the American state of Texas and are therefore twice as large as Germany. The physical properties in the region shown – huge magnetic fields, temperatures of several thousand degrees – are so extreme that they cannot be reproduced in any earthly laboratory.
The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope of the American National Science Foundation took this picture, which shows the surface of the sun with a spatial resolution never before achieved. The four-meter telescope is located at an altitude of 3067 meters near the summit of the Haleakala volcano on the island of Maui, Hawaii. The observations show the instrumental potential of the newly commissioned telescope and, as the first observations of the scientific verification phase, are not yet linked to any specific research project.
The film is based on a ten-minute recording at a wavelength of 705 nanometers. Details of up to 30 kilometers are visible in the swelling gas. Convective energy transport – transport that is linked to the movement of matter – is the most efficient form of heat transfer. Hot plasma rises in the bright centers of the cells and sinks down again at the dark edges. The bright areas on the edges mark the occurrence of strong magnetic fields, so-called flux tubes, which play a central role in transporting energy to higher regions of the solar atmosphere, the corona, and thus have a decisive influence on solar activity.
Observing the structures of the magnetic field on the sun’s surface and in its outer atmosphere is the telescope’s scientific goal. In particular, it should be clarified how the magnetic fields arise and are destroyed again, how they interact with the plasma and what influence all this has on the temporal solar variability. Answers to these questions are not only interesting for understanding our sun, they can also help to understand numerous other cosmic phenomena in which magnetic fields play an important role, such as the formation of stars or the interaction of galaxy clusters.
, | https://www.archyde.com/impressive-observations-the-boiling-sun/ |
UCM and IAA-CSIC co-lead TARSIS, the future instrument for the 3.5 m telescope at Calar Alto. TARSIS has unique characteristics, in particular its capacity to detect near ultraviolet light and its unprecedented field of view
Astronomical instruments allow astrophysicists to analyze the light collected by telescopes. Building new, state-of-the-art instruments is crucial to maintain any observatory at the forefront of astronomical research. This was the case for CARMENES, the instrument selected in 2009 for the Calar Alto 3.5-meter telescope, jointly led by Landessternwarte Königstuhl in Heidelberg and the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC) in Granada. CARMENES has been successfully hunting exoplanets from Calar Alto since 2016.
After the publication by the observatory of a “Call for New Legacies and Instrumentation” in 2019, six instrumental projects were received and presented at IAA-CSIC during a workshop in March 2020, funded by the Spanish Network for Infrastructures in Astronomy (RIA). The Calar Alto Scientific Advisory Committee performed an in-depth review of each project and recommended two instrumental designs to be pre-selected: GAMAICA and TARSIS. Both are Integral Field Unit (IFU) spectrographs for the 3.5 m telescope and have successfully passed the feasibility study phase, once evaluated by an instrumental and Technical Advisory Committee. Based on the final recommendation by the Scientific Advisory Committee, the Calar Alto Executive Committee has just selected TARSIS as the new instrument to be constructed for the 3.5 m telescope.
TARSIS stands for Tetra-ARmed Super-Ifu Spectrograph, from its optical design based on four arms (three optimized in the blue, one in the red). It is an instrument co-led by Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) and IAA-CSIC, with participation of three Andalusian universities (Almeria, Granada, and Seville), the INAOE in Mexico, industrial partner Fractal, and the Center for Astrobiology (CAB/INTA-CSIC) in Madrid. The combination of wide field of view (3 x 3 arcminutes on the sky) and high-sensitivity from ultraviolet (in the so-called UV-A range) to red wavelengths make TARSIS a unique instrument. The design of TARSIS and the exquisite transparency of the Calar Alto sky indeed makes possible observations in the full UV-A range, a domain nearly unexplored from the ground.
“Throughout the life of a Unique Science and Technology Infrastructure (ICTS) like the Calar Alto observatory, there are key moments that mark its future. One such moment was for example the development of the CARMENES spectrograph some years ago. Now, we are on the verge of a new phase that will mark the scientific and technological course of Calar Alto in the next decade, with the development of the TARSIS project,”, states Jesús Aceituno, director of the Hispanic Astronomical Center in Andalusia (CAHA, CSIC/Junta de Andalucía) at Calar Alto.
The main scientific driver of TARSIS is the study of clusters of galaxies, the largest building blocks of the Universe at large scales. With CATARSIS, its associated survey, the instrument team will fully map 16 carefully selected galaxy clusters (including the filaments that feed them with galaxies located in their surroundings), about 2 billion light-years away from Earth. TARSIS will provide both an unprecedented large field of view and high efficiency over an extended wavelength range, with a sensitivity that will allow detecting objects up to millions of times fainter than the faintest stars visible to the naked eye in a fully dark place. CATARSIS will hence be able to obtain complete spectra, gathered in one shot, of all galaxies detectable in each of the 16 selected clusters.
Jorge Iglesias, co-Principal Investigator of TARSIS, from IAA-CSIC, states that “Only the unique characteristics of TARSIS allow fully mapping galaxy clusters at distances where we can still resolve the internal structure of galaxies in a wide range of energies at the same time”. In addition to this, Armando Gil de Paz, co-Principal Investigator from the UCM, says that “TARSIS, with its unprecedented large field of view, will be the first of a kind of new generation of spectrometers that would finally allow explore in spectroscopy (that is, with information on the energy of the photons) things that until now could only be done through standard imaging.” Patricia Sánchez Blázquez, Project Scientist in charge of the CATARSIS survey, points out that “the large field of view of TARSIS and the deep planned observations of CATARIS offer major opportunities for the finding, both in the nearby and in the distant Universe, of new UV-bright objects”.
The University of Granada (UGr) is also fully committed to the project. Mónica Relaño Pastor, co-Project Scientist and UGr representative in the TARSIS consortium, points out “the relevance of CATARSIS not only to recover how galaxies form stars during their life, but also to study the influence of the environment on the formation and evolution of galaxies.”
The CATARSIS observations will allow the researchers to validate the standard cosmological model and to understand the nature of dark matter and dark energy, as well as the relationship between galaxies and their environment. Previous cosmological surveys from Calar Alto, ALHAMBRA and CALIFA, as well as the ongoing CAVITY legacy survey (the latter being led by the Galactic Astrophysics group at UGr), have been contributing to our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution mechanisms in the last years. In the next decade, CATARSIS will provide a complete dataset of 16 galaxy clusters valuable as a legacy for the astronomical community worldwide. TARSIS will also be offered to other groups in open time, making it a workhorse instrument for the 3.5 m telescope in the years to come.
Calar Alto Observatory is one of the infrastructures that belong to the national map of Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructures (Spanish acronym: ICTS), approved on November 6th, 2018, by the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Council. | https://www.iaa.csic.es/en/news/tarsis-next-generation-instrument-calar-alto-35-meter-telescope |
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a 6.5m diameter, segmented, deployable telescope for cryogenic IR space astronomy. The JWST Observatory includes the Optical Telescope Element (OTE) and the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM), that contains four science instruments (SI) and the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS). The SIs are mounted to a composite metering structure. The SIs and FGS were integrated to the ISIM structure and optically tested at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center using the Optical Telescope Element SIMulator (OSIM). OSIM is a full-field, cryogenic JWST telescope simulator. SI performance, including alignment and wavefront error, was evaluated using OSIM. We describe test and analysis methods for optical performance verification of the ISIM Element, with an emphasis on the processes used to plan and execute the test. The complexity of ISIM and OSIM drove us to develop a software tool for test planning that allows for configuration control of observations, implementation of associated scripts, and management of hardware and software limits and constraints, as well as tools for rapid data evaluation, and flexible re-planning in response to the unexpected. As examples of our test and analysis approach, we discuss how factors such as the ground test thermal environment are compensated in alignment. We describe how these innovative methods for test planning and execution and post-test analysis were instrumental in the verification program for the ISIM element, with enough information to allow the reader to consider these innovations and lessons learned in this successful effort in their future testing for other programs.
In late 2015/early 2016, a major cryo-vacuum test was carried out for the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This test comprised the final cryo-certification and calibration test of the ISIM, after its ambient environmental test program (vibration, acoustics, EMI/EMC), and before its delivery for integration with the rest of the JWST observatory. Over the 108-day period of the round-the-clock test program, the full complement of ISIM flight instruments, structure, harness radiator, and electronics were put through a comprehensive program of thermal, optical, electrical, and operational tests. The test verified the health and excellent performance of the instruments and ISIM systems, proving the ISIM element’s readiness for integration with the telescope. We report here on the context, goals, setup, execution, and key results for this critical JWST milestone.
We present the wavelength and spectral resolution characterisation of the Integral Field Unit (IFU) Medium Resolution Spectrometer for the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI), to fly onboard the James Webb Space Telescope in 2014. We use data collected using the Verification Model of the instrument and develop an empirical method to calibrate properties such as wavelength range and resolving power in a portion of the spectrometer's full spectral range (5-28 μm). We test our results against optical models to verify the system requirements and combine them with a study of the fringing pattern in the instrument's detector to provide a more accurate calibration. We show that MIRI's IFU spectrometer will be able to produce spectra with a resolving power above R = 2800 in the wavelength range 6.46 - 7.70 μm, and that the unresolved spectral lines are well fitted by a Gaussian profile.
MIDIR is the proposed thermal/mid-IR imager and spectrograph for the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). It will cover the wavelength range of 3 to at least 20 μm. Designed for diffraction-limited performance over the entire wavelength range, MIDIR will require an adaptive optics system; a cryogenically cooled system could offer optimal performance in the IR, and this is a critical aspect of the instrument design. We present here an overview of the project, including a discussion of MIDIR's science goals and a comparison with other infrared (IR) facilities planned in the next decade; top level requirements derived from these goals are outlined. We describe the optical and mechanical design work carried out in the context of a conceptual design study, and discuss some important issues to emerge from this work, related to the design, operation and calibration of the instrument. The impact of telescope optical design choices on the requirements for the MIDIR instrument is demonstrated.
The MIRI Medium Resolution Spectrometer (MIRI-MRS) will increase the sensitivity of astronomical spectroscopy at thermal infrared wavelengths (from 5 to 28 microns), by a factor of 1000 over the best that can be achieved by existing ground-based instruments. This leap in performance is further enhanced by the first use at these wavelengths of all reflective Integral Field Units (image slicers) to provide the spectrometer with a rectangular field of view with a shortest dimension of 3.5 arcseconds. We describe the optical design of the MRS and present predictions for its delivered image quality.
MIDIR is a combined thermal/mid-infrared imager and spectrograph for the European Extremely Large Telescope (EELT). It will operate in the infrared L, M, N, and Q-band to 20μm with a goal to extend the wavelength coverage to 27μm if the atmospheric properties of the site are sufficiently good. MIDIR will offer imaging and spectroscopic modes over a wide range in spectral resolution. MIDIR will be designed for diffraction limited performance, requiring an optimized, cryogenic adaptive optics (AO) system. The conceptual study of MIDIR is part of a suite of eight ELT instrument "small studies" partly funded by the EU . The study is being performed by an international consortium of Leiden Observatory, Astron, MPIA, UK-ATC, and ESO. The high level instrument requirements for MIDIR have been directly derived from numerous important science cases. In this paper we discuss the science case for MIDIR, provide a summary of the technical specifications, discuss the requirements on the AO system, and estimate the sensitivity in various observing modes. More technical details on the instrument are given in a parallel paper at this conference .
A MIR instrumentation study for a European ELT has been performed by a Dutch consortium led by the Leiden Observatory (The Netherlands) and the Max-Planck-Institut fur Astronomie in Heidelberg (Germany). MIR imaging and spectroscopic observational capabilities are compared to contemporary IR to sub-millimeter facilities, especially concentrating on the MIR-capabilities of JWST(MIRI). Our best effort calculation of the sensitivity for both MIR imager and spectrograph indicate a huge discovery potential in numerous areas from our planetary system to the high redshift Universe (see [6269-75] during this conference). Here we concentrate on the technical aspects of such an instrument, offering diffraction limited direct imaging capabilities over the wavelength range from 3.5μm up to 20μm or even 27μm, as well as medium to high resolution spectroscopy for the same wavelength range. To make use of the extreme spatial resolution, the spectrograph is planned to include an integral field unit.
We present details of a new illumination source, suitable for use on mid-infrared satellite instruments. The device is based around an electrically heated tungsten filament. The source is compact, and dissipates typically 9 mW for an effective black-body temperature of 1000 K. A typical device design will warm from 4 K to 1000 K in around 1 s, and cool from 1000 K to 4 K in around 2.5 s. We present results for a range of device designs, and discuss the range of parameter space (e.g. power dissipation, time constant, photon flux) to which these devices can be tuned. A device of this type is currently in qualification for flight on JWST-MIRI<sup>1</sup>, and similar devices are being considered for use on JWST-NIRSPEC and SPICA<sup>2</sup>-ESI<sup>3</sup>. | https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/profile/Alistair.Glasse-13592?SSO=1 |
The analysis and interpretation of exoplanet spectra from time-series observations remains a significant challenge to our current understanding of exoplanet atmospheres, due to the complexities in understanding instrumental systematics. Previous observations of the hot Jupiter WASP-31b using transmission spectroscopy at low resolution have presented conflicting results. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations detected a strong potassium feature at high significance (4.2σ), which subsequent ground-based spectrophotometry with the Very Large Telescope (VLT) failed to reproduce. Here, we present high-resolution observations (R > 80 000) of WASP-31b with the UVES spectrograph, in an effort to resolve this discrepancy. We perform a comprehensive search for potassium using differential transit light curves, and integration over the planet's radial velocity. Our observations do not detect K absorption at the level previously reported with HST, consistent with the VLT observations. We measure a differential light curve depth ΔF = 0.00031 ± 0.00036 using 40 Å bins centred on the planet's K feature, and set an upper limit on the core line depth of ΔF ≤ 0.007 (3σ) at a few times the resolution limit (≈0.24 Å). These results demonstrate that there are still significant limitations to our understanding of instrumental systematics even with our most stable space-based instrumentation, and that care must be taken when extracting narrow band signatures from low-resolution data. Confirming exoplanet features using alternative instruments and methodologies should be a priority, and confronting the limitations of systematics is essential to our future understanding of exoplanet atmospheres.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- January 2019
- DOI:
- 10.1093/mnras/sty2722
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1810.03693
- Bibcode:
- 2019MNRAS.482..606G
- Keywords:
-
- methods: data analysis;
- techniques: spectroscopic;
- stars: individual: (WASP-31);
- planetary systems;
- Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
- E-Print: | https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019MNRAS.482..606G |
Probing the Atmosphere of an Extrasolar Planet with Gemini South
Figure 1. Spectral light curves with the central wavelengths marked and a linear trend in time removed. Left panel: Light curves fitted with the simple white noise model. Middle panel: Residuals from the white noise fits. Right panel: Identical light curves as left panel with their best fit Gaussian Processing (GP) model in red. The grey shading represents the 1 and 2 σ limits of the GP model (including white noise).
Credit: Gemini Observatory/AURA
Figure 2. Resulting transmission spectra of WASP-29b from the Gaussian Processing model.
A group of British astronomers, led by Neale P. Gibson of the University of Oxford, used the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) to probe the atmosphere of a transiting extrasolar planet identified as WASP-29b. Previously, measurements of this sort were only possible from space, due to distortions from the Earth’s atmosphere. Now, thanks to advances in instrumentation and data processing, it is possible to perform these difficult observations using ground-based telescopes like Gemini. ESO’s Very Large Telescope was the first to attempt such observations and this work by Gibson et al. demonstrates the same extraordinary capability, and required instrumental stability, with GMOS on Gemini.
The study of exoplanets is a rapidly advancing discipline with more than 800 planets detected beyond our solar system so far. The first of these were detected in 1988 and about 600 have been found in just the last decade. Another 2000 are expected to be revealed by NASA’s Kepler satellite. While most exoplanets are found indirectly with the radial velocity method, a few planets are far enough from their star that they can be resolved spatially and thus imaged directly (see Gemini’s direct imaging discoveries: http://www.gemini.edu/node/11437 and http://www.gemini.edu/node/11486). However, both of these methods have their limitations and can provide only orbital parameters with limits on masses. In the case of direct imaging, observations are limited to the study of planets which are larger and much warmer than Jupiter and have orbits far enough from their host stars (or close enough to us) to be spatially resolved. However, to understand planetary systems more fully, and explore their diversity, we need spectroscopic measurements of their atmospheres; luckily, transiting planets allow such observations without requiring the star and planet to be spatially resolved.
Transmission spectroscopy is a technique that measures the effective size of the planet as a function of wavelength during a transit of the primary star. Due to wavelength dependent opacities in the atmosphere, the planet appears larger (and blocks more of the primary star’s light) at wavelengths where the atmosphere absorbs or scatters light. This property can be used as a probe for the presence of atomic and molecular species, as well as clouds or hazes in the atmosphere of the transiting planet. On October 19, 2011 Gibson and his team used GMOS in the multi-object spectroscopic mode to observe WASP-29b plus two comparison stars simultaneously, and continuously, for ~5 hours, covering the ~3 hour transit plus ~1 hour prior to ingress and ~1 hour after egress (see Figure 1). These simultaneous spectra allowed the team to acquire differential spectro-photometry and thus properly correct for atmospheric and instrumental effects which introduce noise in the measurements. With this, and after meticulous post-processing of the data, the team finally constructed a transmission spectrum from ~515 to 720nm of the atmosphere of the transiting exoplanet (see Figure 2).
The precision of the measurements reaches ~1×10−4 in transit depth, with the transmission spectrum free of spectral features. Given the non-detection of a pressure broadened Na feature, the authors rule out the presence of a sodium-rich atmosphere free of clouds or hazes. In addition, the orbital parameters of the system were refined and confirm that the planet is a hot-Saturn with about a ~970K surface temperature and orbiting at 0.05AU from its type K4 host star.
A detailed description of the post-processing methods and analysis of the spectra of the transiting Saturn-sized planet will be published by Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and the preprint can be found here. | http://www.gemini.edu/node/11899 |
With the help of "adaptive optics," a revolutionary optical concept (eso8908), infrared astronomical images have been obtained with the ESO 3.6 m telescope at the La Silla observatory which are as sharp as they would be if the telescope were situated in space. This is the first time in astronomy that a ground-based telescope of this size has been able to directly register during long time periods stellar images with a sharpness that corresponds to the theoretically possible limit.
Producing four times sharper images than possible before, the 3.6-m telescope is now able to register images up to sixteen times fainter than before. With the new technique its observational potential in the infrared spectral region is unsurpassed by any other ground- or space-based telescope.
The observations were made by an astronomer/engineer team with a new device, the VLT Adaptive Optics Prototype System, developed in a collaboration between ESO, the Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA), LASERDOT (formerly Laboratoires de Marcoussis) and the Observatoire de Paris-Meudon in France. The principle of adaptive optics is based on a computer-controlled, small deformable mirror which counteracts the smearing effect of the atmospheric turbulence. More details may be found in the Appendix at the end of this Press Release.
Eliminating the atmospherical turbulence
During a period of good observing conditions, images were obtained in various wavebands in the infrared region of the spectrum, ranging from the J-band (at wavelength 1.2 μm) to the M-band (4.8 μm). The atmospherically induced "seeing", i.e. the diameter of stellar images registered by the telescope, was around 0.8 arcsec; the actuation of the adaptive optical system reduced this by a factor of four in the L-band (3.5 μm), to the theoretically smallest possible value, 0.22 arcsec. The picture accompanying this Press Release illustrates the dramatic improvement in image sharpness . With the adaptive optics, the telescope easily separates the components of a double star which are at a distance of only 0.38 arcseconds.
This achievement implies that the image-smearing effect of the turbulence in the atmosphere above the telescope was almost completely eliminated. It no longer has any influence on the image sharpness and for observations at this wavelength, the 3.6 m telescope therefore functioned as if it were situated in space.
The present prototype adaptive optics system is optimized for this wavelength region, but a substantial improvement was also seen at shorter wavelengths. For instance, the image diameter in the K-band (2.2 μm) was measured as 0.18 arcseconds. This is the smallest image size ever obtained continuously and in real-time at a large ground-based telescope and it is only slightly above the theoretical limit in this waveband, 0.13 arcseconds.
Future developments
Following the successful demonstration of the adaptive optics principle at the 3.6-m telescope, the team of astronomers and engineers at ESO and in France now aims at the rapid implementation of further technological refinements in a second-generation adaptive optics instrument.
By increasing the number of computer-controlled supports ("actuators") for the deformable mirror from 19 to 52 and improving the speed of computation of the mirror corrections by a factor of 2.5 or more, it is expected that it will become possible to achieve the theoretical sharpness limit at shorter wavelengths, e.g. in the H-band (1.65 μm). This would also further improve the performance at even shorter wavelengths; the present configuration already reduces the image diameters in the J-band (1.2 μm) by a factor of about three, to 0.31 arcseconds, while the theoretical limit at this waveband is 0.07 arcseconds. It is expected that the new developments will require about 18 months.
Not only does adaptive optics increase the image sharpness, it also concentrates the light better (see the picture). This is of great importance in order to increase the efficiency of the modern detectors at the telescope.
There is little doubt that adaptive optics will play an increasingly important role in ground-based astronomy. The elimination of the adverse effects of atmospheric turbulence enables a ground-based telescope to approach - in the restricted wavelength range where the Earth's atmosphere is transparent, i.e. mostly at near-infrared wavelengths - the limits of a space-based one, but at a much smaller cost. This technique is therefore entirely complementary to the Hubble Space Telescope concept.
Adaptive optics will provide a decisive advantage for the interferometric mode of ESO's 16-m Very Large Telescope (VLT), a unique feature of this project that combines several telescopes.
But are there limitations? Yes, the adaptive optics principle only works on a small sky field around a comparatively bright reference star. The light from this star gives the information that is needed to control the deformable mirror.
Appendix: what is adaptive optics?
Ever since the invention of the telescope in the early 17th century, astronomers have had to accept that the sharpness of astronomical images obtained with ground-based instruments is severely limited by a factor which is beyond their control, that is the turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere.
This turbulence is perceived by the eye as the twinkling of stars. High above the observer, mostly at altitudes between 5 and 10 kilometres, there are many small, moving cells of air, each of which produces a "sub-image" of the same star; the result is a swarm of moving sub-images. (Compare with the air above a toaster or a hot radiator.)
To a naked-eye observer, the number of sub-images which fall within the periphery of his eye pupil changes all the time. The perceived intensity of the star varies; the star twinkles.
In a telescope, the size (that is, the sharpness) of a stellar image, is equal to the area within which this swarm of sub-images moves. The greater the air turbulence, the larger is this area and the less sharp are the resulting images. Because of this effect, an increase of the size of a telescope does not improve its ability to resolve details of astronomical objects, once the aperture of the telescope exceeds 10 or 20 cm; the best achievable image sharpness, even by high-quality, large astronomical telescopes, is effectively determined by the state of the atmosphere, and is referred to as "astronomical seeing" during the exposure. For this reason, large telescopes are placed at sites where the atmospheric turbulence is as small as possible, for instance La Silla.
The technique of "adaptive optics" overcomes this natural limit. Expressed in simple terms, it enables the telescope to "catch" all of the subimages by means of a small, deformable mirror which "focuses" these images into one, sharp image. It can also be described in terms of correcting the atmospherically introduced distortions of the light wavefront from the star.
It is based on a feed-back loop, and the optical system contains a deformable mirror which can change its surface profile in a way that exactly compensates for the distortions of the light wavefront after it has passed through the atmosphere. The information about how to deform the mirror comes from a wavefront sensor which allows to measure the shape of the distorted light wavefront. It requires a very fast and powerful computer to calculate how the actuators located behind the deformable mirror have to push and pull the mirror surface.
The present prototype system has a mirror with 19 actuators. The mirror is deformed, hence the wavefront is corrected, 100 times per second.
Note that the technique of adaptive optics, as described here, is complementary to active optics, a system that allows to keep large astronomical mirrors in optimal shape when gravity, wind and heat distort them, and which has been so successfully implemented at the ESO New Technology Telescope (see eso8903, eso8904 and eso9003).
Notes
In B/W; also available in false-colour on request.
More information
Members: Gerard Rousset (ONERA); Fritz Merkle and Georg Gehring (ESO); Francois Rigaut, Pierre Kern and Pierre Gigan (Observatoire de Paris); Corinne Boyer (LASERDOT). | https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso9006/ |
It has been known for more than a century that living cells emit ultra-weak light (UWL) or photons [JJC13, DUI97] – a phenomenon also refered to as bio-photons. However, it is still not clear what role these bio-photons play nor how they are generated in the first place [CP14]. Although the exact process responsible for the bio-photons has not been identified, there is a strong indication that metabolic processes are involved [ZTZ73]. It is tacitly assumed that bio-photons originate from radiative decay of electronically excited molecular species, which are generated chemically during oxidative metabolic processes in the mitochondria of microbial, plant and animal cells. These molecules, known as Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), have a number of variants with multiple mechanisms for their pro- ductions [PPR14]. Among these variants are the triplet excited carbonyls (emitting mostly in the visible part of the spectrum, 350–550 nm), dimolar (emitting at around 634 nm and 703 nm) and monomolar singlet oxygen (emitting at 1270 nm) [PPR14]. The mechanisms underlying the generation of ROS can be classified as occurring either during the normal functioning of the cell (i.e., the electron transport chain) or initiated by various biotic or abiotic stressors and oxidative factors (i.e., chemically induced oxidative stress) [PP11]. It is important to note that other forms of bio-luminescence, such as fluorescence or phosphorescence, also occur in living organisms. What distinguishes bio-photons as described above is the spontaneous nature of their emission.
It is possible that bio-photons are merely a byproduct of such metabolic activity in the cells. However, a number of studies point to a functional role of the bio-photons within organisms, from the control of embryonic development [Gur23, GA28, VB15] to information transmission in the nervous system [BSTA10, SVB+15, ZKT+18, GKK04, RTB+11]. A recent study found that light can trigger a physiologically meaningful function (i.e., thermogenesis) deep in the brain (via the light sensitive protein opsin5) [ZDU+20]. A number of experiments have established a correlation between the intensity of the bio-photons and the firmly accepted electro-chemical signalling of the neurons [TD14]. In particular, the application of glutamate, which is the most abundant neurotransmitter in the brain, has shown to significantly enhance the bio-photon emission in mouse brain slices while certain action potential inhibitors (e.g. Tetrodotoxin) or anesthetics (e.g. procaine) suppressed the bio-photon emission. In other studies, the electroencephalographic (EEG) activity from the brain was found to be strongly correlated with the emission intensity of the bio-photons [KTS+99, DSP12]. Such results manifest a potential connection between brain activity and bio-photons generation, but for an indication of a functional role we look at the capability of neurons to guide light and, thus, their potential for being involved in neuronal communication [SVB+15]. Note that even if the observed bio-photon intensity is weak and, thus, seemingly ineffective as a signal carrier, the intensity may be much larger inside cells [BSTA10]. The light guiding capacity of neurons has been shown both in models and experiments [SWD10, HMB+94, DGB+20, KBT+16]. The first direct experimental evidence obtained using rat spinal nerve roots suggested that light stimulation can generate bio-photons, which are transmitted through the neural fibers [SWD10]. In addition to this, multiple experiments have shown a directional dependence for light propagation in the neural tissue; including the observation of increased transmission along the axes of the white matter tracts [HMB+94] and a recent study in which the scattering coefficients of the white matter in spinal cord of various species were found to be significantly lower in the longitudinal direction i.e., along the axis of the axons [DGB+20]. These observations spurred theoretical modelling of the light guiding properties of axons. A detailed model based on photonic simulation software found that myelinated axons, i.e. axons enclosed in a myelin sheath, are capable of guiding a large range of wavelengths over distances relevant for connecting separate parts of a brain [KBT+16].
Current projects:
The observations of bio-photons to date have generally seen a very low count of about 1-100 photons per second [CP14]. Hence, the main technical challenge of detecting bio-photons is that it requires detectors with high efficiency and low false counts, which mask the bio-photons signal. To achieve such high signal and low noise detection, most previous studies have utilized either photo-multiplier tubes or silicon based Charged-Coupled Device (CCD) based imaging, both of which have some limitations [CP14]. Photo-multiplier tubes are robust detection devices for low light-levels due to their low dark-current. However, they provide almost no spatial resolution and have maximum photon detection efficiencies of about 25-30% over approximately a 100 nm range [HC07]. In contrast CCD devices allow imaging samples and thus provide spatial resolution. Their peak sensitivity can reach above 80%, and with an electron-multiplier enhancement they can reach single-photon detection sensitivities. However, for all but the most advanced devices, the signal-to-noise ratio for single-photon detection is insufficient for bio-photon detection [CP14]. Another key limitation is that CCD devices, due to the value of the energy band-gap of silicon, are insensitive to radiation above about 1000 nm, and thus the potential wavelength of some of the bio-photons, e.g. corresponding to the decay of monomolar singlet oxygen.
To overcome the limitations of previous approaches, we use a photon-detection technique based on superconducting nano-wire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs). The development of this technology was driven by similar requirements for efficient single-photon level detection in quantum communication [HI19, You20]. The current state-of-the-art SNSPDs have close to unity efficiency (> 95%) [MVS+13] and less than one erroneous (dark) count per second [SSTT15, SVD+15]. For this reason, they are ideally suited for bio-photon detection. In addition SNSPDs feature unprecedented timing resolution of a few pico-seconds [KZA+20], and can be tailored to operate over a wavelength range – from the ultraviolet to the infrared – which is broader than the standard detector platforms, i.e. photo-multipliers and CCDs. The fact that SNSPDs, which have to be placed in a cryogenic environment, are interfaced using optical fibres facilitates spatial resolution of the bio-photon emission and thus allow identification of regions in the neuronal tissue with increased or reduced rates of bio-photon emission.
Bio-photon emission has been studied in a range of biological systems from plants to neural tissue of mammals. Indeed, most thorough studies have employed brain or spinal-cord tissue from rats. We use tadpoles from the frog Xenopus as our model. This system has a high degree of conservation of most essential cellular and molecular mechanisms as compared to mammals and it is inexpensive and easy to manipulate genetically. Moreover, Xenopus has been used to determine the molecular mechanisms that control neuronal differentiation and network organization of light sensory circuits in the retina [BHM14, BM18, BALM+20]. Such studies are relevant to the role of light sensitive proteins, such as opsin5, which was found facilitate light induced functions in the hypothalamic preoptic area of a mouse brain [ZDU+20]. Finally, the relatively fast development of tadpoles makes it possible to observe embriogenesis from a single-cell embryo to a fully developed tadpole brain over a span of only four days. Thereby, this allows correlating bio-photon emission with specific developmental stages from undifferentiated embryonic cells (day 1), brain progenitor cells of the neurula (2 days) and differentiated brain cells (day 4). During this period of embryonic development, neural circuits begin to wire (second day, initial neuron differentiation) to form a complex network by day four. | https://qcloudlab.com/research/quantum-biology/ |
Abstract: We report on one of the highest sensitivity surveys for molecular lines in the frequency range 6.0 to 7.4 GHz conducted to date. The observations were done with the 305m Arecibo Telescope toward a sample of twelve intermediate/high-mass star forming regions. We searched for a large number of transitions of different molecules, including CH3OH and OH. The low RMS noise of our data (~5 mJy for most sources and transitions) allowed detection of spectral features that have not been seen in previous lower sensitivity observations of the sources, such as detection of excited OH and 6.7 GHz CH3OH absorption. A review of 6.7 GHz CH3OH detections indicates an association between absorption and radio continuum sources in high-mass star forming regions, although selection biases in targeted projects and low sensitivity of blind surveys imply incompleteness. Absorption of excited OH transitions was also detected toward three sources. In particular, we confirm a broad 6.035 GHz OH absorption feature in G34.26+0.15 characterized by an asymmetric blue-shifted wing indicative of expansion, perhaps a large scale outflow in this HII region.
Submission historyFrom: Esteban Araya Ph.D. [view email]
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A new mid-infrared exoplanet imaging system, combined with a long observation time, enables ground-based telescopes to directly capture images of planets three times the size of Earth within the habitable zones of nearby stars.
Thanks to advances reported in the journal Nature Communications by an international team of astronomers, it is now possible to capture images of planets that could potentially sustain life around nearby stars.
Efforts to directly image exoplanets – planets outside our solar system – have been hampered by technological limitations, resulting in a bias toward the detection of larger-than-Jupiter planets that are located around very young stars and far outside the habitable zone – the “sweet spot” in which a planet can sustain liquid water. Astronomers must look elsewhere for alien life if they are to find it.
“If we want to find planets with conditions suitable for life as we know it, we have to look for rocky planets roughly the size of Earth, inside the habitable zones around older, sun-like stars,” said the paper’s first author, Kevin Wagner, a Sagan Fellow in NASA’s Hubble Fellowship Program at the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory.
Wagner claims that the method described in the paper is a tenfold improvement over existing capabilities for directly observing exoplanets. According to Wagner, most studies on exoplanet imaging have looked at infrared wavelengths of less than 10 microns, falling just short of the wavelength range where such planets shine the brightest.
“There’s a good reason for that,” Wagner explained, “because the Earth itself is shining at you at those wavelengths.” “Your signal is being drowned out by infrared emissions from the sky, the camera, and the telescope itself. The good reason to concentrate on these wavelengths is that they are where an Earth-like planet in the habitable zone of a sun-like star will shine brightest.”
Using a newly developed system for mid-infrared exoplanet imaging, in combination with a very long observation time, the study’s authors say they can now use ground-based telescopes to directly capture images of planets about three times the size of Earth within the habitable zones of nearby stars.
The team used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile to observe our nearest neighbor star system, Alpha Centauri, which is only 4.4 light-years away. Alpha Centauri is a triple star system composed of two stars, Alpha Centauri A and B, that are similar in size and age to the sun and orbit each other in a binary system. Alpha Centauri C, also known as Proxima Centauri, is a much smaller red dwarf that orbits its two siblings at a great distance.
A planet about twice the size of Earth that orbits in the habitable zone around Proxima Centauri has already been detected indirectly via observations of the star’s radial velocity variation, or the tiny wobble a star exhibits under the tug of the unseen planet. According to the study’s authors, Alpha Centauri A and B may have similar planets, but indirect detection methods are not yet sensitive enough to detect rocky planets in their more widely separated habitable zones, as Wagner explained.
“With direct imaging, we can now push beneath those detection limits for the first time,” he said.
The team used an adaptive secondary telescope mirror to increase the sensitivity of the imaging setup, which can correct for light distortion caused by the Earth’s atmosphere. Furthermore, to block the light from one of the stars at a time, the researchers used a starlight-blocking mask optimized for the mid-infrared light spectrum. They also pioneered a new technique for rapidly switching between observing Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B in order to observe both stars’ habitable zones at the same time.
“Every tenth of a second, we move one star on and one star off the coronagraph,” Wagner explained. “This allows us to observe each star for half the time, and, more importantly, it allows us to subtract one frame from the subsequent frame, removing everything that is essentially just noise from the camera and telescope.”
Using this method, unwanted starlight and “noise” (unwanted signal from within the telescope and camera) become essentially random background noise, which can be reduced further by stacking images and subtracting the noise using specialized software.
The technique allowed the team to remove as much of the unwanted noise as possible and detect the much fainter signals created by potential planet candidates inside the habitable zone, similar to the effect of noise-canceling headphones, which allow soft music to be heard over a steady stream of unwanted jet engine noise.
Over the course of a month in 2019, the team observed the Alpha Centauri system for nearly 100 hours, collecting over 5 million images. “This is one of the first dedicated multi-night exoplanet imaging campaigns,” Wagner explained. “We stacked all of the data we accumulated over nearly a month and used that to achieve our final sensitivity.”
After removing so-called artifacts, which are false signals produced by the instrumentation and residual light from the coronagraph, the final image revealed a light source labeled “C1,” which could potentially indicate the presence of an exoplanet candidate within the habitable zone.
“There is one point source that looks like what we would expect a planet to look like, and we can’t explain it with any of the systematic error corrections,” Wagner explained. “We are not confident enough to say we discovered a planet around Alpha Centauri, but there is a signal there that could be that with further verification.”
According to Wagner, simulations of what planets in the data might look like suggesting that “C1” could be a Neptune- to Saturn-sized planet at a distance from Alpha Centauri A comparable to the distance between the Earth and the sun. However, the authors state unequivocally that without further verification, the possibility that C1 is due to some unknown artifact caused by the instrument itself cannot be ruled out.
The goal of the Breakthrough Watch/NEAR initiative, which stands for New Earths in the Alpha Centauri Region, has been to find a potentially habitable planet within Alpha Centauri. Breakthrough Watch is a global astronomical program that searches for Earth-like planets in the vicinity of nearby stars.
“We are very grateful to the Breakthrough Initiatives and ESO for their support in achieving another steppingstone toward the imaging of Earthlike planets around our neighbor stars,” said Markus Kasper, the NEAR project’s lead scientist and co-author on the paper.
In a few years, the team plans to launch another imaging campaign in an attempt to catch this potential exoplanet in the Alpha Centauri system in a different location and see if it is consistent with what would be expected based on modeling its expected orbit. Follow-up observations using various methods may yield additional clues.
The next generation of extremely large telescopes, such as the European Southern Observatory’s Extremely Large Telescope and the Giant Magellan Telescope, for which the University of Arizona produces primary mirrors, are expected to increase direct observations of nearby stars that may harbor planets in their habitable zones by a factor of ten, according to Wagner. Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, and Tau Ceti, which hosts an indirectly observed planetary system that Wagner and his colleagues will attempt to directly image, are among the candidates to be studied.
“Making the capability demonstrated here a routine observing mode — picking up heat signatures of planets orbiting within the habitable zones of nearby stars — will be a game-changer for the exploration of new worlds and the search for life in the universe,” said study co-author Daniel Apai, an Arizona associate professor of astronomy and planetary science who leads the NASA-funded project.
NEAR was primarily funded by the Breakthrough Watch program and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). Breakthrough Watch is run by Breakthrough Initiatives, which is funded by the Breakthrough Foundation. Breakthrough Watch provided the instrument upgrades that allowed the observations to be made, and ESO provided telescope time.
Please see the research paper “Imaging low-mass planets within Alpha Centauri’s habitable zone” for a complete list of authors and institutions, as well as funding information. | https://www.assignmentpoint.com/science/astronomy/a-new-approach-to-the-search-for-habitable-planets.html |
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Abstract
SCExAO at the Subaru telescope is a visible and near-infrared high-contrast imaging instrument employing extreme adaptive optics and coronagraphy. The instrument feeds the near-infrared light (JHK) to the integralfield spectrograph CHARIS. The spectropolarimetric capability of CHARIS is enabled by a Wollaston prism and is unique among high-contrast imagers. We present a detailed Mueller matrix model describing the instrumental polarization effects of the complete optical path, thus the telescope and instrument. From measurements with the internal light source, we find that the image derotator (K-mirror) produces strongly wavelength-dependent crosstalk, in the worst case converting ∼95% of the incident linear polarization to circularly polarized light that cannot be measured. Observations of an unpolarized star show that the magnitude of the instrumental polarization of the telescope varies with wavelength between 0.5% and 1%, and that its angle is exactly equal to the altitude angle of the telescope. Using physical models of the fold mirror of the telescope, the half-wave plate, and the derotator, we simultaneously fit the instrumental polarization effects in the 22 wavelength bins. Over the full wavelength range, our model currently reaches a total polarimetric accuracy between 0.08% and 0.24% in the degree of linear polarization. We propose additional calibration measurements to improve the polarimetric accuracy to <0.1% and plan to integrate the complete Mueller matrix model into the existing CHARIS post-processing pipeline. Our calibrations of CHARIS’ spectropolarimetric mode will enable unique quantitative polarimetric studies of circumstellar disks and planetary and brown dwarf companions. | https://authors.library.caltech.edu/110335/ |
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Aims: In this work, we explore the spectral window containing Fraunhofer lines formed in the solar photosphere, around the magnetically sensitive Cr I lines at 5780.9, 5781.1, 5781.7, 5783.0, and 5783.8 Å, with Landé g-factors between 1.6 and 2.5. The goal is to simultaneously analyze 15 spectral lines, comprising Cr I, Cu I, Fe I, Mn I, and Si I lines, without the use of polarimetry, to infer the thermodynamic and magnetic properties in strongly magnetized plasmas using an inversion code.
Methods: Our study is based on a new setup at the Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT, Tenerife), which includes fast spectroscopic scans in the wavelength range around the Cr I 5781.75 Å line. The oscillator strengths log(gf) of all spectral lines, as well as their response functions to temperature, magnetic field, and Doppler velocity, were determined using the Stokes Inversion based on Response functions (SIR) code. Snapshot 385 of the enhanced network simulation from the Bifrost code serves to synthesize all the lines, which are, in turn, inverted simultaneously with SIR to establish the best inversion strategy. We applied this strategy to VTT observations of a sunspot belonging to NOAA 12723 on 2018 September 30 and compared the results to full-disk vector field data obtained with the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI).
Results: The 15 simultaneously inverted intensity profiles (Stokes I) delivered accurate temperatures and Doppler velocities when compared with the simulations. The derived magnetic fields and inclinations achieve the best level of accuracy when the fields are oriented along the line-of-sight (LOS) and less accurate when the fields are transverse to the LOS. In general, the results appear similar to what is reported in the HMI vector-field data, although some discrepancies exist.
Conclusions: The analyzed spectral range has the potential to deliver thermal, dynamic, and magnetic information for strongly magnetized features on the Sun, such as pores and sunspots, even without the use of polarimetry. The highest sensitivity of the lines is found in the lower photosphere, on average, around log τ = −1. The multiple-line inversions provide smooth results across the whole field of view (FOV). The presented spectral range and inversion strategy will be used for future VTT observing campaigns. | https://www.iac.es/en/science-and-technology/publications/multiple-stokes-i-inversions-inferring-magnetic-fields-spectral-range-around-cr-i-5782 |
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Phase II Checklist
Observations:
- Are observations defined for all targets and for all grating settings (if more than one requested)?
Phase I Checklist
Instrument configuration:
- Is the appropriate order sorting filter for each desired spectral interval specified in the proposal instrument resource list?
- Does your choice of slit give appropriate spectral resolution and sensitivity?
Telescope peripheral wavefront sensors:
- Have you specified one guide star of adequate brightness for the peripheral wavefront sensor?
Phoenix OT Details
After the queue for a given semester is consolidated, the PIs
of approved proposals will be sent a "Phase II skeleton", which is imported
in to the Observing Tool (OT) so that individual observations can be
defined, by selecting each one at a time.
Transmission Spectrum
A 0.9-5.6µm model transmission spectrum of the atmosphere over Cerro Pachon is available (as a 4.9MB text file) here. The spectrum is for an airmass of 1.5 and for 7.6 mm of water (thus somewhat non-optimal conditions at wavelengths where H2O is important). The resolution is 0.00004µm, roughly comparable to the resolution of Phoenix (somewhat lower near 1µm and somewhat higher near 5µm. The wavelength scale is in vacuo.
Overheads
All Observers
The overhead for slew and set-up is usually 20 minutes. Acquisition of the target consists of images, offsets and instrument configuration changes, all of which are done manually by the observer on the dedicated Phoenix computer.
The following overheads must also be included in the time requested for each scientific observation.
Phoenix ITC
NOAO's exposure time calculator for Phoenix can be used to roughly estimate the Phoenix sensitivity, but it is particularly inaccurate in the 3-5 micron region. For actual measurements see the Sensitivity Table or the Sensitivity Plots.
Sensitivity Table
|PHOENIX POINT SOURCE SENSITIVITY (S/N=5 PER SPECTRAL PIXEL IN 1 HOUR, W/O OVERHEADS)|
|Wavelength
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microns
|Slit width
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Observing Strategies
Nod size: Like all infrared spectrographs, observations are taken in pairs (ab) or quads (abba) in order to remove sky emission. For small sources (angular dimensions are much less than the slit length of 14 arcsec), the telescope is nodded back and forth along the slit. For large sources the telescope is nodded between the source and blank sky. For pointlike sources nods are thus very small.
Exposure Times
Due to its very high spectral resolution exposure times with Phoenix can be very long. In the JHK windows spectroscopic exposure times of 10,000 seconds on a tenth magnitude star would be needed to saturate the array. Since we are currently unable to abort an exposure in progress, we typically limit the exposure time to 900s.
In the thermal infrared (LL'M) saturation times on the sky and telescope background are 300 seconds near 3µm and 30 seconds near 5µm and limit the individual exposure times. | http://www.gemini.edu/node?page=94 |
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Abstract
Results from the Kepler mission indicate that the occurrence rate of small planets (<3 R⊕) in the habitable zone of nearby low-mass stars may be as high as 80%. Despite this abundance, probing the conditions and atmospheric properties on any habitable-zone planet is extremely difficult and has remained elusive to date. Here, we report the detection of water vapor and the likely presence of liquid and icy water clouds in the atmosphere of the 2.6 R ⊕ habitable-zone planet K2-18b. The simultaneous detection of water vapor and clouds in the mid-atmosphere of K2-18b is particularly intriguing because K2-18b receives virtually the same amount of total insolation from its host star (1368^(+114)_(-107) W m⁻²) as the Earth receives from the Sun (1361 W m⁻²), resulting in the right conditions for water vapor to condense and explain the detected clouds. In this study we observed nine transits of K2-18b using Hubble Space Telescope/WFC3 in order to achieve the necessary sensitivity to detect the water vapor, and we supplement this data set with Spitzer and K2 observations to obtain a broader wavelength coverage. While the thick hydrogen-dominated envelope we detect on K2-18b means that the planet is not a true Earth analog, our observations demonstrate that low-mass habitable-zone planets with the right conditions for liquid water are accessible with state-of-the-art telescopes. | https://authors.library.caltech.edu/98644/ |
We discuss the astrophysical science case for a decihertz gravitational-wave mission. We focus on unique opportunities for scientific discovery in this frequency range, including probes of type IA supernova progenitors, mergers in the presence of third bodies, intermediate mass black holes, seeds of massive black holes, improved sky localization, and tracking the population of merging compact binaries.
1 Introduction
The recent detections of gravitational waves from merging binary black holes (Abbott et al., 2016c) and binary neutron stars (The LIGO Scientific Collaboration & The Virgo Collaboration, 2017) by the ground-based advanced LIGO (Aasi et al., 2015) and Virgo (Acernese et al., 2015) gravitational-wave detectors have stimulated interest in the full spectrum of gravitational-wave astronomy. Pulsar timing arrays are actively searching for gravitational waves in the nanohertz frequency band (Hobbs et al., 2010; Verbiest et al., 2016); a space-born LISA detector, sensitive in the milihertz band, is scheduled to be launched in the 2030s (Bender et al., 1998; Amaro-Seoane et al., 2017); and there are ongoing investigations into a future ground-based detector with improved low-frequency sensitivity reaching down to a few hertz, e.g., the Einstein Telescope (Punturo et al., 2010). In this paper, we make the astrophysical case for a detector that would slot in between the LISA band and the Einstein Telescope band, with peak sensitivity around 1 decihertz. This science case partly overlaps the cases already made for terrestrial detectors such as the Einstein Telescope (Sathyaprakash et al., 2012) and the MANGO detector (Harms et al., 2013), as well as the proposed space missions DECIGO (Ando et al., 2010), ALIA and BBO (Takahashi & Nakamura, 2003; Crowder & Cornish, 2005).
Here, we focus on the key science questions that may not be answered by the either ground-based detectors sensitive above 1 Hz or millihertz space detectors, but could be addressed by decihertz instruments. We do not consider any specific instruments with associated noise spectra, although a broad range of recent proposals, from the TianQin space detector (Luo et al., 2016) to atom interferometers (e.g., Graham et al., 2013), could be sensitive in the band of interest. Instead, we focus on the main scientific challenges, and where appropriate discuss the sensitivities necessary to address these.
In particular, we highlight the promise of decihertz detectors to pinpoint the progenitors of type IA supernovae; search for dynamical signatures of the merger envrionment; explore intermediate mass black holes; localize compact binaries on the sky; explore the evolutionary history of stellar-mass compact-object binaries; and investigate the light seeds of massive black holes.
2 Type IA supernova progenitors
Do type IA supernovae come from the merger of two white dwarfs (the double degenerate channel) or from accretion onto a white dwarf from a main sequence or giant companion (the single degenerate channel) (e.g., Livio, 2000; Han & Podsiadlowski, 2004; Nielsen et al., 2014)? This has been a topic of active debate with differing interpretations of the observational evidence in the literature (e.g., Gilfanov & Bogdán, 2010; Hayden et al., 2010; Mennekens et al., 2010; Nugent et al., 2011; González Hernández et al., 2012; Howell, 2011).
Gravitational-wave observations in the decihertz band could help resolve this question. Joint observations of GW emission and a supernova would indicate the double degenerate channel, while the absence of a gravitational-wave signal preceding a nearby type IA would indicate the single degenerate channel, as the stellar companion would have been disrupted at lower frequencies.
The gravitational-wave frequency for a circular binary with total mass and orbital separation is given by
|(1)|
Depending on the companion mass, a double WD binary could survive until it reaches an orbital radius (see Dan et al. (2011) for somewhat lower numerical estimates of the maximum gravitational-wave frequency). However, if the white dwarf’s companion is a main sequence star or a giant, the companion would be disrupted at much larger separations. Therefore, the presence of gravitational waves in the decihertz band would be a tell-tale sign for the double degenerate channel. (An explosion could be delayed by as much as years following the merger in the double-degenerate channel (Yoon et al., 2007), in which case one would not expect a correlation between gravitational waves and a type IA supernova even if this channel is operating, but more recent work suggests that prompt post-merger explosions are likely (Pakmor et al., 2012). Meanwhile, if the double-degenerate channel proceeds via head-on white dwarf collisions in triples (Kushnir et al., 2013), there may not be a strong associated gravitational-wave signature.)
The rate of type IA supernovae is roughly 1 per century per Milky Way equivalent galaxy (Cappellaro et al., 1999), while the space density of such galaxies is Mpc (Kopparapu et al., 2008). Therefore, to have a realistic chance of observing a t least one type IA supernova per year, Mpc must be surveyed – roughly the volume out to the Virgo cluster. (In fact, this would yield a slightly greater rate because of the local over-density of galaxies (Kopparapu et al., 2008), which would compensate for the possible non-detection of some nearby supernovae due to unfavourable sky locations, etc.) Hence the gravitational-wave detector should also be sensitive out to Mpc for such signals on average – or out to Mpc for optimally located and oriented events (Finn, 1996).
The amplitude of the frequency-domain gravitational-wave signal from a binary inspiral viewed face on is (Ajith et al., 2008)
|(2)|
where the chirp mass for an equal-mass binary, is the distance to the source, and dimensionless units are assumed. The signal-to-noise ratio for a detector with one-sided noise power spectral density is given by
|(3)|
We can now use these expressions to check whether a given noise spectrum would be sufficient to allow a double white dwarf binary with to be detected out to Mpc at optimal location and orientation. For example, assuming that the detector has a flat noise power spectral density between and and limited sensitivity elsewhere, the sensitivity requirement on for a detection threshold is
|(4)|
for Hz and Hz, we find that Hz if the detection threshold is .
Equation (4) can be inverted to obtain the distance reach as a function of . This reach is shown in Figure 1. At cosmological scales, in Equations (4) and (6) becomes the luminosity distance, while the masses are the redshifted masses, , where is the redshift.
The timescale until a gravitationally-wave driven merger for a circular binary with a current gravitational-wave frequency is (Peters, 1964)
|(5)|
Thus, a binary with a chirp mass of would need almost 5 years to evolve from a gravitational-wave frequency of Hz to a gravitational-wave frequency of Hz. At even lower frequencies, when the evolutionary timescale is much longer than the observing duration , so that the signal can be considered as roughly monochromatic at frequency , the sensitivity requirement given in Equation (4) is modified to
|(6)|
3 Mergers in the presence of third bodies
Low-frequency, long-duration observations are potentially sensitive to astrophysical perturbations to gravitational-wave driven binary evolution, such as Doppler shifting of the gravitational-wave signature due to the orbital motion of the inspiraling binary relative to a third companion in the system. The Doppler shift is given by
|(7)|
where is the mass of the merging compact binary emitting gravitational waves at frequency and is the mass of the tertiary companion at a separation from the binary. Fluctuations should be detectable as long as the observation time is larger than the outer orbital period . The readily inferred presence of a third companion could indicate the importance of the Lidov-Kozai mechanism (Lidov, 1962; Kozai, 1962) in driving binaries to merger.
Conversely, if the binary is merging within the sphere of influence of a massive black hole — the merger of a stellar-mass binary may be assisted by the accretion disk in an active galactic nucleus (Bartos et al., 2016; Stone et al., 2017) — the orbital period around the massive black hole is typically much longer than the observation duration. A constant Doppler shift is degenerate with a cosmological redshift or a change in the mass of the binary. However, the orbital acceleration of the binary around the massive black hole of mass will be detectable when the accumulated acceleration-induced phase shift to the gravitational-wave signal exceeds ,
|(8)|
i.e., when
|(9)|
for a suitable binary orientation relative to the line of sight. Thus, a decihertz gravitational waves from a double neutron star or double white dwarf inspiraling within a massive black hole’s sphere of influence will carry the signature of its environment. On the other hand, the merger timescale from Hz for a binary black hole is much shorter than 5 years (see Equation (5)). Therefore, to detect the imprint of the massive black hole on the gravitational waves from a merging stellar-mass black hole binary, either the detector sensitivity would need to extend down to Hz, or the merger would need to happen within AU of the massive black hole.
The density in the center of the most massive core-collapsed globular clusters is comparable to the mass concentration within the sphere of influence of a massive black hole; therefore, gravitational-wave signatures of decihertz binaries in globular clusters may also carry an imprint of their environment.
4 Intermediate mass black holes
A decihertz mission could be the optimal tool for searching for intermediate mass black holes (IMBHs). Black holes in this mass range are notoriously challenging to convincingly find. Their small sphere of influence means that only a handful of nearby objects show unambiguous dynamical impact of the IMBH (e.g., Miller & Colbert, 2004; Kızıltan et al., 2017; Freire et al., 2017). Meanwhile, possible ultra-luminous X-ray binaries could be interpreted as either IMBHs (e.g., Pasham et al., 2014) or super-Eddington accretors (Bachetti et al., 2014). Gravitational-wave observations of either inspirals of stellar-mass compact objects into IMBHs, or mergers of two IMBHs, could thus provide the first convincing evidence of their existence.
The gravitational-wave frequency from an innermost stable circular orbit around a black hole of mass is
|(10)|
placing such massive black holes outside the range of ground-based detectors insensitive below a few Hz (Gair et al., 2011; Belczynski et al., 2014), but into the range of decihertz detectors.
If black holes in this mass range naturally reside in globular clusters, intermediate-mass ratio inspirals should be generic (e.g., Haster et al., 2016a), and the mass of the black hole could be confirmed through the associated gravitational-wave signature (Haster et al., 2016b). The local space density of globular clusters is a few per Mpc, and an upper limit on the merger rate can be estimated by assuming that the intermediate mass black hole builds up its mass through minor mergers over the yr cluster lifetime (Mandel et al., 2008). Thus, if a few percent of all globular clusters host a black hole, an intermediate mass ratio coalescence of such an IMBH and a companion may occur at a rate of up to one merger per Gpc per year. The detector described above would be sensitive to these coalescences at Gpc-scale distances, and could therefore realistically detect such inspirals and confirm the existence of intermediate mass black holes in this mass range. Such confirmation could also come from mergers of IMBH binaries (Amaro-Seoane & Freitag, 2006).
Observations of coalescences involving IMBHs would enable exploration of globular cluster dynamics. These coalescences could also provide electromagnetic counterparts if the inspiraling compact object is a white dwarf rather than a neutron star or black hole (Sesana et al., 2008). An inspiral of a white dwarf into an intermediate mass black hole in the range could be detectable to for a detector with noise power spectral density Hz between and Hz; (Sesana et al., 2008) argue that at least a few such inspirals should happen in this range per year. Such white dwarf tidal disruptions have been proposed as a possible source of a recently observed population of faint X-ray transients Bauer et al. (2017).
5 Massive black hole formation
Decihertz detectors could look for gravitational waves from light seeds of today’s massive black holes (MBHs). MBHs inhabit the center of essentially all massive galaxies in the nearby Universe (Kormendy & Richstone, 1995; Magorrian et al., 1998), and their masses correlate with the properties of the galaxy host, pointing toward MBH-host co-evolution (see Kormendy & Ho, 2013, and references therein). This implies that following galaxy mergers, MBHs form MBH binaries (Begelman et al., 1980), which are expected to be loud sources of GWs. The merger rate of such binaries strongly depends on the early occupation fraction of the first MBH ’seeds’ and on their masses (Volonteri et al., 2003; Sesana et al., 2011). In particular, different scenarios for forming the first BH seeds have been proposed in the literature (see Volonteri, 2010, for a review). Seeds forming from the direct collapse of protogalactic disks in the mass range are ideal targets for the LISA mission. One the other hand, the decihertz band is the ideal window to catch potentially lower seeds, left behind by the first generation of stars (Pop III). At , the observed merger frequency of those binaries is approximately Hz, according to Equation (10); therefore, some of the seeds, merging later / at lower redshifts, may even be observable with the Einstein Telescope (Sesana et al., 2009; Gair et al., 2009).
Decihertz detectors should be sensitive to such binaries, making them invaluable probes of structure formation. As shown in Figure 2, a detector with noise power spectral density Hz between and Hz would be sensitive to mergers of two optimally oriented seeds out to , whereas a spectral density of Hz in the same frequency range would be sufficient to cover the relevant mass range down to seeds of , thus directly probing the very first seed BH mergers.
6 Sky localization
A double neutron star emitting at a gravitational-wave frequency of Hz will only merge in several years according to Eq. (5). A decihertz detector will thus complete several orbits around the Sun while the source is in band. For sky localization purposes, such a detector effectively behaves as a set of detectors with a baseline of order the size of the orbit.
The timing accuracy scales inversely with the detector bandwidth and inversely with the signal-to-noise ratio (Fairhurst, 2009; Grover et al., 2014); for a decihertz detector, s timing can be expected. The sky localization accuracy can then be estimated as the timing accuracy divided by the light travel time across the detector baseline:
|(11)|
(This approximation is equivalent to considering the impact of Doppler shifting of the signal by the motion of the detector.)
For a multi-year source, a baseline of 2 AU or 1000 light seconds yields a sky localization accuracy of radians or a few arcminutes – though the accuracy of the localization will depend on the location of the source relative to the detector’s orbital plane. This would make it possible to accurately point smaller field-of-view, sensitive telescopes for electromagnetic follow-up. It would even allow for host galaxy identification for nearby, Mpc, sources, allowing host environments to be explored even in the absence of a confirmed counterpart.
A heavy stellar-mass black hole binary with components will merge in about a week from a gravitational-wave frequency of Hz. Its baseline will be much shorter – only 10 light seconds – and the arc is almost a straight line, with minimal perpendicular displacement to provide orthogonal directional sensitivity; therefore, accurate localization and host identification would remain challenging.
7 Evolutionary history of compact object binaries
Together with other gravitational-wave instruments – space-born LISA, and ground-based advanced LIGO (Aasi et al., 2015) and Virgo (Acernese et al., 2015) detectors and their successors such as the proposed Einstein Telescope (Punturo et al., 2010) – a decihertz detector can ensure that the full frequency spectrum is covered for stellar-mass binary black holes and neutron stars.
Multi-frequency observations can improve the accuracy with which source parameters can be measured. Tracking an individual source across a range of frequencies could yield both information that is most readily accessible at higher frequencies and at lower ones. For example, tidal effects for neutron stars or the total mass and final spin from the ringdown of a post-merger black hole would be measured with high-frequency observations. On the other hand, as discussed above, sky localization can be significantly enhanced with lower-frequency observations.
Of particular interest are measurements of spin magnitude and misalignment angle distributions, which could carry information about formation scenarios (e.g., Stevenson et al., 2017; Zevin et al., 2017; Farr et al., 2017) and the mass ratios, which would help constrain masses and test for the existence of a mass gap between neutron stars and black holes (Belczynski et al., 2012; Mandel et al., 2015; Littenberg et al., 2015). The mass ratio and spin-orbit coupling come into the waveform at higher orders in the orbital velocity (Poisson & Will, 1995) and may therefore be better constrained at higher frequencies. However, the presence of (heavy stellar-mass black hole binaries) to (double neutron stars) cycles in the decihertz band could, in fact, allow for more precise constraints. Specific detector performance would need to be considered for a quantitative assessment of parameter inference with decihertz observations.
In addition to individual sources, it may be possible to track changes in source populations as they evolve between different frequency bands. For example, residual eccentricity, which would strongly indicate dynamical formation (e.g., Abbott et al., 2016a), may only be observable at lower frequencies, as binaries will circularize through gravitational-wave emission by the time they reach the frequency band of classical ground-based detectors. On the other hand, very eccentric sources at low frequencies could be more difficult to detect (Chen & Amaro-Seoane, 2017), and their emergence at higher frequencies would indicate high birth eccentricity.
8 Stochastic background
The stochastic background from a superposition of gravitational waves emitted by multiple individually unresolvable binary inspirals in this frequency band should be a known power law in frequency (Abbott et al., 2016b). The amplitude of this power law will be sensitive to mergers at a higher redshift than the individually resolvable source population, but will still add only a single number to the information gained from that population. However, observations at these and higher frequencies may make it possible to remove the astrophysical background. This would make a potential gravitational-wave background of cosmological original (e.g. Mandic et al., 2012; Lasky et al., 2016) accessible to observation (Callister et al., 2016).
9 Discussion
We have outlined the exciting astrophysical potential of a decihertz detector. We estimated the sensitivity required to achieve several key science goals that can best be addressed in this frequency band, including investigating the progenitors of type IA supernovae, measuring the dynamics in the merger environment, searching for intermediate-mass black holes and light seeds of today’s massive black holes, and exploring the evolutionary history of compact object binaries.
As always, exploring a new spectral band opens the potential for unexpected discoveries. For instance, predicted but elusive gravitational waves from cosmic string cusps may be detectable in this band.
Decihertz observations may also enable more precise tests of general relativity, or at least tests in a different regime of velocities and tidal field strengths (e.g., Chamberlain & Yunes, 2017). For example, the mass quadrupole moment of the compact bodies could be measured and compared with the value predicted from mass and spin in the Kerr metric (Brown et al., 2007; Rodriguez et al., 2012).
Our estimates will need to be followed up for specific proposed detector noise power spectra in order to quantitatively evaluate the prospects discussed above. In particular, rigorous estimates of parameter inference accuracy combined with realistic astrophysical models will be required to appraise the resolving power of intermediate-frequency GW detectors.
Acknowledgments
IM thanks Will Farr and Stephen Justham for discussions and Christopher Berry for comments on the manuscript. IM and AV is partially supported by STFC. AS holds a Royal Society University Research Fellowship. | https://www.arxiv-vanity.com/papers/1710.11187/ |
The musgrave texture is used to generate organic materials, but it is very flexible. You can do nearly everything with it.
Options¶
- Type
This procedural texture has five noise types on which the resulting pattern can be based and they are selectable from a select menu at the top of the tab. The five types are:
Hetero Terrain
Fractal Brownian Motion (fBm)
Hybrid Multifractal
Ridged Multifractal
Multifractal
These noise types determine the manner in which Blender layers successive copies of the same pattern on top of each other at varying contrasts and scales.
-
Examples with Basis: Voronoi: F1, Dimension: 0.5, Lacunarity: 0.15, Octave: 2.0.
The main noise types have four characteristics:
- Размерность
Fractal dimension controls the contrast of a layer relative to the previous layer in the texture. The higher the fractal dimension, the higher the contrast between each layer, and thus the more detail shows in the texture.
- Лакунарность
Lacunarity controls the scaling of each layer of the Musgrave texture, meaning that each additional layer will have a scale that is the inverse of the value which shows on the button. i.e. Lacunarity = 2 –> Scale = 1/2 original.
- Octaves
Octave controls the number of times the original noise pattern is overlayed on itself and scaled/contrasted with the fractal dimension and lacunarity settings.
- Intensity
Light intensity. Called Offset for Hetero Terrain.
The Hybrid Multifractal and Ridged Multifractal types have these additional settings:
- Offset
Both have a «Fractal Offset» button that serves as a «sea level» adjustment and indicates the base height of the resulting bump map. Bump values below this threshold will be returned as zero.
- Насыщенность
Setting which determines the range of values created by the function. The higher the number, the greater the range. This is a fast way to bring out additional details in a texture where extremes are normally clipped off. | https://docs.blender.org/manual/ru/latest/render/materials/legacy_textures/types/musgrave.html |
Abstract : Fractal analysis relies on scale invariance and the concept of fractal dimension enables one to characterize and quantify the space filled by a geometrical set exhibiting complex and tortuous patterns. Fractal tools have been widely used in hydrology but seldom in the specific context of urban hydrology. In this paper, fractal tools are used to analyse surface and sewer data from 10 urban or peri-urban catchments located in five European countries. The aim was to characterize urban catchment properties accounting for the complexity and inhomogeneity typical of urban water systems. Sewer system density and imperviousness (roads or buildings), represented in rasterized maps of 2 m × 2 m pixels, were analysed to quantify their fractal dimension, characteristic of scaling invariance. The results showed that both sewer density and imperviousness exhibit scale-invariant features and can be characterized with the help of fractal dimensions ranging from 1.6 to 2, depending on the catchment. In a given area consistent results were found for the two geometrical features, yielding a robust and innovative way of quantifying the level of urbanization. The representation of impervious-ness in operational semi-distributed hydrological models for these catchments was also investigated by computing frac-tal dimensions of the geometrical sets made up of the sub-catchments with coefficients of imperviousness greater than a range of thresholds. It enables one to quantify how well spatial structures of imperviousness were represented in the urban hydrological models. | https://hal-enpc.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01673432 |
A new fractal feature, the Directional Fractal Curve (DFC), defined over an arc of 180° and composed of 90 fractal dimensions determined at intervals of arc of 2°, was developed to account for the anisotropic property of a fractal texture. The DFC of images with directional preference shows a periodic pattern; while the DFC of images with no definite directional preference tends to be a horizontal line. The DFC of the elastic texture exhibits a single peak and can be characterized by a sinusoidal function. The DFC was applied to examine an age-related structural change in the elastin network of the aortic wall exposed by scanning electron microscopy. Aortic samples were obtained from 44 human subjects with age range of 3 months to 103 years. Results show that the DFCs of these subjects decay significantly as age increases. This suggests that the elastin network may be characterized in terms of DFC which can be used to quantify structural modifications due to physiological changes such as ageing. | https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/quantification-of-age-related-changes-in-the-elastic-texture-of-t |
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AbstractIn this dissertation, a vector compaction technique called the Fractal Compaction Algorithm is presented. The fractal compaction algorithm significantly reduces the time needed for estimating the power consumed in CMOS circuits. CMOS IC design requires accurate power estimation at every level in the design hierarchy. Power estimation methods that are currently available are either dynamic or static. Dynamic methods simulate the design using specific input vector sets and estimate the power consumed. Though accurate, dynamic methods require prohibitively long simulation time for large designs and large vector sets. Static power estimation methods, on the other hand, use analytical tools such as statistics and probability to estimate power. The static methods are usually fast but less accurate. To achieve both speed and accuracy, one approach would be to simulate with a compact vector set that has similar switching behavior as the original vector set. The algorithm presented in this work generates such a compact set using fractal concepts. It exploits the correlation present in the toggle distribution of a circuit's internal nodes for compacting the vector set. Instead of using correlation co-efficients, the fractal algorithm uses a simpler parameter, called the Hurst parameter to quantify correlation. The performance of fractal algorithm with combinational and sequential circuits showed very high compaction that can lead to a shorter design phase and quicker tape out. When compared to previously reported results, the fractal algorithm compacts much higher while keeping the estimation error low.
Typetext
Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic)
Degree NamePh.D. | https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/282850 |
The term fractal dimension was introduced by Benoit Mandelbrot in 1967 to explain self-similarity of a pattern. A fractal dimension is defined as a ratio of the change in detail to the change in scale. It is used as an index that quantifies the complexity of a fractal pattern.
Famously, fractal dimensions have been used to analyze the length of the British coastline. A coastline’s measured length is observed to change depending on the length of the measuring stick used. In 2-D and 3-D, this notion can be extended to the length of a measuring pixel or voxel, respectively.
Box Counting Method#
One way to determine fractal dimension of an image is the box counting method. Boxes of various sizes are laid over the image in a fixed grid pattern. The number of boxes that span the edge of the pattern (i.e. partially 1 and partially 0) are tallied as a function of box size. This count is then used to calculate the fractal dimension .
Mathematical Definition#
The relationship of a pattern’s fractal dimension and its measuring element can be expressed as:
where:
N: number of boxes of side D that span an edge
D: size of the boxes
F: fractal dimension
Example#
A Sierpinski carpet has a known fractal dimension of 1.8928. Performing the box counting method found its fractal dimension as approximately 1.8 ~ 1.9.
First, import the needed packages.
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt import porespy as ps ps.visualization.set_mpl_style()
Generate a sierpinski carpet and visualize.
im = ps.generators.sierpinski_foam(4, 5) plt.imshow(im);
Finally, apply the box count function and visualize.
data = ps.metrics.boxcount(im)
fig, (ax1, ax2) = plt.subplots(1, 2, figsize=(8, 4)) ax1.set_yscale('log') ax1.set_xscale('log') ax1.set_xlabel('box edge length') ax1.set_ylabel('number of boxes spanning phases') ax2.set_xlabel('box edge length') ax2.set_ylabel('slope') ax2.set_xscale('log') ax1.plot(data.size, data.count,'-o') ax2.plot(data.size, data.slope,'-o');
The horizontal portion of the
slope vs box edge length curve, between \(10^1\) and \(10^2\) is a flat line with a value of approximately 1.9. Beyond a box edge length of \(10^2\) the analysis becomes impacted by the finite image size so the result begins to diverge. | https://porespy.org/examples/metrics/tutorials/computing_fractal_dim.html |
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In this work, we examined structural changes of actin filaments interacting with myosin visualized by quick freeze deep-etch replica electron microscopy (EM) by using a new method of image processing/analysis based on mathematical morphology. In order to quantify the degree of structural changes, two characteristic patterns were extracted from the EM images. One is the winding pattern of the filament shape (WP) reflecting flexibility of the filament, and the other is the surface pattern of the filament (SP) reflecting intra-molecular domain-mobility of actin monomers constituting the filament. EM images were processed by morphological filtering followed by box-counting to calculate the fractal dimensions for WP (D(WP)) and SP (D(SP)). The result indicates that D(WP) was larger than D(SP) irrespective of the state of the filament (myosin-free or bound) and that both parameters for myosin-bound filaments were significantly larger than those for myosin-free filaments. Overall, this work provides the first quantitative insight into how conformational disorder of actin monomers is correlated with the myosin-induced increase in flexibility of actin filaments along their length as suggested by earlier studies with different techniques. Our method is yet to be improved in details, but promising as a powerful tool for studying the structural change of protein molecules and their assemblies, which can potentially be applied to a wide range of biological and biomedical images.
Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
National Center for
Biotechnology Information, | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21801838 |
Fractals have played an important role in many areas with applications related to computer vision and pattern recognitionScarlat et al. (2010); Han et al. (2008); Chappard et al. (2003); Wool (2008); Tian-Gang et al. (2007); Lorthois and Cassot (2010); Rossatto et al. (2011); Florindo et al. . This broad use of fractal geometry is explained by the flexibility of fractals in representing structures usually found in the nature. In such objects, we observe a level of details at different scales which are described in a straightforward manner by fractals, rather than through classical Euclidean geometry.
Most of fractal-based techniques are derived from fractal dimension concept. Although this concept was defined originally only for real real fractal objects, it contains some properties which turn it into a very interesting descriptor for any object of real world. Indeed, the fractal dimension measures how the complexity (level of details) of an object varies along scales. Such definition corresponds to an effective and flexible means of quantifying the spatial occupation of an object as well as physical and visual important aspects which characterize an object, like luminance and roughness, for instance.
Among these fractal techniques, we may cite Multifractals Harte (2001); Lashermes et al. (2008); Lovejoy et al. (2000), Multiscale Fractal Dimension Manoel et al. (2002); da F. Costa and Cesar, Jr. (2000); Plotze et al. (2005) and Fractal Descriptors Bruno et al. (2008); Backes et al. (2009); Florindo et al. (2010, 2012); Backes et al. (2012); Florindo and Bruno (2011). Here we are focused on the later approach which demonstrated the best results in such kind of application Florindo and Bruno (2012). The main idea of fractal descriptors theory is to provide descriptors of an object represented in a digital image from the relation between the values of fractal dimension taken under different observation scales. These values provide a valuable information about the complexity of the object in the sense that they capture the degree of details at each scale. In this way, fractal descriptors are capable of quantifying important physical characteristics of the structure, like fractal dimension, but presenting a sensibly richer information than a unique number (fractal dimension).
Here, we proposed a novel fractal descriptors based on probability fractal dimension. We used the whole power-law curve of the dimension and applied a space-scale transform to emphasize the multiscale aspect of the features. Finally, we test the proposed method over two well-known datasets, that is, Brodatz and Vistex, comparing the results with another fractal descriptors approach showed in Backes et al. (2009) and other conventional texture analysis methods. The results demonstrated the power of probability descriptors, achieving a more precise classification than other classical techniques.
Ii Fractal Theory
In the last decades we observe a growing number of works applying fractal geometry concepts in the solution of a wide range of problems Scarlat et al. (2010); Han et al. (2008); Chappard et al. (2003); Wool (2008); Tian-Gang et al. (2007); Lorthois and Cassot (2010). This interest in fractals is mainly motivated by the fact that conventional Euclidean geometry has severe limitations in providing accurate measures of real world objects.
ii.1 Fractal Dimension
The first definition of fractal dimension provided in Mandelbrot (1968) is the Hausdorff dimension. In this definition, we consider a fractal object as being a set of points immersed in a topological space. Thus, we can use results from Measure Theory to define a measure over this object. This is the Hausdorff measure expressed through:
where denotes the diameter of , that is, the maximum possible distance between any elements of :
Here, we say that a countable collection of sets , with , is a -cover of if .
Notice that also depends on a parameter which expresses the scale under which the measure is taken. We can eliminate such dependence by applying a limit over , defining in this way the -dimensional Hausdorff measure:
If we plot as a function of we observe a similar behavior in any fractal object analyzed. The value of is for any and it is for any , where is always a non-negative real value. is the Hausdorff fractal dimension of . In a more formal way we may write:
In most practical situations, Hausdorff dimension uses to be complicate or even impossible to calculate. Thus, assuming that any fractal object is intrinsically self-similar, we may derive a simplified version, also called similarity dimension or capacity dimension:
where is number of rules with linear length used to cover the object.
In practice, the above expression may be generalized by considering as any kind of self-similarity measure and as any scale parameter. This generalization gives rise to a lot of estimation methods for fractal dimension, with a broad application to the analysis of objects which are not real fractals (mathematically defined) but which present some degree of self-similarity in specific intervals. An example of such method is the probability dimension, used in this work and described in the following section.
ii.2 Probability Dimension
The probability dimension, also known as information dimension is derived from the information function. This function can be defined in any situation where we have an object populating a physical space. We must divide this space into a grid of squares with side-length and calculate the probability of points of the object pertaining to some square of the grid. The probability function is given by:
where is maximum possible number of points of the object inside a unique square.
The dimension itself is given through:
When this dimension is estimated over a gray-level digital image , an usual approach is to map it onto a three-dimensional surface through:
|(1)|
In this case, we construct a three-dimensional grid of 3D cubes also with side-length . The probability is therefore calculated as being the number of grid cubes containing points of the surface divided by the maximum number of points inside a grid cube.
Iii Fractal Descriptors
The main idea of fractal descriptors is to extract values (descriptors) from the relation common to most methods of estimating fractal dimension. Actually, any fractal dimension method derived from Hausdorff dimension concept obey a power-law relation which may be explicit in the following:
where is a measure depending on the dimension method and is the scale under this measure is taken.
Therefore, fractal descriptors are provided from the the function :
In order to simplify the notation we name the independent variable as . Thus, and our fractal descriptors function is denoted . For the probability dimension used in this work, we have:
The values of function may be used directly as descriptors of the analyzed image or may be post-processed by some kind of operation aiming at emphasizing some specifically aspects of that function. Here, we apply a multiscale transform to the function. In this way, we obtain a two-dimensional function , in which the variable is related to and is related to the scale on which the function is observed. A usual means of obtain is through a derivative process:
where is the well-known Gaussian function and is the smoothing parameter:
Given the finite domain of function , we also must restrict the response of Gaussian filter to a finite interval :
where is a real value which should satisfy:
being the tolerance error. Usually, we may have:
where is a real constant with values commonly varying between and .
Iv Proposed Method
The idea here proposed is to obtain fractal descriptors from textures based on the probability fractal dimension. Thus, such descriptors are computed from the curve in the Equation II.2. Therefore, we apply a multiscale transform to .
The multiscale process is achieved by deviating numerically and convoluting with a Gaussian filter, as described in the previous section:
where is the Gaussian function descritized over the interval .
As multiscale transform maps a one-dimensional signal onto a two-dimensional function, it is a process which generates intrinsic redundancies. We may find different approaches to eliminate such redundancies keeping only the relevant information da F. Costa and Cesar, Jr. (2000). Here, we adopt a simple method named fine-tuning smoothing in which is projected under a specific value of the Gaussian parameter. Here we tested values of varying between and and used that values which provided the best performance in the experiments.
Finally, we selected a particular region from to compose the descriptors. Empirically, we observed that the initial points in this curve are relevant to a good performance in our application. Then, we established a threshold after which all points in the convolution curve are disregarded. Thus, the values in the curve are taken as the proposed descriptors.
V Experiments
In order to verify the efficiency of the proposed technique, we applied the probability descriptors to the classification of two benchmark datasets and compared to the performance of other well-known and state-of-the-art methods for texture analysis.
The first classification was accomplished over the Brodatz dataset, a classical set of natural gray level textures photographed and put together in a book Brodatz (1966). This dataset is composed by 111 classes with 10 textures with dimension 200200 in each class.
The second data set is the Vistex, a set of color textures extracted from natural scenes Singh and Sharma (2001). Here, we employ a version of the dataset in which we have 7 classes, each one with a variable number of images of 256256 pixels and converted them to gray-level images.
We compare probability descriptors to other 4 other techniques, that is, Gabor wavelets Manjunath and Ma (1996), Co-occurrence matrix Haralick (1979), Gray Level Difference Method (GLDM) Weszka et al. (1976), a multifractal approach described in Parrinello and Vaughan (2002) and Bouligand-Minkowski fractal descriptors Backes et al. (2009).
Vi Results
The Table 1 shows the correctness rate in the classification of Brodatz dataset using the compared descriptors. The proposed method obtained the best result with a 12% advantage. For this result we used and threshold
. A particular important aspect in Brodatz data set is the reduced number of descriptors of the proposed approach. This point may be specially important in large data basis when the computational performance is more relevant. Furthermore, the small number of features avoid the curse of dimensionality, which prejudices the reliability of the global result.
On the other hand, the Table 2 shows the results for the Vistex textures. In this case, we obtained the best result by using and . Again, the proposed approach provided the greater correctness with a 2% advantage. Again, we have a good result in a data set which presents a lot of challenges once it is aimed at color analysis while the proposed approach is gray-level based. This aspect turns significant even a tiny classification enhancing.
Finally, the Figures 4 and 5 show the confusion matrices of the methods with best performances. In such figures, we have the predicted classes in the rows and the actual ones in the columns. The number of classes in each configuration is given by the intensity of gray-level in each point (brighter points correspond to large number of classes). In this kind of representation, a good descriptor must produce a matrix with a diagonal as brighter and continuous as possible and the minimum of brighter points outside the diagonal. In this sense, we see that, in Brodatz data, the probability descriptors presented exactly these characteristics, with almost no “hole” in the diagonal and with a lower density of brighter points outside.
In Vistex case, the matrices are not so distinguishable visually, even due to the similarity in the results. Thus, a perspective which we may use is analyze directly the number of corrected samples in each class. Based on this aspect, we observe in the legend bar that the proposed technique has its matrix normalized on a greater number of samples. This implies that although with a similar aspect, our approach presented a higher number of samples classified correctly in each class.
A general analysis of the results demonstrates that the proposed method overcame the compared ones in both data sets, using a reasonable amount of descriptors. Such results was expected from fractal theory once we have a lot of works in the literature showing the efficiency of fractal geometry in the analysis of natural textures. Actually, fractal geometry presents a flexibility in the modeling of objects which cannot be well represented by Euclidean rules. The fractal dimension is a powerful metric for the complex patterns and spatial arrangement usually found in the nature. Fractal descriptors enhance such ability providing a way of capturing multiscale variations and nuances which could not be measured through conventional tools. More specifically, the probability descriptors here proposed aggregates a statistical approach to fractal analysis, composing a framework which supports a precise and reliable discrimination technique, as confirmed in the above results.
Vii Conclusion
The present work proposed a novel method to extract descriptors based on fractal theory for texture analysis application.
Here we obtained such descriptors by applying a multiscale transform over the power law relation of fractal dimension estimated by the probability method.
We tested the efficiency of the novel technique in the classification of well-known benchmark texture dataset and compared its performance to that of other classical texture analysis methods. The results demonstrated that probability fractal descriptors are a powerful tool to model such textures. The method provides a rich way of representing even the most complex structures in texture images, being a reliable approach to solve a large class of problems involving the analysis of texture images.
Acknowledgments
J.B.F. acknowledges support from CNPq. O.M.B. acknowledges support from CNPq (Grant #308449/2010-0 and #473893/2010-0) and FAPESP (Grant # 2011/01523-1).
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T. Parrinello and R. A. Vaughan, “Multifractal analysis and feature extraction in satellite imagery,” International Journal of Remote Sensing,23, 1799–1825 (2002). | https://deepai.org/publication/texture-analysis-and-characterization-using-probability-fractal-descriptors |
Note: Left-click on this image to get a full view of this digital work of fractal art.
This fractal consists of intersecting luminous strands.
This digital artwork was created by Mr. Stolyarov in Apophysis, a free program that facilitates deliberate manipulation of randomly generated fractals into intelligible shapes.
This fractal is an extension of Mr. Stolyarov’s artistic style of Abstract Orderism, whose goal is the creation of abstract objects that are appealing by virtue of their geometric intricacy — a demonstration of the order that man can both discover in the universe and bring into existence through his own actions and applications of the laws of nature.
Fractal art is based on the idea of the spontaneous order – which is pivotal in economics, culture, and human civilization itself. Now, using computer technology, spontaneous orders can be harnessed in individual art works as well.
See the index of Mr. Stolyarov’s art works. | http://www.rationalargumentator.com/index/blog/tag/luminosity/ |
As a word fractal is not frequently used in conversation. As a concept fractal is frequently present in our lives. Its presence is evident in nature.
The concept of a fractal was established in large part by the work of Benoit Mandelbrot, a mathematician whose work covered a wide and diverse number of disciplines. Perhaps the most notable example of how he established the concept of a fractal was his study of England’s coastlines. What his study identified was sections of England’s coastlines resembled the coastlines as a whole. This resemblance has been labeled self-similar. Self-similar, or self-similarity, has affected a number of studies related to science. Self-similarity is not restricted to science. Self-similarity exists in FP&A which I saw first-hand.
While working for a client I conducted an inventory analysis. The purpose of the analysis was to acquire insights into purchases and sales. What was discovered through the analysis was self-similarity. This was discovered by testing the 80/20 rule, i.e. was 80% of the dollar purchases made to 20% of the vendors and was 80% of the dollar sales come from 20% of the customers? The answer to both questions was “yes” and there’s more. The 80/20 pattern in the purchases and sales of inventory existed in smaller sections. The following image illustrates the pattern within the company’s inventory purchases and sales:
Discovering this pattern through analysis establishes a more relevant methodology within the planning process. The methodology is based on a mathematical principle known as a power law. A power law establishes a relationship between rank and frequency; Alex Bellos uses the following example in his book The Graphs of Math:
|Word||Rank||Frequency|
|I||10||2653|
|say||100||265|
|bag||1000||26|
|orangefiery||10000||2|
A financial plan for this company’s inventory can be developed based on the power law principle by establishing a relationship between rank and amounts. For example, the company can determine the largest monetary amounts for inventory purchases and sales. From these amounts additional purchase and sales amounts can be calculated from proportional changes. This approach provides more relevant thinking and learning about how this company interacts with its suppliers and customers.
FP&A practitioners need tools that add value to their work. How value can be added is to apply an appropriate methodology toward the characteristics within situations. Applying the power law methodology is most appropriate when working within situations that have fractal characteristics. | https://fpa-trends.com/article/fractal-fpa-how-apply-8020-pattern |
2 min readResearchers Unveil the Weaving Fractal Network of Connecting Neurons
Eugene, OR — High-resolution imaging and 3D computer modelling show that the dendrites of neurons weave through space in a way that balances their need to connect to other neurons with the costs of doing so.
The discovery, reported in Nature Scientific Reports Jan. 27, emerged as researchers sought to understand the fractal nature of neurons as part of a University of Oregon project to design fractal-shaped electrodes to connect with retinal neurons to address vision loss due to retinal diseases.
“The challenge in our research has been understanding how the neurons we want to target in the retina will connect to our electrodes,” said Richard Taylor, a professor and head of the UO physics department. “Essentially, we have to fool the neurons into thinking that the electrode is another neuron by making the two have the same fractal character.”
Working with collaborators at the University of Auckland and University of Canterbury in New Zealand, confocal microscopy of neurons in the hippocampal region of a rat’s brain revealed an intricate interplay of branches weaving through space at multiple size scales before connecting to other neurons. That, Taylor said, raised the question, why adopt such a complicated pattern?
With the help of UO post-doctoral researcher Saba Moslehi, doctoral students Julian H. Smith and Conor Rowland turned to 3D modelling to explore what happens when they manipulated the dendrites of more than 1,600 neurons into unnatural forms, straightening them or curling them up.
“By distorting their branches and looking at what happens, we were able to show that the fractal weaving of the natural branches is balancing the ability of neurons to connect with their neighbors to form natural electric circuits while balancing the construction and operating costs of the circuits,” Rowland said.
Using a fractal analysis known as the box-counting technique, the researchers were able to assign fractal dimensions, or D values, that quantify the relative contributions of the coarse- and fine-scaled dendrites to a neuron’s fractal pattern. These D values, Taylor said, will be important in optimizing his team’s tiny electrodes for implanting at the back of eyes to stimulate retinal neurons.
“Our implants will have to accommodate the neurons’ weaving branches through careful selection of their D values,” said Taylor, a member of the UO’s Materials Science Institute. “Unlike building a straight runway so a pilot can land efficiently, our electrodes will need to act like a weaving runway so that the neurons can connect without changing their behaviour.”
Nature’s fractals benefit from how they grow at multiple scales, said Taylor, who has long turned to fractals as bioinspiration. While trees have the most-recognized form of fractal branching, this work, he said, highlights how neurons are different from trees.
“Whereas the fractal character of trees originates predominantly from the distribution of branch sizes, the neurons also use the way their branches weave through space to generate their fractal character,” Taylor said.
Taylor, a Cottrell Scholar of the Research Council for Science Advancement, was granted a sweeping U.S. patent in 2015 for not only his development of artificial fractal-based implants related to vision but also to all such implants that link signaling activity with nerves for any purpose in animal and human biology.
Taylor and co-authors closed their paper by raising the possibility that the D values of neuronal networking may benefit research on numerous brain-related diseases. For Alzheimer’s disease, Taylor said, D values could be a measure for understanding declines in connectivity between neurons.
“A lot of diseases result in losing connectivity, and neuron D values may be dropping as they move into a pathological state,” he said.
Article adapted from a University of Oregon news release.
Publication: How neurons exploit fractal geometry to optimize their network connectivity. Smith, JH et al. Scientific Reports (January 27, 2021): Click here to view. | https://mindzilla.com/newsroom/technology/bioimaging-simulation/45131/20210303-researchers-unveil-the-weaving-fractal-network-of-connecting-neurons/ |
Textbooks have been considered to play a key role in the processes of education by researchers and educators, and the need to explore the language of textbooks has become increasingly recognized. However, although textbooks are an important learning tool, textbook language and composition have not been widely explored especially from textual perspectives. The purpose of the present study is to investigate text complexity progression in the reading texts of English textbooks published for senior high school students in Indonesia. The nature and rate of that progression are addressed within the framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics. Being largely qualitative, this study examines three consecutive textbooks issued by the Ministry of Education, which are available online for classroom use. Data were collected and sampled from the reading texts found in the textbooks and were analyzed with regard to lexical density, lexical variation and grammatical intricacy in order to find the complexity of the texts. The results of the analyses show that regardless of the inconsistent progression of text complexity within each textbook, there is a consistent pattern of text complexity progression across grade levels. In other words, the lexical density, lexical variation and grammatical intricacy across the textbooks were found to have consistent progression from one grade level to another of which the direction is positive. It could be concluded that in general the language used in the texts becomes increasingly sophisticated, especially at lexical level, in accordance with grade level progression to cater for students’ intellectual development.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v7i2.8352
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People are individuals which are part of a whole. This may be as visible and tangible as a society, but perhaps, and more probably than not, there is an invisible and so far intangible connection joining everyone such as an overall collective consciousness. Whom are the channelers channeling? This would also mean that souls or the consciousness of the individual people are also connected. This leads to a frequent question; since there are now more people on the planet than there used to be, where are all the extra people and souls coming from? I think the answer is the following possibility I would like to offer, people are like the cells of a growing body, there's one body but the cells multiply as necessary for its growth. The souls work in a similar way, there is one soul or consciousness but it subdivides into as many pieces as there are people. As people grow, mutate and adapt, what is the body they are a part of? As a body and mind continue their existence as the individual cells die, so too it then follows that the “body” and “mind” that people are a part of, must continue their existence as people die and are born. What stimuli for mutation is this “humanity body” receiving? What part of the “humanity body” is there to mutate or adapt? In my opinion it is the beliefs and opinions of the human collective itself that are evolving and adapting. While our ego would certainly perk up and say “I'm fairly evolved as is” the reality is that the universe is pretty old, so is the planet, and in the grand scheme of things people have only been around for a few minutes if not seconds. We may have a long way to go, but imagine the possibilities.
Sharing of my ideas, opinions, resources, and Self awareness to create a better world. Because I want to live in a world where people are nice "just because", and no one feels silly about it. Thank you for your interest and visit.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Book 1 (My Opinion, Your Choice) - Chapter 4, Part 2
Continued...
This comparison, in my opinion, presents a fractal pattern. Fractal patterns are present all around us, and in simplest terms they are the repetition of an object in a pattern which then forms the same object but on a larger scale and this repeats to infinity. The scale between people and cells is drastically different, but the organization appears to be much the same. Eight identical cubes put together to form a single large cube, then that large cube being put together with another seven cubes to again form a single large cube, is an example of a fractal pattern as all of the initial cubes are identical and keep creating a larger version of themselves. As we consider the similarity of organization between cells and people we can consider that the two are fractals of each other, we can then examine all of the other analogues present, or search for analogues of something present in one and not yet discovered in the other. Once we have cells and people as two points on the fractal pattern scale, we can start extrapolating the pattern further. What do all of the people on the planet represent when put together? Where is the similar planet, with all of its similar people put together, and what is their connection to us? Interestingly enough though, as the scale of the individual, from cell to human, increases the quantity of individuals decreases, trillions of cells in a body but only billions of people on the planet. Perhaps there are only millions of such planets, which result in only hundreds of thousands of planetary collectives. Potentially everything grows in scale and condenses in quantity until there is only one all-encompassing something. Potentially this process is a fractal infinity as more tiny cells are produced then grow then condense into larger collectives, resulting in an ever growing ever condensing ever larger all-encompassing one. | http://www.myopinionsharedblog.com/2014/11/book-1-my-opinion-your-choice-chapter-4_19.html |
The paper discusses the thermal evaporation process of foundry pattern. At some research-development centers, studies carried out to examine the physico-chemical phenomena that take place in foundry mold filled with polystyrene pattern when it is poured with molten metal. In the technique of evaporation patterns, process the mold is filled with molten metal (the model is inside of a pattern polystyrene) interrelated with the process of thermal decomposition of the pattern. The process of evaporation polystyrene mold foundry pattern in molten metal under the effect of a kind of complex and depends on many different factors, not yet fully investigated.
The technology used in the manufacture of evaporative patterns of plates pilot castings high abrasion resistance. The material and the properties of the resulting castings were determined by the customer (patent protection). At the beginning of the study, a decision on the properties of the material pattern, was another stock, a decision on the properties of the ceramic layer as well as the preparation technique and application. Examined the technique of molten metal feeding the mold cavity as well as the parameters of the gating and feeding systems, and cooling solutions and solidification conditions (large shrinkage, shrinkage cavities and depressions). The technology of foamed polystyrene patterns thermally evaporated during manufacture of castings from ferrous alloys still find numerous obstacles on the way to a full practical use.
The difficulty level depends not only on the symptoms of the process itself, but also on the amount of intricacy pattern, model properties, and quality requirements imposed on projections. One of the main parameters to determine because the properly during the process of evaporative pattern of thermal decomposition kinetics of the foamed polystyrene pattern as well as the size and gas pressure are emerging from this pattern. Casting using the lost foam method used when small quantities have abrasion-resistant castings to be produced rapidly at low cost. This method was suggested as a possible choice for classical methods of molding sand. These elements must be characterized by high hardness (over 60 HRC) and high abrasion resistance. This article provides the results of this process in Lost Foam Casting plattes pilot. | https://www.zhycasting.com/the-lost-foam-process-in-castings/ |
Description: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.
Maps to Reading Plus skills: 7C
Exemplars
7C: Interpreting Images
7C: Interpreting Images
Description: Intepreting Images and Maps
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection: I-11
I-11
Grade level: 9
Word count: 1755 words
Author: Joan Novelli
Synopsis: Got a wave, a spiral, or a snowflake? There's a mathematical equation for that!
Image:
Question: What does the graph of a sound wave of a human heart, as shown in this image, have to do with a fractal pattern?
- The graph is so similar to a fractal pattern that medical researchers can use it to check a heart's health.
- The graph, like a fractal pattern, rotates around an axis and therefore always looks the same when it spins.
- The graph is so different from a fractal pattern that it have no scientific value.
- Once the graph or a fractal pattern is magnified, the repetition of geometric shapes can no longer be seen.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt: Choose an image from a nonfiction selection you have read. Use the image as inspiration to write a new fictional piece on the same topic. | https://standards.readingplus.com/grade-standard/78105?state=DC |
Codec for multimedia services using wavelets and fractals.
Date2004
Author
Brijmohan, Yarish.
MetadataShow full item record
Abstract
Increase in technological advancements in fields of telecommunications, computers and television have prompted the need to exchange video, image and audio files between people. Transmission of such files finds numerous multimedia applications such as, internet multimedia, video conferencing, videophone, etc. However, the transmission and rece-ption of these files are limited by the available bandwidth as well as storage capacities of systems. Thus there is a need to develop compression systems, such that required multimedia applications can operate within these limited capacities. This dissertation presents two well established coding approaches that are used in modern' image and video compression systems. These are the wavelet and fractal methods. The wavelet based coder, which adopts the transform coding paradigm, performs the discrete wavelet transform on an image before any compression algorithms are implemented. The wavelet transform provides good energy compaction and decorrelating properties that make it suited for compression. Fractal compression systems on the other hand differ from the traditional transform coders. These algorithms are based on the theory of iterated function systems and take advantage of local self-similarities present in images. In this dissertation, we first review the theoretical foundations of both wavelet and fractal coders. Thereafter we evaluate different wavelet and fractal based compression algorithms, and assess the strengths and weakness in each case. Due to the short-comings of fractal based compression schemes, such as the tiling effect appearing in reconstructed images, a wavelet based analysis of fractal image compression is presented. This is the link that produces fractal coding in the wavelet domain, and presents a hybrid coding scheme called fractal-wavelet coders. We show that by using smooth wavelet basis in computing the wavelet transform, the tiling effect of fractal systems can be removed. The few wavelet-fractal coders that have been proposed in literature are discussed, showing advantages over the traditional fractal coders. This dissertation will present a new low-bit rate video compression system that is based on fractal coding in the wavelet domain. This coder makes use of the advantages of both the wavelet and fractal coders discussed in their review. The self-similarity property of fractal coders exploits the high spatial and temporal correlation between video frames. Thus the fractal coding step gives an approximate representation of the coded frame, while the wavelet technique adds detail to the frame. In this proposed scheme, each frame is decomposed using the pyramidal multi-resolution wavelet transform. Thereafter a motion detection operation is used in which the subtrees are partitioned into motion and non-motion subtrees. The nonmotion subtrees are easily coded by a binary decision, whereas the moving ones are coded using the combination of the wavelet SPIHT and fractal variable subtree size coding scheme. All intra-frame compression is performed using the SPIHT compression algorithm and inter-frame using the fractal-wavelet method described above. The proposed coder is then compared to current low bit-rate video coding standards such as the H.263+ and MPEG-4 coders through analysis and simulations. Results show that the proposed coder is competitive with the current standards, with a performance improvement been shown in video sequences that do not posses large global motion. Finally, a real-time implementation of the proposed algorithm is performed on a digital signal processor. This illustrates the suitability of the proposed coder being applied to numerous multimedia applications. | http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/3189 |
The power of music to affect memory is quite intriguing. Mozart’s music and baroque music, with a 60 beats per minute beat pattern, activates the left and right brain. The simultaneous left and right brain action maximizes learning and retention of information. The information being studied activates the left brain while the music activates the right brain. Also, activities which engage both sides of the brain at the same time, such as playing an instrument or singing, cause the brain to be more capable of processing information.
Listening to music facilitates the recall of information19. Researchers have shown that certain types of music are a great “keys” for recalling memories. Information learned while listening to a particular song can often be recalled simply by “playing” the songs mentally.
Musical training has even better effect than just listening to classical music. There is clear evidence20, that children who take music lessons develop a better memory compared with children who have no musical training.
Note: For learning or memory performance, it’s important that music doesn’t have a vocal component; otherwise you’re more likely to remember the words of the background song than what you’re supposed to be recalling. | https://soundhealingresearchfoundation.org/music-improves-memory-performance/ |
I’ve already talked about how exercise helps your memory. But, that’s not the only road to keeping a healthy brain. Listening to music and the brain have an intimate connection.
Of course, virtually everyone enjoys music. It doesn’t matter if you listen to rock, hip-hop, or jazz. You probably listen to music while you work or do chores.
What if I told you it could be healthy? Let’s find out what music can do for your memory and learning.
Contents
- 1 What’s the relationship between music and the brain?
- 2 But, the link between music and the brain isn’t simple
- 3 Everyday benefits from the link between music and the brain
- 4 The holistic takeaway
What’s the relationship between music and the brain?
Physically, stereo systems (like headphones) send vibrations to our brains. It generates electrical signals that our brains translate. That’s how we hear.
With music, we’re talking about more complex functions. We must process harmony, rhythms, and more. That’s a lot of maths and architecture (sound-wise) for our brains.
That’s the key consideration for keeping our brains healthy.
How does music work for keeping a healthy brain?
Many of music’s benefits come from association:
- Listening to new music is good for creativity. It forces us to understand new sounds and perspectives.
- Familiar music can help you recall memories you associate with that genre or song. The best example is recalling times and conversations with friends.
- Finally, your body could respond to music in different ways. Some genres might help you focus, relax, or even vent.
How does the music and brain relationship work for your memory?
Music (both listening to and playing it) reactivates our brain’s memory area. But, music works for more than remembering. It can make it easier to create new memories.
Moreover, music also seems to benefit recovery from brain injuries—particularly in the left region. Singing is unrelated to that side. So, it can help people speak lyrics while eliminating the melody.
But, the link between music and the brain isn’t simple
But, music and the brain is a complex relationship. Keeping a healthy brain isn’t merely listening to more music.
As I mentioned, the effects are different for everyone. But, it’s not as simple as changing the music genre. Some people simply don’t benefit regardless of the kind of music.
It can backfire when keeping a healthy brain
For many, music doesn’t help them focus or recall memories. In fact, it can do the opposite. Some of the ill-effects include the following:
- Some songs can distract you from your current tasks if they require special focus.
- Music can also contain lots of information. Particularly with lyrics, it can reduce your working memory. That includes list items and event sequences.
- Reading comprehension can also suffer if you hear fast and loud music. The same goes when it contains lyrics.
Not all music works the same
Naturally, different types of music have different results. That pairs with everything we’ve said to make music and the brain more complex. But, there are some basic guidelines we can follow.
If you want music for keeping a healthy brain, try the following:
- Avoid complex lyrics or lyrics in general.
- Pick slow music.
- Keep your tunes simple. Avoid experimental or progressive songs with complex rhythms.
- Don’t turn the volume up too much.
- Try to avoid your favorite songs if you need to focus.
Everyday benefits from the link between music and the brain
I’ve explained extensively how music and the brain work together. Likewise, I’ve touched on some of its memory benefits. But, how can you benefit from music?
Let’s dive into more practical benefits for keeping a brain healthy.
- It can reduce stress from studying, working, and other situations.
- Music can reduce anxiety from upcoming tests and deadlines.}
- You can perform better in high-pressure situations.
- Music can also distract you from physical pain, easing the feeling.
- Classical music is particularly useful for boosting your concentration.
- Moreover, it’s also great for boosting your cognition.
- You can recall memories and emotions you associate with certain songs.
The holistic takeaway
Overall, we still don’t entirely understand music and the brain. But, it’s something we can try with zero side effects. So, try listening to some music to keep a healthy brain. Try some playlist while you work or do your chores.
If you need additional help, I have just the tip for you.
ProMind Complex is a fantastic supplement to improve your memory and cognition. It also helps your brain fight off aging and other issues.
To learn more, check out my official review! | https://msholisticwellness.com/music-and-the-brain/ |
All pupils in Years 8 – 10 study a general music course based upon listening, composing and performing.
Listening
The pupils’ listening skills are developed through the study of a variety of pieces from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Twentieth Century periods of History. Also, pupils study the development of Pop Music from 1950’s to the present day.
The scheme of work also covers reading and writing music notation, the elements of music and the study of instruments from the Symphony Orchestra and instruments in Pop Music.
Composing
Pupils compose during all three years in the Music/ICT Suite. The Music/ICT Suite has 20 IMAC Computers with music keyboards attached. Every computer is installed with Logic Pro 9 and Sibelius 6.
Performing
In class, pupils learn to play the keyboard. There is also an emphasis on classroom singing.
KS4
At Key Stage 4 students can opt to follow GCSE Music (Eduqas) which focuses on the development of the listening, performing and composing skills developed at Key Stage 3. The listening part of the course is divided into four areas of study – Musical Devices, Musical Forms, Film Music and Pop Music. Performance skills are acquired through attending lessons with our talented peripatetic staff, which are assessed through a solo and group performance. The Music Department of the Belfast Model School for Girls is located within a suite of purpose-built rooms, several individual practice rooms, an orchestra room, a recording studio and a Mac computer suite. | https://belfastgms.org/site/learning/music/ |
This course will investigate the chronological development of W.A.Mozart`s life, times and music. Particular attention will be made to the study of the wide range of musical genres which W.A.Mozart composed e.g. symphonies , string quartets. operas etc. Considerable use of CD sound illustrations will be made.
Course aim
This course will investigate the life, times and music of W.A.Mozart, who strove to break away from the shackles of servitude and become one of the first genuine `freelance` musicians.
Do I need any particular skills or experience?
- No skills or experience needed
- This course is suitable for beginners and improvers
By the end of the course I should be able to:
- Be more familiar in listening to music more carefully with greater understanding and enjoyment.
- Brief recall of the circumstances surrounding W.A.Mozart`s life and times.
- Brief recall of several significant musical compositions composed by W.A.Mozart
- Be aware of the characteristics of music of the classical period of music.
- Be encouraged to listen to more of Mozart`s music on radio3 , Classic FM etc.
How will I be taught?
- The WEA tutor will use a range of different teaching and learning methods and encourage you and the group to be actively involved in your learning
- You may be asked to undertake additional work in your own time to support your learning
What kind of feedback can I expect?
- A range of informal activities will be used by the tutor to see what you are learning which may include quizzes, question and answer, small projects and discussion
- You will have opportunities to discuss your progress with your tutor
- You will be encouraged to share your work with the group and discuss your learning
What else do I need to know?
- Nothing else is needed
Pre-course work, reading and information sources
- No pre reading or pre course work is required
What can I do next?
- Progress to another WEA course
- Access the WEA What Next? booklet here http://www.wea.org.uk/learn-wea/what-can-i-do-next
- Students may wish to continue their musical studies by not only attending musical concerts, but may also choose to start to play a musical instrument upon which they could perform music composed by W.A.Mozart.
Download full Course information sheet
This course has completed. | https://enrolonline.wea.org.uk/online/2017/courseinfo.aspx?r=C3670909 |
|Job Requirement||Executive Assistant Job Responsibilities:
|
The duties of an Executive Assistant varies, Besides performing basic administrative tasks (answering the phone, photocopying, mailing, filing, word processing, internet), the Executive Assistant prepares correspondences, reports, presentations, and manages the executive's schedule. This employee may schedule and attend confidential management and board meetings, prepare agendas, and transcribe or distribute minutes. In some settings, the Executive Assistant researches and compiles data has role in establishing and coordinating the implementation of company administrative policies.
Executive Assistant Job Duties:
Produces information by transcribing, formatting, inputting, editing, retrieving, copying, and transmitting text, data, and graphics.
Conserves executive's time by reading, researching, and routing correspondence; drafting letters and documents; collecting and analyzing information; initiating telecommunications.
Maintains executive's appointment schedule by planning and scheduling meetings, conferences, teleconferences, and travel.
Represents the executive by attending meetings in the executive's absence; speaking for the executive.
Welcomes guests and customers by greeting them, in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
Maintains customer confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
Completes projects by assigning work to clerical staff; following up on results.
Prepares reports by collecting and analyzing information.
Secures information by completing data base backups.
Provides historical reference by developing and utilizing filing and retrieval systems; recording meeting discussions.
Maintains office supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level; anticipating needed supplies; evaluating new office products; placing and expediting orders for supplies; verifying receipt of supplies. | http://www.noblejob.co.in/vacancy-detail-393318.htm |
After witnessing an event, people often report having seen details that were merely suggested to them. Evidence is mixed regarding how well participants can use confidence judgments to discriminate between their correct and misled memory reports. We tested the prediction that the confidence-accuracy relationship for misled details depends upon the availability of source cues at retrieval. In Experiment 1, participants (N=77) viewed a videotaped staged crime before reading a misleading narrative. After seven minutes or one week, the participants completed a cued recall test for the details of the original event. Prior to completing the test, all participants were warned that the narrative contained misleading details to encourage source monitoring. The results showed that the strength of the confidence-accuracy relationship declined significantly over the delay. We interpret our results in the source monitoring framework. After an extended delay, fewer diagnostic source details were available to participants, increasing reliance on retrieval fluency as a basis for memory and metamemory decisions. We tested this interpretation in a second experiment, in which participants (N=42) completed a source monitoring test instead of a cued recall test. We observed a large effect of retention interval on source monitoring, and no significant effect on item memory. This research emphasizes the importance of securing eyewitness statements as soon as possible after an event, when witnesses are most able to discriminate between information that was personally seen and information obtained from secondary sources. | https://researchnow.flinders.edu.au/en/publications/confidence-accuracy-resolution-in-the-misinformation-paradigm-is- |
GUEST POST: Learning is Multidimensional -- Embrace the Complexity!
By James Mannion
James Mannion is a final year PhD student at the University of Cambridge, and an Associate of the University College London Institute of Education. He is also the Director of Rethinking Education, and the founder of Praxis Teacher Research. He blogs at www.rethinking-ed.org/blog, and is @rethinking_ed on Twitter.
Here are 5 statements about learning that I have come across in the last year:
- “Learning is what happens when you think hard.” Prof. Rob Coe (1)
- “Learning is impossible without extended practice.” Joe Kirby (Pragmatic Education Blog)
- “Learning is acquiring knowledge and skills and having them readily available from memory so you can make sense of future problems and opportunities.” Prof. Henry L. Roediger (The E-Learning Coach Podcast)
- “If nothing has changed in long-term memory, nothing has been learned.” Prof. Kirschner (2, p77)
- “Learning and memory are closely related concepts. Learning is the acquisition of skill or knowledge, while memory is the expression of what you’ve acquired. Another difference is the speed with which the two things happen. If you acquire the new skill or knowledge slowly and laboriously, that’s learning. If acquisition occurs instantly, that’s making a memory.” (3)
Each of these statements are made with a strong sense of certainty: “Learning is X”. But what if learning is more than just *a thing* which can be defined in a single sentence? What if learning is… multidimensional?
Nine dimensions of learning
Here, I have outlined 9 possible dimensions of learning – some of which feature in the statements above, most of which do not. Please note that this is not intended as an exhaustive list – it is presented as a conversation-starter about the many facets of learning that exist in the literature.
1: Learning as retention
To the extent that learning is synonymous with retention of information in memory, the spectrum almost writes itself. At one end, we have stuff that is immediately forgotten. At the other, we have things that are learned to the point of automaticity: your name, where you live, the fact that socks go on your feet.
But even within the realm of memory, there are more things to consider than mere retention. Here are 3 dimensions of learning related to aspects of memory:
2: Implicit vs explicit memory
Implicit memory is sometimes referred to as automatic or unconscious memory, which may be expressed in the absence of deliberate recollection: the ability to ride a bike, button a shirt, play the piano (4). These particular examples are also examples of procedural memory; however, implicit memory does not have to be procedural. For example, a student "guessing" the answer to a question because they do actually know the answer but they don't realize that they know it would also be classified as implicit memory. Implicit memory can also include behaviors such as locking the door as you leave the house, or associations such as those related to smells. Explicit memory (also known as declarative memory or direct memory), on the other hand, involves the conscious, intentional remembering of information. Remembering your bank details is an example of explicit memory.
3: Semantic vs episodic
Explicit (declarative, direct) memory is divided into two further types. Semantic memory is the recall of general facts, while episodic memory is recall of personal experiences. Remembering the capitals of countries is an example of semantic memory, whereas being able to recall what happened on the way to school is an example of episodic memory. Episodic memory necessarily involves the ability to perform mental time-travel (5).
4: Recall vs recognition
Psychologists distinguish between two types of memory retrieval. Recognition refers to our ability to, umm, recognize an event or piece of information as having been experienced in the past. This is the kind of memory that students are required to use in a multiple choice test. Recall, on the other hand, requires the production of information. The educational equivalent of this would be writing an essay. Recall is generally considered to require a greater depth of information processing, storage, and retrieval than recognition; however, this may not always be the case (5).
However, memory is not the only game in town as far as learning is concerned. Here are 5 more dimensions of learning:
5: Naturally occurring vs. elicited data
Some things we learn can be considered naturally occurring data: your siblings’ names, say, or the names for common foods. Other things we learn are elicited: you go out of your way to learn it. This is something often considered by social scientists - e.g. whether to use naturally occurring or elicited data when researching schools, or a combination of the two. As well as simply describing data, this can be seen as a kind of continuum that overlaps to some extent with what schools often refer to as ‘attitude to learning’. At the ‘elicited’ end of the spectrum, we find the autodidact. At the opposite end, the incurious drifter who takes life as it comes. In the UK, some schools require teachers to enter a grade for ‘attitude to learning’ alongside attainment data. It is an entirely spurious rating (often on a scale from 1 to 6) and highly problematic – some schools even publish the scores in corridors to “name and shame” disruptive pupils.
6: Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation
Compare these two statements: “I am learning to solve a Rubik’s cube because I enjoy the challenge.” “I am learning to solve a Rubik’s cube so I can show off to my friends.” Each of these motivations may be strong or weak. We also may hold several such positions simultaneously. Teachers might increase intrinsic motivation (and, consequently, learning) by explaining the real-world significance of a task (6), or by setting multidimensional tasks such as project-based learning (7).
7: Classical vs operant conditioning
Classical conditioning is defined as “a learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired: a response which is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone” (Oxford English Dictionary). Classical conditioning forms the basis of much animal training, where treats are used to elicit desirable behaviors. However, classical conditioning may also feature in certain types of school-based learning, such as training students to tidy up by playing a particular piece of music, which is common practice in schools. Operant conditioning is defined as “a type of learning in which a behavior is strengthened (meaning, it will occur more frequently) when it's followed by reinforcement, and weakened (will happen less frequently) when followed by punishment” (Oxford English Dictionary). This idea underpins many schools' behavior management systems.
8: Inductive vs deductive reasoning (8)
Inductive reasoning is essentially a “bottom up” approach to learning. For example, students may be presented with several examples of a phenomenon (e.g. photographs with examples of specific animal adaptations) and they are required to identify general patterns or “rules” (e.g. camouflage, body size, ear shape).
Deductive reasoning is a “top-down” approach to learning. In the example above, students may be taught types of adaptations types of adaptations first, and then these “rules” are tested with particular examples (e.g. the photos of animal adaptations).
9: Significant vs less significant learning
Carl Rogers once wrote: “It seems to me that anything that can be taught to another is relatively inconsequential and has little or no significant influence on behaviour. I realize increasingly that I am only interested in learnings which significantly influence behaviour.” (9)
It is worth noting that Rogers was a psychotherapist, and not a teacher. Also, significance is rather a subjective notion. Nevertheless, since almost all students ask the question “Why do I need to learn this?” at some point or other in their school career – understandably, some might say – the question of significance remains worthy of reflection.
In summary: Let’s embrace the complexity!
Reflecting upon all of the above, I can only conclude that as far as educators are concerned, the word ‘learning’ is so broad as to be essentially meaningless. We might think of 'learning' as an umbrella term at best, taken to mean something like "the thing we want students to do". Beyond that, we really need to roll our sleeves up and start talking about the specific kinds and features of learning that we're interested in.
With this in mind, I have proposed a glossary of 225 learning terms. It is by no means an exhaustive list, and I would welcome any suggestions for how it might be improved. But as an attempt to embrace learning in all its complexity, it’s a start.
References:
(1) Coe, R. (2013) Improving Education: A triumph of hope over experience. Inaugural Lecture of Professor Robert Coe, Durham University, 18 June 2013. Available at http://www.cem.org/attachments/publications/ImprovingEducation2013.pdf.
(2) Kirschner, P., Sweller, J. & Clark, R. E. (2006). Why minimal guidance during instruction does not work: An analysis of the failure of constructivist, discovery, problem-based, experiential, and inquiry-based teaching. Educational Psychologist, 41, 75–86.
(3) Kazdin, A. E. (2000). Encyclopedia of Psychology.
(4) Roediger, H. L. (1990). Implicit memory: Retention without remembering. American Psychologist, 45, 1043-1056.
(5) Tulving, E. (2002). Episodic memory: From mind to brain. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 1-25.
(6) Mitchell, M. (1993). Situational Interest: Its multifaceted structure in the secondary school mathematics classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85, 424–436.
(7) Blumenfeld, P. C., Soloway, E., Marx, R., Krajcik, J. S., Guzdial, M., & Palincsar, A. (1991). Motivating Project-Based Learning: Sustaining the Doing, Supporting the Learning. Educational Psychologist, 26, 369-398.
(8) Heit, E., & Rotello, C. M. (2010). Relations between inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 36, 805-812.
(9) Rogers, C. (1969). Freedom to learn: A view of what education might become. Columbus, OH, Charles E. Merrill. | http://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2016/12/6-1 |
Note: This position is a limited term assignment. The internship program dates are June through August 2015. Department placement is dependent upon the Intern’s interests, skills, and/or experience.
The Student Intern performs entry (entry- to routine-level) administrative and/or technical work. Work involves supporting agency operations with a primary focus on gaining practical work experience and business skills for personal development or to satisfy educational requirements. Works under close supervision with limited latitude for initiative and independent judgment. This position reports to the manager or director of the assigned department.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
General Functions
•Performs various administrative and/or technical functions in support of agency operations.
•May assist in researching, compiling, and analyzing data and preparing complex queries and reports.
•May enter data into spreadsheets, databases, and other automated applications.
•May review forms, correspondence, reports, and other documents for completeness and acceptability.
•May assist in developing and maintaining record-keeping and filing systems.
•May assist in reviewing and analyzing agency policies, procedures, and forms and recommending changes to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
•May provide general office administrative support, including, but not limited to: typing or word processing correspondence and other documents, greeting and routing visitors and telephone callers, sorting and distributing incoming and outgoing mail, copying, and faxing.
•Assists in completing special projects and performs other work as assigned.
•Performs other duties (general and department specific) as assigned. See below for examples of department duties.
Examples of Duties and Responsibilities By Department (not all-inclusive)
Communications
•Assists with researching, writing, editing, graphic design, photography, video, and social media.
•Assists with production of newsletters, brochures, handbooks, reports, and other print materials used to inform and educate agency employees, members, and the general public.
•Assists with webcasts and special event or project planning and execution.
General Accounting
•Prepares cash, BEVO, travel, and miscellaneous reconciliations.
•Prepares monthly budgetary financial statements, as assigned.
•Assists with budget development and preparation of the General Accounting procedure manual.
•Assists with records retention, compiling and analyzing financial data, contract closure, and administrative tasks.
Health & Insurance Benefits
•Assists with health and insurance enrollment, eligibility, and outreach.
•Assists with customer service activities and functions.
•Assists with benefits communication and education.
•Assists with plan administration.
•Assists with health benefits exception reviews and determinations.
•Assist with Health and Insurance Benefits projects.
•Assist with general administrative functions in a healthcare-related operations environment.
Information Technology
•Assists with drafting, editing, reviewing, and updating technical document such as user guides, installation guides, help documents, and tutorials.
•Assists in monitoring ongoing computer operations, and alerts appropriate staff of inefficiencies or problems that may need corrective action.
•Assists in performing routine maintenance and in resolving routine machine, printer, and software problems, such as cleaning equipment, mounting/dismounting tapes, replacing printer toner, fixing paper jams, and re-prioritizing production jobs.
•Assists with PC deployment activities such as receiving assets, moving equipment within the agency, staging equipment for building/image activity, imaging PCs, putting PCs on the network, installing software on a PC, mapping printers and network drives, executing the replacement activity, updating the asset management system to reflect the activity, and preparing the replaced asset for disposition.
•Assist with reconciliation of assets within the EasyVista software for accurate inventory. Researches and evaluates potential software(s) that can perform the asset management inventory process for the Client Services & Support group.
•Under supervision, provide support for computer hardware, software, and operating systems for the agency’s end-user community.
•Diagnoses and resolves basic hardware and software issues.
•Collaborates with teammates to identify process improvement, escalating quickly when issues arise and assisting senior-level technicians as needed.
Internal Audit
•Assists with scheduling and preparing agendas for meetings with Investment Management Division or external service provider staff.
•Assists with obtaining and filing information needed as part of audit engagements.
•Assists with reviewing and editing audit report drafts for the Audit Committee.
•Assists with other duties as assigned to complete investment or financial audits.
Legal Services
•Assists with responses to open records requests, including research and document preparation such as organizing, scanning, or redacting content.
•Researches and analyzes issues relating to benefit programs, contracts, investment agreements, and other activities of a public retirement system; and drafts documents, memoranda, and correspondence.
•Assists with implementation of legislation passed by the Texas Legislature and compliance with federal laws affecting benefit programs and investments.
•Assists with annual ethics compliance, including tracking ethics compliance submissions by agency employees and contracts, reviewing ethics compliance statements submitted by agency employees and contracts for completeness, and drafting related correspondence.
•Works collaboratively on Legal’s records management and litigation tracking efforts, including paper and electronic file maintenance, organizing records for purging and reviewing, evaluating statistical data, and producing narrative reports of findings.
Staff Services
•Updates building floor plans using Computer Assisted Design (CAD) software.
•Assists the Property Manager with the annual physical inventory of controlled assets.
•Assists in the review and revision of operating procedures.
Strategic Initiatives
•Conducts research on public pension policy and administration matters, including defined benefit and defined compensation plan structures, financial literacy, strategic planning, and legislative preparations.
•Provides administrative assistance in the executive suite including but not limited to answering phones, copying documents, calendaring meetings, and records retention.
•Assists Executive Director and other executive-level staff with preparation of presentations to include conducting research, creating PowerPoint presentations, and editing content.
•Assists executive staff in responding to national public pension policy surveys by coordinating with relevant departments and gathering necessary data.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS/LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS:
Education:
•Applicant must be currently enrolled in and actively attending an undergraduate or graduate degree program at an accredited college or university, or have just completed the previous semester; and must have completed a minimum of 30 semester hours by the start of the internship.
•Applicant will be required to submit a copy of official college transcripts.
Experience:
•None.
Registration, Certification, or Licensure:
•None.
Preferred Qualifications:
•Completion of at least 60 semester hours, including coursework related to the specific program area of the internship assignment.
•Experience using Microsoft Office software.
KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities that May Be Required
Knowledge of:
•General office practices and procedures.
Skill in:
•Organizing and prioritizing work to manage a high-volume workload in a fast-paced environment, and completing work accurately while meeting deadlines.
•Conducting data searches and evaluations of large amounts of information, performing complex analysis of the data, and preparing concise and accurate reports and written/oral recommendations.
•Verbal and written communication of complex information that is accurate, timely, and based on sound judgment.
•Providing quality customer service.
•Reviewing documentation; properly applying complex laws, regulations, rules, and policies; and making decisions based on sound judgment.
•Using a personal computer in a Windows and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) environment, and accurately performing data entry.
Ability to:
•Establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with co-workers, agency staff, and other external contacts.
•Work effectively in a professional team environment.
Physical Requirements and/or Working Conditions
Work is performed in a standard office environment and requires:
•normal cognitive abilities including the ability to learn, recall, and apply certain practices and policies;
•marginal or corrected visual and auditory requirements;
•constant use of personal computers, copiers, printers, and telephones;
•the ability to move about the office to access file cabinets and office machinery;
•frequent sitting and/or remaining in a stationary position; and
•the ability to work under deadlines, as a team member, and in direct contact with others.
Workforce Expectations
Must be able to: | https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/lacs/events/teacher-retirement-system-of-texas-student-intern-summer-2015-application-deadline-btt-gateway-job-id-10036 |
Our Quality Assurance & Service Division is seeking an experienced Administrative Assistant to join their team. This role is responsible for performing a variety of administrative activities and tasks. Assignments may include researching, compiling, tracking, and analyzing data and information from multiple sources. Organizing, coordinating and scheduling meetings, and coordinating calendars. Along with preparing travel arrangements, preparing correspondence and reports, purchasing supplies, filing, coordinating procurement packages. This role utilizes various types of software to compile and generate reports, spreadsheets, statistics, timelines, tables, graphs, correspondence, and presentations. This role may also recommend processes to enhance workflow and provide data and information to others on functional unit processes and procedures.
- Experience with scheduling appointments, arranging meetings, coordinating onsite visits, and coordinating travel arrangements.
- Maintenance of computer and manual filing systems in alignment with QAS records retention schedules.
- Organizational skills and setting priorities and handling multiple assignments simultaneously.
- Experience with compiling data for various reports, composing correspondence, and proofreading and editing.
- Experience using personal computers, office machines, and other office equipment.
- Experience with the Microsoft Suite of programs and ability to learn Laboratory business systems.
- Skill is required to schedule office activities, take accurate meeting minutes, handle difficult situations, and confidentially handle sensitive information.
- Skill in oral and written communication and interpersonal skills when interacting and communicating with a variety of internal and external contacts.
- Basic mathematical skills are required.
- Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks, and participating in professional societies.
- Ability to model Argonne’s Core Values: Impact, Safety, Respect, Integrity, and Teamwork
This position description documents the general nature and level of work but is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all activities, duties and responsibilities required of job incumbent. Consequently, job incumbent may be required to perform other duties as assigned.
- Minimum of a high school and 4+ years of related experience, or equivalent
As an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer, and in accordance with our core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity and teamwork, Argonne National Laboratory is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace that fosters collaborative scientific discovery and innovation. In support of this commitment, Argonne encourages minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities to apply for employment. Argonne considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.
Argonne employees, and certain guest researchers and contractors, are subject to particular restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Sponsored or Affiliated Activities, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. You will be asked to disclose any such participation in the application phase for review by Argonne's Legal Department.
All Argonne offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes an assessment of criminal conviction history conducted on an individualized and case-by-case basis. Please be advised that Argonne positions require upon hire (or may require in the future) for the individual be to obtain a government access authorization that involves additional background check requirements. Failure to obtain or maintain such government access authorization could result in the withdrawal of a job offer or future termination of employment. | https://anl.dejobs.org/lemont-il/administrative-assistant/71FD7A7EFDD346F892B834DCE015B569/job/ |
Studying can be a challenging endeavor for college students. No matter how hard you try, you may still find yourself struggling with this task. Maybe you are easily distracted, your study notes aren’t organized, or perhaps you aren’t interested in your topic. Whatever your reasons may be, it’s imperative you find ways to improve your studying. Here are 6 unusual, yet effective study hacks for college students to consider.
1. Take down notes of all the essential points for the exam.
Before taking a test, it’s helpful to jot down all the essential notes in your notebook or index card. If you do this exercise on a regular basis, it can improve your long-term study habits. Taking down notes allows you to recall all the vital information as you engage your brain at a deeper level, rather than merely reading your study notes. If you want to exercise your brain while earning extra income, consider applying for online tutoring jobs for students. If you plan to pursue teaching as a profession, you will also be able to use this experience as a reference.
2. Jot notes using colored pens and markers.
Colors don’t just brighten up your life, they can also be beneficial in your learning process. The type of color you use in your study notes can impact your memory and performance. For instance, using a white background with a black foreground is proven to be useful for memory retention. Using different colored pens and markers when taking down notes can be quite useful for remembering key facts and important details while studying.
3. Take short breaks.
Cramming for hours may seem like a good idea, but it doesn’t necessarily provide an excellent benefit for your learning process. This is because your mind tends to lose focus after a certain point, and requires a break to reboot. Instead, take short breaks in between to recharge, and increase your concentration for when you go back to studying. Experiment with different time limits in order to find your brains threshold, and in future study sessions, ensure you stay within your limits. For example, you can utilize your 15-minute break to make money with sharing economy sites from the comfort of your home, or just read a book to clear your thoughts.
4. Utilize “difficult-to-read” fonts.
Regardless of the subject you’re studying, using fonts that are hard to read can boost your ability to remember notes and other relevant information. However, these fonts shouldn’t be too difficult to read, as you still need your notes to be legible. If you’re searching for a particular font that may promote deeper cognitive progressing while resulting in good memory retention, some researchers have revealed that Sans Forgetica is an effective font for your studies. This font possesses a desired level of difficulty to help college students more easily recall typed study notes.
5. Listen to music while studying.
Listening to music doesn’t only improve your mood, it also serves as a relaxing background when you’re at home. Research also suggests that listening to different preferred music genres while studying can boost focus and lower stress levels. Create a playlist that will keep you awake and relax your mind while reviewing your notes. However, studying with music yields different results depending on the circumstances, so if it is too much of a distraction for you, then consider alternative methods.
6. Use aromatherapy.
Certain scents can improve your memory. Your sense of smell is one of the strongest among all senses since it’s directly connected to your brain. The receptors in your nose communicate with the parts of the brain where your memory is stored. Using aromatherapy can help boost mental focus, memory, and clarity. Some common scents and their effect on the study process are:
- Peppermint – Smelling it can enhance alertness and concentration. Not only that but inhaling peppermint can also improve the accuracy of your memory.
- Lavender – Using a lavender essential oil during breaks can also improve your level of concentration when you go back to studying.
- Vetiver and cedarwood – Inhaling these essential oils can improve brain patterns and minimize levels of inattention.
- Rosemary – An English study provides that the smell of rosemary can also increase your memory and alertness.
Generally, inhalation of essential oils comes with a variety of cognitive benefits. It’s been shown that they improve mental clarity, memory, and alertness – all of which can make you more productive.
Although everyone studies differently, these six unusual study hacks can be fairly beneficial for college students. These easy-to-do study methods help your mind to focus and help you revitalize and retain more information quickly while studying. If you want to make the most of your time in college and put forth your best work, experiment and discover the study habits that work best for you.
For more topics on all things regarding college life, check out the other blogs at College Basics. | https://www.collegebasics.com/blog/6-unusual-study-hacks-for-students/ |
Paralegals assist barristers, lawyers or legal executives with legal matters, however they are not qualified to practice law themselves.
Their duties can vary from office administration tasks to more advanced responsibilities which resemble the work of a trainee solicitor. Essentially, paralegals provide support on legal matters to senior fee earners or the organisations they work within.
The role of a paralegal varies depending on the organisation. Paralegals can work in law firms, chambers, public and private sector organisations and charity and non-profit organisations.
-
What are the typical responsibilities of a Paralegal?
At a basic level, paralegals perform the following tasks:
• Drafting, preparing and proofreading documents
• Carrying out legal research
• Performing general administrative duties, including letter writing, billing and filing
• Scheduling meetings, organising diaries and responding to telephone queries
• Writing reports
More advanced tasks include:
• Taking witness statements
• Meeting with experts / claimants
• Handling a caseload of clients
• Attending court
• Presenting applications to judges
-
Do you need specific qualifications to become a Paralegal?
There is no minimum qualification required to be a paralegal, however the following may be useful if you’re considering applying:
• Good standard of general education, including good GCSE and A level grades
• A degree in law or a related field may be advantageous
• Qualifications including CILEx (Chartered Institute of Legal Executives) or those offered by NALP (National Association of Licensed Paralegals) can be completed alongside employment
• Some employers may require you to complete an HNC/HND or foundation degree in law, legal studies or paralegal practice
• A paralegal certificate, diploma or higher diploma may also be advantageous
-
What experience is necessary?
With the competitive nature of the legal sector, it is important that you demonstrate your desire to work in law. Useful experience will include:
• Experience in an office environment
• Work experience through shadowing
• Internship at a law firm
• Advanced apprenticeship in legal services
• Attending firms’ open days / ‘insight’ events
• Court marshalling or attending court hearings as a member of the public
• Volunteering for local charities / Citizen’s Advice Centres
-
Which skills are important in a career as a Paralegal?
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to work well under pressure and stick to tight deadlines
• Ability to multitask as you may be managing multiple cases / tasks at once
• Good administration skills – typing, filing, letter writing etc
• Strong interest in law with a desire to develop your understanding of the legal system
• Ability to work well independently and as part of a team – working with other departments
• Demonstrable business acumen
• Strong client contact skills – need to be patient and considerate when dealing with clients and witnesses
• Knowledge/experience of legal database certifications such as Westlaw is advantageous
-
Summary
Becoming a Paralegal is great way to get your foot in the door of the legal sector without being a fully qualified lawyer.
Paralegals are involved in a variety of tasks which range from office administration to court attendance. The job can be challenging at times, and although their status is not equivalent to a Solicitor or Barrister, they still play an important role in the legal system.
Furthermore, many of our most popular Paralegal vacancies are those that offer training contracts, allowing individuals to qualify as solicitors while working.
Search and apply for the latest Paralegal jobs on TotallyLegal today. | https://www.totallylegal.com/article/paralegal-job-description/ |
Memory & Cognition
Peer-reviewed publications on Questia are publications containing articles which were subject to evaluation for accuracy and substance by professional peers of the article's author(s).
A journal that covers human memory and learning, conceptual processes, and problem solving in a scholarly forum.
Articles from Vol. 36, No. 3, April
A Constrained Rasch Model of Trace Redintegration in Serial Recall
The notion that verbal short-term memory tasks, such as serial recall, make use of information in long-term as well as in short-term memory is instantiated in many models of these tasks. Such models incorporate a process in which degraded traces retrieved...
Action and the Representation of Distance in Cognitive Maps Acquired through Imagined Traversal: The Development of a New Methodology
A new methodology examined the effects of action on memory for traversed distance using an imagined route traversal task. Blindfolded participants learned environments through auditory verbal description, imagining themselves walking in synchronization...
Automatic Semantic Feedback during Visual Word Recognition
Four experiments were conducted to determine whether semantic feedback spreads to orthographic and/or phonological representations during visual word recognition and whether such feedback occurs automatically. Three types of prime-target word pairs were...
Category Labels versus Feature Labels: Category Labels Polarize Inferential Predictions
What makes category labels different from feature labels in predictive inference? This study suggests that category labels tend to make inductive reasoning polarized and homogeneous. In two experiments, participants were shown two schematic pictures...
Eye Movements during the Reading of Compound Words and the Influence of Lexeme Meaning
We examined the use of lexeme meaning during the processing of spatially unified bilexemic compound words by manipulating both the location and the word frequency of the lexeme that primarily defined the meaning of a compound (i.e., the dominant lexeme)....
False Memory for Associated Word Lists in Individuals and Collaborating Groups
Using the Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm, we investigated recall of presented and nonpresented associated words by collaborating groups, nominal groups, and individuals. In Experiment 1, participants recalled individually and then recalled in...
Feedback Enhances the Positive Effects and Reduces the Negative Effects of Multiple-Choice Testing
Multiple-choice tests are used frequently in higher education without much consideration of the impact this form of assessment has on learning. Multiple-choice testing enhances retention of the material tested (the testing effect); however, unlike other...
Feeling of Knowing and Duration of Unsuccessful Memory Search
Five experiments examined the impact of feeling of knowing on decisions to continue or to terminate the search of memory in question answering. First, two pairs of experiments respectively scrutinized knowledge about (1) ordinary facts and (2) national...
How Do Readers Handle Incorrect Information during Reading?
How do readers deal with information that is inconsistent with what they know? This question has typically been addressed by examining whether carefully designed texts can help readers revise inaccurate beliefs. However, texts sometimes present incorrect...
Intuition versus Analysis: Strategy and Experience in Complex Everyday Problem Solving
Research on dual processes in cognition has shown that explicit, analytical thought is more powerful and less vulnerable to heuristics and biases than is implicit, intuitive thought. However, several studies have shown that holistic, intuitive processes...
Mental Imagery and Chunks: Empirical and Computational Findings
To investigate experts' imagery in chess, players were required to recall briefly presented positions in which pieces were placed on the intersections between squares (intersection positions). Position types ranged from game positions to positions in...
Path Planning under Spatial Uncertainty
In this article, we present experiments studying path planning under spatial uncertainties. In the main experiment, the participants' task was to navigate the shortest possible path to find an object hidden in one of four places and to bring it to the...
Poor Readers' Use of Orthographic Information in Learning to Read New Words: A Visual Bias or a Phonological Deficit?
In this study, we examined the ability of 11-year-old poor readers and reading age controls to learn new print vocabulary. It was found that the poor readers were slower than the controls to learn to read a set of non words accurately but that, when...
Primacy or Recency Effects in Forming Inductive Categories
Five experiments provide evidence for a primacy effect in the formation of inductive categories. Participants completed a category induction task in which they observed and reproduced a set of lines that varied in length but were serially ordered so...
Social Influences on Spatial Memory
Three experiments were performed to examine the joint influences of spatial and social categories on memory for maps. Participants learned a map and descriptive information about small town businesses and, afterward, completed distance estimation and...
Sound Source Location Modulates the Irrelevant-Sound Effect
Participants memorized lists of visually presented digits in silence or while ignoring distractor sounds that either came from the front and thus from the direction in which participants' attention was oriented, or from behind. Distractor sounds impaired...
Structural Priming among Prepositional Phrases: Evidence from Eye Movements
This experiment was designed to determine whether prepositional phrases are treated as a single undifferentiated type, or whether the parser may recognize different subtypes. In the experiment, participants read temporarily ambiguous prime and target...
The Effect of Task Location and Task Type on Backward Inhibition
Alternating tasks in a sequence of task switches results in impaired performance, relative to switches across three different tasks, an effect known as backward inhibition. Despite the robustness of this effect across task and response variations, backward...
View Combination in Scene Recognition
Becoming familiar with an environment requires the ability to integrate spatial information from different views. We provide evidence that view combination, a mechanism believed to underlie the ability to recognize novel views of familiar objects, is... | https://www.questia.com/library/p62118/memory-cognition/i4514655/vol-36-no-3-april |
We’ve all heard the term “inspirational” and used it as a compliment. An inspirational person is one who motivates and spurs others on, often by example. We’re inspired by those who show courage, originality, and a willingness to follow their dreams and make their mark on the world.
Qualities That Make Someone Inspiring
Someone who’s inspiring is someone who listens, someone who communicates effectively and has a vision that others can relate to.
They’re able to lead others in the right direction and get them to work toward a common goal. They also have a strong sense of self-worth that enables them to inspire others by showing them how special they’re in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi, for example, was an inspirational leader because he led the Indian independence movement against British rule peacefully through nonviolent civil disobedience or satyagraha (truth power). He believed that it’s better to follow one’s own inner voice than to blindly follow what society tells him is acceptable behavior.
Not only was he an effective communicator, but he also conveyed his message clearly so that everyone could understand exactly why he wanted India to be free from Britain and how to achieve this dream together by following his guidance on how best to achieve the goal through non-violent actions such as boycotting goods manufactured by foreign companies.
A True Role Model Will Inspire People for Generations to Come
It’s not easy to determine exactly what makes a person a True Role Model. When people hear the word “role model,” they often think of famous people who’re admired for their talent or success. But the most important quality that all True Role Models have in common is their ability to inspire others. They have a quiet confidence that allows them to lead with an open heart, gaining the trust and loyalty of those around them.
True role models aren’t afraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves and show their emotions in the way they treat others. They’re passionate about what they believe in and willing to fight for it when necessary.
They don’t just talk about helping others but are actually committed to changing the world around them. And they don’t just help people because it’s the right thing to do – they do it because they care about improving the lives of people who may need advice or a helping hand at some point in life.
Some People Are Naturally Charismatic, While Others Have to Work Hard to Develop That Ability
Some people have an energy that draws people in, and they exude confidence and strength. You can tell they’re going places, and you want to be part of that life journey. Their ability to inspire others is natural because of who they’re.
Others Have to Work Hard to Develop Charisma
They may not be naturally charismatic, but they know how to act in ways that make them seem confident and strong. They may have experienced hard times in their lives and learned through experience how to behave in difficult situations.
It’s not impossible for someone who’s not naturally charismatic to learn how to become more charismatic.
- Personal charisma is about your energy level and how confident you’re in yourself and your abilities.
- Situational charisma is about your ability to connect with people on a deeper level than just a superficial conversational level. It’s about understanding their needs and interests so you can interact with them on an emotional level.
A Great Leader Can Change the World by Inspiring Others
Throughout history, great leaders have changed the world for better or worse, and there are many great examples of both. Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Jr. are just a few examples of inspirational leaders who changed the world forever.
It’s important to remember that leadership isn’t always about being in charge or exercising authority over others. Leadership is about encouraging and inspiring people to work toward a common goal or vision.
Great leaders inspire others through their own actions and words. They don’t talk down to their followers or treat them as if they’re inferior. They treat everyone with respect and honor the human spirit by recognizing it as one of their greatest assets. An inspiring leader doesn’t need titles or positions of power to inspire others; instead, they use their own character and success stories as a source of inspiration for others.
An Inspiring Person Is Also a Good Listener
Inspiration is one of the most valuable gifts you can give to others. But inspiration isn’t always easy to come by. It takes time, effort and practice to get good at it.
Inspirational leaders are usually good listeners because they get close to their listeners, and to get close they’ve to understand them, and feel them. The best way to do that’s to listen carefully and attentively.
Listening is a skill that can improve your relationships, build self-confidence, and even develop trust between you and the other people in your life. It’s not just about listening to words, but also to body language and feelings. You can’t inspire people if you don’t listen to them!
There are many ways to improve your skills as an inspirational speaker:
- Practice active listening: When you listen actively, you show that you’re paying attention by nodding your head or saying “mm-hmm” while others are speaking. You can also summarize what they said so they know you got their point. This helps the conversation flow smoothly and makes the speaker feel heard and understood.
- Ask questions: asking thoughtful questions is a great way to encourage someone to talk more about a topic that interests or excites them – or even a topic that makes him or her uncomfortable! It also gives them the opportunity to explain things further if there are misunderstandings (which can happen if we’re not careful).
- Develop your emotional intelligence: people who’re good listeners are able to share empathy with others. They understand what others are feeling and can respond accordingly to make others feel better when needed. They also notice small changes in facial expressions or gestures that indicate what someone else wants or needs from them at that moment – something that makes them excellent communicators in all situations!
A Good Speaker Is Able to Create an Impact
A good speaker should be able to influence his/her audience by using various techniques such as rhetorical questions, humor, metaphors, etc. so that they understand exactly what he/she’s trying to convey to them through his/her speech or presentation. A good speaker should also be able to control his/her emotions while delivering the speech.
A good speaker is one who can get his message across effectively and in an interesting way. He/she should be able to capture the attention of the audience with his words and make them listen carefully to his ideas. The listeners should feel inspired by what he says and not just sit passively and listen to him.
A successful person’s ability to influence others is called charisma, and it’s a quality that most great leaders possess in abundance. A good speaker has charisma because he knows how to use it effectively and gets people to follow him without much resistance.
Inspiring leaders also know how to convince people of something without resorting to force or coercion, but only through logical arguments that appeal directly to their minds and not to their emotions. He’s something interesting and new to say at every opportunity because he’s always up to date and can talk about anything that touches the audience.
Passion Is the Key to Inspiring People
If you want to get people excited about what you do, you have to be passionate about what you do.
When you’re passionate about something, it’s easy to share your knowledge with others. You radiate a lot of energy and enthusiasm that will attract others.
You can create a space where everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves and sharing their ideas.
Passion is contagious! If you’re passionate about your topic, half the work is already done. You don’t have to worry about how others will react or if they understand what you’re saying – because they’ll!
Some People Are Born Inspirational, Others Are Made
Some people have an innate ability to inspire others. They have the gift of speech, they can speak with passion and conviction, and they know how to get others to believe in them.
Not only do other people have great ideas, but they’re able to share those ideas with the world. They have a way of touching the hearts and minds of others. And when it comes to getting people excited about your ideas, inspiration is key to motivation.
Communication Skills Tips
You can have the best success stories, be motivated, and be a good leader, but if you don’t have the communication skills, it’ll be hard to be the inspirational leader you always wanted to be in life. Here are some tips:
- practice speaking from the heart.
- speak in an entertaining tone and avoid sounding like a robot or an academic reading from his notes (these two approaches scare off most listeners).
- use body language that conveys confidence and credibility – stand tall, smile often, and use hand gestures sparingly (too many gestures can distract from what you’re saying).
- be yourself – be sincere, authentic, and genuine, rather than trying to be someone else or something else.
So there you have it – some of the qualities that make someone inspiring. I hope this article has given you some ideas on where to start when looking for ways to improve yourself and your life. Remember that everyone is different and draws inspiration from different things.
However, if we all work together and share our knowledge with each other, we can all become better versions of ourselves! | https://brilliantio.com/what-makes-someone-inspiring/ |
Nelsonville, OH – Do you know someone in your community who goes above and beyond to improve the lives of others? Is there a visionary leader in your community you want to recognize? To honor people of all ages who work passionately in the service of others in Appalachian Ohio, the Jenco Foundation Fund is seeking nominations for the 2021 Jenco Awards.
These cash awards are designed to recognize the committed service of Appalachian Ohioans – from those who have a lifetime of service experience to those whose service has begun early in life. Nominations are invited from the public and must be postmarked or emailed by Monday, June 14, 2021. Nomination forms and additional information about the Jenco Awards are available at www.AppalachianOhio.org/Jenco.
Founded in 2001 by journalist Terry Anderson, the Jenco Foundation honors Father Lawrence Martin Jenco. A Catholic priest who was kidnapped in Beirut, Lebanon while serving as director of Catholic Relief Services, Father Jenco was an inspiration to many, including fellow captive Anderson, because of his compassion and service to others.
The Jenco Foundation joined the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO) in 2011 as an endowment to ensure that it can forever honor Father Jenco’s legacy by recognizing unsung heroes throughout Appalachian Ohio.
“The Jenco Awards exist to recognize individuals who go above and beyond normal volunteer effort and contribute extraordinary service to their community,” said Melody Sands, a member of the Jenco Foundation Fund committee. “Our goal is to shine a light on individuals with awards to draw attention to the incredible work these often-uncelebrated leaders are doing throughout our region.”
The Jenco Award recognizes individuals of all ages for their service contributions. Their service demonstrates direct, caring action that contributes to the quality of life of individuals living in Appalachian Ohio. Their commitment to others is not simply a part of their daily jobs or for a school project; it is a passion.
Last year’s recipients provide an example of the wide-ranging visionary leadership in the service of others that the Jenco Award recognizes:
- Roberta “Bobbi” Bishop of Hocking County was recognized for her lifetime of service and dedication to environmental preservation and education through the creation of Bishop Educational Gardens. She has taken a leadership role in the Gardens’ annual arts and music festival to support local artists and musicians.
- Crystal Cole of Athens County was recognized for her work to meet community needs during a time of crisis and unknown risk through service with the Salvation Army as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Lillian Ford, a high school student of Belmont County, was recognized for her dedication to address community needs and inspire the service of other youth through the creation of Kindness U: Lillian’s Leaders for Tomorrow. The nonprofit club engages kids of all ages in volunteering and fundraising to give back to their communities.
- Karen Kumpf of Washington County was recognized for her visionary and inclusive leadership in creating Harvest of Hope to address food insecurity in her community. Kumpf created the organization after seeing students and families struggling with food insecurity while working as an educator. Harvest of Hope has now delivered over 1,200,000 pounds of food to people who need it.
- Josh Montgomery of Highland and Ross County was recognized for the quick mobilization and creation of the Southern Ohio Makers Against COVID Coalition. The organization has worked to create protective face shields with 3D printers and distribute them to medical personnel, first responders, and others at greater risk of exposure to COVID-19.
- Clinton Nowicke of Gallia County was recognized for going above and beyond in his service with Hopewell Health Centers during a time of need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nowicke worked to support mental and behavioral health for Gallia’s youth by creating engaging videos and learning materials which included resources for the deaf and hard of hearing.
To learn more and watch videos showcasing the stories of past Jenco Award recipients, visit the Jenco Foundation Fund’s webpage at www.AppalachianOhio.org/Jenco.
Gifts to the Jenco Foundation Fund are tax deductible and can be made in a number of ways, including cash, gifts in wills, and life insurance. To make your donation, please designate the Jenco Foundation Fund and mail to the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, PO Box 456, Nelsonville, OH 45764. Donations can also be made online by visiting our online giving page and selecting the Jenco Foundation Fund when making a donation. Gifts may be made in honor or in memory of someone close to your heart, including past Jenco Awardees and other unsung heroes in the region.
Thanks to FAO’s current match opportunity, for every one dollar given, $.50 will be matched, while match is available. Maximum match is $5,000 per individual donor. To make a gift today, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org/Jenco.
Nominations are encouraged across areas essential to quality of life, including arts and culture, community and economic development, education, environmental stewardship, and health and human services. For more information on the Jenco Foundation Fund, the Jenco Award, and how to nominate someone, please visit www.AppalachianOhio.org/Jenco or call 740.753.1111. | https://appalachianohio.org/open-call-for-nominations-to-honor-individuals-committed-to-serving-others-5/ |
We’ve read the definitions of grace, but what about the accounts of people intervening to spread this favor of God towards those in great need?
Look at the older woman who has struggled for years, praying and waiting for just a slight break in her destitute life. Her disinterested neighbors insist that God should take care of her needs, yet none of them realize that God’s help must come from them. Finally, one of her neighbors is moved with compassion and sees to the needs of this old woman. That is grace.
Or the disenchanted young daughter who has lived a sheltered life with her mother and is despised by her siblings. No matter what she does, her very demeanor infuriates those who should be forgiving not her, but themselves - as they have selfishly been putting her down out of jealousy. When her mother suddenly passes away, the siblings become devastated knowing she was the favorite. The young woman, seeing the mental crisis being experienced by her siblings, takes them under her tutelage and brings peaceful solutions of togetherness to her family. This is grace in its fullest.
Or the two neighbors who constantly try to outdo each other, showing off and proving that they are the 'best' when their manhood needs acclamation. Their attitudes bring nothing but disruption to both of their families. But one day, one of the men becomes ill with a devastating disability. His neighbor, once his adversary, feels compassion, stops unnecessary activity, and devotes much of his leisure time to caring for his neighbor. This is humility and grace in action.
Grace is not just a sign of God’s undeniable generosity, it is a gift of that turns pride into humility, bringing peace and harmony to our adversaries and turning them into grace-filled advocates.
“Grace is first and foremost the gift of the Spirit who justifies and sanctifies us. But grace also includes the gifts that the Spirit grants us with his work, to enable us to collaborate in the salvation of others and in the growth of the Body of Christ, the Church. There are sacramental graces, gifts proper to the different sacraments. There are furthermore special graces, also called charisms after the Greek term used by St.Paul and meaning favor, gratuitous gift, benefit. Whatever their character, sometimes it is extraordinary, such as the gift of miracles or of tongues, charisms are oriented toward sanctifying grace and are intended for the common good of the Church. They are at the service of charity which builds up the Church.” CCC 2003.
As is true about all gifts from the Holy Spirit, none of them are at our personal disposal for individual praise. f we are granted any gifts, we must use them solely for growth of the Kingdom of God. If anyone is determined to not use the gifts freely given to us, he shall not receive them. The worst thing is not to use gifts given us from God. Our last decision will become the loss of God’s Grace. | https://www.catholic365.com/article/12768/grace-a-gift-received-without-cost-to-be-given-without-cost.html |
Today my beautiful, talented and resilient girl starts 11th grade. Wow. Can someone please tell me where the last 11 years went? Today also marks the third first day of school since we thought there might not be any more first days of school for Olivia, at least not in the way there always had been. Every day that has passed since we emerged from our darkest hours, my daughter has been an inspiration not only to me, but to others around her. She has helped and continues to help many young people suffering from depression and other problems who are trying to take better care of themselves and lead healthier and happier lives. Her resilience and openness astound and humble me. She is my greatest inspiration and my number one reason to wake up each morning and be grateful.
Because today is a great day to reflect on resilience, I pulled my well-worn copy of The Gifts of Imperfection, by Brené Brown off my middle shelf and turned to the section on Guidepost #3: Cultivating a Resilient Spirit. Invariably, resilience comes up for discussion in the NAMI Family To Family class I teach. Why are some people able to recover, able to have the ability to do the work necessary to progress while others aren’t? There are more factors, medical and emotional, than I can or am capable of naming here, but since I’m still consistently surprised by what I learned reading Ms. Brown, here’s one aspect of resilience that I wanted to share because it comes up often in my writing: Spirituality. Until I started my studies after Olivia got sick, I never considered spirituality’s role in resilience, but now it makes complete sense to me.
Here is BB’s definition of spirituality: “Spirituality is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion. Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning, and purpose to our lives.” (p.64)
If you’ve been reading my posts, you’ll recognize that this definition is similar to others I’ve presented. This definition gives me a sense of agency over my spirituality that I never possessed as a practicing Catholic. It also gives me a greater sense of responsibility to people and the world around me. I love it. I’ve moved away from a system of religion that includes the traditional view of God, although I continue to have immense respect for said traditional view, it doesn’t work for me. When I got my wake up call, I realized that the years I’d spent floundering without any concept of connection to the world at large was a disservice to my growth and harmony, and my strength as a person. In The Gifts, Brown goes on to say that spirituality is the foundation of resilience. I knew that if I wanted to be a healthier and happier person, I needed to find and cultivate a view that made sense to me, and I’ve been working on it ever since. If you’ve been wondering how to find harmony in your life or uplift your feeling of resilience, if you haven’t already, you might consider upping your spiritual ante. It worked for me.
The first day of school, taken for granted by some as just another day first day, is a day that fills me and my family with gratitude for simple things and not so simple things alike. The first day of school also reminds me that cultivating my spiritual life is as vital to healthy living as any other healthy endeavor because it helps me take care of my soul and ushers more love and compassion into the world.
Susan
8/28/2015 1:12 PM
So happy for Olivia and your family! How far you all have come! It's interesting that you are mindful of "resilience" right now because as I read you latest blog post about your cousin Evelyn, that was the word that came to my mind, as you will see in my comment there. I hadn't seen this post about Olivia's first day of school beforehand!
Anything we can do to cultivate resilience is important!
Tracey
8/28/2015 1:41 PM
Thank you Susan. And yest it sure is. I remember that day we had lunch and you asked me about resilience and I was so quick to answer that I thought that maybe how much of it we were born with was all we got. So wrong!! Per usual. LOL...There is much we can do to cultivate it, spirituality is just one component. Thanks for reading and writing a comment!
"Your book is coming together in a great story that I believe will touch people wholeheartedly. You are taking what was, at times, a very sad and difficult journey, and creating a way to share it and encourage others to maintain the course, to hope, to keep moving forward towards a better life. That's an incredible thing. The path that led you to here, to writing this book, to morph it as you went along, is coming together beautifully. That path, like ourselves and our lives, hasn't been "perfect"... but the end product will be amazing and change lives for the better."
- Susan S.
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Grace is any gift from God to us. There are two great categories or groups of graces: sanctifying, and charismatic.
Sanctifying graces are those that are aimed at making the recipient holy. They include: actual grace, a grace He sent me at this moment, to lead me and to enable me to do a particular good thing here and now, and habitual grace (also called sanctifying) which actually does make the recipient holy. It gives the soul the radical ability to take in the face to face vision of God in the next life. Increase in sanctifying grace means an increase in that capacityfor since the vision is infinite, our capacity can never reach the limit of growth.
The other category is called charismatic. These graces are not aimed directly an making the recipient holy. They are for some other sort of benefit to the individual or the community. There are two kinds again: ordinary and extraordinary.
Where do the Gifts of the Holy Spirit fit in? There are two groups of them, one in the sanctifying, one in the charismatic category.
In the sanctifying category we find the seven gifts, which are given along with sanctifying (habitual) grace.
In the charismatic category we find both the ordinary giftse.g, the gift to be a good parent or a good teacherand the extraordinary gifts, those which are or seem miraculous, such as the gifts of healing, of tongues, or miracles.
The ordinary charismatic gifts are widely given. The extraordinary are given when and to whom the Spirit wills, as St. Paul tells us in 1 Cor 12. 11. They are not routine today, though they were in the first generation Church, as we see from 1 Cor 12-14.
Some have claimed that these extraordinary graces are ordinary and were ordinary for the first centuries. But the Patristic texts cited for this view are few. Fairly clear are those of Tertullian, St. Hilary, St. Cyril of Jerusalem. But the booklet, Fanning the Flame by Kilian McDonnell (Liturgical Press, 1991). McDonnell admits on p. 18 that: "Both Basil of Caesarea... and Gregory Nazianzus... situate the prophetic charisms within the Christian initiation, though they are more reserved in their regard than Paul." No quotes are given. Then we see a remarkable admission on St. John Chrysostom, quoted on the same page,"Chrysostom complained, however 'the charisms are long gone. '" St. Augustine, in City of God (21.5), has to argue strongly that miracles are possible, against those in his day who denied the possibility. He says that if they want to say the Apostles converted the world without any miracles - that would be a great miracle. If there were miraculous gifts commonly around, Augustine would have merely pointed to them. But he did not.
Those who make such an unsupported claim seem to mean that all Catholics must be charismatic. But their evidence is lacking. as we just saw. Further these persons seem to think that the special phenomena of charismatics are simply actualizationsputting to workof the gifts of the Holy Spirit that all Catholics have. So again they claim all Catholics must be charismatic. They forget that the special charismatic things belong to one category, the seven Gifts to another. One cannot suppose graces from one side of the great divide will actualize those from the other side.
They also ignore or deny the principle of diversity of spiritual attractions: not all are attracted by the same sort of things, e.g., the fullest form of Marian devotion, while objectively the best in its category, and the most complete imitation of the ways of the Father who put her everywhere in His approach to usthis is not to be demanded of just all Catholics. Or again, St. Francis de Sales, was a very refined gentleman; St. Benedict Joseph Labre was more like a filthy tramp, almost certainly with body lice. Both followed the same basic principles of the spiritual lifebut what a difference in the secondaryin their approach! In fact Pope Pius XII, in his great liturgical Encyclical, Mediator Dei said in #108 (Vatican Library translation):"Many of the faithful are unable to use the 'Roman Missal' even though it is written in the vernacular... nor are all capable of understanding correctly the liturgical rites and formulas... . they can adopt some other method which proves easier for certain people". Cf. also #179.
Vatican II, Lumen gentium 12 said of the extraordinary gifts: "... they are not to be rashly sought, nor should one presumptuously expect of them the fruits of the apostolic works; but the judgment as to whether or not they are genuine, and as to their ordered use pertains to those who are in charge in the Church... ."
Still further, the possession of extraordinary charismatic favors does not even prove those who have them are in the state of grace. We think of the frightening words of Our Lord Himself in Mt 7. 22-23: "Many will say to me on that day [at the end]: Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, and in your name cast out devils, and have done many marvels in your name? And then I will admit to them: I never knew you: depart from me you workers of iniquity."
We turn now to the Seven Gifts of the sanctifying category. They are: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord.
They each perfect certain basic virtues: Four of them perfect the intellectual virtues. Understanding gives an intuitive penetration into truth. In order to judge divine things, wisdom perfects charity; knowledge perfects the virtue of hope; the gift of counsel perfects prudence.
The other three perfect virtues of the will and appetite. The gift of piety perfects justice in giving to others that which is their due. This is especially true of giving God what is His due. Fortitude perfects the virtue of fortitude, in facing dangers. Fear of the Lord perfects temperance in controlling disordered appetites.
To illustrate the difference between things done with the Gifts and those done with the ordinary virtues, we will take up the gift of counsel.
There are three kinds of guides a person may follow in making his decisions. 1) the whim of the moment. Aristotle in his Ethics 1.5 says that to act that way is a life fit for cattle. They do just what they happen to feel like doing. 2) Reason, which in practice is always aided by actual graces, which God gives so generously. This means acting in a fully reasonable way, and not just following the grooves as it were. For example, suppose I see three options open to me. Ideally I would make at least mentally a list of the good points and of the bad points of each. Then I would look over the whole board, and pick what gives the best effect for me. Or if I come to think I need penance for my sins, I would ask: How much have I sinned, so I can know how much penance? what kind of penance will fit with my health? with the obligations of my state in life? And after several steps, a decision is reached. This method is called discursive, it moves from one step to another.
3) In this highest way a soul does not go from one step to another in a discursive process, but the answer is, as it were, dropped fully made and complete into his mind by the Gifts.
This was the case of Our Lady, for example, at the annunciation. If she had been operating in the ordinary mode, she might well have reasoned: Now my people have been waiting for centuries for the Messiah (as soon as Gabriel said He would reign over the house of Jacob forever, even any ordinary Jew would have known that He was the Messiah). Now he is here. I should share this news with others, especially the authorities in Jerusalem. And what about my husband Joseph? In a short time he will not be able to avoid dark thoughts. But the Gospel shows she did none of these things. God needed to send a special angel to tell Joseph. So the Gifts can lead souls to points not contrary to reason, but far more lofty than what reason would suggest.
Cf. the following from St. John of the Cross: (Ascent 3.2.10; cf. Living Flame 1.4; 1.9 and 2.34): "God alone moves the powers of these souls... to those deeds which are suitable, according to the will and plan of God, and they cannot be moved to others... . Such were the actions of the most glorious Virgin, our Lady, who, being elevated from the beginning [of her life] to this lofty state, had never the form of any creature impressed on her, nor was moved by such, but was always moved by the Holy Spirit."
But there is a danger: a soul could mistake its own desires for action of the Gifts, since the reasons are not clear to it. Reply: 1) The full and apparent action of these gifts does not appear until one is well advanced in the spiritual life (latent assistance by them can come earlier). 2) Ordinarily an inspiration via the Gifts leaves the soul not fully certain - a signal to consult a director or superior. Uncommonly they will give certitude, but only when a decision must be made on the spot, and there is no time to consult.
When a soul acts with usual actual graces (Ascent 3.2.10) God is the most important actor, yet the faculties of the human do churn out the resulthence it is easy to suppose the work is done basically by that soul. But under the action of the Gifts, the soul is more passive, and its own faculties contribute even less.
There seems to be a process somewhat parallel to this in the natural order. For example, we could not take a young child, give him/her every possible training in music, and so turn out a Mozart or other great composer. No, something extra is needed. It seems that God, out of His kindness to us, to provide us with works of inspiration (in a natural sense) does take over some persons, and causes them to turn out something beyond the reach of an ordinary person, even one with much training. Thus also there is a report that Handel claimed inspiration in writing his Messiah. And indeed some parts of it are so lofty they could hardly have been composed by a person using the ordinary process. Thus Aristotle says that Hector fought in battle in a way that was beyond ordinary human powers. | http://www.intermirifica.org/pentecost/gifts.htm |
The Bible frequently uses military imagery and terminology to describe the life of someone who follows Jesus. The word “spiritual warfare” is derived from this. It refers to the continual battle of living a life that prioritizes God's pleasure over our own or others'. Spiritual warfare also entails acknowledging that we are up against an adversary, the devil, who is attempting to drive us away from God.
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We do not wage war in the same way that the rest of the world does. The weapons we use are not those used by the rest of the world. They, on the other hand, have divine ability to destroy fortresses. New International Version (2 Corinthians 10:34)
Christians must understand how to combat the conflict that is taking place in the spiritual realm. The good news is that God provides you with all you need to fight spiritual battles. He wants you to have hope because, through Jesus' death and resurrection, He has already won the ultimate fight. By giving us His Holy Spirit, He physically gives us His strength.
Why is spiritual formation important?
The dynamics of moulding the human soul towards maturity and consonance are thus defined as spiritual formation (The Dictionary of Christian Spiritual Formation) (2003, 107). As a result, spiritual growth is critical since being close to God gives us true freedom and fullness.
Why is it important to discover your gifting?
Greater productivity in ministry and greater encouragement and support within the church of Christ are the results of each believer recognizing and applying his or her spiritual gift.
Why do we need spiritual strength?
Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life's Greatest Challenges, by Dr. Steven Southwick, explores how some people cope with trauma, such as kidnapping, war, and jail, by seeking solace in spirituality or religion. He cites examples of spiritual individuals who “meet the challenge and continue to live purposeful lives…they bounce back and carry on,” as he puts it.
A strong spiritual attitude can assist you in finding significance in life's challenging situations. Southwick tells the account of a lady who overcome PTSD after being kidnapped and raped by believing that her ordeal “served as a platform for her personal development, forcing her to evaluate her life and progressively modify it for the better.” She attributes her capacity to go forward in her life…to her spiritual commitment.”
Recognizing the interdependence of all life as a spiritual practice can also assist to alleviate the suffering that comes with painful situations. “If we can compassionately remind ourselves in moments of failure that failure is part of the shared human experience, then that moment becomes one of connection rather than isolation,” says researcher Kristin Neff. The blow is mitigated when our problematic, traumatic experiences are framed by the knowledge that numerous others have faced comparable challenges.”
What is spiritual formation coaching?
Definition of spiritual formation We must first identify spiritual formation before we can coach. Despite the lack of a consensual definition, Renovare came up with the following: “Christian spiritual formation is the process of being formed into the image of Christ by the Holy Spirit, filled with love for God and the world.”
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- We experience transformation as we are anchored in Jesus and the kingdom he declares.
As a result, spiritual formation counseling can be defined as collaborating with a client in a Spirit-led process that fosters the client's developing knowledge of and responsiveness to God. Clients receive spiritual formation coaching to help them connect themselves with God and His purposes in and through them.
What is spiritual formation PDF?
Wilhoit: The purposeful communal process of maturing in our connection with God and becoming conformed to Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit is referred to as Christian spiritual formation. Spiritual formation takes occur in a community, and it should take place in a community.
What is preparation in the Bible?
In a sense, our reliance on a God who will never abandon us prepares us to live again.
Of course, this lesson of preparedness has a spiritual relevance in terms of our faith walk and growth. We hear from scripture about the need of enabling the Holy Spirit's renewing power to prepare our lives for a different sort of life than the world promotes. We see our need to modify our lifestyles, forgive others, and develop a connection with Jesus.
God's grace begins to prepare us for virtuous living and the ministry of witnessing to others after we accept this new life. Jesus commands us to tell the narrative once we have a changing story.
We must always be ready to share the good news, according to Scripture. As Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:2, we must be ready “Preach the message. Whether it is handy or inconvenient, be ready to do it. With kindness and instruction, correct, challenge, and encourage” (CEB). In 1 Peter 3:15,16, Peter says, “Be prepared to share your hope when someone asks… but do it with respect and humility” (CEB).
Henri Nouwen, from the Netherlands “In Leadership, the chapter “Time Enough to Minister” provides a great example of being and being prepared. Nouwen had gone to a monastery for solitude and prayer, but was requested to give a series of lectures to a group of students while he was there. His response was, “Why should I devote the entirety of my sabbatical to preparing all of those lectures?”
The abbot's response was as follows: “Are you ready? You've been a Christian for 40 years, and a group of high school students wants to go on a retreat with you. Why are you required to prepare? Years of prayer, worship, scripture reading, and connection with God should have provided you with enough material for ten retreats.”
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Nouwen goes on, “The question, you see, is not how to prepare but how to live in a constant state of readiness so that when someone drowning in the world comes into your world, you are ready to reach out and aid.”
Why did God give spiritual gifts?
The New Testament has a number of listings of spiritual gifts, the majority of which are found in the Pauline epistles. Although each list is distinct, there is some overlap.
The charismata were prophesied in the Book of Joel (2:28) and promised by Christ (Mark 16:1718), according to Christians. This promise was realized on Pentecost Day and as the church spread around the world. Paul devoted much of his First Epistle to the Corinthians (chapters 1214) to spiritual gifts in order to rectify misuse surrounding spiritual talents in Corinth.
Two Greek phrases are translated as “spiritual gifts” in 1 Corinthians 12. The word pneumatika (“spirituals” or “things of the Spirit”) appears in verse 1. The word charisma is used in verse 4. The word comes from the Greek word charis, which meaning “grace.” The terms diakonia (translated “administrations,” “ministries,” or “service”) and energemata (“operations” or “inworkings”) are used in verses 5 and 6 to describe the nature of spiritual gifts. The term “manifestation (phanerosis) of the Spirit” is used in verse 7.
Christians interpret spiritual gifts as enablements or capacities conferred by God on individuals, based on these scriptural texts. These cannot be earned or merited because they are freely supplied by God. These are activities or manifestations of the Holy Spirit, not of the gifted person, even though they are carried out via persons. They are to be used for the benefit of others, and they are given to the church as a whole rather than to individual members. The gifts are distributed in a variety of ways; no single person will have all of them. The church is edified (built up), exhorted (encouraged), and comforted through spiritual gifts.
Many think that there are as many gifts as there are needs in the church of Christ, despite the fact that Paul did not mention all of the Spirit's gifts. The gifts have been categorized in the past based on their similarities and differences with other gifts. Some categorize them into three groups based on Old Testament offices. Any gift that involves teaching, encouraging, or rebuking others is considered “prophetic.” Mercy and concern for the poor are examples of “priestly” gifts, as is intercession before God. Gifts involving church management or government are referred to as “kingly.” Others classify them as “gifts of knowledge” (words of wisdom, word of knowledge, differentiating between spirits), “gifts of speech” (tongues, interpretation, prophecy), and “gifts of power” (tongues, interpretation, prophecy) (faith, healing, miracles). The gifts have also been divided into those that promote the church's inner growth (apostle, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, teaching, word of wisdom/knowledge, helps, and administration) and those that promote the church's outer development (apostle, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, teaching, word of wisdom/knowledge, helps, and administration) (faith, miracles, healing, tongues, interpretation of tongues). | https://www.deeperspirit.com/spirituality/why-is-it-necessary-to-prepare-for-spiritual-warfare/ |
What it is:
Resilience is often described as the ability to either ‘stand firm’ or to ‘bounce back’ in the midst of challenging or trying times. It could also be understood as grounding your character on a solid foundation so that when life becomes difficult there is a rich source of inner resources to draw on in order to ‘get through’. The verse above shows how the foundation for resilience – the ability to “hold fast… without wavering”- is hope, for without hope there would be no motivation to hold on, stand firm, or bounce back. Hope, in turn, is grounded in the faithfulness of God: something sure and steadfast and unchanging.
What it is not:
It is not about self-discipline, as important as that can be in our lives. Nor is it about teeth-clenched, chin-up, steely determination in the midst of difficult times. Those stances can help us get through an acute tough situation but do not in themselves provide the context needed for human flourishing which resilience within a Christian framework can provide.
What makes this a Christian value?:
The much loved passage from 1 Corinthians 13 with its words about love may hold some helpful insights for thinking about resilience in the light of Christain faith. Verse 13 in particular: ‘and now faith, hope and love abide and the greatest of these is love.’
The Greek word translated as ‘abide’ or in other translations as ‘remain’ or ‘persevere’ is menō. The passage is suggesting that when all things pass away including knowledge, understanding, spiritual gifts and acts of service to others…the three things of faith, hope and love will both endure to the end and ‘lie at the heart of it all’.
These virtues will endure because their source is found in God, rather than any innate power they themselves have. Our active connection with God as the source of life offers us the gift of reflecting those virtues in our lives.
The word menō, translated as abide in 1 Corinthians 13, is also used in John 15, one of Jesus’ “I am” sayings: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” John 15:5
Our ability to reflect love, hope and faith in our lives is based on our connectedness, our abiding, in Christ’s life. This abiding not only produces the fruit of Christian virtues, it also provides us with strong roots for life and the ability to persevere in the midst of difficult times.
Providing students with the tools of Christian contemplative practices, is an important way of enabling them to develop a sense of ‘abiding’ in Christ and building resilience.
For resources on Christian Contemplative practices visit the Christian Contemplative Practices web-site developed by the Anglican and Presbyterian Schools’ Offices: www.ccc.net.nz. | https://anglicanschools.nz/value/resilience/ |
Nominate your favorite Westlake businesses and citizens in any one or all of the five categories listed below. The nomination deadline has been extended through midnight on Sunday, March 22, 2015.
Online Voting will begin on March 24th. The last day to cast your vote will be April 5th. The Westies will be presented at the Westlake Awards Gala on Thursday, April 16th at One World Theater. Tickets are available at www.WestlakeChamber.com or by calling 512.327.3088.
This award is given to an individual or organization in the Greater Westlake Area who has contributed time, energy, and heart to the community, sometimes unnoticed. It is in recognition of their outstanding contributions through civic and community service activities that have made them an inspirational role model for the Westlake community.
· Offered his or her life to save another person.
· Shown extraordinary courage in a given situation.
· Is completely unselfish in their actions in working with others.
· Is an inspiration for others to follow as he or she has the ability to influence others to accomplish the objective by providing purpose, direction and motivation.
This Award is given to a Westlake area teacher or administrator in recognition of his or her outstanding contributions to the educational community and to the enrichment in the lives of children through academic achievement. He or she inspires students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn, has the respect and admiration of students, parents, and colleagues, and plays an active and useful role in the community as well as in the school. | http://www.westlakechamber.com/pages/WestlakeAwardsNominationEmail |
By Sr. Nancy Kellar S.C.
“The Spirit you have received is not a spirit of timidity, but a Spirit of love, power and self-control" (2 Tm 1:7). In writing about stirring up the gifts, I have already focused on how love motivates, releases, purifies and authenticates the spiritual gifts (see March/April issue). Now I would like to turn to how power and self-control are related to stirring up the gifts of the Spirit.
I. Power
A. The Gifts: Power for Mission
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you; then you are to be my witnesses . . . to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). The Greek word for power is dynamis from which we derive the word dynamite—an explosive! The Holy Spirit is meant to be explosive in our lives. Being baptized in the Holy Spirit is meant to be more than a conversion experience, it is meant to be an empowering call to go out and witness to Christ. In Tertio Millennio Adveniente (45) Pope John Paul says, "In our day, too, the Spirit is the principal agent of the new evangelization." The Spiritual gifts are an integral part of the mission of evangelization. Paul uses three words for the charismatic gifts—gifts, services and workings of power! All three are used to stress that the gifts are for the work of building up the Church. Without the gifts there is no power in evangelization. Failure to say yes to our mission stifles the charisms.
B. The Variety of Gifts
The gifts are stifled by too narrow a view of the variety of the gifts and the variety of the ways the Lord wants to use us with His gifts. We need to ask the Lord to stir up the more familiar charisms of tongues, prophecy, healing and deliverance and pray for fresh outpouring of the gifts of teaching, preaching, the gifts of faith, giving, mercy, of being knowledgeable, and the gifts of marriage, celibacy, voluntary poverty and even martyrdom.
Don’t limit God’s activity to what seems like the supernatural activities. Charisms are concrete manifestations of the action of the Holy Spirit that are oriented towards service and the building up of the community. The gifts of administration, helping and giving are all charismatic gifts mentioned by St. Paul. We need to recognize our natural gifts and abilities and ask God to empower them for greater service to the Body. A charism does not always have to be emotionally charged—it just has to be moved by the Spirit.
The most important charisms that have been renewed are the fundamental charisms of our vocations in life. We need to recognize them as — -charisms—as empowerments by the Spirit—and appropriate them anew. I was on the verge of leaving religious life before I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. My vocation with the gift of celibacy was renewed by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
C. Variety of Ways and Places
We need to have a greater expectancy of the variety of the ways and places the Lord wants to use us. Be open to surprises! Don’t limit God’s activity to our past experiences. Charismatic gifts are not just for charismatic prayer meetings. A "word of knowledge" is an insight into a reality for practical decisions, not just for healing services. It is a gift for responding to problems with children, for counseling, for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
The gift of prophecy needs to be used in priests ’assemblies, congregational meetings and parish meetings. The Lord wants us not only to speak in prophecy in prayer meetings, where it is easy to do so, but also to be prophetic when it means speaking for unpopular Gospel principles. To Paul, prophets are important people in the Church, along with apostles and teachers. They have a ministry of receiving divine revelation and speaking it. He says prophecy is a sign for the unbeliever; if there is a lack of prophets there is going to be a lack of conversion. Also, if there is a lack of teachers, the community is going to be confused. They won’t know what is true and false doctrine. We need to stir up the gift of teaching for homes, schools, prayer groups, ministries in our church as well as our charismatic gatherings. The first place I experienced the charismatic gift of teaching was in my secondary school classroom.
We need to have a broader expectancy even for the most familiar gifts of healing and the gift of tongues. An expectancy of healing never completely left the Catholic Church, but we often relegated it to extraordinary places like Lourdes and Fatima and to extraordinary people like the saints. I think there is a danger in the Charismatic Renewal today that we again expect healing to happen only in relation to extraordinary people and places. We need to expect healing to happen in our homes when we pray with our children, in the Sacraments, in the healing ministries of our prayer groups, in our sharing groups, in our doctors’ offices as we experience that extension of the Lord’s healing ministry, and even on the telephone!
II. Self-Control:
Spiritual Gifts Need the Discipline of Self-Control
if We Are to Grow in Them.
A. The Gifts and Maturity
The gifts are stifled by limiting them to only when we were younger in the Spirit. It is not uncommon to hear, "we don’t need these spiritual gifts anymore. They were just for the beginning days of the Charismatic Renewal to get us started, but now that we have matured we don’t need them anymore." Charisms are for mature Christians. We do need the spiritual gifts for our ongoing growth. They are not to diminish but in fact grow stronger as we mature. However, there is a change in the way we experience them and use them. One reason for a weakening in the use of the spiritual gifts is a failure to recognize that our charismatic spiritual maturing needs to go through the same "testing by fire" that the great spiritual masters have told us about down through the ages. Often, the manifestations the Lord used in the beginning to get our attention when He wanted to use us, stop. Each use of a spiritual gift becomes an act of faith, a kind of walking on water. This stepping out in faith is easy when we are still close to our own personal experience of the Holy Spirit, but then we often fail to recognize that God purifies us of whatever attachments would keep us from closer union with Him... it’s not only our sin, but also our attachment to our good feelings that can lead us to think that we are a lot holier than we are. He purifies us even of our attachment to His gifts that can make us value the gifts more than the Giver.
B. Pruning the Gifts
Gifts are stifled by our failure to give and accept correction in the use of them. The spiritual gifts need to be pruned, not to stifle them, but so that they can flourish without being discredited by misuse. If the gifts are sensationalized and make ends in themselves, they will never become a normal part of our Christian life, and some day far too soon, they will again be lost. Our job is to learn how to use the gifts with a discipline that can release their fullest power, and at the same time fulfill their true purpose We are taught to seek the prophetic gifts (1 Cor 14:1), but we are also shown that prophecy is a heavy responsibility and that the prophets themselves should be the first to desire authoritative discernment. The charismatic gift of discernment—the gift to distinguish "inspiration" and to judge whether it is really being inspired by the Holy Spirit—needs to be stirred up. Likewise the gift of Pastoring, which is the gift to both encourage and prune the gifts, needs to be developed. We need to have both the willingness and humility to give and accept correction. If the gifts are disciplined according to God’s own mind, and used for the one purpose of revealing and glorifying Him, we will experience them as vital keys to the building of the Kingdom and they will remain as a permanent asset of the Church.
C. Studying the History of the Gifts
Gifts are stifled by being ashamed of them or too defensive about them. Our need for acceptance can lead us to be ashamed of the gifts and to curtail them because they might keep people away. We need to study about the spiritual gifts throughout history and know the statements of the Church on them. It is important to know who we are, to know that the spiritual gifts are really in the teaching and history of the Church, so we don’t play them down. We need to be convinced of the support we have from the Church so that we can be at peace with who we are. | http://www.crmweb.org/publication/flamemayjun2012.htm |
By Heidi Tattrie Rushton
Four years after Robin Gushue’s daughter, Olivia, was born with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, epilepsy and severe gastroesophageal reflux disorder, she started a blog to share her story.
“I was struggling with what many families raising children with extraordinary needs struggle with: the feelings of grief and loneliness,” she says. “Through my writing, I was able to connect with other families and it was here where my passion for advocacy developed.”
In February 2018, Gushue used the inspiration from her blog to start an organization called Living Outside the Lines in Halifax. Gushue spends her volunteer time running the organization with the board of directors, speaking to school groups about inclusion and has even spoken to the Nova Scotia Legislature regarding the Accessibility Act. She also puts a lot of hours into organizing events to help fund their programs.
Gushue’s favourite event of the year is the See The Ability fashion show, which features models who are living with extraordinary needs.
“When these kids and teens step and roll out onto the runway, they don't just shine, they beam,” she says. “Immediately, you can't help but be swept away by their confidence and poise. The purpose of this event is to teach society to look beyond the differences and see the person, and it’s doing just that.”
The funds raised at these events go towards the Bryleigh Young memorial scholarship program, which provides financial support for secondary education or training to high school graduates living with extraordinary needs, and an equipment funding program for specialized adapted equipment.
Accessing the resources and support needed for medically complex and disabled children can be financially challenging. As an example, Olivia, now a nine-year-old, requires specialized equipment, medication and various therapies daily to allow her to participate in activities and live a quality life.
“I see families like ours, every day, struggling with financial, physical and societal barriers,” Gushue says. “I live for the day that every child who requires specialized resources has barrier-free access to these resources, without putting their families into financial ruin.”
Gushue is motivated to keep volunteering because of the inspiring people she has come to know through the organization. | https://www.saltwire.com/lifestyles/regional-lifestyles/look-beyond-the-differences-halifax-mom-inspired-to-found-living-outside-the-lines-in-honour-of-daughter-397417/?location=yarmouthsouthwest-nova-scotia |
Rosie Andersen - Photograph Nick Ilott
I feel very fortunate to live in a lovely area of this beautiful County of Suffolk which is full of history, delightful scenery and bristling with a remarkable array of wildlife.
The Suffolk coast is famous for its shape-shifting shoreline that gives rise to a feeling of constant change and impermanence. Inland Suffolk contains numerous picturesque villages that nestle within a gently undulating landscape crossing which, are many rivers, streams and ditches. Abbo, the chronicler of Saint Edmund described East Anglia as a ‘water-girdled’ land.
My passion is walking and being out in the countryside. I love to explore the footpaths, the holloways and the old hedge and tree lined tracks of times past that would have connected the villages and churches. I’m often scouring the Ordnance Survey maps in search of old lanes, moats, ridges and ‘grindles', on the look-out for new areas to explore and spot intriguing place, lane and track names that give clues to Suffolk’s fascinating past. The County which is known as ‘Selig Suffolk’ (meaning ‘sacred’), is also full of enchanting medieval churches, so you are never too far from history and the mysteries of former times where our imaginations can flourish.
‘Songs of the Trees’ has grown out of the many journeys I have made within this gentle county; from visiting mysterious places and ancient churches to observations within the woods; of wildlife and of walking in nature.
Being in nature can lift our spirits and is now promoted as a recognised way of dealing with worry, anxiety and depression. The character Aelfwynn loves to visit woods and trees because it makes her feel better. Her walk, her journey, becomes a metaphor for life and contains the mythical Jack-in-the-Green or the Green man who in this story can represent our relationship with nature/God/the Divine. Aelfwynn finds herself walking into a labyrinth and there she meets four trees who impart their gifts to her in the form of values/characteristics that will help her heal her sadness.
I hope you enjoy reading ‘Songs of the Trees’ as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I hope too you will immerse yourself in the extraordinary illustrations by Paul Jackson to whom I am enormously grateful for both his outstanding talent and creativity but also our enriching collaboration. From that first moment two years ago, nervously reading the story to Paul in a cafe in Norwich, gauging his reaction, and to his making a start on the first illustration, I knew that Aelfwynn was in safe hands. Paul understood exactly what I was trying to portray through the symbology and metaphor of Aelfwynn’s journey into the woods and labyrinth - he just ‘got it!’
The illustrations themselves are a journey too. Look very carefully ………… you will be amazed at what you find! | http://www.aelfwynnbooks.com/about-us/ |
“Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Four Massachusetts student-athletes attending four different schools noticed an inequity in their communities – a lack of support for female athletes. The issues were the same – lack of opportunities, lack of resources and lack of attendance at games. These were all “things” Izzy Murphy (Tabor Academy), Taryn Madsen (Thayer Academy), Teagan Lind (Falmouth High School) and Maureen (Mo) Lind (Lawrence Junior High) “cared about” and were willing to “fight for.” They just needed to find a way to “lead others to join” them.
Teagan and Mo Lind found their answer during a once-in-alifetime encounter with Chief Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It was her words that launched these common observations into a blueprint for action. After explaining their concerns, Teagan Lind recalled Chief Justice Ginsburg saying, ‘What are you going to do with that? This is a good time to be a female athlete. A lot of changes are happening.’ Her words become their inspiration and the seed for the Global Local Athletic Movement (GLAM) Girl was planted.
“She kind of guided us to use our strengths to help others in the community,” Teagan said.
“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lind sisters, Murphy and Madsen began addressing the lack of opportunities for girls in their communities to engage in physical activity by organizing outdoor, socially distanced activity days that also benefitted the community.
“We would have beach cleanups with the girls in the neighborhood,” Teagan said. “We would do different types of exercises like crab walk and fun stuff like that while we picked up the trash on the beach.”
Organizing within the neighborhood for “change” was the first “step.” The second, much larger “step” was to take this idea to each of their schools and formalize the movement within the interscholastic experience. Murphy, Madsen, Teagan and Mo developed a mission statement that focused on sports as a vehicle for leadership development, service and advocacy to promote gender equality in their schools, communities and around the world.
The girls started with the GLAM Giving Tree and Pass it Forward service projects in which each school partnered with high schools located in areas of Massachusetts with high rates of poverty to provide gifts and gently used sports equipment to schools in-need.
“Every GLAM club has a Giving Tree,” Murphy said. “We decorate the tree with ornaments with names, ages and gifts for every female athlete. The goal is to raise money and get these athletes what they need, but also, it’s good for the community and help people feel like they’re making a difference which is good for the environment of the school.”
Amanda Alpert’s Chelsea (Massachusetts) High School was on the receiving end of Tabor Academy’s GLAM Giving Tree. Alpert is the athletic director in a public school system of more than 1600 students who all live in a 1.8-square-mile area just outside of Boston. Every student receives free lunch and breakfast, and many young girls do not have the basic equipment to participate in sports and activities.
“Many families in our community feel that when you have a daughter, she’s in charge of taking care of the family and isn’t encouraged to play sports,” Alpert said. “They get to high school and they’ve never had their own pair of basketball sneakers; they’ve never had their own basketball; they’ve never had their own cleats. Some of them don’t even have a sports bra.”
The lack of basic foundational garments was a huge surprise to Madsen, Murphy, Teagan and Mo.
“I feel like that’s such an essential,” Madsen said. “It was great to see that girls were much happier and able to play because that’s just a simple thing. Being able to give to others just means a lot.”
Murphy and her GLAM Girl club were able to fulfill the holiday wishes of so many female student-athletes at Chelsea High School.
“The girls were just ecstatic,” Alpert said. “This is so great. Just the kindness that other people have and to know that they are seen and that they matter. We are not going to make any major state championship title runs right now, but they are student-athletes too and they deserve just as much as every other one gets.”
“Whatever you choose to do, leave tracks. That means don’t do it just for yourself. You will want to leave the world a little better for your having lived.”
While GLAM Girl clubs utilize the GLAM Giving Tree and Pass it Forward service projects to “leave tracks” by helping others, the founders turned toward advocacy to find a way to “leave the world a little better” than when they found it.
“There’s a significant difference of attendance at girls games versus boys games,” Teagan said. “Girls are putting in the same effort so they should be rewarded the same. I started Presence is Power in order to recognize the issue and also show people the importance of showing up for girls’ games and showing them that they’re important too.”
Teagan utilized social media tools like Instagram to create polls asking who was coming to the game – leaning into the power of positive peer pressure. They asked the student body to wear green for equal pay and write “IX” for Title IX on their shirts – all to encourage support for their girls athletic teams and advocate for equity within the greater ecosystem of sport.
Advocacy doesn’t always mean an organized campaign. Sometimes it’s having uncomfortable conversations about obvious, but sometimes overlooked, inequities.
“Annually, my school has this hockey game and whoever wins gets this huge trophy,” Madsen said. “The boys team that won got this huge, massive trophy and the girls got like this small, dainty little thing. We ended up bringing it up to our athletic director and he quickly changed the whole thing, and they got this new trophy. But that was crazy to me that just didn’t happen in the first place.”
These young women are discovering the power of their voice no matter their age or grade.
“It’s something that you need. Your voice is something you can control in a world that you can’t control everything,” said Mo Lind.
GLAM Girls is in year two of existence and the founders hope to continue to grow not just within their schools, but within every high school willing to organize for equity in girls participation in athletics.
“I’ve definitely learned many leadership skills throughout playing sports,” Murphy said. “Leadership is about setting a good example, staying humble, and being trustworthy. That’s why I think it’s really important that we can get girls into the game and have them stay in the game. And that’s why I love we can help give girls these opportunities.”
If you are interested in learning more about GLAM Girls and proving opportunities of your own for equity within sport visit: https://www.glamgirl.life/. | https://namesoftrees.com/child-care-center-opens-in-kathmandu/ |
Are you walking in God’s purpose for your life? Paul wrote about the gifts of the Holy Spirit in Romans 12. Most of us don’t think of our gifts and talents as Gifts of the Spirit, but God gave all of us all spiritual gifts to use for worship, service, and fulfillment.
Let’s find out what God’s purpose is for spiritual gifts and which gifts Paul wrote about in the Book of Romans. Finally, we’ll learn how to figure out what your gifts are and how to use them.
What are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit?
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him (Romans 12:1).
While each gift has its own function, they all serve the same purposes. In Romans 12:1-2, Paul explains that using our spiritual gift is “truly the way to worship him” and that “you will learn to know God’s will for you.”
Our spiritual gifts in action serve each other, the church, and the Christian community, but we must always remember that the main reason God gave us gifts is to worship Him.
The 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Paul lists 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Romans 12:6-8:
“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.” Romans 12:6-8 KJV
- Prophecy
- Service (ministry)
- Teaching
- Encouragement (exhortation)
- Giving
- Leadership
- Kindness (mercy)
“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” Romans 12:3 ESV
So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.
If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
How to Use the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Now that we know what the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are, let’s see how we can use them.
Spiritual Gift of Prophecy
If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith. God gives prophets divine inspiration to share His plans and instructions. Prophets are God’s messengers for reproof, comfort, or revelation.
Prophets must use their spiritual gift in proportion to the faith God gives them. They must maintain their intimacy with God to hear His messages and to receive the strength and discernment to deliver His word correctly. A false prophet will say “God says…” when they’re not sure the message came from God, or for their own gain.
Examples of Prophets in the Bible: Isaiah, Jeremiah, John the Baptist
Spiritual Gift of Serving Others
If your gift of the Holy Spirit is serving others, serve them well. The Greek word for “service” refers to the practical ministry by carrying out the commands of the leaders. Servants may prepare, collect, or distribute charities and food as they promote God’s word.
Today ministry servants include evangelists, elders, and offices of the church. Examples of ministry servants in the Bible are Moses and the Apostles.
Spiritual Gift of Teaching and Encouragement
These two gifts of the Holy Spirit are similar so I’m going to explain them together and share the difference.
If you are a teacher, teach well. Teachers share knowledge of scripture and provide instructions for Christian living.
If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. An encourager has the gift of exhortation. They teach, but they focus their instruction on practical application, consolation, and comfort.
David Guzik explained the difference between the gift of teaching and encouraging in his commentary.
“This (teaching) has in mind instruction, while exhortation encourages people to practice what they have been taught; both are necessary for a healthy Christian life. Those who are taught but not exhorted become “fat sheep” that only take in and never live the Christian life. Those who are exhorted but not taught become excited and active, but have no depth or understanding of what they do and will burn out quickly or will work in wrong ways.” David Guzik
Examples of teachers and encouragers from the Bible include Jesus and Paul. Modern-day encouragers include motivational speakers, counselors, and life coaches.
Spiritual Gift of Giving
If it is giving, give generously. People with the gift of giving give generously because they enjoy it. They express God’s love and their love for others in their giving. God loves a cheerful giver, so He uses them as a vehicle to distribute resources.
Sometimes God will increase a giver’s resources so they can give more. But if the giver stops giving, those resources may dry up.
Example of a giver in the Bible: The widow who gave two small coins to the church treasury in Mark 12:42-44
Spiritual Gift of Leadership
If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. Leadership is challenging and complicated, so they must lead with diligence and carefulness.
Examples of leaders in the Bible: Joshua, David
Spiritual Gift of Kindness
And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
The Greek word for “kindness” in this scripture means to “have mercy.” It refers to helping people in need as motivated by strong compassion and empathy. The gift of mercy must come from the Holy Spirit because it’s especially hard to have compassion for people who are cruel or selfish, and even more so to do it cheerfully.
Our greatest example of mercy is Jesus.
What is My Spiritual Gift?
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 NIV
Do you see yourself in any of these gifts of the Holy Spirit? What if you don’t know what your spiritual gift is?
Ephesians 2:10 says that God had a specific task in mind, and then He created each of us, specifically suited and designed to get the job done. So Paul tells us not to adopt what others tell you to think or copy what is popular, but let God tell us His good and perfect will for us by spending time with Him.
Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other (Romans 12:3-5).
How do I use my Gift of the Holy Spirit?
There are many ways to serve, lead, give, teach, and show mercy. As you continually seek God’s will through prayer and scripture, just start walking. Try things and follow His lead. He will teach you and lead you, especially through the things that don’t work out.
But no matter how we use our gifts of the Spirit each day, we are all called to do so in humility and love. God planned each day-to-day task because they are all equally necessary.
All gifts of the Holy Spirit are just that: gifts from God. We didn’t earn them, and we don’t deserve them. Regardless of how big or visible your work is, we should always remember that we use them for His glory, not ours.
Valerie suffered through years of debilitating anxiety brought on by infertility, vision loss, and breast cancer until she learned that victory over anxiety comes only through surrender to Jesus. Now she helps women overcome anxiety through faith on her blog VictoryThroughSurrender.com and as co-director of CandidlyChristian.com. Valerie lives in Wisconsin with her husband and teenage daughter. | https://www.moneywisesteward.com/gifts-of-the-holy-spirit/ |
A spiritual gift is a supernatural gift or ability given by God in special grace to Christians for the purpose of service to build the church.
A spiritual gift must be distinguished from a natural talent. A natural talent is an ability given by God in common grace to all men to better the human race. Natural talents would include abilities like art, music, and athletic talent.
This raises the question as to whether music is a talent or spiritual gift. It is a natural talent but it is usually accompanied with the gift of encouragement. Unsaved men can sing, but only saved people can sing in such a way that it honors and glorifies God.
There are four clear purposes for spiritual gifts: 1) to promote the unity of the body of Christ. �That there be no division in the body� (1 Cor. 12:15); 2) to promote the growth of the Body (Eph. 4:13-16); 3) to promote the evangelization of the lost (Eph. 4:11-12), and 4) to bring glory to God (1 Pet. 4:11). There may be a fifth purpose and that is to encourage other members of the body. Those who have the gift of faith, evangelism, giving, etc. become an encouragement to others to do the same on a lesser level.
Some try to divide the twenty or so gifts mentioned in Scripture into the supernatural and natural gifts, but that is inaccurate since all gifts are supernatural. It is best to categorize the gifts as ordinary and extra-ordinary.
Spiritual gifts are given for the common good of the church to motivate God�s people and to stir them to action. All Christians are to have faith, but there are some that have the gift of faith. All Christians are to help but there are some with the gift of helps. All Christians are to give money but there is a gift of giving for some. All Christians are to teach, help, serve and show mercy to each other but there are also special gifts in these areas. All Christians are to pray for healing, but some Christians have the special gift of healing. God gives all these gifts to spur us on to higher things for Him.
Evangelist. �It was he (Christ) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers� (Eph. 4:11). An evangelist is one who has a special gift of reaching the lost and bringing them into the church. He can communicate the gospel in relevant terms to the unsaved. The evangelist also has the responsibility to equip and train the saints to do the work of evangelism.
Pastor-Teacher. �. . . and some to be pastors and teachers� (Eph. 4:11). The pastor-teacher (one gift according to the Greek) is one who instructs and cares for Christians. The evangelist deals with the initiation of a person into the Christian life, while the pastor-teacher is involved with the development and growth of that life. Evangelists are obstetricians and pastor-teachers are pediatricians. Some are paid full time to be pastor-teachers. Others are laymen pastor-teachers without pay. Christians with this gift would be involved in teaching, shepherding, counseling and discipling. Both men and women could have the gift of pastor-teacher.
Service. �If it is serving, let him serve� (Rom. 12:7). This comes from the same root from which we get the word �deacon� which means �one who serves.� This would be service to help others, which would include hospitality and the ability to meet in a practical way the physical and spiritual needs of others. This person also displays a willingness to do the menial tasks without receiving any human glory.
Encouragement. �If it is encouraging, let him encourage� (Rom. 12:8). This is the ability to encourage and comfort, move the will, warm the heart and impel to action.
Giving. �If it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously� (Rom. 12:8). This is a special ability to contribute money. These folks are able to give liberally whether rich or poor. This gift may also involve the ability to make money and give it for the furtherance of the gospel of Christ. Those who have this gift give with great delight and joy.
Leading. �If it is leadership, let him govern diligently� (Rom. 12:8). This is the special ability of leadership. Literally, this means, �one who stands in front.� This would be those who emcee meetings, conduct panels, chair committees, organize people, and motivate the masses of people.
Showing Mercy. �If it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully" (Rom. l2: 8). This is a special ability to deal with the sick and the afflicted. This person is able to identify with and comfort those who are in distress. He or she has a real sensitivity to the emotional needs of others.
Helps. �Those able to help others� (I Cor. 12:28). This is the ability to lend a hand whenever a need appears, but do it in such a way that it encourages and strengthens others. In the church, it often appears in those who do behind the scene ministries such as ushering, serving dinners, running the sound booth, preparing communion, working in the nursery, arranging flowers, etc. Hospitality would be included in helps. Those with the gift of helps make it possible for those with the up front gifts to function more effectively. Everyone is indebted to those who have the gift of helps.
Teacher. �Third teachers� (I Cor. 12:28). This person has the special ability to explain and to apply the truth of the Word of God. He or she also has the ability to communicate truth to others so they can learn and understand the content.
Administration. �Those with the gifts of administration� (I Cor. 12:18). Literally, this says �one who pilots.� It is a special ability to lead and administrate in the local church. Those with this gift can coordinate and administrate. They have the ability to see the overall picture and to clarify long-range goals. With this gift comes the ability to know how to delegate responsibility.
Word of Wisdom. �To one there is given through the Spirit the message (word) of wisdom� (I Cor. 12:8). Some think this is an extra-ordinary gift. However, it is not mentioned anywhere else neither in the Scripture nor in any other early Christian literature. This spiritual gift is the ability to bring practical, spiritual insight in a timely way to a specific problem. It is the ability to apply the Word of God to any situation. Gaining knowledge may not be this person's forte but he or she is strong in living to apply the Word of God in a practical way. This is wisdom based on biblical content not on mystical experiences.
Word of Knowledge. �To another the message (word) of knowledge� (I Cor. 12:8). This is a gift mentioned only in 1 Corinthians 12:8, so there is no biblical or historical help with this gift. Some think this is an extra-ordinary gift. This spiritual gift is the ability to deal with the theoretical and philosophical aspects of the Word of God. This person as great ability to perceive and systematize the great truths that hidden in the Word of God.
The word of knowledge could possibly be keen insight into specific problems such as when Christ saw into the Samaritan woman�s many husbands or when Peter had Holy Spirit leading on Annanias� and Sapphira�s real problem of lying to the Holy Spirit.
Today charismatics claim world of knowledge is a gift of getting special revelation from God. We have all seen and heard on TV during the healing time where the host says, �The Lord is telling me someone with a stomach ulcer will be healed� or �I am visualizing a woman who has just come back from the doctor who told her she has cancer, but God says you are being healed – �just believe.� What we see in these so-called TV healers is primarily the subtle power of suggestion and there is no way this can be substantiated. Yet, God at times does providentially guide Christians so as to lay strongly on their hearts that something is going to happen. If this is truly from Him, this impression will surely come to pass.
Faith. �To another faith� (I Cor. 12:9). This gift is the ability to believe God�s power to supply and provide. This is the ability to see something that needs to be done and believe that God will do it even when it looks impossible. Some think this is an extra-ordinary gift and is linked with miracles, healing and casting out of demons, but there is no reason to think that this is nothing more than extraordinary faith, which believes God to move mountains.
This is not the kind of faith we hear about today which dogmatically and defiantly asserts, �You are healed� or �The pain will go away� or �You will not die� when in reality the pain has not gone away, the person is not healed and the person dies anyway. This is presumption and self-deception not faith. Yet, in some situations, God does grant extraordinary faith and things supernaturally happen.
Discerning Spirits. �To another distinguishing between spirits� (I Cor. 12:10). This gift is mentioned only here and nowhere else in the Bible; therefore, it is hard to know exactly what this gift may be. This gift is the ability to spot a phony, to detect false doctrine and to point out counterfeits. The person with this gift must be careful about getting a negative attitude, becoming judgmental, jumping to conclusions about words, actions and motives, displaying a unforgiving spirit and cutting off those who do fall into error or sin.
` Some believe this is an extra-ordinary gift. If so, then it includes the ability to recognize the influences of the Holy Spirit or demonic spirits in a person.
Apostle. �It was he (Christ) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers� (Eph. 4:11). Technically �apostle� refers to the office of Apostle that was given to the original Twelve. �Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets� (Eph. 2:20). Only the Twelve will sit on the throne judging over the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt. 19:28), and in the eternal city will have twelve foundations with name of the Twelve Apostles (Rev. 22:14). There are no apostles today with apostolic authority as the original Twelve. The office of apostle passed out of existence after the first century.
Some believe that the gift of apostle may still be with the church today but not the office of apostle. The gift of apostle continues today in a non-technical sense. The word �apostle� means, �send one�. It would be equivalent to the modern day missionary or church planter. We know the Bible refers to James (Gal. 1:19) and Barnabas (Acts 14:14) as apostles. Others of lesser status were also called apostles such as Epaphroditus (Philip. 2:25 and Andronicus and Junia (Rom. 16:7). There is no continuing official office of Apostle but there is the continuing of the gift of apostle that is primarily church planing or a pioneer missionary.
Healing. �To another the gifts of healing� (1 Cor. 12:9). This gift is the ability to heal physically, psychologically and spiritually. Literally, this says, �gifts of healings.� A person may have the gift to be the instrument God uses to effect supernatural physical healing, or he might have the natural gift of healing coupled with faith to be used in healing the physical body through natural means. There may also be psychological, inner healing by supernatural means or by the skills of a talented counselor with the gift of faith.
Miracles. �To another miraculous powers� (1 Cor. 12:10). This literally says, �the workings of powers.� It is in the plural so it may indicate different levels of miracles. This gift is the ability to release the power of God in a unique and supernatural way. Christ and the Apostles did miracles such as putting back a cut off ear, shaking buildings, walking on water, raising people from the dead, etc. (2 Cor. 12:12). There are men and women today who claim to have this gift as there have been those who claimed to have it in the past, but they do not seem to meet the biblical criteria. At the highest level, I do not believe there are gifted Christians who are doing miracles with the same intensity as those of Christ and the Apostles. However, if miracles imply the ability to cast out demons as some claim, then I believe that this gift is most certainly in the church today.
Prophecy. �To another prophecy� (1 Cor. 12:10). This is the ability to speak the mind of God whether that is by preaching the Bible or telling something which God has spontaneously brought to mind.
Tongues. �To another speaking in different kids of tongues� (1 Cor. 12:10). This is the ability to speak forth a language one has never learned and which he or she does not understand. These tongues could take the form of a literal foreign language as set forth in Acts 2 or an unintelligible verbal prayer language as set forth in 1 Corinthians 14.
Interpretation of Tongues. �And to still another the interpretation of tongues� (1 Cor. 12:10). This is the ability to interpret a foreign language one has never learned or to give an intelligible interpretation of an unintelligible verbal utterance.
Most gifts are sovereignly bestowed by the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. �All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines� (1 Cor. 12:11). �But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be� (1 Cor. 12:18). However, it may be that some gifts are given after salvation. �But eagerly desire the greater gifts� (1 Cor. 12:31).
Every Christian has at least one spiritual gift. �Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others . . .� (1 Pet. 4:10). There is no such thing as a true Christian without a spiritual gift.
The Christian probably has more than one gift. The Apostle Paul had the gifts of apostle, evangelist, teacher and tongues (I1 Tim. 1:11; 4:5; 1 Cor. 14:18).
Gifts differ in value to the body but all are important. �And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of administration and those speaking in different kinds of tongues� (1 Cor. 12:18). �He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified� (1 Cor. 14:5). Notice that tongues is put at the end of the list. Tongues may be the least important gift.
Gifts probably differ in degree as seen through general observation from experience. One person may be more effective than another when both may have the same gift and are filled with the Spirit. Paul was a more effective evangelist than Timothy or Titus but all were evangelists.
Spiritual gifts are to always be used in love or they will divide the body of Christ. �If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing� (1 Cor. 13:1-2). Those with extra-ordinary gifts often think of themselves as more spiritual than those who do not have these gifts (1 Cor. 14:36-38).
However small the gift or insignificant the place, every Christian is essential to the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:22). Every believer has a place in the body of Christ that no other Christian can fill. Each person is unique to the body of Christ. There is a divine purpose in the life of every Christian and spiritual gifts are in keeping with that purpose.
Every Christian has a ministry to fulfill for which he has been equipped by God and for which God holds him responsible. It is sin not to know one�s gift and be using it for the glory of God.
Spiritual gifts are only effective for eternity when one is controlled by the Spirit of God. Great gifts do not make great Christians. One may use a gift in the flesh but in so doing, no glory will be brought to God. One must be yielded to the Spirit for the gift to be fully operative.
The members of the body of Christ are dependent upon the Head, Christ, for leadership and upon each other for cooperation.
When a believer is not using his gift for the glory of god, then the whole body suffers. If the church is lame and sick today, it may be because the members are not exercising their gifts. �If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it� (1 Cor. 12:26).
Do you have a desire for a particular gift? It would seem strange for God to impart a gift and then give no desire for it. A person may have a gift and a desire but be afraid to try something new or be frightened of people. Failure is no shame. Failure may simply show that you do not have the gift in an area and then you seek to find what your gift is.
Others will recognize this gift in you. While you may feel insecure or awkward in a gift, others will recognize your potential. You may not even be aware that you have a gift, but others will bring it to your attention.
Others will be blessed by the use of your gift. You may feel as though you are inadequate in some gifting, but others will declare spiritual blessing when you use your gift.
There will be fruit in the particular area of your gift. Those who claim certain gifts will see fruit and get definite results from their gifts as they use them in the body of Christ.
Although gifts are supernaturally bestowed, they must be developed. �But eagerly desire the greater gifts� (1 Cor. 12:31). �I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong--that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other�s faith� (Rom. 1:11). �For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands� (2 Tim. 1:6).
An individual may be ambitious to exercise certain gifts but this ambition can only be fulfilled by study and hard work. If you are called to be a teacher or a pastor-teacher, you will have to give many hours to study of God�s Word.
Never measure your gift by your fruit now. Fruitfulness comes with the gradual development of your gift. Set out to find your gifts and then though patience and perseverance seek to put them to work in the Lord�s service, preferably in the local church.
The average Christian today thinks that the clergy is to do the work of the ministry and his job is to pay the clergy to do it. But the Bible teaches that the saints (Christians) are to do the work of the ministry. A failure to see that the role of the clergy is to train the saints to do the work of the ministry has resulted in untold damage to the Christian Church. The concept of ministering saints must be driven home again and again to Christians until they understand that God has placed upon them the responsibility of the ministry.
Gifted Men to the Church (Eph. 4:7,11).
Spiritual gifts have been given by God�s grace to every Christian. The subject of Ephesians 4:11-16 is about spiritual gifts.
Christ has given gifted men to the church – apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers. Some believe that �apostles� and �prophets� are used in a special sense (technical) and refer to the first century gifts of the Apostles and Prophets that are not now operate in the church. However, others take �apostles� and �prophets� in a more general sense (non-technical) and refer to the gifts of church planter and missionary. These would train those who feel called to plant churches and encourage the body.
The gift of evangelist is a special gift of reaching the lost and bringing them into the body of Christ, the church. The evangelist probably has the responsibility of training the saints to be evangelistic. The pastor-teacher has the duty of caring for and instructing the flock from the Bible.
The gifted men (clergy) are to equip the saints. The word �equip� can be translated complete or perfect. The task of the gifted men is to equip or train the saints to do the work of the ministry. The word �for� in the Greek is the word pros, and in context, speaks of the immediate or near goal that is to be attained; that is, the equipping of the saints.
Saints can only be equipped as they are grounded in the Word of God, encouraged to put this knowledge to work in their experience, and shown how to use their gift for the glory of God. This training involves not only teaching but also showing them how to do the work of the ministry with their particular gift.
The Saints Are to Reach the Lost (Eph. 4:12).
Obviously, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 is referring to reaching the lost with the message of reconciliation. The word �ministry� is the same word as that in Ephesians 4:11-12, and seems to be referring to reaching the lost for Christ.
The �unto� is the Greek word heis, which in context refers to the far or distant goal; that is, saints reaching the lost with the gospel. The world will never be reached for Christ until the saints do it. No local church will ever be truly evangelistic until the saints become personally involved in reaching the lost for Jesus Christ.
Saints are to be trained �unto the building up the body of Christ.� It is the Christians who are to do most of the building up of the body of Christ, not the clergy. �Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing� (1 Thess. 5:11).
The pastor is not to do all the visitation, calling on the sick, instruction, administration, etc. It must be done by the saints or no local church will function properly.
This process is to continue until all Christians exercise unity in the Faith, demonstrate a full knowledge of Christ and reach ultimate maturity, experiencing the fullness of Jesus Christ. This process will go on until the Second Advent of Christ (4:13).
This maturing process is to keep the Christian from doctrinal instability and false teaching (4:14). It is also to develop the Christian in love, so the believer may learn to speak the truth in love (4:15-16). | http://cleartheology.com/topic/Experiencing%20the%20Holy%20Spirit/Holy%20Spirit%2006.html |
Hailey and Olivia Scheinman of Clearwater, Florida, have always shared a special bond as twins. But their lives, from their very first breaths when they were born 10 years ago, could not be more different.
Hailey, a bright, well-spoken child with golden hair to match her sunny demeanor, is healthy, active, curious and artistic.
Dark-haired Olivia, known by friends and family as “Livy,” doesn’t speak and cannot feed herself or walk. Her milestones are measured in small increments: the ability to hold her head up for a few extra minutes, or sleeping for a long stretch at night without a seizure.
Born with severe epilepsy and cerebral palsy, Livy’s pain is masked by a smile that touches everyone who meets her, says Hailey, the older twin by 70 minutes.
‘She’s My Best Friend’
“Her smile is so pure and she’s always happy,” Hailey says. “Livy is my best friend in the whole world. Whenever I’m sad about something, I just go find Livy and give her a hug and she makes me feel better. More than anything, Livy gives people hope.”
It’s appropriate, then, that Hope is Livy’s middle name – and the inspiration for a charity started in 2013 by the Scheinmans. Motivated by their daughters’ unique bond and Hailey’s desire to do something to help her sister, Jon and Allison Scheinman started Livy’s Hope with the goal of raising $1 million for epilepsy research.
Thus far, the family’s various causes – paintings and bracelets made by Hailey, a Livy’s Kids Crew that does projects for people in need and Lemonade for Livy fundraisers – have brought in more than $32,000.
“Hailey’s example of compassion and love and Livy’s example of courage and grace are truly inspirational,” says Phil Gattone, president and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation.
“Hope is a powerful thing when you are trying to change the world. The Scheinman family is changing fear and isolation into hope and inspiration for a community in need.”
Joy and Heartbreak
On the day their twins were born, Jon and Allison were heartbroken and felt lost after watching Livy’s tiny body convulse in seizure after seizure. Hospitalized for nine months, Livy eventually went home with a devastating diagnosis: epilepsy and cerebral palsy caused by a brain malformation.
“It was excruciating to see Hailey so full of joy and thriving and Olivia lying there in pain with so many problems and the reality that she might not make it,” says Allison, 40.
“It was like night and day, like living two lives. Each of Hailey’s milestones – her first steps, her first words – just brought it all home. We cried and cried. It was a tough place to be in, and it was also very hard on our marriage.”
“Our dream of having healthy kids and doing all the things we thought we’d be doing as a family vanished,” says Jon, 43, an analytics director.
“For months at a time, we would lose Livy to seizures and our lives became gray. But over time, we learned to cope. I remember telling Livy, ‘I promise I’m going to help you. Someday, we’ll do something to make your life better.’ ”
A Unique Bond
Jon and Allison found strength in watching the unique bond form between Livy and Hailey. Although the girls have separate bedrooms due to Livy’s unpredictable wakefulness at night, the girls snuggle together at every opportunity, with Hailey reading picture books to her sister, brushing her hair and helping to feed her.
“I kiss her probably 40 times a day – I love her more than anything,” says Hailey, who speaks about her sister at local schools to “let them know that people with disabilities are people just like you.”
At age 6, when Hailey, then in kindergarten, heard her parents talking about Livy’s mounting medical bills (she has had two major brain surgeries), she offered to help, painting ladybugs and mermaids to sell on eBay, along with beaded bracelets.
“She sees in Livy a sister, a friend and a hero,” says Jon. “Livy is the heart of Livy’s Hope, but so is Hailey. She helped start it and she’s determined to make a difference in lots of kids’ lives, not just Livy’s. Together, our girls are showing that there really is hope in the world. Together, each in her own way, they are lifting people’s hearts.”
More Heroes Among Us: | https://people.com/human-interest/twins-hailey-olivia-scheinman-livys-fund-helps-epilepsy-research/ |
As every man hath received the gift
That is, from God, as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions add. This is a general rule laid down by the apostle, according to which, distribution of every kind, whether in things temporal or spiritual, is to be made, even according to the nature, quality, and quantity of the gift received: the greatest gift God bestows on men, next to himself, Son, and Spirit, and received by them in this life, is special grace; which God gives of his sovereign will and pleasure, liberally, abundantly, without the deserts of men, or conditions to be performed by them; of this kind are faith, repentance, hope, and love: the next to this is the ministerial gift, or what qualifies men for the work of the ministry; which is not anything in nature, or what is acquired by art and industry, but is a gift of grace, which is bestowed on some in a higher, on others in a lower degree: and besides these, there are the gifts of nature and providence, as human wisdom, and the knowledge of things natural and civil, riches and wealth, and the various good things of life; for there is nothing a man has in nature and in grace but what is a gift to him, and what he has received: and according to the measure of the gift received, be it what it will, the exhortation is,
even so minister the same one to another;
or to, and among yourselves; to your neighbours or companions, as the Syriac, version renders it; if the gift be special grace though that itself cannot be imparted from one to another, yet the knowledge of it may; and it becomes such who have an experience of the grace of God upon their hearts to make it known, both to particular friends in private conversation, and to the church of God in public, for the use and edification of others, and the glory of God's grace: if the gift be a ministerial one, whether it be greater or less, for it is not in all alike, it is not to be wrapped up in a napkin, and hid in the earth, or to lie neglected, but to be stirred up, and used for the benefit of the souls of men: and if it is a temporal one, the good things of this life, according to the measure of them, that a man has, he is to minister to the supply of the poor; and as God has prospered him, he is to distribute to the necessities of others; as men freely receive, be it what it will, they should freely minister it, according to the nature and measure of it:
as good stewards of the manifold grace of God;
for they are but stewards of whatsoever gifts they have; and therefore, if they would approve themselves good stewards, they should minister the same in proportion to their reception of them. Manifold and various are the graces of the Spirit of God, and the rich experiences communicated to men, which are not only for themselves, but for the good of others also: gifts for public usefulness are different one from another; one man has one gift, and another has another; or the same gift is not alike in all, in some greater, and in others less; and all are but stewards: they are accountable for them, and the use of them, to their great Lord and master: and various are the doctrines of the grace of God; of the grace of the Father in election, in the everlasting covenant, in the mission of his Son, in the free justification of sinners by his righteousness, in the free and full pardon of all their sins, in the adoption of any into his family, and in the gift of eternal life; and of the Son of God, in engaging as the surety of his people from everlasting, in assuming their nature in time, in obeying, suffering, and dying in their room and stead; and of the Spirit of God in regeneration and sanctification; and of all these mysteries of grace the ministers of the Gospel are stewards; and it is required of them that they be faithful. Temporal good things are given to men, not for their own use only, but for others; and they are but stewards of them; the original proprietor is God, and to him they must give an account of their stewardship, and how they have used and disposed of the manifold gifts which God of his goodness has put into their hands; so that this last clause contains a reason or argument enforcing the above rule. | https://www.biblestudytools.com/1-peter/4-10.html |
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Crowbones by Anne Bishop
Series: The Others #8
Published by Ace on March 8, 2022
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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Deep in the territory controlled by the Others—shape-shifters, vampires, and even deadlier paranormal beings—Vicki DeVine has made a new life for herself running The Jumble, a rustic resort. When she decides to host a gathering of friends and guests for Trickster Night, at first everything is going well between the humans and the Others.
But then someone arrives dressed as Crowbones, the Crowgard bogeyman. When the impostor is killed along with a shape-shifting Crow, and the deaths are clearly connected, everyone fears that the real Crowbones may have come to The Jumble—and that could mean serious trouble.
To “encourage” humans to help them find some answers, the Elders and Elementals close all the roads, locking in suspects and victims alike. Now Vicki, human police chief Grimshaw, vampire lawyer Ilya Sanguinati, and the rest of their friends have to figure out who is manipulating events designed to pit humans against Others—and who may have put Vicki DeVine in the crosshairs of a powerful hunter.
I completely love The Others series and the continuation in the World of the Others books, telling us about various outlying communities has the same setup. Vicki is an odd woman and doesn’t handle things the way most people would but it seems to make her uniquely suited to dealing with humans and the Others. This is the second book about this community following Lake Silence. In Crowbones, she has professors from local colleges staying at The Jumble and cabins. One of them is interested in a legend Crowbones along with other legends in the Others’ world.
Trickster Night becomes the kickoff to both Others and humans dying. Vicki, along with the police, and some Intuits, and Ilya Sanguinati work hard to figure out who is causing the trouble and deaths. Between learning about the legend and more about the Others and Intuits, plus the investigation and trying to keep people safe, there is much happening.
Evil comes in many forms in this series. I enjoyed the complex case and learning more about the world. I do recommend reading this series in order. There was also a nice moment with Meg. I still want to learn much, much more about the blood prophets and hope it is a focus in a future story.
- 🎧 A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams @LyssaKayAdams @eiden_andrew @BerkleyRomance @BerkleyPub @PRHAudio #LoveAudiobooks #GIVEAWAY #HoHoHoRA2022 @angels_gp - December 1, 2022
- 🎧 You Can Hide by Rebecca Zanetti @RebeccaZanetti @landon_amy@TantorAudio #LoveAudiobooks - November 29, 2022
- Thrifty Thursday Challenge2023 #ThriftyThursday #Challenge #Giveaway - November 27, 2022
Reading this book contributed to these challenges: | https://booksofmyheart.net/2022/03/08/crowbones-by-anne-bishop/ |
Hidden Gifts of Helping -- Review
THE HIDDEN GIFTS OF HELPING: How the Power of Giving, Compassion, and Hope Can Get Us through Hard Times. By Stephen G. Post. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2011. Xii + 200 pages.
It has become clear that one’s attitudes and one’s actions contribute greatly to how one experiences difficult times, whether it is a cross-country move, a surgery, the death in one’s circle of friends/family, or a loss of a job (just to name a few possibilities). When our focus is totally placed on our own self, moving forward in life becomes very difficult. If, however, we change our focus outwardly then positive things can and often do happen. That doesn’t mean that positive thinking or even positive action will cure all that ails you, but it does make a difference in how we engage the world that we know, especially during difficult times. Conversations such as these must take into account the deep resources to be found in our faith traditions, most of which call on the individual to look outward to the needs of the other and the needs of the community, especially at those times when we’re tempted to close in on ourselves.
Stephen G. Post’s The Hidden Gifts of Helping: How the Power of Giving, Compassion, and Hope Can Get Us Through Hard Times has the initial look of a self-help book, a genre that I have always kept arm’s length, because too often “self-help” books offer easy answers to difficult questions or push the reader to a bit too much self-involvement, and thus ultimately fall short of the mark. Post’s book is in the self-help genre, but it’s more than the typical self-help book. Written by someone deeply rooted in a particular faith tradition (Episcopalian) who has done graduate work in theology, this is book suggests that we can derive spiritual, emotional, and physical benefit from reaching out to others.
As noted, Post writes as a person of faith, but the spirituality that provides the foundation for much of what he writes is often left more implicit than explicit. He brings into the conversation biblical texts and Buddhist writings. That is, he believes that the principles espoused here – that helping others brings health and hope to one’s own life as well as contributing to the common good of all – can be found present in almost all faith traditions. He draws on these varied resources – both sacred and secular – in a fairly seamless manner, so that we’re able to grasp his basic premise, which is that both the giver and the recipient of self-giving love benefit from this exchange is deeply rooted in the spiritual principle of the golden rule as well as the commandment to love one’s neighbor as one’s self.
Although he draws upon a variety of stories in the course of the book, one of the key drivers of the narrative is the story of his family’s move from Cleveland to New York in 2008. He tells us that moving from one place is difficult, and thus, if one is able, it is best to stay put. But, when one must move from one place to another, it is possible to make a new life in this new place. It can and often is painful, but when one is able to look outwardly and draw on one’s ability to help others, showing compassion and love to the other, then one’s own life is changed through these acts of engagement with the other. Having moved my own family across the country, I understand his point, but I have to note that not all moves are as “successful” as the one he describes. For instance, his wife was able to get a job right away, a job that enabled her to contribute to the lives of others, while his son is an extrovert who quickly made new friends (he also drove his son back to Cleveland every few months for the first couple of years so as to ease the pain of separation – that isn’t always possible). Therefore, when your spouse can’t find a job and your child is an introvert, things work differently. But, with that caveat, the point is clear – giving to others, helping others does make a difference in one’s own life.
The chapters are six in number, with the initial chapter introducing us to the possibilities for learning as we “travel on life’s mysterious journey.” It is as we take this journey that we learn to find joy even in difficult circumstances and develop the confidence to face the future that has not yet been revealed. With this introduction to the possibilities inherent in the journey of discovery, Post introduces us to the “gift of the ‘giver’s glow’”; a gift that involves learning that helping others makes us human, that helping is built into our brains, and that helping others has therapeutic value. Indeed, helping others can help us live longer lives, belying the saw that “only the good die young.” There is benefit in reaching out to others and engaging in work that will heal the world.
Pushing the discussion deeper, Post suggests that there is a gift to be found in connecting with the neediest among us. There is difficulty in reaching out to the truly needy, but there is also great reward, if we’re willing to take the risk. From this connection with the neediest, he moves to the “gift of “deep happiness.” The question, of course, is “what is happiness?” Post suggests that there are three types, two of which are false and will ultimately lead to disappointment. One of these false types is the “free pursuit of pleasurable experiences,” and the other form is the desire to exert power over others. True happiness, he suggests is very different. It’s not rooted in hedonism, greed, or materialism, but is instead rooted in “meaningful friendships and in contributing to others.” Pushing even deeper, he speaks of the gift of compassion and unlimited love. The phrase “unlimited love” is his definition of the Greek word agape, which we often translate as “unconditional love.” In fact, he suggests we might want to speak of God as “Unlimited Love,” which he says would prevent us from conceiving God as either “Unlimited Hatred” or “Unlimited Anger.” His discovery of this concept began with his encounters with a blind African American musician, the Rev. Gary Davis, who helped him to discern a calling to study love. It was fueled as well by his readings of Howard Thurman, Benjamin Mays and Martin Luther King. It was also influenced by his encounter with Buddhism. Ultimately, he would commit himself to the scientific study of love. From a scientific perspective we’re able to see that love is rooted in the principle that humans are relational/interdependent beings. Thus, self-giving love and self-love belong together, as the Second Commandment stipulates.
The final chapter is entitled “The Gift of Hope,” which Post suggest completes the circle – “every act of self-giving, love, and compassion gives birth to hope” (p. 149). Hope, of course, needs to be distinguished from “mere optimism,” which is “easy and smiley-faced.” Nor is it “mere expectation.” Hope is much more intentional than this, pushing us to move forward into the future believing that “something good will eventually come” (p. 142). Another way to speak of hope is to use the concept of vision, and Post uses that well known Proverb: “Where there is no vision the people perish” as a point of reference. Ultimately, he suggests, “every act of giving is an act of hope.” It draws on one’s gifts and strengths, enabling one to contribute to the greater good. There is, then, reward in doing good for the other. Altruism and egoism are not two incompatible poles. One need not denigrate oneself to help the other, but understand that we “love our neighbors as we love ourselves.”
Post has written a very good book that needs to be read by a people who have become attracted by an ultimately destructive ideology of selfishness. Committing ourselves to the principle that “God helps those who help themselves” will not bring us happiness or hope, but committing ourselves to living lives rooted in “unlimited love” can transform our lives. This is the kind of self-help book, I can embrace – one that recognizes that we will find our happiness and fulfillment by being in relationship with others. It is also a principle that is deeply rooted in our faith traditions. This is, then, a book well worth reading.
Review copy provided by publicist.
Article first published as Review: The Hidden Gifts of Helping by Stephen G. Post on Blogcritics. | https://www.bobcornwall.com/2011/06/hidden-gifts-of-helping-review.html |
While he was still in high school in the early sixties his family moved in an old house out in the country. The walls creaked and dark shadows abounded. This was the inspiration for his novel.
He currently lives near the small community of Yakima, Washington with his wife and dog. He has a B. A. Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology. He acquired much of his knowledge about court procedures while working as a child protective services worker for many years. His hobbies include hiking, bowling, and reading a good mystery novel.
Gary has three books, The Old Miller Place, Return to Painters Island, and The Kidnapping of Olivia Hammond.
In 1961 George Peabody struggles for months to find employment. When he is about ready to give up he lands a job with a small newspaper. He likes the area and talks his wife, Elizabeth; into buying an old rundown house. Objects start moving by themselves and an icy presence permeates the entire house. Is he and his family safe? He researches the old house’s history and learns of grisly murders that had taken place there. An attorney is bludgeoned to death and a woman turns up dead in the back of his truck. He is accused of both murders and is on trial for his life. Has he been framed for their murders by a crooked cop, Detective Strausser, or is it someone else? Are the murders of the past somehow connected to what is currently going on? Suddenly he is abducted by the real killer. It becomes a race against time as a retired police detective, Gary Wise, and his ex-partner, Detective Thayer, search for clues to find him.
With Blood trickling down her face and chained to a basement wall, Olivia Hammond tries to figure out why she was kidnapped. It couldn’t be for ransom because she has no money or rich family. Revenge is not a motive either because she is at peace with everyone and always tried to be a good neighbor. Her only hope is that her brother will discover the truth, but with no food or water, will he find her in time?
Where can you find Gary?
Thank you for the nice post about me. | https://wendysbookcase.com/2011/11/05/guest-post-gary-peterson/ |
Objective: Deficits in visual perception and working memory are commonly observed in neuropsychiatric disorders and have been investigated using functional MRI (fMRI). However, interpretation of differences in brain activation may be confounded with differences in task performance between groups. Differences in task difficulty across conditions may also pose interpretative issues in studies of visual processing in healthy subjects. Method: To address these concerns, the present study characterized brain activation in tasks that were psychometrically matched for difficulty; fMRI was used to assess brain activation in 10 healthy subjects during discrimination and working memory judgments for static and moving stimuli. For all task conditions, performance accuracy was matched at 70.7%. Results: Areas associated with V2 and V5 in the dorsal stream were activated during motion processing tasks and V4 in the ventral stream were activated during form processing tasks. Frontoparietal areas associated with working memory were also statistically significant during the working memory tasks. Conclusions: Application of psychophysical methods to equate task demands provides a practical method to equate performance levels across conditions in fMRI studies and to compare healthy and cognitively impaired groups at comparable levels of effort. These psychometrically matched tasks can be applied to patients with a variety of cognitive disorders to investigate dysfunction of multiple a priori defined brain regions. Measuring the changes in typical activation patterns in patients with these diseases can be useful for monitoring disease progression, evaluating new drug treatments, and possibly for developing methods for early diagnosis. | https://indiana.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/psychometrically-matched-tasks-evaluating-differential-fmri-activ |
How is it that we are able—without any noticeable effort—to listen to a friend talk in a crowded café or follow the melody of a violin within an orchestra?
A team led by scientists at Carnegie Mellon University and Birkbeck, University of London has developed a new approach to how the brain singles out a specific stream of sound from other distracting sounds. Using a novel experimental approach, the scientists non-invasively mapped sustained auditory selective attention in the human brain. Published in the Journal of Neuroscience, the study lays crucial groundwork to track deficits in auditory attention due to aging, disease or brain trauma and to create clinical interventions, like behavioral training, to potentially correct or prevent hearing issues.
“Deficits in auditory selective attention can happen for many reasons—concussion, stroke, autism or even healthy aging. They are also associated with social isolation, depression, cognitive dysfunction and lower work force participation. Now, we have a clearer understanding of the cognitive and neural mechanisms responsible for how the brain can select what to listen to,” said Lori Holt, professor of psychology in CMU’s Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences and a faculty member of the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC).
To determine how the brain can listen out for important information in different acoustic frequency ranges— similar to paying attention to the treble or bass in a music recording— eight adults listened to one series of short tone melodies and ignored another distracting one, responding when they heard a melody repeat. To understand how paying attention to the melodies changed brain activation, the researchers took advantage of a key way that sound information is laid out across the surface, or cortex, of the brain. The cortex contains many 'tonotopic' maps of auditory frequency, where each map represents frequency a little like an old radio display, with low frequencies on one end, going to high on the other. These maps are put together like pieces of a puzzle in the top part of the brain's temporal lobes.
When people in the MRI scanner listened to the melodies at different frequencies, the parts of the maps tuned to these frequencies were activated. What was surprising was that just paying attention to these frequencies activated the brain in a very similar way—not only in a few core areas, but also over much of the cortex where sound information is known to arrive and be processed.
The researchers then used a new high-resolution brain imaging technique called multiparameter mapping to see how the activation to hearing or just paying attention to different frequencies related to another key brain feature, or myelination. Myelin is the 'electrical insulation' of the brain, and brain regions differ a lot in how much myelin insulation is wrapped around the parts of neurons that transmit information. In comparing the frequency and myelin maps, the researchers found that they were very related in specific areas: if there was an increase in the amount of myelin across a small patch of cortex, there was also an increase in how strong a preference neurons had for particular frequencies.
“This was an exciting finding because it potentially revealed some shared 'fault lines' in the auditory brain,” said Frederic Dick, professor of auditory cognitive neuroscience at Birkbeck College and University College London. "Like earth scientists who try to understand what combination of soil, water and air conditions makes some land better for growing a certain crop, as neuroscientists we can start to understand how subtle differences in the brain's functional and structural architecture might make some regions more 'fertile ground' for learning new information like language or music.”
StepUp Summary
A child who struggles with listening and auditory processing, may develop poor listening habits and skills. He may not expect to hear, understand or retain words, language patterns, and sentences. A child who doesn’t predict he will be successful often doesn’t pay attention during group activities or to general directions. In addition to missing out on valuable and useful language information, the child misses out on the satisfaction of successful listening. If children don’t predict they will be successful, they aren’t motivated to listen.
With StepUp to Learn, a child can develop good listening skills through practice with successful listening experiences where he learns to expect to hear, understand, and remember information. Successful listening develops thinking and problem-solving skills. It lays the foundation for reading decoding by helping children hear the differences between similar words and lays the foundation for children’s reading comprehension, understanding phrases and sentences, and enables them to visualize the meaning of phrases and sentences.
StepUp to Learn helps children develop fluency in reading decoding, handwriting, and math-fact retrieval. StepUp's cloud-based programs enrich any PreK - Grade 2 curriculum and can be used as an intervention for struggling learners.
Watch this video to see StepUp to Learn in action!
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Article written by Shilo Rea and reposted with permission from Carnegie Mellon University. | https://stepuptolearn.com/blogs/research/selecting-sounds-how-the-brain-knows-what-to-listen-to |
To find out, a team led by John Gabrieli, a professor at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, asked 10 East Asians recently arrived in the United States and 10 Americans to make quick perceptual judgments while in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner–a technology that maps blood flow changes in the brain that correspond to mental operations. Subjects were shown a sequence of stimuli consisting of lines within squares and were asked to compare each stimulus with the previous one. In some trials, they judged whether the lines were the same length regardless of the surrounding squares (an absolute judgment of individual objects independent of context). In other trials, they decided whether the lines were in the same proportion to the squares, regardless of absolute size (a relative judgment of interdependent objects).
In previous behavioral studies of similar tasks, Americans were more accurate on absolute judgments, and East Asians on relative judgments. In the current study, the tasks were easy enough that there were no differences in performance between the two groups. However, the two groups showed different patterns of brain activation when performing these tasks. Americans, when making relative judgments that are typically harder for them, activated brain regions involved in attention-demanding mental tasks. They showed much less activation of these regions when making the more culturally familiar absolute judgments. East Asians showed the opposite tendency, engaging the brain’s attention system more for absolute judgments than for relative judgments.
“We were surprised at the magnitude of the difference between the two cultural groups, and also at how widespread the engagement of the brain’s attention system became when making judgments outside the cultural comfort zone,” says Hedden.
The researchers went on to show that the effect was greater in those individuals who identified more closely with their culture. They used questionnaires of preferences and values in social relations, such as whether an individual is responsible for the failure of a family member, to gauge cultural identification. Within both groups, stronger identification with their respective cultures was associated with a stronger culture-specific pattern of brain-activation. | https://www.bloggernews.net/culture-is-what-you-have-when-you-are-not-having-race/ |
1.
Introduction
A fundamental goal of neuroscience is to understand the underlying mechanisms that are employed by the brain to process information. However, in a complex system such as the brain, it is difficult to explain the behavior of the system by only studying its components in isolation. Rather, it is crucial to understand how the interactions of the components give rise to the behavior of the system. Analogously, in order to understand the brain’s dynamics, it is necessary to analyze its activity at different scales. As we know, the behavior of a neuronal network is not only determined by its connection weights but also by the external inputs, which might involve multiple and distant networks. Therefore, in order to fully understand how the brain processes information, it is necessary to be able to study neuronal activity at local and global spatiotemporal scales.1–7
Electrophysiological recordings have been used extensively to study neuronal activity, and with the development of tetrode arrangements,8,9 this method has become an invaluable tool to monitor spiking activity of individual cells at any brain depth. The overall reliability of the technique10–13 provides easy transfer of acquired experimental data into scientific knowledge; however, technical problems that occur when implanting highly dense electrode arrays or intrinsic difficulties in determining the signal sources make this technique difficult to apply for recordings over large areas of the cortex.14–16
Some optical methods, however, offer excellent temporal and spatial resolution for real-time analysis of brain processing.17,18 Wide-field optical imaging and, in particular, voltage-sensitive dye imaging technology has evolved into a convenient tool to study neuronal activity dynamics over large areas of the cortex with high temporal and spatial resolution. The temporal resolution is at the level of millisecond that is on par with electrophysiological recordings.19–23 The spatial resolution reaches 25 to per pixel, and the size of imaged brain area is sufficient to record the signs of electrical activity over much of the dorsal mouse cortex,24 area monkey’s cortex,25 or area over the cat cortex.26 With these characteristics, voltage-sensitive dye imaging (VSDI) is an excellent technique to study neuronal dynamics over large cortical areas. However, VSDI has limitations that are important for a complete study of the complex interactions of neuronal networks. In particular, VSDI mainly captures subthreshold neuronal activity located within superficial cortical layers.19,27,28 Therefore, wide-field optical imaging and VSDI, in particular, are good candidates to be combined with multisite electrophysiological recordings. Other recently developed longitudinal mesoscale imaging options such as calcium (GCaMP) or glutamate sensors (iGluSnFR), which reflect neuronal activity at the population level can also be employed for similar purposes.29
The idea of combining electrophysiological recordings with VSDI is not new. There are already approaches available to image with parallel cell recordings from acute brain slices.30–34 However, such studies are practically limited to slice preparations. Additionally, simultaneous single-unit recordings and VSDI in vivo have been pioneered by Grinvald’s group18,19 and also performed by others with similar techniques,21,35,36 but their work is limited to a single region in the brain. For a more detailed review of the validity and comparison of VSD with intracellular recordings see Refs. 19 and 21. There have also been approaches combining VSDI over large cortical areas and electrophysiological recordings20,30,37 but, in these cases, they employ a small number of surface or pipette electrodes that are not suitable for recording signals from deep brain structures or from multiple units. The attempts to combine VSDI with deep recordings in vivo include development studies in the newborn rat barrel cortex and thalamus with simultaneous silicon probe recordings and VSDI.38,39 Moreover, combined electrophysiology and VSDI experiments have been carried out on a very well-studied model, primate V1, with separate preparations for each method,40 as well as whole-cell recordings with simultaneous VSDI to describe the propagation of excitation in the rat barrel cortex.21,41 An approach to combine mesoscale VSD imaging with deep recordings of extracellular electric potentials at multiple areas in the rodent cortex, however, remained to be developed. Recently, a transparent multielectrode array that registers field potentials from the brain surface in vivo can be combined with brain imaging42 but that approach is unsuitable for deep multiple single-unit recordings.
In this article, we present a methodology to monitor neuronal activity simultaneously at two different spatial scales and of a different nature. We record local cortical activity over multiple areas using multisite electrodes and global cortical activity using wide-field VSD imaging. To demonstrate our approach, we compare brain activity simultaneously recorded by VSD imaging with local field potentials (LFP) and single-unit spiking activity (SUA) and study their relationship during spontaneous and sensory-evoked activity periods. The study of how these signals interact, as facilitated by our hyperdrive (patent US5928143 A), can potentially expand our understanding of information processing at micro- and mesoscales, which in turn is crucial to study brain function.
2.
Materials and Methods
2.1.
Animals
All experiments were carried out on adult (20 to 30 g, age 2 to 4 month) wild-type C57/Bl6 mice () or B6.Cg-Tg (Thy1-COP4/EYFP) 18Gfng/J mice (). Mice were housed under standard conditions, in clear plastic cages under 12 h light and 12 h dark cycles. Mice were given ad libitum access to water and standard laboratory mouse diet at all times. All protocols were approved by the Animal Welfare Committee of the University of Lethbridge and were in accordance with guidelines set forth by the Canadian Council for Animal Care.
2.2.
Surgery
Mice were anesthetized with 15% urethane () and fixed in a stereotactic apparatus. Body temperature was maintained at 37°C with an electric heating pad regulated by a feedback thermistor. Mice were given dexamethasone () intramuscularly to prevent inflammation and lidocaine (, at 2%) into the area of the skin incision over the skull. The plastic headplate (inner diameter 8 mm) was attached to the bone with dental cement.43 An ∼8-mm-diameter single cranial window was made over both cortical hemispheres (2.5 to 5.5 mm, anterior-posterior and 0 to 4 mm laterally from bregma) using a high-speed dental drill.44 To keep the brain cool, the drilling was done intermittently and the skull was moistened with artificial CSF composed of NaCl (3.94g), KCl (0.2 g), (0.102 g), (0.132 g), and Na HEPES (0.651 g) in 500 ml of ultrapure Milli-Q water. Caution was taken to keep the dura intact when removing the bone. Once the bone was removed, dura mater was also carefully removed as described previously.44 For each hour under anesthesia, the mouse was given of 20 mM glucose in brain buffer IP to maintain hydration. In order to alleviate respiratory distress induced by urethane anesthesia, a tracheotomy was performed to allow intubation to maintain airways open without the need of artificial ventilation.45
The setup to immobilize the animal and to support the hyperdrive consisted of a custom three-dimensional (3-D)-printed headplate with rails using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin [Fig. 1(a)], RIVETS™ (rodent in vitro/vivo electrophysiology targeting system), described in Ref. 43. When the animal’s head was secured between the plastic forks, the hyperdrive was centered above the headplate. Tetrodes were carefully inserted below the brain surface and traveled about 600 to at an angle of about 45 deg. The tetrodes easily penetrated the brain surface when dura mater was removed [Fig. 2(b)] but also were able to pass through the intact dura mater. Finally, one of the tetrodes was placed just above the cortex surface to serve as a reference.
The mouse was then placed on a metal plate that could be mounted on the stage of the upright macroscope, and the skull was secured using the RIVETS™ fork system. A modified fork system was designed to hold the electrode array. The animal with the recording setup was then transferred to the experimental table and placed under the VSDI camera and over a heating pad [Fig. 2(a)].
2.3.
Electrophysiological Recordings
We used a custom 3-D-printed plastic hyperdrive (similar in principle to the electrode array first described in Ref. 46) consisting of 12 slots for individually movable microdrive probes (Fig. 1). Each microdrive can be loaded with a tetrode, stimulating electrode, sharp metal electrode with glass/plastic coating47,48 or fiber optic. The hyperdrive implemented several unique features to allow for simultaneous wide-field optical imaging. The features are the following: a 7.5-mm circular opening in the center provides sufficient brain area to image [Figs. 1(a) and 2(b)]; the opening of the hyperdrive has 0.25-mm-thick rim to mount an 8-mm cover glass [Fig. 1(b)]. The cover glass stays above the tetrodes, protecting the brain surface and reducing brain pulsations;49 the slots for microelectrodes were made slightly curved to reduce the overall height of the hyperdrive and facilitate illumination of the brain surface for optical imaging [Fig. 1(b)]; metal hexnut glued into the plastic to provide higher precision and longevity of the hyperdrive [Fig. 1(b)].
The tetrodes were comprised of four twisted nichrome wires with polyimide coating (Sandvik) and were gold plated to reduce the impedance to or lower. The individual tetrode wires were soldered into a custom designed “Flex-connector” (NeuroTek) that attached to the printed circuit board (PCB) with a Mill-max connector [Fig. 2(c)]. A custom-built circuit board on the top of the hyperdrive was connected to a unity-gain headstage (HS-27, Neuralynx, Bozeman, Montana) to provide a low-noise, high impedance signal buffer [Figs. 1(c) and 2(c)]. The signal was recorded and time stamped by a Digital Lynx 16 SX system (Neuralynx, Bozeman, Montana). A reference electrode was placed above the cortex so the tip was submerged either into the brain buffer or the agarose.
To record neuronal spiking activity, the extracellular electric signal was high-pass filtered (0.1 Hz), amplified 1000 times, and digitized at 32 kHz using a Digital Lynx 16 SX system and an HS-27 headstage (Neuralynx, Bozeman, Montana). LFP traces were recorded from the same tetrodes and digitized at 32 kHz and downsampled at 312 Hz for analysis. With our setup, we were able to monitor single-unit activity for approximately half an hour (see an example in Fig. 8). To ensure we analyzed only stable units, we spike sorted experimental periods separately (e.g., spontaneous activity period, hind limb stimulation period, etc.), which lasted less than 15 min each. Spike sorting was performed semiautomatically using Klustakwik,50 followed by manual clustering using MClust.51 We only considered putative pyramidal neurons for this analysis. We selected this type of neurons by discarding fast-spiking cells based on their autocorrelogram. Histology suggests that the tetrodes tips were located in layers IV and V in the cortex (Fig. 7). Even though our setup permits the placement of electrodes at multiple depths, the electrodes that we have used have recording points at the tip only. Therefore, with the current setup, it is not possible to simultaneously record at different depths from the same location, making current source density analyses not feasible.
2.4.
VSD Imaging
After inserting the tetrodes to the target sites, the dye RH-1691 (optical Imaging, New York, New York) was dissolved in brain buffer solution () and applied to the exposed cortex for 60 to 90 min. During this period, the cranial window was covered with a black plastic lid to avoid exposure of the dye to the room light [Fig. 2(c)]. After washing out unbound dye for 5 to 10 min with brain buffer solution, the brain was covered with 1.5% agarose made in HEPES-buffered saline and sealed with a glass coverslip [Fig. 2(d)]. This procedure reduced the movement artifacts produced by respiration and heartbeat. For VSD data collection, 12-bit images were captured at 150 Hz during evoked activity and at 100 Hz during spontaneous activity with a charge-coupled device camera (1M60 Pantera, Dalsa, Waterloo, Ontario) and an EPIX E8 frame grabber with XCAP 3.8 imaging software (EPIX, Inc., Buffalo Grove, Illinois). The dye was excited using a red LED (Luxeon K2, 627 nm center) and excitation filters of . Images were taken through a macroscope composed of a back-to-back photographic lenses (50 mm, : 35 mm, ). This optic gives an field of view, per pixel. The excitation LEDs were driven by a custom-made power LED driver that delivers a stable constant current ranging between 0 and 700 mA. The depth of field of our imaging setup was 1 mm. Reflected VSD fluorescence was filtered using a 673- to 703-nm bandpass optical filter (Semrock, New York, New York). To reduce potential VSD signal distortion caused by the presence of large cortical blood vessels, we focused into the cortex to a depth of .
2.5.
Evoked and Spontaneous Activity
For sensory-evoked activity, we recorded 900 ms before and 4100 ms after a single 1-ms electrical pulse () was delivered to the left hind paw for each trial. Because brain states show spontaneous fluctuations, we averaged 20 trials of stimulus presentation to reduce these effects. To correct for time-dependent changes in VSD signals due to bleaching artifact, we also collected 20 nonstimulation interleaved trials that were used for normalization of the evoked data. A 10-s interval between each sensory stimulation was used. In a previous work, VSD fluorescence was measured across the cortex using histology and demonstrated relatively high labeling at a depth of .27 Nonetheless, to reduce regional bias in VSD signal caused by uneven dye loading or brain curvature, all VSD responses were expressed as a percentage change relative to baseline VSD responses () using MATLAB® (Mathworks, Natick, Massachusetts). VSD imaging of spontaneous activity was continuously recorded in the absence of sensory stimulation for 15 min period with 10 ms (100 Hz) temporal resolution. Slow, time-dependent reductions in VSD fluorescence were corrected in MATLAB® using a zero-phase lag Chebyshev bandpass filter (zero-phase filter) at 0.1 to 6 Hz. Ambient light resulting from VSD excitation (630 nm) was measured at . The total duration of the VSD excitation in a typical imaging experiment ranged from 900 to 1200 s. The fluorescence changes were quantified as , where is the fluorescence signal at any given time and is the average of fluorescence over baseline frames. To analyze the relationship between SUA and neuronal population activity, we calculated the spike-triggered average (STA) VSD (STA maps) for each neuron by taking the mean of the VSD signal over all the times when that neuron fired.3
2.6.
VSDI and Electrophysiological Signals Synchronization and Comparison
VSD images and electrophysiological records were digitized on two separate acquisition systems with different sampling rates (200 Hz and 32 kHz, respectively). To synchronize these signals, we recorded the clock from the EPIX frame grabber, the excitation LED trigger, and the electrical stimulation signals in the Digital Lynx 16 SX system (Neuralynx, Bozeman, Montana) via the TTL port. During off-line analysis, we used these signals to align imaging and electrophysiological data.
We compared the LFP and VSD signals using the Pearson correlation coefficient during evoked and spontaneous activity. During evoked activity, we divided the signals into three periods: baseline, early, and late responses. Baseline activity consisted of activity before the stimulus onset (900 ms). Early evoked response consisted of the first 250 ms after stimulus onset. Late evoked responses were considered as the next 250 ms after the early evoked response. For the spontaneous activity, we calculated the similarity between LFP and VSD signals as the correlation coefficient during 15 min of spontaneous activity divided into segments of 1 s (used to calculate the mean similarity between the signals).
3.
Results
3.1.
Combined VSD Imaging and Multisite Electrophysiological Recording in Response to the Sensory-Evoked Stimulation
Using a preparation with a bilateral craniotomy that exposed a large portion of the dorsal cortex in both hemispheres [Fig. 3(a)], we were able to monitor brain activity using both VSDI and electrophysiology simultaneously. To compare VSD and electrophysiological evoked responses, we averaged the VSDI signal within regions of interest (ROI) of five pixel diameter around the point where each tetrode was inserted into the cortex [Fig. 3(a)]. When stimulating the hind paw of lightly anesthetized mice (as opposed to deep anesthesia where there is almost no sensory-evoked responses. See Sec. 2), we observed unique patterns of cortical depolarization [Fig. 4(d)]. Consistent with previous studies,22,52,53 we found that brief electrical stimulation of left hindpaw led to activation of contralateral primary hindlimb (HL) somatosensory cortex around 20 to 30 ms after stimulus onset.
The activation of contralateral HL cortex was followed by an expansion of depolarization within the contralateral hemisphere into neighboring areas. In addition, an activation of primary HL cortex within the ipsilateral hemisphere [Fig. 4(d)] follows shortly after the initial contralateral response. The average temporal profiles of the evoked response in both VSDI and electrophysiology are similar for most of the ROIs [Fig. 3(c)]. However, for ROIs near HL somatosensory cortex (ROIs 1, 5, and 8), the latency of response is shorter than in other ROIs. However, we can observe that the evoked response is composed of two distinct periods of depolarization. This two-component conformation of the sensory-evoked response has previously been reported in the visual cortex54 and the somatosensory cortex.55,56 Figure 3(b) shows an example of sorted putative pyramidal neurons from a single tetrode. In a single trial, we can observe that evoked response to a single pulse of HL electrical stimulation expands over large areas of the cortex [Figs. 3(d)–3(f)].
To measure the similarity between LFP and VSD signals, we calculated the correlation coefficient for three periods: baseline (250 ms before stimulus onset), early evoked response (first 250 ms after stimulus onset), and late evoked response (250 ms after the early response) [Fig. 4(a)]. We calculated a similarity matrix between LFP signal from all the tetrodes and the VSD signal from all the ROIs for the three periods [Fig. 4(b)]. Note that the mean similarity between LFP and VSD signals increases significantly (-test, ) during the first 250 ms after stimulus onset, compared to baseline for all tetrodes and ROIs [Fig. 4(c) left] and among the same tetrode and the same ROI (paired -test, ) [Fig. 4(c) right].
Moreover, with our setup it is possible to investigate the relationship between single-unit activity and the VSD signal during particular events. For example, it has been reported that evoked responses in primary sensory areas consist of two components. The first component occurs within the first 100 ms (early) after stimulus onset and the second component occurs during 150 to 400 ms after stimulus onset (late).54–56 Consistent with this, we found that the evoked response in VSD, LFP signals, and SUA were formed by these two components [Figs. 3(c)–3(f) and 4(a)]. At the single-unit level, we observe that only neurons that were recorded close to the contralateral and ipsilateral HL cortical areas (neurons 4, 14, and 25, which come from ROIs 1, 5, and 8, respectively) fire within the early phase of the cortical response. However, most of the neurons recorded in the majority of remaining tetrodes participate in the late response (250 to 500 ms after stimulus onset) [Fig. 3(d)].
In order to evaluate the participation of a single neuron in the functional ensemble, we calculated the STA of VSD activity or STA maps [Fig. 4(e)]. We observe that some STA maps from neurons recorded across the cortex [Fig. 4(f)] resemble the progression of the evoked response [Fig. 4(d)] closely [compare STA maps of Fig. 4(f) and evoked response in Fig. 4(d)]. This suggests that a functional ensemble, in this case as HL-evoked response, can involve distant neurons, even outside of the corresponding sensory areas.
3.2.
Combined VSD Imaging and Multisite Electrophysiological Recording of Spontaneous Cortical Activity
The brain is constantly active, even in the absence of sensory input or motor output.57 To evaluate the differences between the two signals, we compared the LFP and the VSD signal when there was no stimulation. In general, VSD and LFP signals show similar dynamics as is observed in Fig. 5(a). However, this similarity varies with time and cortical location. This type of variability has previously been reported for small regions of visual areas during spontaneous activity.58 However, with our setup, it is possible to extend this comparison to wider regions of the brain. We measured the similarity between LFP and VSD signal for the same locations (tetrode and ROI) for 1 s periods for 15 min of spontaneous activity. We observed that both signals have different levels of similarity depending on the recording location [Fig. 6(a)]. We notice that there is a high correlation among most of the STA maps. However, surprisingly, for tetrodes 3 and 4 the correlation is close to zero. A potential explanation for the low correlation for tetrodes 3 and 4 could be a different depth than the rest of the tetrodes.
In addition to comparing the LFP and VSD signals, with our setup, it is possible to evaluate the participation of individual units from distant regions in cortical ensembles (STA maps). Previously, the relationship between VSD (or wide-field imaging signals) and SUA has been studied by monitoring neurons from small regions of the brain.3,58 With our setup, it is possible to study such relationship over large and distant areas. We observed that in most cases the STA maps are similar for the neurons recorded in the same tetrode [Fig. 6(b) top row]; however, there are cases in which one can see different maps in the same tetrode [Fig. 6(b) bottom row]. This suggests that there are neighboring neurons potentially participating in different “cortical ensembles.” In order to quantify the similarity between the STA maps of all recorded neurons during spontaneous activity, we calculated the correlation matrix in Fig. 6(c). We observe that there are regions in the cortex where the neurons participate in similar patterns of activity more than others (e.g., TT2 and TT6).
Finally, we compare two STA maps for different neurons (recorded in different tetrodes) before and after each neuron fired [Fig. 5(b)]. We observe that, in the top row case, on average, the neuron fires when a large population activity increases (time 0). In contrast, in the bottom row, the neuron fires after the large population activity starts to increase (time ). This demonstrates that there is potentially a different pattern of cortical activity that might be related to different spiking patterns of different neurons.59
4.
Discussion
Electrode arrays of different configurations have been widely and successfully used in neuroscience studies. Although these studies have greatly improved our understanding of cortical dynamics, their conclusions are limited due to the poor spatial coverage that causes a difficulty in monitoring neuronal activity across large cortical areas. In addition, the intrinsic limitation of electrophysiological signals in source localization due to volume conductance makes it difficult to study contributions of particular cell types or brain regions.14,60,61 Conversely, recent advances in protein-based activity indicators such as voltage,62–64 calcium,65,66 and glutamate67 sensors make it possible to target-specific type of neurons or locations in the brain. Such development in brain imaging technology has made brain imaging an extremely useful tool to monitor neuronal populations at a mesoscale level. Therefore, the combination of the multiple-site electrophysiology and VSDI represents a great opportunity to study brain function at different scales simultaneously.
However, recording large neuronal population activity using a large number of electrodes is rarely compatible with optical imaging due to technical difficulties. On one hand, the need to provide independent movement and wire routing for each electrode or tetrode inevitably makes an electrode array bulky. On the other hand, wide-field imaging requires a large cranial window that needs to leave a clear space for excitation and imaging. As a way to resolve these issues, we developed a type of electrode array to combine deep cortical recordings with wide-field optical imaging (Figs. 3 and 4). The array provides multisite electrophysiological recordings with arbitrary depth and a choice of electrodes to be used without interfering with wide-field imaging.
In this paper, we demonstrate the advantage of using our setup by simultaneously recording VSDI and electrophysiological data. With this method, it is possible to analyze the relationship between electrophysiological signals and VSDI recordings at different brain locations. In particular, we showed that, on average, the temporal dynamics between LFP- and VSDI-evoked responses are similar even for distant regions in the cortex (Fig. 4). Analogously, we showed that during spontaneous activity the LFP and VSD signals are similar during 1 s periods (Fig. 5). Moreover, we showed that neurons that were recorded close to the HL S1 area (tetrode 5) participate in activity patterns that resemble the average HL-evoked pattern [top row STA map in Fig. 4(f)]. However, even the neurons recorded far from the HL S1 area (tetrode 7), participate in population activity that vaguely resembles the HL-evoked activity pattern [bottom row STA map in Fig. 4(f)].
This result highlights the advantage of combining multiple-site tetrode recordings and VSDI. Similarly, we demonstrated that, even though in most of the cases neurons recorded in the same location participate in a similar functional ensemble, there are cases where neighbour neurons (recorded in the same tetrode) are involved in different cortical networks [Fig. 6(a)]. However, our study was limited to a single brain depth so for an analysis of propagation of activity at different cortical layers, different electrode probes would be needed.35 Finally, we showed that the spatiotemporal dynamics of cortical activation patterns can be distinct even for neurons recorded in the tetrode [Fig. 6(c)]. This result demonstrates that spiking activity at single-cell level can be related to different neuronal ensembles at a population level, which is reflected in the STA maps.59,68 Further analysis using this approach could potentially clarify the relationship between cell assemblies (i.e., sequential activation of distinct neurons) at a local population level and cortical processing at a more global scale using wide-field imaging. Such relationships play an important role in top-down sensory processing,55,69,70 in memory, where sharp-wave events at a local hippocampal circuit might be related to more global cortical activity16 or in cortical processing in general, as a means to quantify neuronal “population coupling” or “packet-based communication.”1,68 An interesting future research avenue that is possible to study with our setup is precisely the combination of recordings of subcortical structures such as the hippocampal formation or/and the thalamus to expand the current understanding of the interaction of such brain regions with the cortex at the mesoscale level. Targeting the subcortical structures would require adjustments to make the angle at which the probe enters the brain steeper. However, this can be easily done considering that this part of the setup is custom 3-D printed.
In our current method to combine VSDI and electrophysiology, there are important issues to note. We found that brain damage due to electrode loading inevitably leads to bleeding, which can compromise the quality of VSD imaging. Having dura mater removed permits easy rinsing of brain surface, whereas in dura-intact preparations the extravasations may localize in subdural space. Among the electrodes we used in our experiments, we found the conventional tetrodes to be the most user-friendly. They are inexpensive, easy to make, and durable. Conversely, sharp metal electrodes47 have the advantage of producing less damage to the tissue, but they are considerably more fragile than conventional tetrodes. Our setup could be easily adapted to be used with Uwe Thomas tetrodes,71 flexible silicon probes,72 or optical fiber probes for optogenetic stimulation or imaging.73,74 The latter may be used for local optogenetic stimulation or imaging for further investigation of local and distributed neural circuits. One limitation of the present study is that we only recorded acutely from urethane-anesthetized mice due to the toxicity of VSD. It would be interesting to expand our setup for chronic recordings in anesthetized or awake animals. In principle, this is possible with some modifications to our setup.
With the development of genetically modified mice that express a variety of protein-based indicators (e.g., voltage,62,63,64 calcium,65,66 or glutamate67) in different brain cells and the development of soft cranial windows for chronic imaging,75,76 it is possible to do multiple electrode insertions for long-term studies. However, our setup was designed specifically for acute recordings in mice and such modification for chronic recordings in awake animals would require considerable changes. Yet, with our setup it is possible to record in head-fixed awake animals in a postanesthesia preparation if a different anesthetic such as isoflurane is used instead of urethane.77
In summary, we present a method to combine electrophysiological and wide-field imaging simultaneously. Such combination of techniques allows monitoring the brain activity at different scales with high temporal resolution over large brain areas, and it represents a great tool to study brain function in general.19,20,78–80 Therefore, the methodology presented in this paper further expands the available tools to improve the current understanding of brain function.
Appendices
Appendix
Once brain activity was recorded, we passed an electrical DC current (200 mA) from the electrodes to the animal tail for 10 sec to cause a lesion that allowed us to locate the position of the electrode tips (see Methods Sec. 2). Figure 7 shows an example of an electrode located in the orbital cortex using cresyl violet.
With our setup we were able to record single-unit activity at multiple brain regions and VSD imaging over large areas in both hemispheres. Figure 8 contains examples of different types of neurons recorded. In particular, we show one hundred randomly selected waveforms for three different neurons recorded in the same tetrode. In addition, we also show the stability of these three neurons for a 10-min period.
Disclosures
Dr. McNaughton has a patent US5928143 A for the hyperdrive: implantable multielectrode microdrive array.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Polaris Award and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant #40352 and #RGPIN-2017-03857 to MHM and BLM, respectively, Alberta Innovate (BLM & MHM), NSF grant #1631465 (BLM), Alberta Prion Research Institute (MHM), and Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories (MHM). We thank Valery Bouquet for PCB design, Di Shao and Behroo Mirza Agha for animal breeding. Author contributions: E.B.C., S. C., B.L.M., and M.H.M. conceived and designed the method, and prepared and reviewed the manuscript, E.B.C., S. C., J.S., and J. T. performed experimental work, E.B.C. performed data analysis. E.B.C., S.C., and M.H.M. wrote the manuscript, which all authors commented on and edited. B.L.M and M.H.M provided project leadership.
References
Biography
Edgar Bermudez-Contreras received his PhD in computer science and artificial intelligence from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom. Currently, he is a postdoctoral research fellow at Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge. His research interests vary from computational neuroscience to machine learning.
Sergey Chekhov is a PhD student in the University of Lethbridge. His main research interests are in electrophysiology, hippocampal formation, learning, and memory. He is also interested in designing the instruments for electrophysiological and head-fixed experiments.
Jianjun Sun received his MD and PhD degrees at Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center in 1992 and 2009. He accepted the residency training in neurosurgery in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University. He was a postdoc at the Washington University School of Medicine from 2010 to 2013. He works on the development of cranial preparations for research on in vivo optical brain imaging in mice at the University of Lethbridge.
Jennifer Tarnowsky completed her neuroscience degree at the University of Lethbridge in May 2013. As a senior undergraduate, she completed multiple applied and independent studies focused around Hyper-Drive Array materials and construction techniques. Upon receiving her degree, she started working with Bruce McNaughton as a research assistant, working alongside other lab members to refine and build hyperdrive array designs for the various research applications, and high-density recording technologies, being utilized in the lab.
Bruce L. McNaughton has made contributions to understanding central synaptic plasticity mechanisms, spatial information processing in hippocampus and cortex, corticohippocampal interactions and memory consolidation, and brain aging. His work has been characterized by a strong interaction between neuroscience theory and experiment. He was the inventor of the tetrode recording method. His current main interest is the role of hippocampal outflow to neocortex in memory replay and memory consolidation and the extraction of knowledge from episodic memory.
Majid H. Mohajerani, PhD, is an assistant professor at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, with a research focus on neural dynamics with particular emphasis on sensorimotor integration and memory systems. He combines optical imaging, electrophysiology and behavioural methods, and computational tools to study how different brain areas communicate with one another and how (a) memory is encoded and consolidated or (b) motor movement are generated based on sensory inputs. | https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/journals/neurophotonics/volume-5/issue-2/025005/High-performance-inexpensive-setup-for-simultaneous-multisite-recording-of-electrophysiological/10.1117/1.NPh.5.2.025005.full?SSO=1 |
Missed connections: As people age, memory-related brain activity loses cohesion
Groups of brain regions that synchronize their activity during memory tasks become smaller and more numerous as people age, according to a study published in PLOS Computational Biology.
Typically, research on brain activity relies on average brain measurements across entire groups of people. In a new study, Elizabeth Davison of Princeton University, New Jersey, and colleagues describe a novel method to characterize and compare the brain dynamics of individual people.
The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to record healthy people's brain activity during memory tasks, attention tasks, and at rest. For each person, fMRI data was recast as a network composed of brain regions and the connections between them. The scientists then use this network to measure how closely different groups of connections changed together over time.
They found that, regardless of whether a person is using memory, directing attention, or resting, the number of synchronous groups of connections within one brain is consistent for that person. However, between people, these numbers vary dramatically.
During memory specifically, variations between people are closely linked to age. Younger participants have only a few large synchronous groups that link nearly the entire brain in coordinated activity, while older participants show progressively more and smaller groups of connections, indicating loss of cohesive brain activity—even in the absence of memory impairment.
"This method elegantly captures important differences between individual brains, which are often complex and difficult to describe," Davison says. "The resulting tools show promise for understanding how different brain characteristics are related to behavior, health, and disease."
Future work will investigate how to use individual brain signatures to differentiate between healthily aging brains and brains with age-related impairments. | https://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-11-people-age-memory-related-brain-cohesion.html |
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Happiness, sadness, and disgust are three emotions that differ in their valence (positive or negative) and associated action tendencies (approach or withdrawal). This study was designed to investigate the neuroanatomical correlates of these discrete emotions. METHOD: Twelve healthy female subjects were studied. Positron emission tomography and [15O]H2O were used to measure regional brain activity. There were 12 conditions per subject: happiness, sadness, and disgust and three control conditions, each induced by film and recall. Emotion and control tasks were alternated throughout. Condition order was pseudo-randomized and counterbalanced across subjects. Analyses focused on brain activity patterns for each emotion when combining film and recall data. RESULTS: Happiness, sadness, and disgust were each associated with increases in activity in the thalamus and medial prefrontal cortex (Brodmann's area 9). These three emotions were also associated with activation of anterior and posterior temporal structures, primarily when induced by film. Recalled sadness was associated with increased activation in the anterior insula. Happiness was distinguished from sadness by greater activity in the vicinity of ventral mesial frontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS: While this study should be considered preliminary, it identifies regions of the brain that participate in happiness, sadness, and disgust, regions that distinguish between positive and negative emotions, and regions that depend on both the elicitor and valence of emotion or their interaction. | https://sources.mandala.library.virginia.edu/source/neuroanatomical-correlates-happiness-sadness-and-disgust |
Karl Zipser, Kendrick Kay; P-imaging: a technique for comparing visually evoked population responses across visual areas and subjects. Journal of Vision 2015;15(12):576. doi: 10.1167/15.12.576.
A distinct advantage of fMRI is the ability to study activation in multiple visual areas simultaneously. However, the sheer number of units (voxels) from which measurements are obtained raises the question of how to devise analyses that preserve the native resolution of the data (i.e. single voxels) while still maintaining tractability. Furthermore, comparing response properties across visual areas is challenging due to the convoluted anatomical structure of cortex. These problems are exacerbated when attempting to compare and contrast brain responses from different individuals. To address these problems, we propose a technique called 'P-imaging' in which functional activity measurements are projected onto stimulus space. This projection is carried out based on an estimated receptive field for each unit. P-imaging allows visualization of activation across all units present in a given visual area, comparison of activation across visual areas within a subject, as well as comparison of results from different subjects. These capabilities facilitate interpretation of response activations, especially for complex visual stimuli. Moreover, P-imaging can be used to quickly and effectively compare measurements of activity for a set of voxels against predictions of activity for the same voxels based on a computational model. We apply P-imaging to a previously acquired fMRI dataset in which a large set of natural scenes were presented to three subjects. We find striking similarity of the population responses of V1 and V2 to individual scenes within and across subjects. We also show that a simple model of texture-energy integration accounts for much of the data in these early visual areas. However, we discover some discrepancies: human faces tend to evoke stronger responses than predicted by the model, and extended contours and extended periodic patterns evoke weaker responses than predicted by the model. These observations support revisions to standard models of early visual cortex. | https://jov.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2433684 |
Scientists in the US are developing artificial intelligence (AI) systems that could help robots assist soldiers in the battlefield in future.
For the research, published in the journal Science Advances, team looked at soldier brain activity during specific tasks for ways to incorporate AI teaming to dynamically complete tasks.
According to Jean Vettel, a senior neuroscientist at the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in the US, technologies that can predict states and behaviours of the individual soldier may help create a more optimised team.
The work between ARL and the University at Buffalo is looking at ways the dynamics and architecture of the human brain may be coordinated to predict such behaviors and consequently optimize team performance.
“In military operations, soldiers perform multiple tasks at once. They’re analysing information from multiple sources, navigating environments while simultaneously assessing threats, sharing situational awareness, and communicating with a distributed team,” said Vettel.
“This requires soldiers to constantly switch among these tasks, which means that the brain is also rapidly shifting among the different brain regions needed for these different tasks,” he said.
“If we can use brain data in the moment to indicate what task they’re doing, AI could dynamically respond and adapt to assist the Soldier in completing the task,” he added.
To achieve this future capability, the researchers first sought to understand how the brain coordinates its different regions while executing a particular task. They used a computational approach to understand how this may be characterised to inform the behavioral prediction.
To complete the study, researchers mapped how different regions of the brain were connected to one another in 30 different people via tracts of tissue called white matter.
Scientists converted these maps into computational models of each subject’s brain, and used computers to simulate what would happen when a single region of a person’s brain was stimulated.
They then used a mathematical framework, which they developed, to measure how brain activity became synchronised across various cognitive systems in the simulations.
“While the work has been deployed on individual brains of a finite brain structure, it would be very interesting to see if coordination of Soldiers and autonomous systems may also be described with this method, too,” said Javier Garcia, an ARL neuroscientist.
“Much how the brain coordinates regions that carry out specific functions, you can think of how this method may describe coordinated teams of individuals and autonomous systems of varied skills work together to complete a mission,” Garcia said.
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And it has every reason to smile. Covid-19 has triggered a consumer shift towards branded products as ... | https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/ai-robots-could-assist-soldiers-in-future-study/article26761841.ece |
The Center for Civil and Human Rights stands with the signers of the Interfaith Manifesto and its goal to perpetuate peace and understanding in our city, our country and the world. The Center’s mission is to empower people to take the protection of every human’s rights personally. This mission inspires our actions as a convener for healing and a host for open dialogues to facilitate a deeper understanding of the role we all have in creating a just world. Please visit our website to find out more about how The Center supports the Interfaith community.
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In 1957, eighty white ministers in Atlanta publicly endorsed what has been referred to as the Ministers Manifesto denouncing racial segregation. The statement was published in the Atlanta papers and subsequently the New York Times. We feel it is time to publish a similar document and start a movement for interfaith cooperation.
For more than a year, religious and thought leaders in Atlanta have met to denounce bigotry and enhance interfaith cooperation. Atlanta has a history of taking stands for human rights. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. and Atlanta Constitution Editor Ralph McGill are among the giants on whose shoulders we now stand.
We now ask you to join with us and stand against religious bigotry, violence and hate in Atlanta and around the world. | https://atlantainterfaithmanifesto.org/learn-do-more/ |
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Peace Caravan - Dialogue between East and West – Burma
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The Muslim Council of Elders is an independent international body managed by its General Secretariat and is based in the United Arab Emirates' Capital, Abu Dhabi
Whose are the council's members?
His Eminence Shaikh Abdallah bin Bayyah
HE Field Marshal Abdel Rahman Suwar al-Dahab
HH Prince Ghazi bin Mohammed bin Talal
HE Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Hamdi Zakzouk
HE Prof. Dr. Muhammad Quraish Shihab
HE Prof. Dr. Abdullah Nassif
His Eminence Prof. Dr. Hasan el-Shafei
His Eminence Sheikh Sheriff Ibrahim Saleh al-Hussaini
His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Abdulaziz al-Haddad
His Eminence Prof. Dr. Sherman Jackson
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What are the Muslim Council of Elders' main objectives?
To identify our nation's priorities according to accurate interpretations of Shariah and scholarly approaches in order to promote security, peace and justice in Muslim communities.
To lay the foundations for cooperation and co-existence in and among Muslim countries.
To encourage trust, friendly relations and mutual respect among followers of different faiths and doctrines within a community in order to promote peace and harmony.
To enhance awareness and understanding of the Other, and to identify Shariah principles that encourage friendly relations with the Other.
To give the nation's elders an opportunity to stamp out corruption and to develop permanent solutions that will promote peace in communities.
To represent and emphasise Islam's values when dealing with the Other within and outside Muslim communities, and to spread the values of unity and mutual respect among peoples on the bases of truth, justice and equality.
To identity the root causes of conflict and dissent within Muslim communities, and to develop solutions that address and lessen conflict and dissent.
To work to promote mental and spiritual tranquillity among members of Muslim communities in order to achieve harmony within these communities and to preserve the five higher objectives of Shariah (the preservation of religion, soul, honour, mind and property).
To strengthen our nation's resistance to extremism, violence and polarisation wherever these threats arise
To explain and correct general concepts - especially religious concepts - in order to prevent any confusion or misrepresentation and to restore their true essence and noble objectives
To spread the culture of peace based on justice, and to develop the jurisprudence of peace in Muslim communities. This is a noble goal that will guarantee all rights.
To promote the culture of diversity and the peaceful resolution of differences in a way that encourages love and protects souls and properties at all levels.
To promote the jurisprudence of priorities in decision-making and an understanding of the real world that prioritises the higher interests of individuals and nations
To strengthen spiritual and moral values in Muslim communities.
To restore scholars to a leading role in Muslim communities in order to restore the nation's status as a cultural and scholarly authority. | https://www.muslim-elders.com/faq.html |
"GLOBAL AGENDA FOR DIALOGUE AMONG CIVILIZATIONS"
NEW YORK, 20 OCTOBER 2005
Mr. President,
Turkey has aligned itself with the statement made by the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom on behalf of the European Union, under agenda item 43, entitled "Culture of Peace." Therefore, I wish to expound our views on the other item that we are discussing jointly today, entitled "Global Agenda for Dialogue among Civilizations."
Mr. President,
The nature and scope of challenges and threats to peace, security, welfare and progress of the world have certainly made the need for a genuine dialogue among different cultures and civilizations ever more essential today. The events of recent past have not only reinforced this notion, but also placed it high on the international agenda.
At this critical conjuncture, Turkey believes that a meaningful and operational dialogue within the international community is, indeed, imperative. We need to actively engage in resolving this question by demonstrating respect for and understanding of cultures and civilizations other than of our own. Tolerance, appreciation of cultural differences and religious beliefs, harmony and plurality should find their rightful place in the set of principles which shape our respective societies.
Mr. President,
Our globalizing world increasingly compels our societies to become more interdependent. We are of the view that mutual understanding and dialogue across cultures and civilizations should be among the fundamental elements in these exchanges if we are to realize the ultimate goal of common peace and progress. In this framework, we very much appreciate the encouragement expressed by other delegations today to furthering cross-cultural and cross-civilizational undertakings towards this end. We were also pleased to observe that this significant issue was duly addressed in the UN Summit Outcome Document. Turkey's full support for this matter is evidenced by our co-sponsorship of the draft resolution by the same title.
Mr. President,
For her part, Turkey consistently tries to build a culture of reconciliation and compromise in its own region and beyond. The OIC-EU Joint Forum which Turkey initiated in 2002 is a testament to our efforts, among many, to promoting tolerance, mutual respect and understanding, dialogue and cooperation among different cultures and religions.
Given her historical relations and cultural ties to a wide geography, Turkey benefits from a rich perspective it has cultivated through exchanges that facilitate tolerance, harmony and understanding. It is this intrinsic value that Turkey brings to the forefront which has made her a natural partner with Spain to advance the "Alliance of Civilizations." Originally proposed by the Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero, at his address to the 59th Session of the UNGA, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan was later invited to co-sponsor the initiative early this year. Turkey and Spain, since then, have been engaged in furthering the initiative together, which has also been endorsed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan.
Mr. President,
The "Alliance of Civilizations" aims to address erherging threats emanating from hostile perceptions that foment violence across cultures and civilizations, and to bring about a committed effort globally, at the institutional and civil society levels, to bridge divides and overcome prejudice, misconceptions, misperceptions and polarization within the world community. This environment, as we all have observed, has been exploited and exacerbated by extremists in all societies. Therefore, the initiative could be regarded as a coalition against this trend, as a movement to advance mutual respect for religious beliefs and traditions, and as a reaffirmation of mankind's increasing interdependence in all areas.
Following the co-sponsorship of Spain and Turkey, the Secretary-General officially launched the "Alliance of Civilizations" in past July, and then announced the establishment of the High Level Group in early September. The Group, which is comprised of eminent persons with various backgrounds from all around the globe to represent our geographical, cultural and religious diversity, will guide the initiative and produce a report with recommendations and a practical plan of action in late 2006. The Group will hold its first meeting in Spain next month, and will meet several times in different regions around the world in the course of one year. The last meeting of the Group will be held in Turkey in second part of 2006. A trust fund has been established within the United Nations to commence the work through the initiative. The UNSG has sent a letter to all Member States, calling for voluntary contributions to the fund. Spain and Turkey have already made major contributions to enable work to begin.
Mr. President,
The Alliance of Civilizations is a genuine effort to prove that peoples of the world are not divided along cultural or religious lines, but bound by universal values which are derived from the foundation of mankind's collective wisdom, conscience and drive for progress. We encourage all Member States to respond to this call.
Thank you, Mr. President. | https://decade-culture-of-peace.org/undebate/turkey.html |
Founded on the pillars of service and multiculturalism, Defining Movement was created out of a need seen on Duke’s campus for a diverse organization that transcends the lines of race, gender, background, beliefs, and more. Defining Movement uniquely promotes acceptance, unity, and diversity through art. With a common passion for dance, students of completely different backgrounds come together to try new dance styles, explore other cultures, and learn more about one another, all while bringing their own experiences to the group.
Unlike other cultural groups on campus, rather than taking a political approach, our founders endeavored to form a group that would manifest these ideals by its very existence. By incorporating a wide variety of dance styles and cultural roots, Defining Movement aims to challenge the preconceived notions attached to specific types of dance and to encourage dialogue about stereotypes in today’s society.
History
The concept of Defining Movement began early 2002, in the midst of preparations for the Duke Asian Students Association's annual Lunar New Year cultural showcase, which was produced that year by Defining Movement President Christina Chang. The theme for LNY 2002 had been "Definitions", the idea being that "culture" could not be defined by images, coined phrases, customs, way of dress, or even by certain types of people and characteristics. At the same time, it was a celebration of the clearly defined young people in today's society, a generation that could no longer be denied and that needed to be embraced and recognized.
Fueled by the momentum from LNY, Christina met with her friend, Fran Lebajo, and together they solidified the idea of creating a group that would no longer settle for token diversity, but actively set out to embrace the diversity that is often spoken of as being edifying to the community. Both girls, who loved to dance and who also believed that we are all common people, decided to create a multicultural dance organization – one that would promote the acceptance and appreciation of individual differences in a spirit of friendship, while encouraging them to go beyond their comfort zone.
The girls got together with fellow friends and dancers Sonia Cheung and Jeff Wu to discuss the vision of this group and its planning stages. After much discourse, the name "Defining Movement" was chosen to represent the physically artistic nature of the group as well as its socio-political aspect. Thus, Defining Movement was created, and the revolution had begun.
With the recruitment of our first class of dancers that Fall, Defining Movement has since worked to establish its presence on and off campus by showcasing a variety of innovative dances, all while publicizing our core purpose and vision for our community. Today, DefMo continues to challenge stereotypes, to explore, to reach out, to cross boundaries, to set a standard, and most of all, to dance. | https://www.dukedefiningmovement.com/about |
The mission of the Center for Student Diversity (CSD) is to meet the needs of underrepresented and historically marginalized students by providing support, advocacy, guidance, and training services for the greater Mount community. We develop students, faculty, staff, and administrators who are more culturally aware and accepting of others who may be different from themselves to produce a socially justice minded environment for all.
The Center for Student Diversity is a model for diversity education and multicultural student success, and fosters a climate within the campus community which recognizes the value that multicultural diversity brings to the total educational experience.
Erica Rousseau
Director of the Center for Student Diversity
Areli Aguilar-Hill
Assistant Director of the Center for Student Diversity
The Center for Student Diversity is dedicated to enabling personal growth of Mount St. Mary's intercultural students through a variety of clubs and organizations. The following organizations are available on campus to support our diverse student population:
The purpose of the African Student Association is to educate the Mount community on African culture, issues, and accomplishments while enriching the diversity on campus. To provide an environment rich with cultural experiences for African students and make available this cultural experience for the Mount community.
We are friends of Africa and Africans coming together to celebrate and raise awareness on Africa’s diversity and heritage. The African Student Association is an organization geared towards bringing light to the issues that Africa faces by not only stating the problems but also trying to solve them. As an organization we strive to unify the Mount community. We promote awareness through dance, music, social events, discussion forums, and community service.
The Asian Culture Club seeks to promote the unity, culture, and heritage of Asian students which participates in the wider efforts to encourage and promote multicultural awareness. The purpose of the Asian Culture is to learn about and engage with a multitude of Asian cultures in a social, open, and friendly environment. The Asian culture club serves as a liaison between cultures to help foster community within the Mount.
The Black Student Union is in effect to realize the purpose to educate its members in multiple aspects of the black community, to help acclimate black students into the wider student body of the Mount to provide a locale where issues and concerns of the black community can be discussed in open conversational dialogue amongst students in order to discover solutions for community development, to provide a networking system, and promote group unity amongst its members.
The Peer Educators and Advocates for Campus Equality, or popularly known as P.E.A.C.E., Leaders is an experiential program is a premiere leadership group that puts students in front of their peers to serve as ethical role models and facilitators of conversations about diversity and inclusion.
The primary purpose of the SOL is to celebrate and promote an awareness of Latin American culture on campus. | https://msmary.edu/campus-life/get-involved/center-for-student-diversity.html |
,
2020
“My friends, we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life. At the same time, we have to recognize that “the violence of recent nights is self-destructive and self-defeating. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost”.
~Pope Francis, General Audience, June 3, 2020
Seeking God’s grace to help us combat the sin of racism: a pastoral reflection
by Bishop Paul J. Bradley
My dear friends, as we all are painfully aware, we’re living in a very tumultuous, anxious, and greatly divided time in our country. Tensions are high, anger is great, peaceful protests against racism and social injustice are widespread, and sadly, some of those protests have turned violent, and destructive, including here in our own community. I’m reminded of St. Paul’s words to the Corinthians, and us, to “mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you” (2 Cor. 13:11).
St. Paul’s words could not be more appropriate as to what we all need to do to confront the sin of racism. As people of Faith we are called to a higher standard. God created all human beings—individuals who are made in the image and likeness of God, who are equal in the sight of God, and whose Son God sent into the world to bring salvation to
all
human beings. And our responsibility as baptized members of the Body of Christ is to love God, and to love one another.
And so, using St. Paul’s words, we must
mend our ways, encourage one another
,
find a way to respect and love one another, so that we can live in peace
. We cannot ignore what divides us; we must resolve what divides us in a way that respects the dignity of every person, and in a way that acknowledges our dependence on God.
Our progress begins with us and with a true conversion of heart. We can, as a start, consider making three resolutions: to pray, to engage in dialogue, and to actively participate in advancing Jesus’ Kingdom here among us.
1.
Prayer
.
We need to pray for the end of racism and for peaceful resolutions. We need to pray that each of us can be peace-makers, in the example of Jesus, and not contribute to divisions in our primary relationships, as well as in all our other social and work relationships. I encourage you to seek the intercession of our Blessed Mother, to whose maternal care and protection we’ve consecrated our Diocese, by praying the rosary, together with your family or by joining with others in giving organized prayerful witness to the dignity of all human life.
2.
Dialogue
.
We can engage in true civilized and respectful dialogue which seems to be a lost art these days. We need to understand one another, and the only way that can take place is through dialogue—exchanging ideas—and seeking understanding and shared peaceful solutions to bettering our world. I encourage you to read the U.S. Bishops’ pastoral letter,
Open Wide our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love
,
and consider using it as a discussion guide with your families and/or your friends.
3.
Active Participation.
Finally, we need to actively participate in building up the Kingdom that Jesus announced: “The Kingdom of God is at hand”. Every time we pray the Our Father, and pray “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”, that’s what we are meaning. Additionally In this diocesan Year of the Eucharist, we have the opportunity to focus on the gift of the Eucharist, a Sacrament of Unity. Jesus gave us the Eucharist to help us to live together as One, united in Christ and to live the mission through practicing the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, through works of charitable outreach to those who are in need and marginalized, and through practicing patience and understanding with all whom we encounter.
Just as God lives together in perfect harmony and unity as the Trinity of Persons, so too should we be committed to finding ways to keep building that Kingdom of God here on earth.
God is a Trinity of Persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—living in perfect Love and Harmony with one another. And Jesus has come to teach us that as God lives in communion within Himself, so does He want us to live with God, but also to live with one another, in that same kind of unity, fellowship and love.
Listen to what Jesus tells us (cf. Jn 3:16-18): “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” God is not about condemning, punishing, or rejecting. God only wants to be One with us, and He wants us to be One with Him.
My dear sisters and brothers, we know there are no quick fixes to eradicating all prejudice, racism and unjust actions. However, we cannot sit silently by as members of the Body of Christ; rather we must answer the call to do what we can to work toward a conversion of heart for all people.
May we ask God to help us mend our ways, see each other as Children of God made in His image and as such encourage one another, agree with one another and live in peace; then, the God of Love and Peace will be with us. As Christ poured Himself out for others, let us pray for the grace to do the same as we sacrificially pour ourselves out for the well-being of others—all others, at all times.
And let us live in unity with one another, following the example of the Blessed Trinity, just as we pray at Mass: “
Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, Almighty Father, forever and ever. Amen.”
Faithfully yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Paul J. Bradley
Additional Resources:
Prayer to end racism: | https://stmarypawpaw.com/blog/june-17-2020-letter-to-the-faithful |
We found out inclusion and preservation of cultural heritage an important case in our digitalized world. So we want to create a project where cultural preservation-inclusion will meet on crossroad and will be available for youth through digital technologies.
The project idea has been developed by Spanish and Armenian participants after the project “Road to the Change” which took place in Armenia, which had a great success and we decided to do a similar project with our Armenian partners, as they already had the experience to host such a project. This project will be one of the results to make the projects sustainable for wider group. We want to manage the continuation of the exchange Road to the Change, but this time promoting active citizenship, inclusion and cultural dialogue through dance. Armenians are not that well familiar with Spanish culture, so they have a chance to get acquainted with this culture during a real communication with its culture
holders. Most of the youngsters who will take part in this project never had the opportunity to travel abroad and from the Armenian side they had never had the opportunity to take part in international projects and communicate with someone from another cultural group. This project can give them an opportunity to give life to their ideas, and so we have transmitted it to support them in this initiative. Both organizations’ main field of expertise is cultural promotion and active citizenship of youngsters, so this project meets the needs of both the participants and partner organizations. The overall aim of the exchange is that both the youth of our city as the partner country could experience another culture, another language and other customs, playful and non-formal, as well as promoting the social skills necessary for a good relationship between participants, making it fruitful, decisive and important for their future, both professional (for the opportunity to learn another language, other possibilities, work or study options, the option to acquire contacts that may be useful to them in the future, etc.) and personal (by the possibility of meeting other people who otherwise could not have known and to discover their own skills that otherwise would not know). The project theme chosen is dance, where Armenian and Spanish participants can share their traditional dances with each other. They are going to learn a few Armenian traditional dances together with their history, what these dances include, how are connected with Armenian nation, what the movements mean etc. At the same time Spanish participants will share Spanish dances with their history and meaning. The participants will also have a space to create a mix of Armenian and Spanish dance. It’s going to be a battle dance, which the participants are going to implement in Spain. This project can be an opportunity also for them to get to know about Erasmus+ projects. There will be a performance scene, including Armenian and Spanish youngsters, At the end of the performance there will be a unity dance where Armenian and Spanish participants will present to the public an International dance of Unity, including Spanish and Armenian traditional dances, as a key of reunion and key of unity of the youth from these countries.
The specific objectives are:
– Promote cultural dialogue among young people.
– Develop skills in culture – Increase their awareness of social issues and inclusion
– To familiarize the visit or group with the customs and lifestyles of Armenian and Spanish society.
– Giving young people the possibility to meet other life and customs different from their own.
– Increase the social skills of the participants and their self-esteem and decision making ability.
– Introduce the skills needed for a possible way out of the country to young people, through contact with another country.
– Learn to work in teams, learn dialogue and exchange with other young people on the issue to try and get useful
conclusions for their life
– Actively take part in social issues of their local communities
-promotion of non-formal educational method
The project will have a great impact on the youth learning and key competencies, which they’ll use for their future development and for self expression. The participants will return to their hometowns and share their feelings with their friends and surrounding. It will make them much more interested in the ways of participation, how it’s possible to be actively involved in such kind of European programs. At the same time it will increase the awareness of Erasmus+ programs.
We also aim that the participants become more open minded about people/youngsters from other countries, and so read this state of mind to their own youth organizations. This project is the best platform to combine all the European values and cultural awareness in one place. The project will have an impact on the participants developing tolerance, creativity, team building, public speaking skills, healthy life style skills, will help them to design their healthy daily life, cultural identity, unity, diversity.
This exchange will give them a skills to develop their professional skills, which can later use in their professional development, as a start of international experience. The participants will get to know different traditions, will make new friends, will promote European values and will develop European cooperation. The project will have a big impact on youth making them active in their local community, will engage them in active life and will develop skills of organizing their daily life in a useful manner. European cooperation is another impact on youth through this project. So youth will meet, will pass through this international experience and will develop cooperation for their future projects together, based on their interests. We are planning workshops on inter-cultural learning in order to give a rather multicultural dimension of the exchange. Thus, we plan to connect it with the European context and to put an accent to the question of active European citizenship.
So the project will have a big impact on:
-Raising cultural awareness among the youngsters
-Promoting EU values
-Promoting Erasmus+ project
-Participation in social life in their local communities
-more active participation in society
-greater understanding and responsiveness to social, ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity
-increasing language competencies
-better understanding of interconnections between formal, non-formal education
Equal opportunities for all young people is certainly a common European value; as well as respecting differences and tolerance.
Through the constitutions of the participants, and the planned activities, this project surely promotes these values.
There will be 26 participants from different cultural background, youngsters with fewer opportunities. The young people with whom we work on this project are mostly teenagers with problems such as low self-esteem, lack of personality, problems at their families, victims of domestic violence, low income, limited opportunities, etc.
There will be
-Team Building Activities
-Fears and Expectations Validation
-City Games -Erasmus Promotional Outdoor Activities
-Dance Education
-Cultural Education
-Intercultural Nights
-Study Visit
-Visits to local NGO’s organizing dance events
-Outdoor performance
-Flashmobs
-Workshops about prejudice, stereotypes
-Informal communication
-Daily Evaluations
-Leisure Time
-Space to show their leadership and organizational skills, etc. | https://fioh-ngo.com/2023/01/18/ye-in-spain-2/ |
We believe in empowering understanding and cooperation among people, broadening intercultural dialogue, respect for differences, all with one goal - building a better future for generations that come.
Networked believe in the world beyond borders of any kind and collaboration of all nations, religion, race, gender or age. Our organization nurtures and celebrates multiculturalism and respect for all. We foster versatile and open dialogue primarily in culture, technology, economy and politics.
Neworked works on development of green, fair, local and innovative economy, that works for people and not only for profit itself. Our goal is to achieve a resilient economy that provides a better quality of life for all within the ecological limits of the planet.
The future of the world is green. The preservation of the environment and the responsible use of natural resources are necessary for life on this planet. Networked develops and promotes environmentally accountable practices in the areas of energy, agriculture, tourism, waste management, transport and many more.
Our organization strongly feels that enabling social justice is essential for societal well being. Building economic strength is not possible without improvement of workers rights, respect of gender equality or reducing poverty. | http://www.umrezi.org/ |
IRCU works to achieve peace and harmony within Uganda. Its mission is to promote dialogue and harmonious co-existence amongst all faith groups and encourage the non-violent resolution of conflicts.
It advocates good governance and national reconciliation, and promotes dialogue across faith groups through joint prayers and exchange visits. IRCU works together with and coordinates inter-faith groups like Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative, Uganda Joint Christian Council, and the African Council of Religious Leaders.
IRCU strives to promote peaceful co-existence, moral and spiritual integrity, social-economic welfare and collaborative action through sharing knowledge and resources for the common good. | https://www.peaceinsight.org/en/organisations/inter-religious-council-of-uganda-ircu/ |
As globalization makes the world a smaller place, multilingualism ensures its continued richness and plurality. Language, transmitted through the ages, informs our sense of history, as well as progress. Our successive attempts to modernize and globalize pose a very real challenge to the preservation of language as a bastion of world culture and heritage. Every language that disappears disrupts the transmission of knowledge and deprives us of an opportunity to learn and connect with our past.
We find in language the embodiment of many of the most important values of our modern age: mutual understanding, peace building, respect and diversity. In its simplest form, it allows for our daily subsistence; in its most complex, it defines our role in and between societies.
The world community strives for sustainable development, the alleviation of poverty and world peace. We call upon each other in a multitude of languages to bolster support for the developing world and the courage to face the challenges of our time. And while humans speak with many voices, in our universal quest for a better tomorrow, humanity speaks as one.
The UN University and UNESCO are pleased to invite you to the 2008 international conference on Globalization and Languages: Building on Our Rich Heritage.
•
In May 2007, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2008 as the International Year of Languages, at the request of the General Conference of UNESCO. In its resolution, Member States of the United Nations recognized “that genuine multilingualism promotes unity in diversity and international understanding.”
UNESCO has been assigned the lead role within the United Nations system as coordinator of the International Year of Languages 2008, which includes facilitating the development of multi-stakeholder partnerships within Member States.
The focus of the UNU/UNESCO 2008 Conference on “Globalization and Languages: Building on our rich heritage” is to explore the contribution of linguistic diversity and multilingualism to development and their value for dialogue, social cohesion and peace.
The conference will begin with a public symposium on the first day, in which eminent personalities will address the policy aspects of the conference theme. The second day will consist of workshops on selected key issues at which recognized experts will present case studies for discussion and policy recommendations.
•
United Nations University
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
of Japan
Japanese National Commission for UNESCO
•
UNU · The United Nations University (UNU) is an autonomous organ of the United Nations established by the General Assembly. In its 30-plus years of operation, the university has grown to encompass UNU Centre in Tokyo, a global network of research and training centres and programmes, liaison offices at UN Headquarters and UNESCO Headquarters, and 21 UNU associated institutions.
The UNU operates as an international community of scholars with the mission of contributing to efforts to resolve the pressing problems that are a concern of the United Nations, its peoples and member states. UNU research, capacity development, and dissemination activities are focused within five thematic areas: peace and security; good governance; economic and social development; environment and sustainability; and science, technology, and society.
UNESCO · The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations system. According to its constitution, the Organization’s main objective is to contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among the world’s nations through education, the sciences, culture, and communication and information in order to further universal respect for justice, the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion. UNESCO pursues its action through five programme sectors: education; natural sciences; social and human sciences; culture; and communication and information. The Organization is headquartered in Paris, with over 50 field offices and several specialized institutes and centres throughout the world. Founded in 1946, UNESCO currently has 193 Member States and six Associate Members. The Director-General is Koïchiro Matsuura (Japan). More information is available at www.unesco.org.
• • •
Page last modified 2019.04.16. | http://archive.unu.edu/globalization/2008/ |
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