Long-term investments in schools, colleges and research centers ....

The danger of putting education on the back burner may be felt in any nation’s economy negatively.
The crucial factor for any economic growth is the enhancement of the school system and must be on front burner.
We can’t meaningfully address poverty or grow the economy as long as the education system is failing.
The most effective anti-poverty program which could devised for the long term has less to do with income redistribution than with making sure that poor kids get a first-rate education, from preschool on.
New high-tech industries can be developed, only if students reliably learn science and math and consequently become the skilled workers needed for these industries.
There should be a push for mass education at the college level.
To have outstanding, inspiring teachers in difficult classrooms, governments should to have to pay much more.
It will be also necessary to make tenure more difficult to get, so that ineffective teachers can be dismissed after two or three years on the job. Good teachers willing to teach in low-income areas should be awarded robust bonuses.
For students to learn, they need well-trained teachers.
Unfortunately, far too many teacher-preparation programs are little more than diploma mills.
Governments should impose more rigorous course work for education programs for teachers, and teachers must pass licensing exams in more subject areas than before.
Psychology courses should also be included in any teacher’s program.
Long-term investments in schools, colleges and research centers will yield enormous returns.
Books, not bombs, it takes a School, not missiles to fight terrorism.

Congratulations President elect BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA

The election of Barack Hussein Obama to the presidency of the United States of America proves, beyond any doubt, the importance of “Education”.
If the trillion dollars spent on the illegal invasion of Iraq had been invested in “Education”, the U.S. and the world at large would be today a better and safer place.
Mr. President elect, Barack Hussein Obama, please make it Your top priority to grant access to “Education” to the children of the United States and other parts of the world.

Every human being is born with an enormous potential and it goes unrealized because lacks Education.
Education can and will eradicate poverty;
Education can and will eradicate famine;
Education can and will eradicate terrorism;
Education can and will promote human dignity;
Education can and will eradicate discrimination;
Education can and will promote understanding regardless of religious, ethnic, or national upbringing;
Education gives hope to build a better future.

Student in a Strange Land

This is an article published by New York Times on September 15. It is an interesting story.

By Christina Shunnarah
I am a 7th-year kindergarten teacher at the International Community School (I.C.S.), in Decatur, Ga. It is a DeKalb County charter school founded in 2002 with about 100 students; it now serves over 400, from kindergarten through sixth grade. Our school is unique in its mission to educate and integrate American-born and refugee children from countries all over the world — including Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kurdistan, Somalia, Sudan, Iraq, Burundi and Burma.
When I first learned that I would be writing for Lesson Plans, I was excited about the opportunity, but I was hesitant, too. What would I write about? How could I do justice to the hundreds of students I’ve taught since I came to the I.C.S. in 2002? To get some clarity, I decided to climb Stone Mountain. Located outside Atlanta, it is the world’s largest piece of exposed granite, with a circumference of five miles and a summit higher than 1600 feet above sea level; it is a place many Atlantans go to for prayer, solace, spiritual rejuvenation, or simply for exercise. For me, it is an oasis of peace. I needed some grounding so I took the 1.3-mile trek to the top with my notebook and pen in hand. It was a typical Georgia morning, hot, humid and very sunny.
At the top of Stone Mountain, I meditated on my path as a teacher and how I came to be here at this point in time. As a Palestinian-American, navigating my own cultural identity has been a life-long process. My experiences led me to want to help children develop and express their unique identities — and the way I chose was through creativity. Soon the story of a young boy who came to my class from Sudan last year entered my mind.
When Luca walked into my kindergarten classroom on the first day of the 2007 school year, he paused, took a look around, and walked right back out. In fact, he ran out. He wanted to find his brother. When he realized his brother had disappeared down the hallway, complete anguish filled his eyes. He fell onto the floor and started crying. People literally had to walk over him as he screamed and kicked on the floor in the middle of the hallway.
The tears were endless. Each day it was the same routine. He walked in; he walked out. The teacher assistant in the class, Mr. Eddie, an asylee himself from Rwanda, had to spend the whole morning standing by the door because Luca had gotten really good at escaping the classroom without anyone noticing. We were a foreign culture to him — this school, our language, our very being — a long journey from the language and culture of his life and heart.
Running away and seeking escape had become his daily habit. Considering where he had come from, it was not surprising. When it was time for physical education class, Luca ran past our classroom into the parking lot. When it was time to line up after recess, he was nowhere to be found, hiding behind trees to escape having to go back into the classroom to practice his writing. Even when students were lined up to get lunch, Mr. Eddie was forced to chase after Luca, who flew by in the other direction. He hid under the table during class discussions. He fell into deep sleeps during the afternoons. Working with Luca was overwhelming at times. I felt frustrated when I couldn’t reach him. I had a whole class of kindergarteners to teach, but I worried continuously about Luca.
It was not until I introduced an art project to Luca that I saw the first spark of interest in his eyes. Art, as a therapeutic tool, can be extremely beneficial and healing for children such as Luca. It also can be an outlet for unexpressed emotions. Since Luca was struggling with basic language and communication, art became a powerful vehicle for exploration and self-expression. Many refugee and immigrant children at our school have experienced traumatic events in their home countries. They have lost their homes, family members, and ways of life. They need to be able to explore their experiences in a positive and healthy way.
One day in October, when he awoke from a nap, he looked at a nearby table and saw paintbrushes, tissue paper, markers and liquid starch. I demonstrated how to use the materials and he watched with excitement. I showed him how to use the markers and he pulled out the different colors he liked, and started making designs all over the paper. He then feverishly, dipped the paintbrush into the liquid starch and began pasting colored tissue paper all over the picture. Once he started, he couldn’t stop. By this time, he had learned some basic English. Enthusiastically, he said, “Teacher, more?” I nodded, smiled, and gave him as many supplies as he needed. Keep exploring, I thought. And he did. He made several abstract pictures filled with amazing color. He wanted me to hang them up on the wall for everyone to see. At the end of the day, he gave me a hug, and I felt as if I had finally reached him. Somehow, by encouraging him to express himself, I had found a link to his creative identity.
It was a long process of adjustment for Luca after that: finding him a mentor, helping him make friends, letting him be my helper in various ways, visiting his home and meeting his younger sister and mother, calling his father to come to the school to surprise him, showing him I knew just a little about his side of the world. Soon Luca’s tears and anguish turned into a tentative smile. Over time, the smile turned into enthusiasm, excitement, friendship, and complete radiance.
Why am I writing about a student from last year, and how does that connect with the first days of school this year? This is a testimony of transformation in Luca’s life as well as my own journey as an educator; throughout the year, Mr. Eddie and I strove to help him develop trust, respect, and friendship. This year he is back in my class because of work that we must continue to do together. The difference? He walked into my classroom the first day of school happy and excited. And he didn’t run out. We were long lost friends greeting each other after a huge summer break. He gave me a big hug and asked me what was for lunch. In the hallway, he also gave all of his old friends hugs — connection, camaraderie, and community.
Last year, Luca was dealing with the conflict of his identity as well as culture shock. He wasn’t ready for kindergarten: he had to go through a year of emotional healing to regain a sense of balance and connectivity before he could even deal with academics. Now he has an intense focus and concentration. There is a passion in his eyes that pulls on the heartstrings of all who cross his path. He sits quietly at his seat with an inner strength, creating small works of excellence. He is proud of his completed assignments. He listens intently to stories and often sings and dances with laughter. He is loved and he is the face of all the children at the school.
This is still a tough journey for him, however. It is only recently that he has begun to articulate some of his experiences back in Sudan. He speaks more openly about the war. He speaks about his memories, about running with his family, about the reasons for coming here. He tells me that the people over there don’t like black people. He says he dreams about his homeland sometimes and he misses it. But he is happy to be here now.
http://lessonplans.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/15/student-in-a-strange-land/?th&emc=th

THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION

Every human being is born with an enormous potential and it goes unrealized because lacks Education.
Education can and will eradicate poverty, Education can and will eradicate famine, Education can and will eradicate terrorism, Education can and will promote human dignity, Education can and will eradicate discrimination, Education can and will promote understanding regardless of religious, ethnic, or national upbringing.
Education gives hope to build a better future.
All this can be accomplished if we all “march with our mouse” to promote Education, at all levels: local, national, international, etc.

EDUCATION AS A SOCIAL BUSINESS

Education should be the number one industry in every nation, because its output, i.e. the educated citizens, will be the pillars upon which to build a better society.
The lack of education is the main cause of today’s violence and terror around the world.
An educated person will not fall prey to criminal organizations, to gang initiation rites, to fanatics who in the name of “religion” emphasize the use of violence to assert their rights.
An educated person goes beyond the slogans politicians use during an election campaign.
The so-called “war on the terror” can be won only by giving access to good education to the underprivileged, by building schools and not prisons.
Books, Not Bombs and Better-Qualified Teachers that is what is needed.
Democracy can only proliferate if “education” will become a social business, and a top priority in any political agenda.

A dairy goat for education

A dairy goat in Heifer’s online gift catalog costs $120 and it is amazing how such a donation can change the life of a little girl destined to become one more illiterate African woman, another of the continent’s squandered human resources.
It is a valuable lesson to understand the importance of education to build a better world. If only an infinitesimal amount spent for the “war on terror” would be diverted to “Education”, many lives will be saved.
Building schools and training people to become good teachers is an unquestionable way to “export” democracy.

OUR NEW LOGO

Thanks to Riccardo D’Alpaos , who has designed and donated our new logo.

Contact us if you are interested in sharing our campaign to promote the importance of education.

Israel to Loosen Limits on Gaza Scholars

This post is to update the previous post, below.

Israel to Loosen Limits on Gaza Scholars, but with some restrictions, unfortunately.

You can the read the full story by clicking on the follow link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/world/middleeast/06fulbright.html

Peace can also be achieved through education, but….

How some shortsighted actions of governments prevent the promotion of peace through education.
These are excerpts of an interesting article written by ETHAN BRONNER and published by the New York Times, online version:
“GAZA — The American State Department has withdrawn all Fulbright grants to Palestinian students in Gaza hoping to pursue advanced degrees at American institutions this fall because Israel has not granted them permission to leave…….
“A letter was sent by e-mail to the students on Thursday telling them of the cancellation. Abdulrahman Abdullah, 30, who had been hoping to study for an M.B.A. at one of several American universities on his Fulbright, was in shock when he read it. ……..”
“If we are talking about peace and mutual understanding, it means investing in people who will later contribute to Palestinian society,” he said. “I am against Hamas. Their acts and policies are wrong. Israel talks about a Palestinian state. But who will build that state if we can get no training?”…
You can read the entire article by clicking on the following link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/30/world/middleeast/30gaza.html?th&emc=th
Please send your comments

The social importance of education

We should all start raising awareness on an important social issue such as education, which will make some real impact on people.
Schools should be mission-driven institutions and not sheer employers.
Any nation with a low literacy rate and a public school system near collapse, is particularly vulnerable.
Capital markets have the power to transform the society we live in through responsible investing as a form of activism.
If only a small percentage of the funds allocated for the “war on terror” would be invested in education, the whole world will be better and safer.
It is not an idealistic approach, it can be achieved if we all “march with the mouse” by promoting the importance of education.
To better illustrate our point we refer to the following event:
Teachers is France have been striking against the French government’s plan to reduce the number of teachers in the upcoming years.
If the plan happens as expected the quality of education will deteriorate because in each classroom the number of students will increase. Therefore each teacher has less time to devote to every student.
On the other hand of the political spectrum the same government is planning to send additional troops to Afghanistan.

The importance of education and the risk of lack of it

Every nation’s future is strictly associated to how well it educates the current and upcoming generations.
It is disheartening to notice that “education” seems to be a nonexistent issue in any political campaign, especially in the present U.S. presidential campaign.
More than a million American kids drop out of high school every year, according to official statistics, in a world that is becoming more and more competitive every day.
“We have one of the highest dropout rates in the industrialized world,” said Allan Golston, the president of U.S. programs for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Education lifts families out of poverty and expands its horizons.
Illiteracy is one of the roots of problems dogging the world today.
Education should aim to promote interfaith understanding and stress multiculturalism and universal values.
Some teachers instead don’t have knowledge, but they are influential, because they use the schools to advance their own political agenda.
Real life is more complicated than black-and-white ideology.

Strike over teachers' pay closes thousands of schools in U.K.

More than a million children are affected by the strike over teachers' pay.
This is what happens when governments’ priorities are mixed up.
Governments find the necessary funds to send troops in foreign Countries to wage wars based on false information, but they come across many difficulties in taking care of the very basic needs on the nation: EDUCATION.
Any investment in Education has a long and beneficial effect on the future of the Nation.

Education for a better world

If a small percentage of the money spent for the “war on terror” would be invested in education, the entire world would be a better and safer place.
The best and the only way to promote democracy is through education, by building schools, giving free access to the less fortunate children.
Educated children will be able to make better choices for their lives, and will not be enticed by any type of religious or political radicals.
It is rather regrettable that during any election campaign “education” seems to be a back-burner issue, instead of being the main subject.
Money invested in education has a lifelong valuable effect on any society.
There are already many rewards in learning: gaining understanding of yourself and others.
Learning is also the route to more commonplace rewards, like getting into good colleges and getting good jobs.
Teachers’ unions should be agents of progress and not stalemate.
Better salaries for teachers will increase the quality of the school system.
The assumption that underlies the project is simple: people respond to incentives.If you want people to do something, you have to make it worth their while.
This assumption drives virtually all of economic theory.

Education and the racial divide

Studies show that many poor but bright children do not receive good advice about applying for college and scholarships, or do not receive help after starting college.
In recent years, 11 percent of children from the poorest families, in the USA, have earned college degrees, compared with 53 percent of children from the top fifth.
The researchers found that Hispanic and black Americans were falling behind whites and Asians in earning college degrees, making it harder for them to enter the middle class or higher.
The study highlights the powerful role that college can have in helping people change their station in life. Someone born into a family in the lowest fifth of earners who graduates from college has a 19 percent chance of joining the highest fifth of earners in adulthood and a 62 percent chance of joining the middle class or better.
The authors of the study, by scholars at the Brookings Institution in Washington and sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trusts, warned that widening gaps in higher education between rich and poor, whites and minorities, could soon lead to a downturn in opportunities for the poorest families.
Economic mobility, the chance that children of the poor or middle class will climb up the income ladder, has not changed significantly over the last three decades.

Respect is an important ingredient in education

The respect of the boy to the teacher will make him easy to guide, and so the question of punishment will never come up.
Therefore one great cause of fear which at present poisons all the relations between the teacher and his pupils will vanish.
When the teacher has learned to look upon his work as dedicating him to the service of humanity, then he will become part of the great “Teaching Department of the world”.
We could all argue that many children could not be managed in this way.
The answer is these children have been already marked by bad treatment. Nonetheless, they must be slowly improved by greater patience and constant attention.
This is the only and sure way to succeed when tried.
Living in this atmosphere of respect during school hours, the boy will become a better son and a better brother at home, and will bring home with him a feeling of strength, instead of coming home, as he generally does, depressed and tired.
When he, in turn, becomes the head of a household, he will fill it with the respect in which he has been brought up.

Each teacher should be passionate about his work

A teacher full of passion for his work and sympathy will interest the children and make their school life a pleasant one. Children are very eager to learn and if a teacher cannot interest them and make them love their lessons, he is not fit to be a teacher and should choose another profession.A sympathetic teacher draws out all the good qualities in his pupils,and his gentleness prevents them from being afraid of him. Each student then shows himself just as he is, and the teacher is able to see the line best suited to him and to help him to follow it. To such a teacher a child will come with all his difficulties, knowing that he will be met with sympathy and kindness, and, instead of hiding his weaknesses, he will be glad to tell everything to one of whose caring help he is sure. The good teacher should remember his own youth, so he can feel sympathetic with the student who comes to him. This consideration of the teacher for his students, in helping them, willbring out best from the child in turn, and as he looks up to his teacherthis care will take the form of reverence. Reverence, beginning in this way with the boy, will grow as he grows older, and will become his natural habit in life.

The importance of a good teacher

No person ought to be a teacher, ought to be allowed to be aTeacher, unless he/she has shown in his daily life that respect for others and patience are the strongest quality of his/her nature. Just as a boy shows his natural capacities at an early age for one profession or another, so a particularly strong love-nature would mark a boy out as specially fitted to be an instructor.
Such boys should be definitely trained for the office of the teacher.
Children who are preparing for all careers live a common life in the sameschool, and they can only become useful to the nation, if theirschool life is happy. A young child is naturally happy, and if that happiness is allowed to go on and grow in the school, and at home, then he will become a person who will make others happy.

LET'S ALL MARCH WITH THE MOUSE.......

Let’s all march with the mouse to guarantee a better future to our children, by promoting education around the world.
“Never doubt that a small group thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the thing that ever has.” By Margaret Mead
Television has become the weapon of mass distraction because it shackles people’s mind.
Today knowledge has been substituted by images.

I am listed in the Big Blog Collection

A VERY PROFITABLE INVESTMENT

The most profitable investment a nation can make to ensure a better future for its citizens is in education. Educated citizens are very valuable to the development and prosperity of their country.
Well-informed people recognize the importance of using the “weapons of mass instruction” to avert the use of “weapons of mass destruction”.
More schools and more committed teachers should be the first item in any government’s budget. Children are very eager to learn and if a teacher cannot interest them and make them like their lessons, he is not fit to be a teacher.
A sympathetic teacher draws out all the good qualities in his pupils,and his gentleness prevents them from being afraid of him. Each boy then shows himself just as he is, and the teacher is able to see the line best suited to him and to help him to follow it. To such a teacher a boy will come with all his difficulties, knowing that he will be met with sympathy and kindness, and, instead of hiding his weaknesses, he will be glad to tell everything to one of whose loving help he is sure.

Teaching Department of the World

One of the noblest forms of work is that of the teacher.
Teaching should be considered a mission, and not a work just to get-by in life.
A good teacher helps building a better society, while the harm caused by a non devoted teacher has a negative ripple effect, beyond the boundaries of his/her community.
The most important qualification in education is the ability to inspire respect in students.
It is sad that in modern societies the work of a teacher has not been regarded on at the same level with other professions.
Naturally, therefore, the cleverest boys are not drawn towards that profession. But really the office of the teacher is the most important for a nation, because it builds the characters of the boys and girls who will be its future citizens
Students who are preparing for all careers live a common life in the same school, and they can only become useful to the nation as men, if their school life is happy.

A young child is naturally happy, and if that happiness is allowed to go on and grow in the school, and at home, then he will become a man who will make others happy. A teacher full of devotion
and sympathy will catch the attention of the students and make their school life a pleasant one.

lemon law

EDUCATION PROVIDES HOPE FOR THE FUTURE