Archive for the ‘American Culture’ Category
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – Man of Peace In a Time of War
Sunday, January 15th, 2012A rare and candid TV interview with Martin Luther King, Jr. – unseen in 40 years – is the centerpiece of this timely tribute, featuring exclusive interviews with such notables as Jesse Jackson and Colin Powell that provide fresh insight into the life and personality of the late civil rights leader.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s Life and Achievements
Sunday, January 15th, 2012Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) was a Baptist minister and social activist who played a key role in the American civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968. Inspired by advocates of nonviolence such as Mahatma Gandhi, King sought equality for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged and victims of injustice through peaceful protest. He was the driving force behind watershed events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington, which helped bring about such landmark legislation as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and is remembered each year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a U.S. federal holiday since 1986. More here
Helping Students Motivate Themselves
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012Daniel Pink on “the surprising science of motivation,” a TED talk that is one of many resources Larry Ferlazzo, a teacher and author, uses in this post.
Today, in lieu of a lesson plan, The Learning Network, New York Times – Education, has invited Larry Ferlazzo, a teacher and author, to write a guest post that brings together a number of recent Times and Learning Network pieces about motivation — and shows practical ways teachers can use them to help students learn to exert self-control, gain self-confidence and motivate themselves to learn and achieve. Read full post here
12 Dozen Places To Educate Yourself Online For Free
Monday, December 26th, 2011All education is self-education. Period. It doesn’t matter if you’re sitting in a college classroom or a coffee shop. We don’t learn anything we don’t want to learn.
Those people who take the time and initiative to pursue knowledge on their own are the only ones who earn a real education in this world. Take a look at any widely acclaimed scholar, entrepreneur or historical figure you can think of. Formal education or not, you’ll find that he or she is a product of continuous self-education.
If you’re interested in learning something new, this article written by Marc and Angel at Hack Life is for you. Broken down by subject and/or category, here are several top-notch self-education resources that Marc and Angel at Hack Life have bookmarked online over the past few years.
Here are some excerpts:
Science and Health
Business and Money
History and World Culture
Law
Computer Science and Engineering
Mathematics
English and Communications
Foreign and Sign Languages
Multiple Subjects and Miscellaneous
Free Books and Reading Recommendations
Educational Mainstream Broadcast Media
Online Archives
Directories of Open Education
Read complete post at Marc and Angel at Hack Life
To Want to Be Successful, is Not Enough
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011There is no prize out there. The only prize is this one [points to heart], and what you feel and what you want to accomplish. If you can, as you start out, these what could be lean years or fat years, I feel that I very often watch a lot of young people sort of meander around without any idea about why they’re doing. To want and to be ambitious and to want to be successful, is not enough—that’s just desire.
To know what you want, to understand why you’re doing it, to dedicate every breathe in your body to achieve. If you feel you have something to give, if you feel that your particular talent is worth developing or is worth caring for, then there is nothing you can’t achieve. You’re going to grow up with your colleagues. You’re going to watch them have success and watch them have failure and you’re going to watch how they deal with it.
By Kevin Spacey
Best-Performing American Cities 2011
Monday, December 19th, 2011Source : Milken Institute
Leaders in this year’s index, which ranks U.S. metros based on their ability to create and sustain jobs, are cities that most benefited from renewed investment in business equipment; have diversified technology bases, which also drive growth in business and professional services; are exposed to America’s booming energy sector; and are home to a large military presence.
The 2011 top 10 performers (with 2010 rankings) of the 200 largest metros:
1. San Antonio, TX (14)
2. El Paso, TX (9)
3. Fort Collins- Loveland, CO (50)
4. Austin-Round Rock, TX (2)
5. Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, TX (1)
6. Salt Lake City, UT (49)
7. Anchorage, AK (8)
8. Huntsville, AL (3)
9. Provo-Orem, UT (25)
10. Kennewick-Richland-Pasco WA (5)
The Best Performing Cities index includes both long-term (five years) and short-term (one year) measurements of employment and salary growth. There are also four measurements of technology output growth, which are included because of technology’s crucial role in creating good jobs and driving regional economies.
The index ranks 379 metropolitan areas, grouped into large (population of more than 200,000) and small (population of less than 200,000) metros.
Download full report here
Advices for Prospective International Students
Thursday, December 15th, 2011Take a listen as VOA’s Student Union talks about every aspect of the international student experience, from how to get rid of an accent to fears of the impending cold weather.
Perceptions are Reality. Or Are They? An Immigrant’s Journey
Wednesday, November 30th, 2011Russian immigrant Ekaterina Walter serves in a global role for one of the most recognized brands in the world. She will share her transformative 13-year journey in her adopted country – the United States. And how her experiences have left all changed in unexpected ways.
History of Thanksgiving
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011Although Thanksgiving celebrations dated back to the first European settlements in America, it was not until the 1860s that Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November to be a national holiday.