Make the most of your 20s: Meg Jay at TED2013 In her 20s, Meg Jay saw her first psychotherapy client, Alex, who was there to talk about her guy problems. Jay didn’t take the sessions all too seriously at first. But then her supervisor gave her a wakeup call. While Jay said, “Sure she’s dating down and sleeping with a knucklehead. But she’s not gonna marry the guy.” Her supervisor responded, “Not yet. For Jay, it was an a-ha moment. There are 50 million 20-somethings in the US — that’s 15% of population. “Claiming your 20s is one of simplest things you can do for work, happiness, love, maybe even for the world,” says Jay. Jay worries that messages in the media about the changing timetable of adulthood, and the 20s being an “extended adolescence,” are trivializing this important decade. Jay also takes issue with the phrase “you can’t pick your family, but can pick your friends.” “Too many 30-somethings and 40-somethings look at themselves and say about their 20s, ‘What was I doing? So what can 20-somethings do?
Competence Motivation - Motivation at a Glance: An ISchool Collaborative DEVELOPERSSusan Harter, Robert W. White In 1959 (White, 1959) Robert W. White proposed a new concept: effectance motivation. He described effectance as a "tendency to explore and influence one’s environment." In 1978, (Harter, 1978) (Harter S. , 1981)Susan Harter expanded on this idea in the paper “Effectance motivation reconsidered: Toward a developmental model” developing the Competence Motivation Theory. The competence theory states that children will gravitate to areas in which they perceive competence and avoid areas where success is hit or miss and a sense of accomplishment is lacking. RECOMMENDATIONS/APPLICATIONS: Use in education or business to determine where a student or employee’s perceived strengths lie and use this to encourage increased productivity.
Human Development Reports | United Nations Development Programme The art of science: Stunning, psychedelic images from Fabian Oefner In his TEDGlobal 2013 talk, Fabian Oefner shares breathtaking images at the nexus of art and science, which beautifully capture unique moments of physical and chemical drama. Formally trained in art and design, Oefner says that he has always been interested in science. Though he can’t pinpoint the exact moment when he became interested in pairing his two loves, he views both pursuits as inextricably linked by a crucial bond: “The most important quality of science or art is curiosity,” Oefner tells TED. Marbelous No. 05 (2013) An unusual look at the properties of oil, as colorful marbles of oil paint float in a solution of water and methylated spirits. Grain of Scent (2013) Tiny individual droplets of a liquid mixed with spray paint hang in the air for a fraction of a second, forming a scent sculpture. Aurora No. 01 (2013) This image illustrates the combustion of alcohol. Vanishing Beauty (2012) Powders can behave like fluids. Nebula No. 10 (2011) This is a $10 illusion of the universe.
Math, Science, History: Games Break Boundaries Between Subjects Maison elfique Part 3 of MindShift’s Guide to Games and Learning. For far too long, school has organized learning into divided disciplines: English, science, history, math, and so on. It seems fine because we’re all used to it. The problem, however, is that students then internalize a divided conception of knowledge; they’re conditioned into a view of life where specialization reigns. While categorized subjects made some sense for the industrialized 20th century, they may not be the best bet for this century. Game-based learning offers an alternative. Of course, “fuzzy and ambiguous” isn’t always preferable. Although people have had specific trades and vocations since the beginning of civilization, some types of expertise haven’t always correlated to career or exchange value. Over the years, the term “Renaissance Man” has sprouted into common vernacular in order to identify the well-rounded intellectual who was an expert in a variety of subjects. This may be sensible. Related
Human Numbers Through Time By Susan K. Lewis Posted 04.20.04 NOVA For most of human existence our ancestors led precarious lives as scavengers, hunters, and gatherers, and there were fewer than 10 million human beings on Earth at any one time. Today, many cities have more than 10 million inhabitants each, and populations continue to skyrocket. Trace the dramatic growth of human populations over recent centuries on our global map, and see where on Earth as many as three billion more people may live by 2050. Note on Graphics The global map was adapted from World Population: A Graphic Simulation of the History of Human Population Growth, a 2003 video produced by Population Connection (www.populationconnection.org). When areas become super-populated, as they begin to do in certain parts of the world in the 20th century, the dots merge and spread outward like a stain. Illustrations (all)
7 talks on how we make choices | Playlist Now playing Over the years, research has shown a counterintuitive fact about human nature: That sometimes, having too much choice makes us less happy. This may even be true when it comes to medical treatment. Baba Shiv shares a fascinating study that measures why choice opens the door to doubt, and suggests that ceding control — especially on life-or-death decisions — may be the best thing for us. (Filmed at TEDxStanford.)
5 technologies transforming education right now From iPads in classrooms to mobile apps for educators, new technologies are changing how teachers teach and educational institutions are run. Whether they flip the classroom model, blend the learning experience or just make educators' lives easier, lots of innovators are talking about technology and how it is transforming education as we know it. To give you an idea of what's coming, we've turned the spotlight on five technologies that are driving the ed tech revolution. Here's what you need to know: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Would you like to see more education news like this in your inbox on a daily basis?
International Programs - Information Gateway Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 1. What is the International Data Base? The International Data Base (IDB) offers a variety of demographic indicators for countries and areas of the world with a population of 5,000 or more. World and Region demographic indicators in the IDB, including population totals, exclude the populations of countries and areas with fewer than 5,000 people. 2. The IDB provides many types of demographic data, including: · Estimates and projections of: Birth, death, and growth rates, migration rates, infant mortality, and life expectancy Fertility rates Total population and population by age and sex 3. The following ZIP file contains the complete data set which has currently been released and is used by the International Data Base tool. 4. The demographic estimates and projections found in the International Data Base are the result of over 30 years of analysis of census, survey, vital statistics, and other data by Census Bureau demographers. 5. 6. (play button). 7. 8. 9.
The best stats you've ever seen - Hans Rosling Rosling is a passionate advocate for “liberating” publicly-funded data on the Internet. Select one topic area for which country-specific data might be compared (e.g., education, health, food production, the environment, etc.), and identify what you think are the best sources of data in this area on the Internet. Create a guide that lists these sources, and provides a brief review of each. If the administrators of these data repositories are thinking about how users might engage with the data via mobile devices or social media, note this in the review. Here are a few resources to make learning statistics an interesting experience. Someone always asks the math teacher, "Am I going to use calculus in real life?" The Institute for Statistics Education at Statistics.com is the leading provider of online education in statistics, and offers over 100 courses in introductory and advanced statistics.