Creative Education, Free Learning We must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind us to the fact that ... each moment of life is a miracle and mystery. ~ H.G. Wells How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life, you will have been all of these. The things that come to those who wait may be the things left by those who got there first.~ Unknown When we accept tough jobs as a challenge to our ability and wade into them with joy and enthusiasm, miracles can happen. ~ Arland Gilbert "I think everyone should go to college and get a degree and then spend six months as a bartender and six months as a cabdriver. Then they would really be educated." ~ Al McGuire "Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so." ~ Douglas Adams "It often takes more courage to change one's opinion than to stick to it." ~ Geoffrey F. Abert "The smallest deed is better than the grandest intention." ~Roger Nash Baldwin Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or to lose. ~ L. B. Johnson The trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit. ~ Moliere "Free will is an illusion. People always choose the perceived path of greatest pleasure." ~ Scott Adams When you can't have what you want, it's time to start wanting what you have.~Unknown ______________________________________________________ 
Learning is like rowing upstream: not to advance is to drop back 'If we always do what we've always done, we will get what we've always got.' ~ Adam Urbanski
'Man's mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions. '~Oliver Wendell Holmes 'Plan to be better today, but don't ever plan to be finished' ~Carol Ann Tomlinson __________________________________________________ Cleveland Public Library 325 Superior Ave. NE, Cleveland 44114 -- 216-623-2800 http://writersandreaders.cpl.org/schedule.html Lakewood Public Library 15425 Detroit Ave., Lakewood 44107 -- 216-226-8275, 9-9 M-Sa, 1-9 Sun http://www.lkwdpl.org/ Library Calendar http://www.lkwdpl.org/calendar/ Westlake Porter Public Library 27333 Center Ridge Rd., Westlake 44145 -- 440-250-5471 www.westlakelibrary.org 
"Live to Learn"
~ Knowledge is learning something every day. Wisdom is letting go of something every day. ~ Student says " I am very discouraged. What should I do?" Master says, "Encourage others" It takes a wise man to learn from his mistakes, but an even wiser man to learn from others. No road to happiness or sorrow... Find them in yourself What is the path? the Zen Master Nan-sen was asked. Everyday life is the path, he answered. If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your own path We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves When something has happened, Do not talk about it... it is hard to collect spilled water. Remembering a wrong is like carrying a burden on the mind. The clouded mind sees nothing. As a bee gathering nectar does not harm or disturb the colour and fragrance of the flower; so do the wise move through the world. Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it's dark. _______________________________________________________ Malware, Scamware: In the wake of a multi-million-dollar online scam, more than 300,000 computer users worldwide could find themselves without Web access this summer. Luckily for them, it will only take a few clicks to clean things up. The FBI announced that it's created a website where users can check whether they're infected with malware and remove it if they are. Check your computer here -- http://www.dcwg.org. The FBI is seeking information from individuals, corporate entities, and Internet ... to receive potentially improper results from rogue DNS servers hosted by the ... https://forms.fbi.gov/check-to-see-if-your-computer-is-using-rogue-DNS Computer Magazines: PC Magazine ________________________________________________________ |
Education Today and Learning
What is wrong? From a teacher's point of view: _____ By Susan Sluyter I have watched as my job requirements swung away from a focus on the children, their individual learning styles, emotional needs, and their individual families, interests and strengths to a focus on testing, assessing, and scoring young children, thereby ramping up the academic demands and pressures on them. Each year, I have been required to spend more time attending classes and workshops to learn about new academic demands that smack of 1st and 2nd grade, instead of kindergarten and PreK. I have needed to schedule and attend more and more meetings about increasingly extreme behaviors and emotional needs of children in my classroom; I recognize many of these behaviors as children shouting out to the adults in their world, “I can’t do this! Look at me! Know me! Help me! See me!” I have changed my practice over the years to allow the necessary time and focus for all the demands coming down from above. Each year there are more. Each year I have had less and less time to teach the children I love in the way I know best—and in the way child development experts recommend. I reached the place last year where I began to feel I was part of a broken system that was causing damage to those very children I was there to serve. I was trying to survive in a community of colleagues who were struggling to do the same: to adapt and survive, to continue to hold onto what we could, and to affirm what we believe to be quality teaching for an early childhood classroom. I began to feel a deep sense of loss of integrity. I felt my spirit, my passion as a teacher, slip away. I felt anger rise inside me. I felt I needed to survive by looking elsewhere and leaving the community I love so dearly. I did not feel I was leaving my job. I felt then and feel now that my job left me. When I first began teaching more than 25 years ago, hands-on exploration, investigation, joy and love of learning characterized the early childhood classroom. I’d describe our current period as a time of testing, data collection, competition and punishment. One would be hard put these days to find joy present in classrooms. I think it started with No Child Left Behind years ago. Over the years I’ve seen this climate of data fascination seep into our schools and slowly change the ability for educators to teach creatively and respond to children’s social and emotional needs. But this was happening in the upper grades mostly. Then it came to kindergarten and PreK, beginning a number of years ago with a literacy initiative that would have had us spending the better part of each day teaching literacy skills through various prescribed techniques. ”What about math, science, creative expression and play?” we asked. The kindergarten teachers fought back and kept this push for an overload of literacy instruction at bay for a number of years. Next came additional mandated assessments. Four and five year olds are screened regularly each year for glaring gaps in their development that would warrant a closer look and securing additional supports (such as O.T, P.T, and Speech Therapy) quickly. Teachers were already assessing each child three times a year to understand their individual literacy development and growth. A few years ago, we were instructed to add periodic math assessments after each unit of study in math. Then last year we were told to include an additional math assessment on all Kindergarten students (which takes teachers out of the classroom with individual child testing, and intrudes on classroom teaching time.) We were told we needed to have “Learning Objectives” for the children – posted in the classroom – for each math lesson. One list of objectives might read, “I can add two rolls of the dice together and find the sum. I can move my bear forward the correct number of spaces. I can split my number up to share hops between two bears.” Teachers are to write these objectives out, post them for children to see, and read them to the class as expectations for what they should be able to do. Many of the Kindergarten and PreK children are unable to read those goals, and are not able to understand them as goals anyway. This task is supposed to enhance learning. I experience it as enhancing pressure on children. The message is, “You are supposed to know how to do this, even if you can’t.” Teachers everywhere are seeing an increase in behavior problems that make classrooms and schools feel less safe, and learning less able to take place. Children are screaming out for help. They are under too much pressure and it is just no longer possible to meet the social and emotional needs of our youngest children. They are suffering because of this.. We should be modeling our schools and curriculum on proven systems. Look to Finland and other successful education systems of the world. Their children don't even start school until they are seven. Play is essential, school should be someplace you can't wait to go to because it is challenging, fun and you learn. We have watched the decline of Public Education in the USA sink for decades primarily because of the misguided elements who have been lowering standards. Testing, competition, standards, discipline, focus, etc., is so desperately needed in the Public School system again. Do you have children in the public school system? I do. I hear her, and I have watched the system get worse and worse. Schools were better in the past. No child left behind was the beginning of every child left behind. Now, common core is making no child left behind look good. We need to let our teachers have the freedom to teach the curriculum in their own way. If you take a look, you will see that the more the gov't intervenes the worse our children are doing. The stats are all there. ______________________________________________________ |
North Coast Tutoring: www.northcoasted.com
Porter Sargent Publishers, www.portersargent.com Sylvan Learning Center: www.educate.com Your Map to the World of Learning http://www.educationatlas.com/study-skills.html Project: LEARN 2728 Euclid Ave., Suite 400, Cleveland, OH 44115 (216) 621-9483 ~ Project: LEARN is Greater Cleveland's premier adult literacy center. Founded in 1974, ~ Project: LEARN has acquired a national reputation for its leadership in advancing literacy. ~ Project: LEARN's mission is "Literacy for Every Adult." Its purpose is to teach basic skills to adults so that they may reach their own particular learning goals. ~ We believe that reading is freedom, meaning that when students acquire basic reading, writing, speaking and listening skills they can solve the problems of daily living, take full advantage of citizenship and participate fully in the affairs of the community. Here are some creative learning activities that you can do every day to help improve your literacy skills or keep them sharp:
Did You Know? (Every Minute)...
250 babies are born, 105 people die, 21,000 slices of pizza are eaten, 2,137 bags of popcorn sold, 6,000 lightning strikes a year, 190 a minute, $34,880 in Walmart sales, 4,500 burgers sold at McDonalds. |
Computer Tips -- Cool Sites -- Buying Guides -- Daily Downloads
Computer Tips Healthy PC - The Digital Goddess - Kim Komando http://www.komando.com/ Computer Tips, Humor, Discount Software www.worldstart.com Help with PC's - Everything Computer http://www.helpwithpcs.com/ Free Education Free Education Online: www.free-ed.net HP Learning Center: http://h30187.www3.hp.com/ Free Language Learning http://www.word2word.com/coursead.html Free Online Education: http://www.freeonlineeducation.com/ Free Computer Training and Courses Online http://www.intelligentedu.com/cat1.html Learn That: http://www.learnthat.com/ Library Support Staff http://www.librarysupportstaff.com/ed4you.html Top 10 Tools for Education Online http://lifehacker.com/5188342/top-10-tools-for-a-free-online-education ••••••••• ►►►Computer Tips: http://www.easycomputertips.com/ Free Online Classes www.athome.harvard.edu Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Get your geek on: MIT offers a far more comprehensive selection of free online courses than other universities -- nearly its entire undergraduate and graduate curriculum. Downloading materials takes minutes. A newsletter highlights new offerings, from Quantum Physics to American Women Authors. What's the Catch? Users can’t enroll, take classes on campus, or earn degrees. Find Out More: www.ocw.mit.edu. BBC, FrenchPodClass. The BBC offers top-notch online and MP3 lessons in languages familiar and obscure, including French, German, Portuguese, Mandarin, Greek, and Urdu. FrenchPodClass has easy-to-use, enjoyable podcasts that allow you to learn French while you do errands or go for a run. What’s the Catch? Classes are one size fits all, which fast learners may find sluggish (and slow learners may find difficult) . (See Real Simple's Shortcuts to Speaking a Foreign Language) Find Out More: www.bbc.co.uk/languages, www.frenchpodclass.com. ________________________________________________________ |
Free Classes U.S. Small Business Administration. Learn how to write a business plan, register your company, and deal with the tax details of running a home business at your local Women’s Business Center evening classes (men are welcome, too).
What’s the Catch? Novices and more advanced learners share the same classroom.
Find Out More: www.sba.gov
(click on “Local Resources” for a nearby center and for financial and marketing information).
More Small Business Resources
Healthy Thinking - quotes by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer: http://www.drwaynedyer.com/
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Web Safety - Website Safety - Be Concerned, Be Alert
Web browser safety: Safari settings
CLEVELAND - The flashing images you see online, popup advertisements and sites that remember who you are without logging in all make browsing easy. However, is this technology doing more than meets the eye? "It's absolutely tough to surf anonymously, privately and securely," SecureState Senior Consultant John Melvin explained.
When you type something online, it's tracked by businesses for advertising purposes. Your Internet searches are used to form a profile, and you can check up on your profile using Google's " Ads Preferences" tool.
Google said its "Ads Preferences", "Makes the ads you see on the web more interesting." Websites partner with Google to show ads to their visitors based on your profile. You can change your preferences or simply opt-out.
Google said it doesn't know your name or any other personal information about you. It simply recognizes the number associated and stored in your browser.
Most sites track this information. Google makes it easy to see, and explains the process to consumers and gives them options.
However, security experts said every website is not created equally. On some sites, it's unclear what's being tracked about you and it's raising privacy concerns.
Cookies left on you computer can be used to profile you
Our investigation with the information security management consulting firm, SecureState, found some tracking devices used by various online sites can put you at risk.
Websites form a profile of you based on your surfing and browsing habits. When you land on a site, a "cookie" is placed on your computer. It's a tremendous tracking tool for advertising purposes, but our investigation revealed the cookie can also put your family at risk.
"I see the utility in it. They're just trying to do their marketing, but it's a little weird they can see so much about you and know so much about you. So, that's a little disconcerting," consumer Celeste Asmar said.
With Asmar's permission, we had SecureState's Forensics Team search her Internet files to see if she's leaving behind a digital footprint.
"Is this your daughter's name and grade?" Matt Neely, SecureState Profiling Team Manager asked Asmar. Yes," Asmar responded.
"Roughly?" Neely asked. "Oh exactly," Asmar remarked.
Asmar thought she was taking the right steps to protect her daughter's privacy. But, the security consultants at SecureState know her daughter's school and homeroom teacher's name.
"That I find very troublesome," Asmar said.
Asmar doesn't know the forensics team at SecureState. But, they know all about her after their analysis of her computer's Internet files.
"Pretty much I went through everything you did and saw what kind of information you provide to websites," Neely said.
SecureState said the information you provide during browsing is saved in a dozen locations on your computer. SecureState found little bits of information all over, and then pieced it all together to form a profile. SecureState even knew Asmar's age.
"You got my weight in there, too?" Asmar questioned.
Not quite, but Asmar's Internet files reveal her age, address, unlisted phone number, her employer, her husband's name and activities he likes, and the car they just bought.
Bits of information lead to a profile
Even information that may not appear sensitive can be dangerous in a hacker's hands. The hacker can use the basic information to gain your trust and then you'll lead them to more personal information.
For example, SecureState knew Asmar bought a car. They knew the type, dealership and the fact it was certified.
"If we wanted to be a hacker and gain some additional information we could call her up at the phone number we discovered in the Word document. We say 'hello we are calling from such and such dealership, and you recently purchased this car. We are working on the extended warranty and we need some additional information from you,'" Neely explained.
Then, the hacker could get more information from you and you may think you're talking to the car dealer the whole time.
That's why it's essential to verify who you are talking to. It's always best to ask for a phone number to call that person back. That will help you verify someone's authenticity when they are asking for personal information.
The profilers use the information they gather to establish trust. Then, they launch their attack.
Sensitive information easy to find
Damage can be done with just basic information if it ends up in the wrong hands. In our test, we found very sensitive information stored in Asmar's internet files that could have led to her identity being stolen.
"Are those two socials of someone in your family?" Neely asked, pointing to two social security numbers. "Ugh! Yes," Asmar replied.
A social security number is all you need to steal someone's identity. Our findings get worse.
"I have his username and password for Turbo Tax, all based on your Internet history," Melvin said. "My husband will be horrified," Asmar exclaimed.
Protecting yourself
The first tip to protect yourself and minimize your digital footprint. Don't send sensitive information to yourself, or anyone for that matter, with webmail. If you want to save a file for later use, store it on a flash drive or hard drive that you don't leave connected to your computer.
Secondly, log out at the end of sessions and try to avoid using public computers.
Run anti-virus software, and perhaps try several different kinds. Even the best software likely won't find all the viruses or tracking cookies.
Delete your cookies, and go into your tools menu and select "private browsing."
"You go into that mode and any data that's stored during that, when you close that browsing session, will be deleted," Neely said.
You may also want to explore plug-ins like TACO (Targeted Advertising Cookie Opt-Out) for Firefox.
t's a plug-in that promises to prevent more than 100 online advertising networks from displaying ads.
These are simple steps you can take to erase your digital footprint.
Check out these instructions for each of the major browsers, courtesy of Secure State:
Trade Groups try to give consumers more protection
SecureState said legislators are trying to address privacy concerns, but it may be years before that's accomplished. The Federal Trade Commission is even considering a Do Not Track list similar to the Do Not Call registry.
In light of the security and privacy concerns, several trade and media marketing associations launched a self-regulated program to give consumers more control over the collection and use of data relating to their web habits. The website, AboutAds, explains the initiative and options for consumers to increase their privacy online.
An "Advertising Option Icon" will be added near online advertisements or on websites that collect data for advertising if they're participating in this program. Consumers can click on the icon and see a disclosure statement that allows them to opt out or simply view the company's policies for data collection.
More safety tips
Here are more security tips from Secure State:
What’s the Catch? Novices and more advanced learners share the same classroom.
Find Out More: www.sba.gov
(click on “Local Resources” for a nearby center and for financial and marketing information).
More Small Business Resources
Healthy Thinking - quotes by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer: http://www.drwaynedyer.com/
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Web Safety - Website Safety - Be Concerned, Be Alert
Web browser safety: Safari settings
CLEVELAND - The flashing images you see online, popup advertisements and sites that remember who you are without logging in all make browsing easy. However, is this technology doing more than meets the eye? "It's absolutely tough to surf anonymously, privately and securely," SecureState Senior Consultant John Melvin explained.
When you type something online, it's tracked by businesses for advertising purposes. Your Internet searches are used to form a profile, and you can check up on your profile using Google's " Ads Preferences" tool.
Google said its "Ads Preferences", "Makes the ads you see on the web more interesting." Websites partner with Google to show ads to their visitors based on your profile. You can change your preferences or simply opt-out.
Google said it doesn't know your name or any other personal information about you. It simply recognizes the number associated and stored in your browser.
Most sites track this information. Google makes it easy to see, and explains the process to consumers and gives them options.
However, security experts said every website is not created equally. On some sites, it's unclear what's being tracked about you and it's raising privacy concerns.
Cookies left on you computer can be used to profile you
Our investigation with the information security management consulting firm, SecureState, found some tracking devices used by various online sites can put you at risk.
Websites form a profile of you based on your surfing and browsing habits. When you land on a site, a "cookie" is placed on your computer. It's a tremendous tracking tool for advertising purposes, but our investigation revealed the cookie can also put your family at risk.
"I see the utility in it. They're just trying to do their marketing, but it's a little weird they can see so much about you and know so much about you. So, that's a little disconcerting," consumer Celeste Asmar said.
With Asmar's permission, we had SecureState's Forensics Team search her Internet files to see if she's leaving behind a digital footprint.
"Is this your daughter's name and grade?" Matt Neely, SecureState Profiling Team Manager asked Asmar. Yes," Asmar responded.
"Roughly?" Neely asked. "Oh exactly," Asmar remarked.
Asmar thought she was taking the right steps to protect her daughter's privacy. But, the security consultants at SecureState know her daughter's school and homeroom teacher's name.
"That I find very troublesome," Asmar said.
Asmar doesn't know the forensics team at SecureState. But, they know all about her after their analysis of her computer's Internet files.
"Pretty much I went through everything you did and saw what kind of information you provide to websites," Neely said.
SecureState said the information you provide during browsing is saved in a dozen locations on your computer. SecureState found little bits of information all over, and then pieced it all together to form a profile. SecureState even knew Asmar's age.
"You got my weight in there, too?" Asmar questioned.
Not quite, but Asmar's Internet files reveal her age, address, unlisted phone number, her employer, her husband's name and activities he likes, and the car they just bought.
Bits of information lead to a profile
Even information that may not appear sensitive can be dangerous in a hacker's hands. The hacker can use the basic information to gain your trust and then you'll lead them to more personal information.
For example, SecureState knew Asmar bought a car. They knew the type, dealership and the fact it was certified.
"If we wanted to be a hacker and gain some additional information we could call her up at the phone number we discovered in the Word document. We say 'hello we are calling from such and such dealership, and you recently purchased this car. We are working on the extended warranty and we need some additional information from you,'" Neely explained.
Then, the hacker could get more information from you and you may think you're talking to the car dealer the whole time.
That's why it's essential to verify who you are talking to. It's always best to ask for a phone number to call that person back. That will help you verify someone's authenticity when they are asking for personal information.
The profilers use the information they gather to establish trust. Then, they launch their attack.
Sensitive information easy to find
Damage can be done with just basic information if it ends up in the wrong hands. In our test, we found very sensitive information stored in Asmar's internet files that could have led to her identity being stolen.
"Are those two socials of someone in your family?" Neely asked, pointing to two social security numbers. "Ugh! Yes," Asmar replied.
A social security number is all you need to steal someone's identity. Our findings get worse.
"I have his username and password for Turbo Tax, all based on your Internet history," Melvin said. "My husband will be horrified," Asmar exclaimed.
Protecting yourself
The first tip to protect yourself and minimize your digital footprint. Don't send sensitive information to yourself, or anyone for that matter, with webmail. If you want to save a file for later use, store it on a flash drive or hard drive that you don't leave connected to your computer.
Secondly, log out at the end of sessions and try to avoid using public computers.
Run anti-virus software, and perhaps try several different kinds. Even the best software likely won't find all the viruses or tracking cookies.
Delete your cookies, and go into your tools menu and select "private browsing."
"You go into that mode and any data that's stored during that, when you close that browsing session, will be deleted," Neely said.
You may also want to explore plug-ins like TACO (Targeted Advertising Cookie Opt-Out) for Firefox.
t's a plug-in that promises to prevent more than 100 online advertising networks from displaying ads.
These are simple steps you can take to erase your digital footprint.
Check out these instructions for each of the major browsers, courtesy of Secure State:
Trade Groups try to give consumers more protection
SecureState said legislators are trying to address privacy concerns, but it may be years before that's accomplished. The Federal Trade Commission is even considering a Do Not Track list similar to the Do Not Call registry.
In light of the security and privacy concerns, several trade and media marketing associations launched a self-regulated program to give consumers more control over the collection and use of data relating to their web habits. The website, AboutAds, explains the initiative and options for consumers to increase their privacy online.
An "Advertising Option Icon" will be added near online advertisements or on websites that collect data for advertising if they're participating in this program. Consumers can click on the icon and see a disclosure statement that allows them to opt out or simply view the company's policies for data collection.
More safety tips
Here are more security tips from Secure State:
- Never share personal information on social networking sites.
- Try to keep two separate email address, one for your daily activities online and the other for registering on other sites that you may not be accustomed to.
- Passwords must be complex, with 10 or more characters, and include special characters. Avoid using any personal information within the password.
- Change passwords every 30 to 60 days, and never reuse a password.
- Do not open email attachments from unknown senders.
- Use a known Antivirus Software or Internet Security Suite.
- Research and test security software that provides private browsing, secure Internet sessions, sandboxing, and the ability to clean or analyze files stored and downloaded while surfing.
- Configure browser or security software to remove all temporary Internet files, history and session files upon exit.
- Reference the browser documentation for specific steps.
- Ensure the system and applications used for Internet surfing are patched for latest security fixes.
- Validate sites being visited where privacy is a concern; research IP address of URLs (Web address, example www.securestate.com) you visit often, and cross-check the address each time you visit that web site.
- Always type the URL into a browser instead of clicking on links.
- Do not enable checkboxes that say “Keep me logged in” or “Remember my session”, etc.
- Always click “logout” or “sign out” when closing a logged on session; do not just simply close the browser.
- Always use a system account with least-privilege (not an administrator) for daily activities and surfing.
- Use a separate and distinct account for each online activity that would require a logon session; for example a separate email logon from a bank logon.
- Never click on links for URLs (Web address, example www.securestate.com) where logon sessions are required,
always type out the URL manually. - Ensure the system and applications used for Internet surfing are patched with the latest security fixes.
- Search for online privacy, online security and private browsing for your particular browser and system for more suggestions.
Job Openings in these job fields
- Health Care, Manufacturing, IT Professionals, and the training needed: Manufacturing training IT & Computer Programming online with Robert Half International Computer training at Devore Technologies New Horizons Computer Training Cleveland State Nursing Program Central School of Practical Nursing Local Cleveland area Libraries |
Westlake Porter Public Library 27333 Center Ridge Rd., Westlake 44145 -- 440-250-5471 www.westlakelibrary.org Lakewood Public Library 15425 Detroit Ave. Lakewood 44107 -- 216-226-8275, 9-9 M-Sa, 1-9 Sun http://www.lkwdpl.org/ Library Calendar http://www.lkwdpl.org/calendar/ Cleveland Public Library 325 Superior Ave. NE, Cleveland 44114 -- 216-623-2800 http://writersandreaders.cpl.org/schedule.html |
