Category: Education

Facebook’s New System

In 1964, journalist Martin Gansberg published an article in the New York Times that revealed some less-than-flattering human traits and sparked a revolution in social psychology. According to the article, Kitty Genovese, a 29 year-old woman from Queens, was stabbed to death outside over a 35-minute period, after which just 1 of the 38 spectators called …

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The Repercussions of Wasting Food

I love food.  No, I’m passionate about food.  Better yet, I’m obsessed with food.  So when I read or hear about something negative about the food industry, I naturally want to be one of the people that can create change, or at least do a good job of playing my role as a responsible consumer …

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Violence against Women with Disabilities II

In my previous post, I raised the issue of violence against women with disabilities. Research and statistics have helped to raise awareness in our society about domestic and gender-based violence. However, as I discussed previously, the link between violence and disability is still very under-researched, and the consequence is that many women with disabilities are …

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Alternative Forms of Sustainable Farming: Part I

Community Supported Agriculture – Making Friends with Your Food and Local Farmers Ever since I was young, I have been personally invested in the food I eat.  While my grandfather started off by growing a few plant varieties in the backyard, my father has since ambitiously converted most of our yard into a vegetable garden.  …

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El Sistema: Music for change

Leer la versión en Español El sistema (The system) is a music program in Venezuela (and in some parts of the U.S) that trains poor kids to be musicians. The program started out in 1975, after economist and musician Jose Abreu gave classical music lessons to 11 children in a Venezuelan garage. Those music lessons …

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Life-Changing Lamps

In rural areas of Kenya, the overwhelming majority of families live without electricity. More than one third of the population depends on kerosene-powered lamps, which are not only bad for the environment, but they also negatively affect Kenyans in other ways. Toxic fumes, for example, are emitted from the burning lamps and can cause severe …

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Invest in the Future

If you have been paying attention to the news for the past few weeks, you know that there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the United States’ debt ceiling. Theoretically, we have a debt ceiling to control federal spending. This ceiling puts a cap on the amount of bonds the Treasury can issue. If …

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The March on Washington D.C.

Due to the heated debates and reforms regarding public education in the United States, many teachers and parents have decided to take action.  The July 30th march, which is referred to as the Save Our Schools March, wants to bring parents and teachers together in order to regain control of schools.  The purpose of the …

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King Crops: The Dangers of Monocrops (Part III)

The Demise of Biodiversity I come from a family of amateur farmers. For as long as I can remember, my backyard in New Jersey has been filled with several types of cucumber, tomato, hot peppers, basil and lettuce plants, all courtesy of the tender ministrations of my grandfather and father.  Growing up around such a …

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People Comprehension Part IV

I’ve written several posts explaining how and why I think people comprehension skills should be taught in the public education system. Developing these skills in elementary school and middle school allows students to have exposure to different types of conflict, foster a greater understanding of opposing viewpoints, and build basic negotiation skills. In high school, it’s time to continue …

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