A casestudy “The Ecological Footprint Dilemma”

This case study is a “clicker case.” It combines the use of student personal response systems (clickers) with case teaching methods and formats. The case is presented in class using a series of PowerPoint slides punctuated by questions (called “clicker questions”) that students respond to before moving on to the next slide. In this way, students work through the material to understand (and usually also solve) the problem presented in the case. Specifically designed for use in large introductory science classes, the method integrates lecture material, case storylines, student discussion, (clicker) questions, clarification of answers to those questions, more lecture, and data.

The world’s resource base is quickly becoming depleted and a steady increase in the human population is a concern as we seek long-term solutions to a global, environmental crisis. In addition to this, affluence in industrialized countries constitutes another challenge for a more equitable distribution of resources in the pursuit of a better quality of life for more people. For these reasons, this case study will be of interest to students in an introductory biology course. As they work through the case, students calculate their ecological footprint. They are then asked to decide whether a new parking lot is more effective in accommodating the needs of an expanding university campus than a community garden. Campus greening is becoming a challenging component of the experience of millions of college students throughout the world. Many institutions of higher education are committed to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as a way to educate students to become better stewards, and are actively seeking viable strategies to better control global climate change. The American Association for Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) counts among its membership hundreds of colleges and universities in the U.S. Moreover, since 2006, about 400 presidents of institutions of higher education have signed a petition to reduce CO2 emissions from their campuses.

Written for a non-majors introductory biology class, this case would also be suitable for courses in ecology, environmental science, conservation biology, environmental studies and general biology. The case is designed to be taught at the end of an ecology unit of the curriculum. Students should be familiar with population ecology concepts (richness, distribution, carrying capacity, competition, symbiosis), including human population ecology, growth, and competition.

Using Word Clouds as a teaching activity

Whether they’re mastering scientific vocabulary, writing poems, or analyzing presidential speeches, students are immersed in words. Encourage lively conversation about words with the help of tools that turn text into visual displays.

Wordle (wordle.net) is a free tool that turns a block of text, or simply a list of words, into a cloud pattern. Words that are used most frequently are displayed most prominently. You can play with layout, font, and colors to change the appearance or highlight certain vocabulary.

Teachers across subject areas and grade levels are finding good uses for this simple to use tool. For example, as a prereading activity, you might use Wordle to highlight key vocabulary. Are there unfamiliar words here that students will need to understand? Patterns to pay attention to while they are reading?

Students can create Wordle displays using their own writing, too. They will gain new insights into word choice. Are they using certain words too often? Or is their word repetition deliberate? This information can lead to more productive writing conferences and will help them as they move on to the revision stage.

Some teachers recommend Wordle as a tool for reflection. By combining students’ reflective entries into one Wordle display, you can see at a glance what students are
thinking about. Their “hot topics” can be the jumping-off point for a lively classroom discussion.

from http://www.edutopia.org/files/existing/pdfs/Edutopia-10-top-tips-for-teaching-with-new-media.pdf

Its MOvember.... raising money for prostrate cancer research

Movember is an annual, month-long celebration of the moustache, highlighting men’s health issues, specifically prostate cancer and depression in men.

Mo Bros, supported by their Mo Sistas, start Movember (November 1st) clean shaven and then have the remainder of the month to grow and groom their moustache. During Movember, each Mo Bro effectively becomes a walking billboard for men’s health and, via their Mo, raises essential funds and awareness for Movember’s men’s health partners – The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and beyondblue – the national depression initiative. At the end of Movember, a series of Gala Partés are held to thank Mo Bros and Sistas for their support and fund raising efforts.

The idea for Movember came about in 2003 when a few mates were having a beer in a small bar in Fitzroy, Melbourne. Inspired by the women’s health movement, it was recognized that men were lacking a way to engage and actively involve themselves in their own health. During a conversation about fashion and past trends, the idea came up to bring the moustache back for one month, and in doing so, have some fun, raise a small amount of money and hopefully encourage men to talk about their health with each other.

Since this time, Movember has continued to grow each year, both in terms of participation numbers and funds raised. In its first year, 30 Mo Bros took part in Movember and last year, in Australia alone, 125,000 Mo Bro & Sistas got on board, raising more than $8million for each of Movember’s men’s health partners.

http://au.movember.com/about/

The Jakarta Schools Football is about to start again... http://twitter.com/JakartaFootball

Bangkok Sixes

The Jakarta Gonads gave it a good crack, the cricket was excellent craic, now back at work waiting for the next tournament ! More info here. http://www.thailandsixes.com/