Technology’s Role In Education

Gone were the days when things were mostly done manually by hand. Technology has made things so much simpler for us and at the same time quite complex too considering the number of gadgets and contrivances we must familiarize ourselves with over time. Now, we are not even including in the equation the amount of money we have to spend in acquiring all these so-called tech necessities (yes, they’re no longer considered as mere luxuries) that are supposed to make our lives easier and more convenient but do they really do that?

Children these days learn about technology at a young age. Most toddlers right now actually know how to navigate an iPad or any Android tablet to pass the time. Hence, it is no longer surprising to see curriculums being updated or revised entirely to ensure technology is included in just about everything because that is definitely the direction we are heading. Think about the future and you’d likely have something highly digital in your mind. That future has already started now and kids are taught everything they need to know about tech use and the web to ensure they will thrive in the future world we are carving right now.

The most amazing thing that technology in education does is that it allows for learning to become self-paced, personalised. Education that truly makes the individual the focus of the learning system. After having spent my Tuesday at the Sandton Convention Centre, during day one of the EduTech Africa Conference, I am completely blown away. The number of applications and platforms, both online and offline, that are available to assist the future of this country in conquering their everyday academic challenges, is staggering. Yes we ought to invest a whole lot more in this and move beyond thinking about tech in education as the mini-PCs that we buy for children.

One of the buzzwords that were thrown around at the conference which would easily make one think that this was a private school event, was personalized learning. This phenomenon that every child actually could benefit from, is actually available to a lot more people than one would think.

(Via: http://www.news24.com/MyNews24/technology-can-make-all-the-difference-in-education-20171004)

Not only is the planet changing, the way the youth is educated changes as well to keep up with all the changes that are likewise taking place in our surroundings. Only change is constant, keep that in mind. Technology has its pros and cons but when used properly and in moderation, technology is a powerful medium whatever your industry may be. Students can optimize their learning through the help of technology, something most adults did not have the luxury of having while they were growing up.

Of the propaganda that generally swirls around public education, none is more prominent than the claim that technological “personalized learning” can transform learning. Ed-tech companies trumpet how “innovative” and “engaging” their products are, perfect for efficiently training the 21st-century drones needed by the global economy. Buy our digital devices for your students, they urge, and we’ll throw in the apps for free! Act now! Don’t be left behind!

Not so fast. University of Colorado researchers recently released a report analyzing the myriad problems with “personalized learning” schemes. Every legislator, education professional, and parent should read this report and slam on the brakes.

(Via: https://spectator.org/is-technology-really-better-for-education/)

Innovation is a big word often used when talks about tech use in education are brought up. We must learn to innovate as the world progresses. It’s supposedly a given. The concept of personalized learning has become our reality although some are still doubtful whether it is as effective as teaching done the old way. Yet we can’t revert back to the past that is devoid of tech advancements. Whether some people like it or not, technology is a major part of our lives right now and the only way for us to succeed in the future is if the youth of today can master the tools in place right now.

Technology’s Role In Education is available on www.soulvisual.com

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Are You All Ready For The 2017 Nobel Prize In Literature?

Not everyone is destined for greatness but there are those a handful of individuals that defy the usual limitations faced by man and go the extra mile by achieving more in life. These people have a big impact on society and even do things that deserve them a place in history books. The Nobel Prize is a major honor bestowed to individuals with great contributions to the academe, cultural, and scientific advancements most people won’t even be able to dream of. Norwegian and Swedish institutions give this recognition to deserving people and this time around, we got our eyes on the literary winners.

As the years go by, the judges taste also change with the times. Last year’s winner was a big surprise to everyone and it’s the reason why many are curious as to this year’s winner this time around. Only the individual who has produced the most distinctive and outstanding literary work in an ideal direction will be given the honor of winning Alfred Nobel’s award for Literature. There are rumors circulating as to who this year’s winner will be but they are simply hearsay. Let’s all leave it at that.

When Alfred Nobel established the literature prize in his name, he perhaps could have benefited from an editor. The terms of his will leave the prize's exact intentions tantalizingly vague - making the literature award one of the most debated and entertaining of the Nobel Prizes.

The Swedish industrialist said he wanted the prize to recognize “the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction.”

On Thursday, theSwedish Academy will announce whom it considers to have met the criterion of "ideal" for the 2017 laurels.

(Via: https://www.voanews.com/a/nobel-literature-prize/4052908.html)

From the very beginning, the standards set by Nobel when it comes to awarding literary works is subject to interpretation since it talks about the ideal direction. Just what the ideal direction is actually is a case-to-case basis and subject to the person’s interpretation of what is ideal for them and what is not. No wonder there have been controversial winners in the past that have raised the public’s eyebrow and questioned the very foundation of this award-giving body. Yet they continue to exist because people look up to them and are always inspired by the great works produced by individuals who get the award.

A year after the Swedish Academy shocked the world with its choice of Bob Dylan as the Nobel laureate for literature, the jury is preparing to unveil this year’s winner of the prestigious honour.

The academy, an assembly of 18 Swedes who are elected by secret ballot to their roles and hold them for life, has revealed that the Nobel laureate in literature will be announced on 5 October. More than half of the academy’s members must vote for the eventual winner, who is chosen from about 350 proposals made by literary experts and former Nobel laureates from around the world. Intended to honour Alfred Nobel’s desire to reward “the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction”, the SEK9m (£832,000) award has gone to 113 writers since 1901 – of whom 14 were women, 28 wrote in English and 77 wrote in prose.

(Via: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/oct/03/nobel-prize-for-literature-set-to-reveal-2017-winner)

If it were you, can you imagine the honor of winning such a prestigious award that only the truly great intellectuals of their time win? There are always controversies in any award-giving body and the Nobel Prize is no exception. They have more to prove now with their choice as last year’s winner caused so much ruckus up to several months after the announcement. Moreover, literature in itself is a broad category. Meaning, an expert on various aspects of literature can emerge as the winner, so the element of surprise will always be there. We can only keep guessing but it won’t be for long as the winner will be announced momentarily and show us what a real literary genius is made of.

Are You All Ready For The 2017 Nobel Prize In Literature? was initially published on https://www.soulvisual.com/

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How Society Now Views Human Rights Organizations

There must be law and order for society to exist and thrive. A world in chaos is not an ideal place to live in, it's as simple as that. Yet no matter how much we try to be civilized and respect one another, there are those who have no regards for society and do things that are the complete opposite of what’s expected from a decent human being. It is the reason why human rights organizations exist – to ensure that human rights are upheld and not violated while at the same time fighting for a person’s human right in the unlikely situation that it has been violated by another person/s.

As the years go by, people start to develop a love-hate relationship towards human rights organizations especially that politics has not waned over time. Despite the influence of politics, though, many people have high regard for these human rights organizations in different parts of the globe. These organizations mediate on behalf of the people and have a big (positive) impact on the lives of millions of people in these places. They serve as an extra pair of hands in addressing important issues that the government can no longer or take time to address and help uplift people’s lives through various activities and programs they implement.

Most see human rights organizations in a positive light. Slightly more than eight-in-ten Kenyans and Indonesians said that such organizations are having a good influence on how things are going in their countries, while roughly two-thirds expressed this view in India and Mexico. Compared with the other major institutions tested, human rights organizations stacked up well. Overall, only the military and media tended to get better ratings, while court systems and police received the most negative reviews.

At 65%, Mexico had the smallest share of the public saying human rights groups are having a positive impact, though Mexicans generally expressed less positive views about national institutions than the other three publics surveyed.

(Via: http://www.pewglobal.org/2017/10/03/attitudes-toward-human-rights-organizations-india-indonesia-kenya-mexico/)

Human rights organizations have its limitations but it does not lessen their clout or influence on a great number of people. It is especially true in third-world countries that are riddled with poverty, corruption, and endless senseless violence that always leaves the innocent aggrieved. Through human rights organizations, the victims are able to claim justice and make the perpetrators or criminals pay for their crimes even if they have no money to pay for a lawyer by themselves.

The implementation of human rights is in crisis worldwide. The annual reports of Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other human rights organizations continue to reveal widespread gross violations of human rights in numerous countries the world over and South Asia region is not an exception. Democracy is non-existent or a sham in many countries in our part of the world. National resources are squandered by despotic rulers instead of being used to satisfy the basic economic and social needs of their people. Corruption is rife. The judiciary lacks the strength, the means, or the will to protect human rights in many places. The national human rights institutions are non-existent or non-performing in some cases in South Asia and elsewhere. In South Asia, many countries ratify human rights treaties without making the slightest attempt to give effect to them. The self-righteous representatives gather in the halls of the United Nations and use their majorities to insist that countries are grossly violating human rights be treated with kid gloves through dialogue and cooperation, instead of through forthright condemnation of atrocities. The UN Human Rights Council does little for the actual protection of human rights, and its Universal Periodic Reporting Process, for the time being, lacks teeth. The situation is dire.

(Via: http://www.livelaw.in/human-rights-discourse-south-asia/)

Whether in the local arena or the global one, human rights is a hot topic as you can all see how much hatred and violence there is in the world right now. We not only regard wars and political conflicts as the only cause of human rights abuse but even the fact that most people can’t meet their basic needs and live in extreme poverty is a human rights issue in itself. And seeing how complex the world has become, the list of human needs and rights likewise grows but it isn’t an assurance that they are met despite the many tech advancements the rest of the world now enjoys. Humans will continue to struggle and meeting their needs isn't always a walk in the park but they are not alone in their journey - that they can count on.

How Society Now Views Human Rights Organizations Find more on: SoulVisual

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Protective Measures Against Malware

The Internet is a wonderful place but it can be dangerous too. People young and old can get lost in the web for hours and having the time of their lives but there are hidden dangers to its use, too. Of course, it all has to deal with cybersecurity. And it is no easy feat knowing how knowledgeable, skilled, and ingenious modern-day hackers are. No amount of data protection can get in their way if they want something so bad. Over recent years, the rise of malware has been so prominent in the tech sector that it has crippled businesses and organizations by the thousands in various parts of the globe. Sometimes, you wonder why people just don't give up and read a book!

If you are someone who knows your way with technology and is savvy when navigating the web, chances are you own your own tech device as well. It can be a smart gadget or a computer or laptop. You are not simply using these gadgets but you have to care for them too because they are somehow mighty expensive investments. However, you can’t tell when your device becomes at risk for malware. The risks are especially high if you are using computers running on old operating systems that do not have what it takes to fight off these tech nightmares.

The following article Protective Measures Against Malware Read more on: www.soulvisual.com

source https://www.soulvisual.com/blog/protective-measures-against-malware/

Does It Make Sense To Worry Over An Eclipse?

For the longest time, mankind has been coming up with various superstitions and nonsense beliefs if they can’t explain something logically or scientifically. We try to make sense of everything that’s happening around us, so many freaks out when something happens that is out of the ordinary. An eclipse is something that has captivated us for years and left us in awe on the many mysteries that surround us. There have been numerous stories and myths but nothing really factual aside from the fact that there are instances during the moon’s orbit between the earth and the sun, it blocks the sun casting a shadow onto the planet.

People believe a long list of Eclipse-related superstitions but why do you think these stories became popular in the first place? Pregnant women are advised to avoid it because it is bad for the unborn child. People are also advised not to look at it directly even with sunglasses on as it can harm your vision. Sorry to burst your bubble but eclipses aren’t really a big threat to us. Well, you should actually feel relieved. The sun’s radiation may be even harmful than eclipses and we get exposed to sunlight every single day, yet we don’t make a big deal out of it.

On Aug. 21, a 70-mile-wide ribbon from Oregon to South Carolina called the "path of totality" will experience a total solar eclipse. Large swaths of farmland in the Great Plains and Midwest will be plunged into darkness for 2 1/2 minutes, and temperatures will drop about 10 degrees in the middle of the day.

But as millions of people look up at the sky, many Midwest scientists will turn their eyes and cameras toward the plants and animals on the ground. And they're not sure what will happen.

"It's never really been studied systematically," says Angela Speck, director of astronomy at the University of Missouri, Columbia.

Speck says different parts of the Earth experience a total eclipse about once a year, and that makes tracking changes in animal and plant behavior challenging.

(Via: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/08/17/543741919/will-the-eclipse-make-crops-and-animals-flip-out-scientists-ask-really)

Not just solely obsessed with unfounded doubts and stories, scientists now look somewhere else during eclipses – down. Given that there are certain changes in our surroundings as the moon covers the sun for a short period of time, they want to know more about its effects to living things on the planet like plants and animals. It makes perfect sense because even if plants can’t talk, there are certain movements that indicate how plants cope to changes in the environment. Scientists want to know how plants will cope to the sudden darkness and drop in temperature because it hasn’t been fully studied in the past.

Crickets will chirp, cows will march back to their barns and swarms of once-busy honeybees will fly hurriedly home to their hives when a total solar eclipse sweeps across the U.S. next week.

The sudden darkness that comes when the moon momentarily blocks the entire sun on Aug. 21 will cause some animals to experience a range of reactions, including confusion, fright and excitement, experts say. While animals like insects and bats behave as if nighttime has simply come early, other more intelligent animals — chimpanzees, dolphins and llamas — appear to stop and stare at the sky, showing signs of understanding a celestial phenomenon is occurring, or at least that something is off.

“The smarter animals freak out,” said Dr. Douglas Duncan, the director of the Fiske Planetarium at the University of Colorado. “I think it’s likely that really smart animals react differently.”

(Via: http://time.com/4882733/total-solar-eclipse-animals-react/)

Animals also act a little strange in response to these changes like eclipses no matter how short it may seem. But of course, various animals react differently. Smarter animals pause for a while and direct all their attention to the sky, as if understanding that a phenomenon beyond our power is happening that very moment. Meanwhile, not so intelligent animals cower in fear and wait for the sun to shine again during solar eclipses. Unlike plants, scientists have already spent a great deal of time studying animal behaviors in response to these scenarios.

Now, is an eclipse really something you should be alarmed of? Learn from plants and animals that have been more observant of their surroundings than humans do. These things happen and are normal. While we don’t always get the answers we want to hear, it is safe to say now that life will go on as usual after eclipses happen. It’s been that way for millions of years. The best thing you could do is to enjoy the experience and learn from it because not everyone gets to see an eclipse in their lifetime.

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Supercomputer To Mars

We all know that computers are crucial to space exploration. How can you fly anywhere without it? Even planes use sophisticated aviation technology to take us from one destination to another, what more to take people to space. Ever since man landed on the moon, we haven’t really achieved much when it comes to space exploration. Things have pretty much stagnated, to say the least. It’s probably why news about sending supercomputers to Mars is exciting everyone right now because it may be the breakthrough we have all been waiting for over the years.

It is not at all impossible for us to develop computers just for this purpose when consumer tech goods are actually pretty advanced these days. Many experts are hard at work in developing this supercomputer that will soon set foot in Mars to ensure the comfort and safety of astronauts sent to explore the red planet. Supercomputers are needed in space to speed up research that is slowly inching its way at a snail’s pace. Although we are not new to Mars, it is undeniably farther than the moon and the environment may be a bit more hostile too. Hence, distance has a lot to do with how well gadgets work out there.

A mission to Mars requires sophisticated computing capabilities to cut down on communication latencies and ensure astronauts’ survival. To advance this mission, HPE and NASA launched a supercomputer into space on the SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft.

This supercomputer, called the Spaceborne Computer, is part of a year-long experiment conducted by HPE and NASA to run a high performance commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) computer system in space, which has never been done before. The goal is for the system to operate seamlessly in the harsh conditions of space for one year – roughly the amount of time it will take to travel to Mars.

(Via: https://www.enterpriseinnovation.net/article/supercomputer-sent-space-accelerate-mission-mars-9484975)

Many things have changed and improved ever since man first went out to space. These achievements encouraged scientists to push the technology even further and the very same thing may also happen if this mission to Mars proves to be successful. It can propel space exploration even further and be instrumental for us to achieve even more in the future.

NASA and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) are sending a supercomputer into space.

The not-so-shrewdly named Spaceborne Computer, scheduled for launch today from Kennedy Space Center, is part of a year-long experiment.

The high-performance commercial machine will, fingers crossed, operate seamlessly in the “harsh conditions” of the cosmos.

In space, where no one can hear you scream, limited computing capabilities are sufficient for a visit to the moon or hanging out in low Earth orbit. But travel a bit further into the ether—to Mars, for instance—and it becomes much more difficult to keep in touch: It could take up to 20 minutes for someone on the Red Planet to contact Earth, and another 20 minutes to receive a response.

“Such a long communication lag would make any on-the-ground exploration challenging and potentially dangerous if astronauts are met with any mission critical scenarios that they’re not able to solve themselves,” Alain Andreoli, senior vice president and general manager of HPE’s Data Center Infrastructure Group, wrote in a blog post.

(Via: https://www.geek.com/tech/hp-supercomputer-headed-to-mars-on-spacex-rocket-1711877/)

Upgrading the computers used in space is the only way to further the exploration of space especially that conditions aren’t always great. This partnership between Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and NASA promises better computing performance that will not only help astronauts work more efficiently in the vast realms of outer space but allow experts on the ground to monitor their work and maintain regular communication with the team. Space experts and both those from HPE are hopeful that through this, advance computing will be made possible in space and pave the way for other discoveries and advancements to be made sooner rather than later.

Supercomputer To Mars is republished from The SoulVisual Blog

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Ecologists Lose Funds For Environmental Efforts

The onset of global warming and climate change has made the majority of the population more aware of the state of the environment nowadays. It has triggered the public to contribute more when it comes to environmental conservation efforts in an attempt to salvage what’s left of the planet. While many participate in such activities, more actually do not and even contribute to the rise in carbon footprint especially in progressive first-world countries that are highly dependent on technologies fuelled by fossil fuel.

It is depressing to think that there are government institutions in the world that do not support the fight to save the planet from its ultimate doom now that climate change is already our reality. Most countries set a budget for its environmental/ecological efforts but it is not always that big as compared to other services provided by the government like healthcare, education, infrastructure, etc. Without enough money, ecologists and environmentalists will have a hard time enforcing projects and initiatives they have laid out to protect the environment. Hunters, poachers, loggers, and miners will be able to do their deeds freely because there won’t be enough manpower to keep them at bay.

Every year since 1990, ecologist Glenda Wardle of the University of Sydney has ventured to the same expanse of desert in central Australia to take stock of its flora and fauna. But this year may be the last time Wardle can collect data from the 8,000-square-kilometre site in the Simpson Desert. The consortium that operates her research area and 11 other long-term sites, comprising more than 1,100 individual field plots, will stop funding this network by the end of the year because of budget cuts and shifting priorities, say its leaders.

Without this money, which covers a large portion of the operating costs at these sites, 6 of the 12 will probably close, says ecologist David Lindenmayer, who is the science director of the network and is based at the Australian National University in Canberra. This would break time-series data that scientists have collected over decades, he says.

(Via: https://www.nature.com/news/ecologists-protest-australia-s-plans-to-cut-funding-for-environment-monitoring-network-1.22453)

We are all probably thinking that all first-world nations got their act together but we are greatly mistaken as Australia appears to have reduced its funding dedicated to saving the environment. You are probably asking why considering that Australia in itself is a continent and a big part of its land mass are final frontiers of nature not to mention it has the Great Barrier Reef that is highly at risk as well today. It’s actually the same thing happening in the United States especially since President Trump assumed office early this year and he does not think highly about the environmental issues we are now facing.

The Jersey Shore needs every single dollar of funding from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and cuts proposed by the Trump administration have the potential of undoing years of environmental protections in the state, according to Congressman Frank Pallone (D-6th).

Pallone joined state and local elected officials, Barnegat Bay environmentalists and members of the public for a press conference at the Mantoloking Bridge County Park on Thursday morning to demand protection for EPA funding.

In September, the House of Representatives will vote on a budget that would cut seven percent, or $.5 billion from the EPA, which would “devastate the agency,” Pallone said.

(Via: https://jerseyshoreonline.com/ocean-county/politicians-environmentalists-rally-epa-cuts/)

Considering the extent of the damage today, you can’t just easily reverse climate change in a few years or so especially that not everyone cooperates and our demand for energy and other non-renewable resources continues to rise as the population balloons. First-world nations actually produce the highest carbon footprint on land because of the various industrial, manufacturing, commercial, and other related industries yet they are still battling issues regarding environmental funding. The United States is in a much bigger mess with a president that entirely believes climate change is just a hoax and even managed to sign the country out of the Paris Agreement.

While it is true that we need everyone’s active participation to save the planet, it does not mean that you can’t do your part in your own little ways. Carpooling or using public transportation, recycling, reusing, and reducing your garbage, using eco-friendly materials, reducing energy consumption, etc. are just some of the things you can do by yourself on a daily basis. It may not have that big of an impact but over time you’ll realize how much you were able to contribute to saving the environment and eventually the planet.

Ecologists Lose Funds For Environmental Efforts Read more on: SoulVisual

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