Mind Development

By Daren Kyle

 To Study Spanish guarantees for the student-of any background, culture or nation-the opportunity to have an unparalleled cultural and linguistic immersion experience. The reasons why to study Spanish is a unique experience are found in the multiple-meaning nature of the language. This is a language rich in semantic nuances and bends of meaning, which are characteristics of a communication that introduces elements of infinite variety, dynamism and verbal richness in numerous areas.

An experience in learning Spanish will add value to any curriculum vitae as it is a foundation language for social, cultural, educational and employment interaction especially in the areas of:

- Higher education and the academic program curricula of various professions (those related to the arts, the humanities, science, health, etc.)

- Hispanic literature and its manifestations in art

- Diplomatic protocol in international relations

- Successful management in the business world

- International business relations

- And in the international social life by the attainment of any level of Spanish for daily life.

To study Spanish, especially if you have knowledge of English or Japanese, is definitely a good option for higher and assertive education, because proficiency in this language becomes a platform for full integration. It provides students with a unique choice of immersions in the cosmopolitan culture where the best opportunities are found to optimize ones education, to broaden opportunities in the world of work, to manage in the financial and corporate arena, to enjoy the Hispanic literary arts, and to travel the world for any purpose. These are a few among many other possibilities.

Studying Spanish is important for anyone who wants to be up-to-date and successfully introduced in the various social dimensions of this millennium, whatever his or her ethnicity, culture, country, creed, activity and social status -. Learning Spanish is not only increasingly important in terms of the global economy, but is also vital in ones personal development. The Spanish passion for life is contagious, and once you start learning about its language and culture, your only desire will be to grow in its knowledge.

You can learn Spanish through various forms of studies, methodical and unmethodical, formal and informal, in the classroom and by distance learning. In many countries, Spanish is taught as a second or third foreign language.

Additionally in most schools in the world, Spanish is embedded within the curriculum of many academic programs, as a required subject or as an elective. In all, the methodical form in higher education institutions is the first recognized form for undergraduate, master and doctoral programs in Philology, Pedagogy, Health Sciences, Arts and Humanities, among many others.

If the objectives that lead to the study of Spanish are related to a need to qualify in a competitive job market, students and professionals have available to them a wide range of possibilities in higher education institutions, through Spanish classes at different levels, basic courses, intensive courses, or immersion in Spanish Language and Culture, as well as conversation courses in the Spanish language, etc. To be able to communicate in Spanish will raise the chances of getting a most valuable position.

Spanish is the mother tongue of about 388 million native speakers and the third most spoken language around the world with almost 500 million Spanish speakers. Spanish is spoken in most of the countries of Central and South America as well as in Spain, Cuba and the United States. It is the official language of 21 countries, and is spoken as non-official language in floating and migratory populations in approximately 40 countries around the world.

To the phenomenon of expansion of the Spanish language we must add its essential features, which are its linguistic dynamism, its wealth of semantics, its lexicology and varied vocabulary, its verbosity and ability to create, and its vitality as a vehicle of expression. All the above are characteristics that define a lively and unique character. In short, knowledge and character are the qualities that best conveys the study of the Spanish language.

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By Daron Soto

 Controversy over Book Ban Rattles Miami Schools

Miami Dade Public schools have been rocked by allegations of throwing aside civil liberties in favor of pleasing parts of the local populace. First came the unnecessary controversy over an innocuous children’s book that portrayed life in Cuba from a child’s perspective. The book “A Visit to Cuba” was not a prescribed textbook for young children in Miami schools, rather it was part of the school library. A young Cuban American girl bought the book home and showed it to her father; a Cuban dissident and political prisoner who was upset at the soft picture the book portrayed of life under Castro. He immediately notified the Miami Dade public schools’ authorities who proceed to place the book under a ban. Miami’s strong Cuban American population supported the ban on the book in Miami schools’ arguing that reading the book could create the wrong impression in young children’s minds about the reality of life in Cuba. The American Civil Liberties jumped into the fray and filed a lawsuit against the ban calling it unconstitutional.

Book Ban – A Knee-Jerk Reaction by Miami Schools?

A few weeks later another book found itself at the center of a storm in Miami Dade Public schools. This time it was Cuban Kids, a children’s book that portrayed a couple of Cuban children on the cover dressed in what seem to be Scout uniforms- but are reportedly uniforms of the young revolutionaries, ( a group that all school children in Cuba are required to be members of). Parents of Cuban American children in Miami schools say the book gives young children the impression that the lives of Cuban children is the same as the lives of American children. They argue that young impressionable minds are not able to filter party mouthpiece rhetoric from fact and risk being brainwashed by books like these that do not portray the true picture of life under Castro for students in Miami schools.

The argument seems a little too simplistic. Civil liberties activists and critics of the book ban agree that it would be hypocritical for a country that claims to uphold democratic ideals the way ours does, to allow react with a knee-jerk response to the contents of a book. What, they ask, would be the difference between Castro’s Cuba and the land of the free if the simple decision of whether or not to read a book is taken away from its citizens? While parents of Cuban American children in Miami Dade Public schools, many of them having arrived at this country after extended stays in Cuban prisons, do have a point in being concerned about the impression that their children and others will receive through these books-they don’t need to be. In a situation like this keeping the lines of communication between parents and children open can go a long way to help children separate the grain from the chaff and come away with a true picture of the ground reality in the Communist nation. Banning a book, any book is not the solution.

To learn about killing slugs, kindergarten assessments and other information, visit the Knowledge Galaxy website.

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By Fred Jackson

 Junior colleges frequently get a bad rap. If youre a hard-working mom, however, the junior college environment may be exactly what youre looking for. Two-year colleges present many interesting possibilities for gaining an education. Add in a financial advantage or two and your education is within reach.

For a long time 2-year colleges have seemed like schools to go to in order to waste time and money. Strong course work, lower tuition and geographic nearness are three of the best characteristics of community colleges. This is perfect for young moms who are recently out of high school as well as older working or stay-at-home moms who want to return to school. The federal education grants for mothers are helping ambitious mothers take the classes they need to earn degrees. The $5,000 grant is a huge bonus for going to college.

Financial savings are a significant factor of attending junior college. Moms who apply for a $5,000 grant certainly want to be cost conscious when going to school. The tuition at a community college is tens of thousands of dollars cheaper than big 4-year universities. Having high SAT scores and GPA could result in a 2-year college paying through scholarships for that bright student to come to that school. A scholarship based on achievement is a huge incentive for many ambitious teenage mothers. Even with some expenses paid, the scholarship for moms can be used to pay for travel expenses, childcare and other school-related expenses.

The course offerings at many community colleges now more closely resemble those at traditional 4-year institutions. Many 2-year schools give their high-achieving students the chance to enroll in the school’s honors program. One particular school in Arizona even had various overseas study opportunities. One 2-year school in the Times article encouraged and provided opportunity to study abroad in various places. The exciting variety of classes that a student can take will only help as he or she moves on to a 4-year school or into the working world.

The federal grant money for mothers will give an important boost to the women who want to go to school. No matter what program she wants to study at a 2-year college, the $5,000 Scholarships for Moms award is a huge asset. Going to school in a less pressurized environment can greatly affect performance and make achievement seem more attainable. Two years of study and training at a community college has many career benefits.

So what’s holding you back? Take advantage of a $10,000 scholarship drawing. Registration is free if you visit http://www.scholarshipsformomsfinder.info/

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By Ivan Wyatt

 Much attention has been paid over the last few years to the weight (or maybe I should say overweight) condition of Americans. There have and continue to be many articles in the media, televisions shows devoted to the subject, and now even a reality show. The attention has not just been on adult Americans. Much attention is being paid to our overweight children and the health risks posed for them by the time they are adults.

The federal government already had set limits on the amount of fat and calories that schools could offer to children on their main menus. Many community groups have lobbied their schools to rid the facilities of soda and snack machines – and won!

Soda contains large amounts of high fructose. Just one soda daily can add several pounds each year to anyone’s weight, regardless of age. Fat, of course, adds high amounts of bad cholesterol, which eventually clogs arteries to the heart and causes strokes.

Because of the federal limits and community opinion, many Phoenix schools already had taken fried foods off their menus and soda out of their schools. Some Phoenix schools, however, continued to offer French fries as a side item, in order to get around the federal restrictions. They believed that asking Phoenix schools’ students to give up the staple they loved was asking too much.

Now, all Phoenix schools are required to eliminate certain foods from all of their menus. A new state law that is stricter than the federal limits now bans all junk foods, soft drinks, and fried foods from kindergarten through eighth-grade schools during the school day. All food sold on school premises during the school day must meet certain nutrition standards, making French fries completely off limits. There is no way to get around the restrictions this time.

Nutritionists in some of the Phoenix schools have gotten very creative in finding and providing substitutes. These Phoenix schools’ nutritionists have sampled many different varieties of substitutes for French fries over the summer months. They even have enlisted Phoenix schools employees as taste testers. Their decisive factors for the new substitute fries were: (1) they must bake quickly, (2) they do not become soggy under the warming lights, and most important, (3) they must taste good.

The new fries offered at many of the Phoenix schools this school year have many different names. Some are oven wedges, oven fries, and potato sticks. Whatever the Phoenix schools call them, they meet the criteria of the nutritionists and the new state law.

The Phoenix schools’ substitute fries are baked (not deep fried), have fewer calories (some are 25 percent less than fried), and half the fat. They are lighter in color than the original French fries, and lack the old familiar crunch and oily taste.

Most Phoenix schools’ students say they like the new fries – a little mushier than the old ones, but not bad. Others can deal with the new fries but prefer the originals.

As long as the Phoenix schools’ students eat them, as well as the other foods mandated by state law, parents at least know their children are getting one healthy meal each school day.

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