Education

  out class

Testing New Ways to Recognize What Makes a Good Teacher  
 22 December 2010

Another finding shows that combining different sources of information helps administrators provide better comments and suggestions to teachers. In many cases, administrators had been basing their comments on student test scores only. The Measures of Effective Teaching project continues through twenty twelve when final results will be released. Researchers plan to test a new measure that examines what a teacher knows about how to teach a subject. Experts say these findings could also help create better training and development for teachers.

http://www.voanews.com/learningenglish/home/education/Good-Teacher-Met-Project-112341399.html

Arts & Culture

Duo Keeps the Music Playing

Team of two men fixes instruments for Washington DC's Public School system

16 December 2010                  June Soh | Washington, D.C. 16 December 2010

Washington, D.C.'s public schools provide students with musical instruments for free. But when something goes wrong with an instrument, there are two people to do the repairs for more than 120 schools.  Charles West and Larry Jernigan approach their work with a passion.  For both men, it's important that students have a joyful experience with music.

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/arts/Duo-Keeps-the-Music-Playing-----112003229.html

Does Green tea prevent certain types of cancers ?

          Apparently a few scientists in Spain and Britain think this may be the case. Researchers in both countries have been able to show that a specific compound found in green tea known as EGCG (the AP article on green tea did not disclose what this acronym actually stands for) has the ability to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. EGCG seems to accomplish the remarkable feat of preventing cancer cell growth by inhibiting a particular enzyme, dihydrofolate reductase and according to a Professor Roger Thorneley of the John Innes Center in Norwich, England, "This is the first time, to our knowledge, a known target for an anti-cancer drug has been identified as being inhibited by EGCG". The wonderful news for green tea afficionados, of course, is that green tea contains about five times as much EGCG as regular tea. However, as Professor Thorneley states, so far there has been no determination as to how much green tea an individual would need to consume to obtain the beneficial effects provided by this compound. But since he also goes on record to state that EGCG may be just one of several ingredients in green tea that have such properties, there's certainly no reason to stop drinking green tea.

http://www.vitaminstuff.com/healthy-foods.html

Health Foods (a.k.a. whole foods, natural foods)

       There is an increasing tendency to associate the word “diet” with special food combinations that help you lose weight, but this is not the true meaning of the word: simply put, your diet is what supplies the body with the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, and fiber it needs to sustain life—your life. Without adequate amounts of healthy nutrients, it is a proven fact that you will become more vulnerable to infection and illness. Eyesight, memory, mood, energy level, lifespan—everything that defines your life experience is directly affected by what you eat. With so many food choices available, it’s important to know which foods are the best sources of nutrients, and how these nutrients function in the body. This section will provide you with articles and information concerning health foods and their benefits, as well as any other issues related to food production, such as organic farming and genetic modification of produce.
http://www.vitaminstuff.com/healthy-foods.html