Sunday, March 30, 2014
The benefits of learning a foreign language
http://www.newsminer.com/business/the-benefits-of-learning-a-foreign-language/article_d189bc9c-b7e0-11e3-b994-0017a43b2370.html
The research also found that “children who study a foreign language, even when this second language study takes time away from the study of mathematics, outperform students who do not study a foreign language and have more mathematical instruction during the school day.” Learning a second language “is an exercise in cognitive problem solving” and is “directly transferable to the area of mathematical skill development.” What’s more, speaking and writing in a second language requires learning multiple ways to express an idea, which in turn improves people’s ability to communicate more effectively in their native language.
Challenging the brain to memorize and negotiate the meaning of new words, symbols and rules strengthens “mental muscles.” Perception also increases as the brain learns to focus on important information, while excluding what’s irrelevant. According to a recent study in the journal “Neurology” written by Dr. Thomas Bak, being bilingual is an “effective type of mental training” that keeps the brain “nimble” and may delay the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s by up to six years.
The incentives to learn a second language are compelling. Chris Thomas, manager of GE’s Commercial Leadership Program, says that job applicants who speak more than one language “are attractive and more marketable. There’s a growing need to understand and relate to customers and partners in a language that they are comfortable speaking.”
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Spring Blog Festival: Introduction
Spring Blog Festival: Introduction: "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity". would quote Albert Einstein. However, ...
HALINA'S LEARNING, TEACHING AND MUCH MORE....: Ex-Yale president to head Coursera MOOC site
HALINA'S LEARNING, TEACHING AND MUCH MORE....: Ex-Yale president to head Coursera MOOC site: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-26731999 Levin said that the move from the established Ivy League to the new world of online le...
Ex-Yale president to head Coursera MOOC site
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-26731999
Levin said that the move from the established Ivy League to the new world of online learning is not
as big a leap as it may seem: “It’s the dissemination of human knowledge. This was traditionally done through published books and articles, but this is a far more immediate and direct way to take what goes on in a Yale or Princeton classroom and make it accessible to a multitude of students.”
He doesn’t believe online learning will replace brick-and-mortar schools but rather holds great promise for audiences who traditionally don’t have access to higher education, including workers over 30 and people in developing countries.
“This is literally getting to millions of people whose lives are being enriched and whose employment opportunities are being enhanced,” he said.
He has for years had an interest in online education. Yale first became involved in online education in 2000, in a partnership he helped start with Oxford and Stanford universities, but he said that the technology back then was rudimentary and not able to provide anywhere near the interactive experiences that Coursera now provides. He also helped launch Open Yale Courses in 2007, and supported an initiative to put Yale’s vast museum and library collections online for free use.
Levin said that the move from the established Ivy League to the new world of online learning is not
as big a leap as it may seem: “It’s the dissemination of human knowledge. This was traditionally done through published books and articles, but this is a far more immediate and direct way to take what goes on in a Yale or Princeton classroom and make it accessible to a multitude of students.”
He doesn’t believe online learning will replace brick-and-mortar schools but rather holds great promise for audiences who traditionally don’t have access to higher education, including workers over 30 and people in developing countries.
“This is literally getting to millions of people whose lives are being enriched and whose employment opportunities are being enhanced,” he said.
He has for years had an interest in online education. Yale first became involved in online education in 2000, in a partnership he helped start with Oxford and Stanford universities, but he said that the technology back then was rudimentary and not able to provide anywhere near the interactive experiences that Coursera now provides. He also helped launch Open Yale Courses in 2007, and supported an initiative to put Yale’s vast museum and library collections online for free use.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
HALINA'S LEARNING, TEACHING AND MUCH MORE....: My Mahara Link
HALINA'S LEARNING, TEACHING AND MUCH MORE....: My Mahara Link: https://mahara.org/view/artefact.php?artefact=364072&view=109685&block=472059
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