Can you find Oman on a map? What else do you know about this Middle Eastern nation with more than 4.6 million people?
Are Some Youth Sports Too Intense?
Find all our Student Opinion questions here.
Do you know children or teenagers who are on sports teams so competitive that they spend several days a week nearly every week of the year playing?
Do you play sports? How much stress, if any, do your athletic pursuits place on your body, mind, academics and social life? Should there be limits to how much time young people devote to a single sport?
In “Parents Should Limit Sports Participation for Children, Trainers Say,” Roni Caryn Rabin writes:
A proposed rule of thumb: A child’s age equals the number of hours he or she should spend in sports training each week.
The recommendations, more stringent than those issued by some physician groups, may pose a challenge to parents and youngsters who see intense year-round athletic training as the path to coveted college scholarships and professional stardom.
The advice arrives amid growing concern about a rise in athletic injuries among children engaging in tough training exercises. These regimens also can exact a psychological toll, increasing the risk that children and adolescents will burn out and quit sports altogether, the trainers’ group said.
“Single-sports specialization is bordering on an epidemic in terms of the risks it can pose, for physical injuries as well as the potential for negative psychological effects,” said Tory Lindley, president of N.A.T.A.
“There is a myth that it takes a single-sport specialization to succeed,” Mr. Lindley added. “In fact, we’re learning from research and anecdotal evidence that there is actually an opportunity for athleticism to improve if you expose the body to different sports and different movements.”
Students, read the entire article, then tell us:
What, if anything, in the article resonates with you, whether you are personally involved in sports or have witnessed the experiences of your peers who are athletes? Explain.
What are the benefits and drawbacks of focusing so deeply on one sport at an early age? In your opinion, do the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, or vice versa? What might be the benefits of playing two or more sports rather than just one during the year?
Do you think the six recommendations outlined in the article should be followed? Are any of them more important than others?
Would you want your own child to be on a highly competitive sports team at a young age? At what age do you think intense, single-sport specialization is appropriate?
Students 13 and older are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
Lesson of the Day: ‘When the Student Newspaper Is the Only Daily Paper in Town’
Find all our Lessons of the Day here.
Lesson Overview
Featured Article: “When the Student Newspaper Is the Only Daily Paper in Town”
As more than 2,000 newspapers across the country have closed or merged, student journalists from Michigan to Arizona have stepped in to fill the void. What does this mean for local communities?
Warm Up
Does your hometown have a daily newspaper? If so, do you and your family read it, either in print or online? What other local news media outlets do you read or watch?
What have you heard about the state of local newspapers in the United States today? Are you aware that more than 2,000 newspapers have closed or merged, leaving more than 1,300 communities without any local news coverage?
Do you think it’s important for every community to have a local newspaper? Is it important that there are journalists reporting on local news? Why? What role does journalism play in a community?
Questions for Writing and Discussion
Read the article, then answer the following questions:
1. Why do University of Michigan students serve as reporters in the city of Ann Arbor? How did this happen?
2. How do you think the role of student reporters has changed over time in Ann Arbor and elsewhere? What evidence from the article supports your argument?
3. What are two examples of The Michigan Daily’s reporting leading to change at the University of Michigan?
4. What is MLive.com? How is its coverage of Ann Arbor different from The Michigan Daily’s? Why do you think some residents prefer The Michigan Daily’s coverage?
5. What are The Michigan Daily’s strengths and weaknesses, according to the article? What about those of the reporters who work for the newspaper?
Going Further
Does your school have its own newspaper? What kinds of reporting does it include?
With a partner, brainstorm a list of local issues you would want your school to report on. For example, are there any issues students or staff members are concerned about? Are there any changes happening that the community might want to understand better? Are there any challenges or successes that deserve to be written about?
Then, select one topic and write about it in a news article. Here are some tips for how to get started.
What’s Going On in This Picture? | Oct. 21, 2019
Students
1. After looking closely at the image above (or at the full-size image), think about these three questions:
2. Next, join the conversation by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box that opens on the right. (Students 13 and older are invited to comment, although teachers of younger students are welcome to post what their students have to say.)
3. After you have posted, try reading back to see what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting another comment. Use the “Reply” button or the @ symbol to address that student directly.
Each Monday, our collaborator, Visual Thinking Strategies, will facilitate a discussion from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time by paraphrasing comments and linking to responses to help students’ understanding go deeper. You might use their responses as models for your own.
4. On Thursday afternoons, we will reveal at the bottom of this post more information about the photo. How does reading the caption and learning its back story help you see the image differently?
Word + Quiz: tactile
tactile ˈtak-tᵊl , -ˌtī(-ə)l adjective
1. of or relating to or proceeding from the sense of touch
2. producing a sensation of touch
_________
The word tactile has appeared in 92 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Aug. 29 in “This Labor Day, We Salute the (Arts) Workers” by Peter Libbey:
For Evelyn Emile, a projectionist who has been working at Anthology Film Archives for more than three years, films aren’t just seen and heard; they are also something you touch.
“I love handling film,” she said. “I have some contact with reality when I’m projecting film that I don’t have when I’m doing something digital.”
Working with film prints, she explained, requires precision and constant attention: “If I move the focus knob a millimeter, I know it will come into focus. Small movements can make a big difference on the screen.” And that’s what’s rewarding about it, she added. It’s up to her to ensure that the sometimes fragile reels of film show up onscreen in the way they were intended.
…. The tactile relationship that Emile has with the films she projects has only deepened her love of cinema. Emile is particularly excited to screen films by Carl Dreyer, including “The Passion of Joan of Arc” (1928) and “Ordet” (1955), over Labor Day weekend. “Each of his films is really extraordinary,” she said. “They have simple plots showing everyday people, not judging them, just showing their relationships and how they work through the problems of their lives.”
_________
What Is Your Favorite Rivalry?
Taylor Swift vs. Kanye? Microsoft vs. Apple? North Carolina vs. Duke? Do rivalries capture your attention?
When the Eagles face the Cowboys on Sunday and the Patriots face the Jets on Monday night, two fierce N.F.L. rivalries will be renewed. But where do they rank among all the bitter rivalries in North American sports?
Any list of “greatest sports rivalries” is bound to be disputed. Make such a list, and be prepared for an onslaught of comments like “How could you leave out Maple Leafs-Canadiens?” and “What about Toledo-Bowling Green?”
So two business professors set out to try to find the biggest rivalries on an objective, statistical basis.
“People don’t agree,” said B. David Tyler, an associate professor at Western Carolina. “Some people say you can only have one rival. We decided to get some clarity on the idea.”
The professors sought out hard-core fans of North American professional teams and college football teams and asked them to allocate 100 points among their most hated rivals. A Minnesota fan might allocate 50 points to Wisconsin, 40 to Iowa and 10 to Michigan. Other fan bases might target their dislike more sharply. A U.C.L.A. fan might give 80, 90 or even all 100 points to Southern California.
The top-scoring rivalries by these criteria are not necessarily the most famous, or the fiercest. Rather, they are the ones where neither team has any other significant rivals to steal away points. Topping the college football chart is Arizona-Arizona State. With no other serious rivals, Arizona fans gave an average of 89 points to their cross-state rival, and Arizona State averaged 83 points back.
In second place is a rivalry nearly everyone would cite as one of the biggest. Michigan fans gave 69 points to Ohio State (with Michigan State and Notre Dame also getting some support). And Ohio State fans were even more unanimous, giving 91 points to Michigan.
As for the N.F.L., Patriots-Jets ranks fourth and Eagles-Cowboys fifth, after Falcons-Saints, Steelers-Ravens and Packers-Bears.
“What surprised me was how long fans hold a grudge or remember defining moments,” said the other architect of the study, Joe B. Cobbs, an associate professor at Northern Kentucky. “Fans name specific moments from specific games and remember the players, even 15 years ago sometimes.”
Anyone who spends time with a superfan will see how dislike of a rival can drive fandom. And the professors are clear that these passions are rooted deeply.
“Fans are more likely to outwardly display their connection to a team after a win: University students wear more logoed apparel to class on the Monday after a football win,” Tyler said. “People use more of ‘we’ and ‘us’ when describing the team following a win.
“That shows why the threat posed by a rival is so acute, especially for highly identified fans. The rival isn’t just a threat to the favorite team’s place in the standings — it can be a threat to the fan’s own sense of self.”
Students 13 and older are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
Lesson of the Day: ‘This Is the Free Jumpsuit You’ll Get With a $250,000 Ticket to Space’
Find all our Lessons of the Day here.
Lesson Overview
Featured Article: “This Is the Free Jumpsuit You’ll Get With a $250,000 Ticket to Space”
This week, Virgin Galactic, the company started by Richard Branson to take people to the edge of space aboard a rocket-powered plane, unveiled its sleek, high-tech garments that passengers will wear during their trips.
Students will explore the new age of fashion for space, consider the future of space tourism, and finally design their own space wear.
Warm Up
Would you ever want to travel to space — as a space tourist or as an astronaut on a mission? Do you think you will ever travel to outer space in your lifetime?
This week, Virgin Galactic unveiled its new space wear, which is free for customers as part of the cost of a $250,000 seat ticket.
Before you read, look through the images and videos in the article. Then, answer the following questions:
What do you notice?
What questions do you have?
What story do these images tell? Write a catchy headline that captures the main idea of the photos.
Does seeing the high-tech space wear make you more excited about the future of spaceflight? Would getting to keep the Virgin space wear make you more willing to purchase a $250,000 ticket?
Questions for Writing and Discussion
Read the article, then answer the following questions:
1. Mr. Branson said, “I think the whole experience of going to space should be sexy. Our spaceships are sexy. Our mother ships are sexy. Our spaceport is sexy. And for younger people than myself, this suit is also sexy.” Do you agree with his assessment? What adjectives would you use to describe the new space jumpsuit?
2. Why did Virgin Galactic introduce their new space garments at an indoor skydiving facility with dancers? Do you think this was an effective way to unveil their new products?
3. How does the Virgin space wear compare to those of other private companies like SpaceX and Boeing, or to the new spacesuits NASA recently demonstrated publicly? How does the engineering and design of NASA’s spacesuit fit in with its goals for future missions?
4. What challenges has Virgin Galactic faced since its founding in 2004? What will passengers experience for a pricey 90-minute Virgin spaceflight? Which part of the trip would be most exciting to you?
5. Why was Under Armour chosen to design and produce Virgin’s space wear? How did they develop the design of the space outfits (such as, colors, materials, number and placement of pockets)? Which part of the process was most interesting or surprising to you?
6. The article concludes with a quote from Clay Dean, the chief innovation officer for Under Armour:
I think if you look at the original space program for NASA and the things it spawned in terms of developments that we never imagined, we’re finding the same.
What ways did the original space program transform the world? In what ways do you think future space tourism might lead to unimagined changes?
Going Further
— What’s your reaction to the article? Does it make you more excited about spaceflight? Which space outfit featured in the article is your favorite? Which aspects of the Virgin jumpsuit do you find most appealing? What changes would you recommend they make, if any?
— There have been many memorable depictions of space wear throughout history — such as in films and television shows like “Star Wars,” “Star Trek,” and with characters like Buzz Lightyear in “Toy Story.” Which is your favorite and why? Which fictional space outfit would you most like to wear?
— Now, design your own space wear.
Your space wear can be highly practical or fantastical, but be creative and have fun. For your design, keep in mind both form and function:
Form: What will your outfits look like? Will they be athletic, futuristic, scary or playful? Will they be based on a color palette drawn from images of Earth backlit by the sun, as is the Virgin jumpsuit? Or upon another cool concept?
Function: What is the purpose of your space wear? How will it be helpful for say, wearing on the International Space Station, or a mission to the lunar South Pole?
A door into uni, no matter your ATAR
On ATAR release day, Daniel was one of many Year 12 students across Australia in no mood to celebrate.
“I thought all of my hard work didn’t really equate to the mark that I received back” he says.
Nobody in Daniel’s family had been to university, but they held the idea of education in high regard, and wanted more for Daniel than they had themselves.
In the blink of an eye, Daniel’s options for traditional uni became limited. He was also working full time, so he wasn’t able to plan his life around the demands of a timetable. After coming across an ad for Open Universities Australia (OUA) on TV, Daniel jumped onto the website and started exploring his options.
Through OUA, if you don’t have the required ATAR to enter a full degree, you can become eligible by passing a few undergraduate subjects first. That’s exactly what Daniel did – he took on some subjects, proved himself capable, and was accepted into the Bachelor of Business with Griffith University, through Open Universities Australia.
After a few years of study, Daniel can call himself a graduate. In fact, he has already joined the workforce. He’s employed as a Graduate Analyst for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. His job keeps him on his toes, providing plenty of variety and opportunities to grow as a professional.
Because Daniel studied online, he was able to take on more subjects at a time than he could have on campus, giving him the advantage of graduating a year early. This allowed him to apply sooner for graduate positions – reaching the finish line before all of his classmates.
As Daniel proved, an ATAR score doesn’t indicate your intelligence, or your worth. Sometimes it’s the pressure of Year 12, particularly in an exam environment, that can keep a person from performing at their full potential. And most importantly, there are other pathways into the career you’ve been dreaming of.
Get into uni through Open Universities Australia
Getting into university to study a field you’re interested in? Open Universities Australia can help you achieve it, no matter your ATAR results. Many degrees available through OUA allow you to start studying by passing pre-requisite subjects. Better yet, you can enrol in these subjects today.
Not only can Open Universities Australia help you get into university, through OUA you can study online, in your own time and space.
To learn more about how to study through OUA – fill out the form on this page, and a friendly student advisor will get in contact. You can also chat to them on OUA’s website Messenger service, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp or SMS. They’ll help you find the right course for your future.
Otherwise, head over to the website to browse hundreds of degrees and subjects from leading Australian universities right now.
Related degrees:
Bachelor of Business (Marketing) – University of South Australia
Bachelor of Business Information Systems – Swinburne University of Technology
Bachelor of Accounting – University of South Australia
Where there’s a will
When Taylah was in Year 12, tension was running high in the school hallways. Career dreams were at stake, and it was an ATAR score that could make or break a year (if not 12 years) of hard work. But Taylah wasn’t one to buckle under the pressure.
“Teachers always told us that exams were important… (that) you need to get a high ATAR score or you won’t have many options,” Taylah recalls, “but I never felt too much pressure because I knew that no matter what, I would always have an option to get into what I wanted”.
Taylah was focused on the field of law and justice, with her sights set on a degree in forensic science. While she knew she had options regardless of her ATAR, she was still disappointed to learn that she didn’t score high enough. But it didn’t get her down for long – while browsing online, she found Open Universities Australia (OUA), and was attracted to a Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice with Griffith University.
An OUA student advisor explained to Taylah that she could still qualify for entry despite her ATAR, if she passed a few of the degree’s core subjects first. Taylah did just that – proving herself capable, and getting accepted into a degree that she was excited about. The subjects she completed were even credited towards her degree, so it took her no extra time to progress to where she is today.
A career in the justice system is what Taylah is working towards. She intends to continue studying with Griffith University through OUA, moving onto the Graduate Certificate or Masters.
“At the moment, I’m really just enjoying criminology theory – learning why people do what they do, and working on preventing that” Taylah says. Her advice to high school students entering or finishing Year 12, is to understand that a lower ATAR score than desired isn’t a closed door.
“As much as I can say don’t stress about it – you’re always going to.” says Taylah with a grin. “Getting straight into the degree may be the easiest way, but it’s not the only way.”
Get into uni through Open Universities Australia
Getting into university to study a field you’re interested in? Open Universities Australia can help you achieve it, no matter your ATAR results. Many degrees available through OUA allow you to start studying by passing pre-requisite subjects. Better yet, you can enrol in these subjects today.
Not only can Open Universities Australia help you get into university, through OUA you can study online, in your own time and space.
To learn more about how to study through OUA – fill out the form on this page, and a friendly student advisor will get in contact. You can also chat to them on OUA’s website Messenger service, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp or SMS. They’ll help you find the right course for your future.
Otherwise, head over to the website to browse hundreds of degrees and subjects from leading Australian universities right now.
Related courses through OUA:
Graduate Certificate of Security Studies and Criminology – Macquarie University
Bachelor of Criminal Justice – University of South Australia
Bachelor of Laws – University of New England
Bachelor of Security Studies – Macquarie University
Master of Forensic Mental Health – Griffith University
Coursera News: First Acquisition, Degrees from Russia and Colombia, New Campus Program, and More
Over the last two months, Coursera, the world’s leading MOOC platform — with its over 44 million users, 3,700 online courses, and 16 online degrees — made five important announcements:
- First Acquisition: Coursera acquired Rhyme, a startup dedicated to creating authoring tools for hands-on, online projects.
- New Online Degrees: Coursera announced two MOOC-based degrees: Uniandes master’s degree in software engineering and HSE Moscow master’s degree in data science.
- Professional Certificates: Coursera reintroduced Professional Certificates, signaling a renewed focus on career-oriented learners.
- Coursera for Campus: Coursera announced a new program allowing universities to integrate online courses into their on-campus offering.
- New MasterTrack Certificates: Coursera announced two new MasterTrack Certificates in partnership with IIM Calcutta.
Coursera acquired Rhyme, an edtech startup based in Sofia, Bulgaria. The startup is dedicated to creating software to support cloud-based, interactive projects.
More specifically, the company’s software allows learners to use their browser to access virtual environments. These environments can be preconfigured to include all the software and tools needed for a project. In addition, they can include embedded video instructions that students can follow along.
The acquisition aims to augment the capabilities of Coursera Labs, the platform’s broader initiative to put hands-on projects at the heart of the learning experience. Coursera Labs allows course creators to seamlessly integrate programming assignments into their courses.
For instance, the University of London leverages Coursera Labs in their Introduction to Computer Programming course. The course includes a game called Sleuth that invites learners to complete coding challenges in the context of a film noir, mystery game.
A couple of years ago, Udacity made a similar first acquisition when it bought CloudLabs, a startup dedicated to building self-contained programing environments.
Coursera announced a couple of MOOC-based degrees.
The first is an online master’s degree in software engineering, developed in partnership with the University of Los Andes, Colombia. The degree has the particularity of being the first MOOC-based degree offered by a Latin American institution and to be taught entirely in Spanish. The degree will launch in 2021 and its cost has still to be announced.
The second is an online master’s degree in data science, developed in partnership with the Higher School of Economics, Moscow. The degree is structured around different study paths, including machine learning and data science research. The degree will launch in Spring 2020 and cost between $8,000 and $17,000 depending on grant eligibility.
Coursera renewed its emphasis on Professional Certificates. This type of microcredential promises to help learners gain in-demand skills and prepare them for specific industry roles.
Professional Certificates comprise a series of related courses on a particular subject. Once a student completes all the courses in the series, he unlocks a certificate of completion. All certificate options can be found of the platform’s new dedicated page. These include:
Professional Certificates come in all shapes and sizes. They range in duration from 1 to 10 months and require between 5 and 18 hours of study per week. Some have prerequisites while others don’t. And some involve a monthly subscription (between $39 and $79) while others require a one-time payment (between $99 and $2,980).
In total, Coursera currently offers 13 Professional Certificates — a far cry from its closest competitor, edX, who currently offers 115 Professional Certificates. Coursera re-emphasis of Professional Certificates may denote the company’s desire to close the gap with its competitor in the race to attract career-oriented learners.
Coursera announced Coursera for Campus, a paid program that gives universities access to a large subset of Coursera’s catalog.
The program, akin to Coursera for Business, comprises 3,600 courses, roughly 94% of Coursera’s catalog. Universities may pick and choose from this pool of courses and integrate them into their on-campus offering in different ways — for instance:
- Universities may create blended learning experiences by interleaving online and on-campus courses.
- Universities may use online courses as supplemental material that students may use to fulfill prerequisites or go beyond the course requirements.
- Universities may grant credit for completing specific online courses, effectively displacing part of their student body online, thereby freeing up space on campus.
- Universities may offer online courses not only to students, but also to faculty, staff, and alumni wanting to get up to speed on certain subjects.
- Universities may leverage Coursera’s analytics tools to identify learning trends and align their offering in consequence.
The program promises to be highly modular, allowing instructors to mix and match learning resources to reach specific learning outcomes. Furthermore, the program allows instructors to create their own learning material and make it available online to their students. In this sense, the program aim isn’t just to bring online courses to campus, but also to enrich the online experience by making authoring tools readily available to on-campus instructors.
Coursera for Campus has been tested on 20 campuses around the world, including Duke University in the US, and Manipal University in India.
Coursera has partnered with the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, to create two new MasterTrack Certificates:
- Management Science MasterTrack
- Supply Chain Analytics MasterTrack
MasterTracks correspond to a fraction of specific on-campus degree programs. If after completing a MasterTrack, a student applies and is accepted into the corresponding on-campus program, the Certificate will count toward his graduation requirements.
The new qualifications will explore specialized topics such as product manufacturing and distribution, but also broader topics such as agriculture, finance, and health.
Coursera’s catalog currently lists six MasterTracks, all offered by US institutions. So the announcement marks the first expansion of MasterTracks beyond the US border, but also, the first partnership between Coursera and an Indian Institute of National Importance.
The new qualifications are expected to launch in 2020.
