Schools 4 Online

PUPILS taking their A-levels have been told by some universities that any grades they obtain by resitting exams will be ignored.

Institutions that have adopted a retake “ban” include the medical school at University College London (UCL) and Bath University’s architecture course, one of the most respected in the country.

Critics argue that the methods used to weed out candidates are becoming so complex and change so frequently that they are unfair on pupils and schools.

Other universities are making increasing use of the A* grade at A-level, which will be awarded for the first time this summer.

Churchill College, Cambridge, which has published admissions requirements for 2011, will require candidates wanting to study law to obtain two A*s, the toughest standard offer in the country.

Many pupils are entered for A-level exams in January of their final year at school, allowing them to retake the paper in the summer if they think they can get a better result. continue reading…

In a super-competitive job market that puts a premium on specialized knowledge and skills, opportunities for continuing education have never been more vital to D.C. area residents. Now even the busiest would-be students can find education and training—literally at their fingertips—in more than 1,000 online courses offered by the Continuing Education program at CCDC.

The College designed its Continuing Education program for learners of all ages, whether they want to update their professional skills, earn a certificate to help launch a new career, or just enjoy the chance to explore something exciting and new. From website design to wedding planning, from income tax preparation to positive parenting, there’s a class for every interest.

“Our online courses open doors to personal, professional, and civic growth,” says CCDC Continuing Education Director Neil Richardson. “We’ve placed special emphasis on skills for work in the region’s hottest industries, but we cover the full range of subjects for both personal and professional development.” continue reading…

Science teachers at the Delhi University (DU) have decided to follow the English and Mathematics departments in refusing to teach the new course module introduced with approval from the Academic Council under the new semester system.

A General Body meeting took place on Wednesday which was attended by around 350 teachers of DU from various science departments such as Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Electronics and Computer Science. It was unanimously decided by them to reject the new course.

The Academic Council had met on May 13 and decided that the semester system would be implement in all science courses except B.Sc.(H) Mathematics and B.Sc.(H) Chemical Sciences. continue reading…

The key to human individuality may lie not in our genes, but in the sequences that surround and control them, according to new research by scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Yale University. The interaction of those sequences with a class of key proteins, called transcription factors, can vary significantly between two people and are likely to affect our appearance, our development and even our predisposition to certain diseases, the study found.The discovery suggests that researchers focusing exclusively on genes to learn what makes people different from one another have been looking in the wrong place. continue reading…

Biomedical scientists from the University of Central Florida and Louisiana State University have identified a way to block a “cell death signal” that they believe triggers brain damage during strokes.
Strokes, also known as cerebral ischemia, are caused by inadequate blood flow to the brain and are the third-leading cause of death in the United States.

The team’s work focused on a neurotransmitter that typically plays an important role in communication among nerve cells in the brain and fosters learning and memory. This glutamate neurotransmitter opens the NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors, allowing the entry of calcium into the nerve cells.

Under normal conditions, the activity of the NMDA receptors is tightly regulated to prevent nerve cells from becoming overloaded with calcium. During a stroke, however, that process of regulation breaks down. The excessive influx of calcium through NMDA receptors kills the nerve cells and can cause severe brain damage.
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Engineering and manufacturing are well represented in London, contrary to the impression that is sometimes given. Manufacturing alone represents 300,000 jobs or 8% of the capital’s total workforce. Many different types of manufacturing can be found in the capital, from food and drinks companies like Coca Cola in Enfield to vehicle production at Ford in Dagenham. In the London region, there are many more companies involved in manufacturing, taking advantage of more space, or more convenient access to transport links that in London itself.

However, such large scale traditional manufacturing is only one part of the story. London is also strong in high technology manufacturing like aerospace and computing, as well as precision engineering and pharmaceuticals. With its highly skilled workforce, much research and development is undertaken in London for products that are manufactured elsewhere, in other parts of the UK and overseas. While many large, global companies have a manufacturing presence in London, there are also smaller firms often producing high value, cutting edge products.
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Most colleges have a Careers Advisor who can work with you to identify a workable, realistic, career plan.

Careers advice is, first and foremost, about you . It’s about what you want, and what you’re good at. It’s also very practical. You might cover some – or all – of the following areas with your Careers Advisor:

. Your strengths and weaknesses
. Opportunities suitable for you
. Planning how to get work in a particular industry
. CV writing
. Work placements
. Summer jobs
. How to make contacts – and make the most of them

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Bright Career Opportunities In 3d Animation And Visual Effects:
There is an increase in demand for 3D Animation and Visual Effects professionals. The growth of the Entertainment and Gaming industry led to this demand. Animation and Visual Effects have been embraced by technical areas like automobile engineering, aerospace engineering, civil, pharmaceutical, medicine and architecture as well.

A career in Animation and Visual effects is for those who have a creative mind and a soaring imagination. Besides being creative, one needs a professional degree in 3D Animation and Visual Effects. Courses are available world wide to pursue masters in this.

Some of the disciplines in this profession are visual effects artist, texture artist, technical director, lighting artist, pre-visualisation artist, character animator and modeller. Whatever area one chooses to pursue, knowledge in traditional arts and animation skills on computer is the foundation. So, one begins with these courses.
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Let’s pick up where our last column left off. When we last left Rocky and President Obama (an old cartoon reference for you over-50 types… remember Rocky & Bullwinkle?), we were talking about the power of critical incidents as learning opportunities. At issue was whether the President and his team have forgotten to “turn around and see if anyone’s following” – a common leadership mistake (especially if you feel you’ve been given a mandate for change).

Seems to me what the President needs to do more of is “explain the why.” Explaining the why is one of the leader’s most valuable tools in the citizen or employee engagement game. Explaining the why pulls people in, creates a common understanding of the situation or crisis, and helps everyone absorb how the change relates to them. Sometimes there’s no real need to explain the why – it’s either plainly obvious why we all need to pitch in (disaster in Haiti) or the call to action is logical and produces a “of course we’re with you” type of response (creating a set of core values for the company).
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TOEFL iBT was introduced in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Puerto Rico in 2005. The second phase of the rollout began on March 25, 2006, when test centers in selected cities in Africa, the Americas, Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East, and North Africa offered TOEFL iBT for the first time.

A list of cities where TOEFL iBT is being introduced is posted in the Learners and Test Takers section of this Web site. This list is updated every week.

TOEFL iBT introduction dates have not yet been set for some countries (PDF). When these countries are ready to implement TOEFL iBT, a message will be posted on this Web site. To provide continued access for TOEFL and TSE test takers in these areas, ETS will offer the paper-based TOEFL test and the TSE test until TOEFL iBT can be delivered.

What Is Happening To The Current TOEFL Tests? The computer- and paper-based (CBT, PBT) versions of the TOEFL test will be given at a particular location until the Internet-based version is implemented.
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