No Child Left Behind

No Child Left behind was a Act passed in 2001 that includes benefits designed to aid children with learning disablibties. This Act startedn in 1965 with the Elementary and Secondayr Education Act. This original act was the largest source of federal funding for schools. This new version raises the stanards and tries to close the gap between the brigh students and the disadvantaged students. This program is not only for students with disablilities. It is also for economically challenge studetms thoes of ...tbc

http://www.greatschools.org/LD/school-learning/NCLB-learning-disabilities-opportunities-and-obstacles.gs?content=856

Eduaction in Califonia

On the California District of Education website they have many links, including; Inventory of Services and Supports for Students with Disabilities,
Assistive Technology for all Individuals with Disabilities
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, All pertaining to the education of children with mental disabilities. A whole web page is dedicated to the rules and programs made for disabled students!

In 2009 the IIS analysed many schools programs and set a standards at a district level. The teaching is based on accurately assessing the students progress, and identifying the students, then coming up with a strategic and intensive support system. The parents of the children are also an important part in the process. They are responsible for the children at home and for the continual emotional support.

The NICHCY is a site on disable students that has a great deal of information on the schooling of disabled children. They have a wealth of information on; Disabilities in all ages, IDEA, No Child Left Behind, and new research.

Lately, it seems, our school system especially, as been more and more responsible and providing towards those with disabilities. I believe that this is a great improvement and should continue to progress. The students in our, personal, special education program are some of the nicest and most worthy kids at the school. They deserve all of the education opportunities that are possible, and all the help that can aid them in their success and happiness.

Trisomy 21

While looking though the pictures of the Special Olympics athletes, I noticed that many had the distinct facial features associated with Down Syndrome. Down Syndrome is mainly caused by an extra homologous chromatid with the Chromosome 21. This happens because of nondisjunction within meiosis when the gametes are being produced. This mean when the assorted homologous pairs are being pulled apart by the spindles in Meiosis 2, one of the pairs fails to split, creating one gamete with the entire chromosome and one missing a gene. The gamete lacking the genetic material can not produce offspring, while the one with the extra material will, produce off spring with Trisomy 21.



The facial features that are associated with this condition are an abnormally small chin, oblique eye fissures, poor muscle tone, a flat bridge of the nose, a small oral cavity, short neck, along with other noticeable symptoms. Most individuals with Down Syndrome have IQs in he 35-50 point range, signaling mental retardation and have severe abnormalities affecting their body systems.



Trisomy 21 has been shown to be more common as the maternal age increases. While about 80% of children with this disorder are under 35, when the age of 42 is hit, there is a rapid increase in risk.

IPAD...again.

It seems that the only critisim I have heard about the IPAD is its name, which, is all too easy to make fun of...

SONC

The Special Olympics host year round training in Olympic-like sports for disabled children and adults. It was started in the early 1960's by Eunice Kennedy Shirver as a day camp for children with developmental disabilities. The first Special Olympics was held in 1968 in Chicago with 1000 participants from 26 states and Canada. It is now one of the most successful organizations for sports and volunteering, and has over 149 countries involved.

In Northern California, specifically, we have over 13,000 athletes and a variety of sports events and training that happens all year round.

Torture...why?

Binyam Mohamed, a prisoner, suspected of receiving firearms, that had been kept in the UK until recently has brought his years of torture to light. He was constantly deprived of sleep, shackled and threatened. This was at the hands of the United States military with the knowledge of British officials. The treatment was:

"cruel, inhuman and degrading"

and has now been taken to court. The reasoning behind the torture was questioned, it was said:

"This judgement is not evidence that the system is broken, rather it is evidence that the system is working and the full force of the law is available when citizens believe they have just cause."

Personally, I do not see how torture is a sign of a working system. And justifying the torture makes it even worse. That indicates twisted people as well as an unfair and inhumane system. If it is possible to make the torture of another human seem like the right thing to do, morally, as well as lawfully, it is more then just the system that is broken.

Not to be Outdone

So as not to be left behind, Google has now added a new social networking tool, called Buzz, to gmail. They hope to compete with the 400 million users of Facebook and Twitter. Google is trying to tackle the information overload problem, as well as integrate the working world with the social one. Meaning, that the product, they hope, can be multifunctional, not merely used in spare time. Facebooks response is to increase the horizons by incorporating other chat programs and trying to enter the messaging business.

This increase in social networking technology has been a rapid progression. However, being in contact with people all the time, does not help the torrent of information that is constantly being fed to each individual. Even though Google claims it will help, because of the filters and programs they use to search with, giving people merely another entry way into limitless information, does not seem to be very helpful. Now, in giving us a new entry way, they might have made the searches more defined and useful, but it is still another crack for information to overtake you.

I am a large fan of Google, most of their programs are very useful and, from what I have experienced, stable. I am interested in how Buzz will fair against instant communication sites like Facebook and Twitter.