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Some people really have a way with words!

A MUST READ

10 Reasons Why Handheld Devices Should Be Banned for Children Under the Age of 12

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Society of Pediatrics state infants aged 0-2 years should not have any exposure to technology, 3-5 years be restricted to one hour per day, and 6-18 years restricted to 2 hours per day (AAP 2001/13, CPS 2010). Children and youth use 4-5 times the recommended amount of technology, with serious and often life threatening consequences (Kaiser Foundation 2010, Active Healthy Kids Canada 2012). Handheld devices (cell phones, tablets, electronic games) have dramatically increased the accessibility and usage of technology, especially by very young children (Common Sense Media, 2013). As a pediatric occupational therapist, I'm calling on parents, teachers and governments to ban the use of all handheld devices for children under the age of 12 years. Following are 10 research-based reasons for this ban. Please visit zonein.ca to view the Zone'in Fact Sheet for referenced research. 

1. Rapid brain growth
Between 0 and 2 years, infant's brains triple in size, and continue in a state of rapid development to 21 years of age (Christakis 2011). Early brain development is determined by environmental stimuli, or lack thereof. Stimulation to a developing brain caused by overexposure to technologies (cell phones, internet, iPads, TV), has been shown to be associated with executive functioning and attention deficit, cognitive delays, impaired learning, increased impulsivity and decreased ability to self-regulate, e.g. tantrums (Small 2008, Pagini 2010).

2. Delayed Development
Technology use restricts movement, which can result in delayed development. One in three children now enter school developmentally delayed, negatively impacting literacy and academic achievement (HELP EDI Maps 2013). Movement enhances attention and learning ability (Ratey 2008). Use of technology under the age of 12 years is detrimental to child development and learning (Rowan 2010).

3. Epidemic Obesity
TV and video game use correlates with increased obesity (Tremblay 2005). Children who are allowed a device in their bedrooms have 30% increased incidence of obesity (Feng 2011). One in four Canadian, and one in three U.S. children are obese (Tremblay 2011). 30% of children with obesity will develop diabetes, and obese individuals are at higher risk for early stroke and heart attack, gravely shortening life expectancy (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2010). Largely due to obesity, 21st century children may be the first generation many of whom will not outlive their parents (Professor Andrew Prentice, BBC News 2002).

4. Sleep Deprivation
60% of parents do not supervise their child's technology usage, and 75% of children are allowed technology in their bedrooms (Kaiser Foundation 2010). 75% of children aged 9 and 10 years are sleep deprived to the extent that their grades are detrimentally impacted (Boston College 2012). 

5. Mental Illness
Technology overuse is implicated as a causal factor in rising rates of child depression, anxiety, attachment disorder, attention deficit, autism, bipolar disorder, psychosis and problematic child behavior (Bristol University 2010, Mentzoni 2011, Shin 2011, Liberatore 2011, Robinson 2008). One in six Canadian children have a diagnosed mental illness, many of whom are on dangerous psychotropic medication (Waddell 2007). 

6. Aggression
Violent media content can cause child aggression (Anderson, 2007). Young children are increasingly exposed to rising incidence of physical and sexual violence in today's media. "Grand Theft Auto V" portrays explicit sex, murder, rape, torture and mutilation, as do many movies and TV shows. The U.S. has categorized media violence as a Public Health Risk due to causal impact on child aggression (Huesmann 2007). Media reports increased use of restraints and seclusion rooms with children who exhibit uncontrolled aggression.

7. Digital dementia
High speed media content can contribute to attention deficit, as well as decreased concentration and memory, due to the brain pruning neuronal tracks to the frontal cortex (Christakis 2004, Small 2008). Children who can't pay attention can't learn. 

8. Addictions
As parents attach more and more to technology, they are detaching from their children. In the absence of parental attachment, detached children can attach to devices, which can result in addiction (Rowan 2010). One in 11 children aged 8-18 years are addicted to technology (Gentile 2009). 

9. Radiation emission
In May of 2011, the World Health Organization classified cell phones (and other wireless devices) as a category 2B risk (possible carcinogen) due to radiation emission (WHO 2011). James McNamee with Health Canada in October of 2011 issued a cautionary warning stating "Children are more sensitive to a variety of agents than adults as their brains and immune systems are still developing, so you can't say the risk would be equal for a small adult as for a child." (Globe and Mail 2011). In December, 2013 Dr. Anthony Miller from the University of Toronto's School of Public Health recommend that based on new research, radio frequency exposure should be reclassified as a 2A (probable carcinogen), not a 2B (possible carcinogen). American Academy of Pediatrics requested review of EMF radiation emissions from technology devices, citing three reasons regarding impact on children (AAP 2013).

10. Unsustainable
The ways in which children are raised and educated with technology are no longer sustainable (Rowan 2010). Children are our future, but there is no future for children who overuse technology. A team-based approach is necessary and urgent in order to reduce the use of technology by children. Please reference below slide shows on www.zonein.ca under "videos" to share with others who are concerned about technology overuse by children.

Problems - Suffer the Children - 4 minutes
Solutions - Balanced Technology Management - 7 minutes 

The following Technology Use Guidelines for children and youth were developed by Cris Rowan, pediatric occupational therapist and author of Virtual Child; Dr. Andrew Doan, neuroscientist and author of Hooked on Games; and Dr. Hilarie Cash, Director of reSTART Internet Addiction Recovery Program and author of Video Games and Your Kids, with contribution from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Pediatric Society in an effort to ensure sustainable futures for all children. 

Technology Use Guidelines for Children and Youth




Kwa maelezo zaidi:
Please contact Cris Rowan at info@zonein.ca

 

Time toWoman Up! meet the Top 10 richest women in Africa

How much do you know about our powerful African women? That's the question we are asking as we head to Africa Day on Sunday (25 May)

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10. Elisabeth Bradley, Nett Worth R332 million

Elisabeth Bradley, South Africa, is the daughter of  Albert Wessels, the man who made history by being the first person to bring the Toyota brand to South Africa. Forbes.com reports that in 2008, Wesco Investments, a South African holding company which she controls, sold off its 25% stake in Toyota South-Africa to Toyota Motor Corp. in Japan for US$320 million (R2.1 billion). She walked away with at least US$150 million (R1 billion).

9. Sharon Wapnick, Nett Worth R433 million

Sharon Wapnick, South Africa, is the largest shareholder of Premium Properties and Octodec Investments. Her father, Alec Wapnick, founded both companies.

8. Bridgette Radebe, Nett Worth R1 billion

Bridget Radebe, South Africa, who started as a mineworker, is the founder of the company Mmakau Mining which mines coal, chrome, gold, uranium and platinum. Jeff Radebe, the Justice Minister in South Africa is her husband and Partice Motsepe is her younger brother.

7. Irene Charnley, Nett Worth R1.5 billion

Irene Charnley, South Africa, has worked for numerous companies as an Executive Director including MTN and FirstRand Bank. She played a vital role in MTN’s success and expansion in the African region. She was instrumental in negotiating for and acquiring one of four GSM licenses in Nigeria and also helped MTN secure the second GSM license in the Islamic Republic of Iran. She is currently the CEO of Smile Telcoms, Mauritius.

6. Wendy Ackerman, Nett Worth R1.9 billion

Wendy Ackerman is a director at Pick n Pay, which is one of the largest grocery chain stores in Africa. The South African company has other outlets in Australia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria and Zambia. The Ackerman Family is quite powerful in South Africa.

5. Wendy Appelbaum, Nett Worth R2.6 billion

Wendy Appelbaum is a director at Liberty Investors. She has donated US$23 million (R150 million) to create the Gordon Institute of Business Science (Gibs), and the Donald Gordon Medical Center.

4. Ngina Kenyatta, Nett Worth R5 billion

Jommo Kenyatta’s family is among the richest in Africa. Ngina Kenyatta has managed to safeguard and multiply her late husband’s investments. The Kenyatta Empire includes: Real estate, hospitality, education, manufacturing, farming and banking.

3. Hajia Bola Shagaya, Nett Worth R6 billion

This Nigerian businesswoman has diversified her investments across industries like real estate, banking, photography, communications and the oil sector.

2. Folorunso Alakija, Nett Worth R 6 billion

Folorunso Alakija is a fashion designer and her company, Supreme Stitches, which was launched in 1985, made her a fashion icon in Nigeria. She also owns FAMFA Oil Company located in Nigeria.

1. Isabel Dos Santos, Nett Worth R10 billion

Isabel Dos Santos, Angola, has invested heavily in diamonds and oil. She is the daughter of president Jose Eduardo dos Santos and is among the directors of a number of high profile companies. Her investments are diversified and spread-out in Portugal and Angola. She made history by becoming the first woman billionaire in Africa.

Ha haa, Could not agree more!

Professor Responds To ‘Angry Graduate Just Wrote This Letter To His University’

22nd May 2014

Dear Angry Graduate,

Your rant about the cost of higher education might be the best indicator of why you are finding it so difficult to get a job. Your lack of understanding of the role of education, the assumption that education guarantees you a job, and the idea that education somehow causes bubble economics shows that you are sadly mistaken. You managed to get a degree but failed to become an educated person.

Education is a dialogue between teacher and students, student and student, academy and the world. We focus on qualitative measures of meaning, purpose, relationship, art, thought, and belief. We value person and life as who we are, not what we do. Our goal is to shape the way we think, looking beyond the superficial gains of power and influence to see consequences and effects on the meaning of being human. Education acts as a check and balance system to political and corporate greed and corruption. Education strives for greater equality as it measures success by ideas and expression rather than method and production. It fosters intelligent leadership through critical thinking. It demands self-reflection as a motivation to evaluate and change, and offers a spectrum of knowledge that becomes a laser of invention and creativity.

It is an expensive proposition. You want to know where your measly $16,000 a semester went? It went to the library to help pay the $500,000--$1 million a year bill for online data services that allow you to stay in your room and explore the world. It went to the $2 million electric bill and the $3 million water bill. It paid for security, secretaries, equipment, maintenance, improvements, food services, internet access, books, furniture, gym equipment, student services, and cleaning services. There is still the small issue of salaries, insurance, seminars, speakers, labs, student workers, support services, and research.

I, like many others who work here, receive marginal salaries. I work three jobs to pay my bills. I live a simple lifestyle, and I have little money in reserve. But I believe that the good of society and the potential of my students are worth the investment and the gift of my life. Education is not free and it is not easy. Contrary to the opinions of some students, college is not about how much one can drink, and party, and play games because no one is there to tell me otherwise. Education is about responsibility, picking courses and professors that help you, and engaging the world in a dialogue about how we can achieve the highest expressions of what it means to be human. If you failed to realize that and if you failed to take advantage of what was right in front of you, that is not the fault or failing of higher education. If you wanted an education that promised a job, you should have gone to trade school.

So, grow up. Realize how fortunate you are, how much you have learned, and if you are as smart as you think you are, prove it. Engage the world and make a difference. If nothing else, help the next generation learn so that we can still offer the hope of a better world.

A Dedicated Professor

Professor Jim Gaffney

ANOTHER GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR TANZANIANS

All the Best........

POWER POINT PRESENTATIONS

ALL SCEM FINAL YEAR STUDENTS

My apologies for delay in posting these general guidelines for power point presentations, it is my expectation that it going be of help in the course of preparing your final dissertation presentations.

ALL THE BEST!

POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS

General Guidelines

By, Suma Mwaitenda 2013

Contents.

— Approach & a Clue

—  Purpose of  your presentation

—  General Guideline 

— Important information

— TIP

— End

•      Approach and a clue

Approach the presentation like a HAMBURGER

Try to imagine the layers in the burger...

HAVE AN INTRODUCTION: 

      °     Here create awareness     

      °     Set context of your presentation

BODY:  Here is where you have your main points so present evidence and findings

CONCLUSION; Make your summary and recommendations

•     Purpose of your presentation

What is the PURPOSE of your presentation?

The purpose of my presentation today is to....... (Summarize your problem topic)

How are you going to do this?

—        To inform (facts)

—                                To inspire (feelings)

       — To persuade (opinions)

—                                To motivate (action)

•      GENERAL GUIDELINE

Remember the 30 / 20 / 10 rule for PowerPoint presentations:

—                   Minimum size 30 font

—                  For a 20 minute presentation

—                  Only using 10 slides (you  may need to use more; but remember ‘quality not quantity’)

General Cont…

Always remember…..

—           Less is more: only use   keywords on each slide – not long sentences

—     If using graphs & figures, they must be labelled; font size not too small
Must have informative legend, title, x and y axes correctly labelled.

—            Be cautious about the overuse of technical animation in PowerPoint – it can be very distracting.

Make sure that the following information is included:

—        Cover page (with name, topic and date)

—         Problem Statement (purpose of presentation)

—        Agenda/Table of Contents (not critical but gives a good sense of presentation flow for audience)

—         Research Methods

 ● Findings / Results

—        Recommendations

● Implementation Plan (if applicable)

                                                   

—       Conclusion         

● Thanks

•        TIP

—      If possible, do a DRY RUN before your final presentation: to ensure your presentation will be professional, slick and polished (and not a first attempt)!

—        Know your audience & be comfortable with them

—       Present with Passion & Energy

•       END

Thank you!

FEEDBACK

TEST NO. I

BE337 CM337; PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE/ CONTRACT PROCEDURES AND ADMINISTRATION 

TEST NO 1; FEEDBACK (HOW YOU SHOULD HAVE APPROACHED THE QUESTIONS)

QUESTION ONE

Needs for having standard conditions for building contract

1. What is the use of form of contract?

……

……

2. What does the form do? For instance

ü  Modify the general law i.e. transfer some risk from contractor to employer regarding damage to the works.

ü  Etc.

3. Define other contract documents

4. Etc.

QUESTION TWO

Necessity of including clause no 3 in the NCC to specifically give powers to the Architect to issues instructions.

………………..

1. Briefly elaborate the nature of the contract, particularly parties’ pt the contract, ‘privity of contract’.

2. Go to explain the necessity

It is important to plan the flow of your answer

QUESTION THREE

(i)& (ii) were straight forward, just to give the meaning of the terms, illustration/ and examples would have attached more credits.

iii. Defenses open to contractor

ü  Agreed sum is a penalty

ü  Omission of date in contract

ü  Waivers

ü  Final certificate

ü  Employer causing delay

ü  Breach of condition precedent

ü  Extension of time

ü  Etc.

iv. If liquidated damages provision fail;-

Employer may sue the contractor for unliquidated damages. In this case the employer to prove in court of law that there was indeed a breach.

More explanations