FRIDAY, Aug. 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- An app that uses familiar game elements could help college students get higher grades and keep them from dropping a course, a new study suggests.

The app includes game elements such as "leaderboards" and digital badges, and lets professors send course quizzes directly to students' electronic devices.

Researchers tested the app on 394 first-year accounting or science students at Swinburne University of Technology in Australia, where it was developed. Professors tailored the app's content to their specific course.

On average, app users' marks were 7 percent higher than those who didn't use it, the findings showed. And 12 percent more students stayed in a course during the semester when the app was introduced, compared with the previous semester.

The study was published Aug. 3 in the International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education.

"Evidence-based research into student engagement tells us that well-engaged students are less likely to drop out. Our results imply that students are willing to use learning apps and that performing highly on the app may predict their future academic success," corresponding author Ekaterina Pechenkina said in a journal news release. She is a research fellow at the University of Melbourne, Australia.

However, the app's novelty might have fueled its success, the study authors said, and use might decline over time.

And, because students could choose to use it or not, the study sample might have been biased. More conscientious students who were open to new experiences might have been more apt to try the app, the researchers added.

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Student Motivation 101: There's an App for That | Health, Medicine ... - Sioux City Journal

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Free Excercise Classes and Senior Medicare Patrol - Montclair NJ ... - TAPinto.net

Published 3:36pm, Friday, August 4, 2017

Rabbi Mitchell Hurvitz.

Rabbi Mitchell Hurvitz.

Perspectives: Growing older another chance to enjoy each day

I came across an interesting list of great achievements that were done by men and women at an advanced age. Here are 20 examples (in reverse chronological order):

1. At 100, Grandma Moses was painting.

2. At 94, Bertrand Russell was active in international peace drives.

3. At 93, George Bernard Shaw wrote the play Farfetched Fables.

4. At 91, Eamon de Valera served as president of Ireland.

5. At 91, Adolph Zukon was chairman of Paramount Pictures.

6. At 90, Pablo Picasso was producing drawings and engravings.

7. At 89, Mary Baker Eddy was directing the Christian Science Church.

8. At 89, Arthur Rubinstein gave one of his greatest recitals in New York's Carnegie Hall.

9. At 89, Albert Schweitzer headed a hospital in Africa.

10. At 88, Pablo Casals was giving cello concerts.

11. At 88, Michaelangelo did architectural plans for the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli.

12. At 88, Konrad Adenauer was chancellor of Germany.

13. At 85, Coco Chanel was the head of a fashion design firm.

14. At 84, Somerset Maugham wrote Points of View.

15. At 83, Aleksandr Kerensky wrote Russia and History's Turning Point.

16. At 82, Winston Churchill wrote a History of English Speaking People.

17. At 82, Leo Tolstoy wrote I Cannot Be Silent.

18. At 81, Benjamin Franklin affected the compromise that led to the adoption of the U.S. Constitution.

19. At 81, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe finished Faust.

20. At 80, George Bums won an Academy Award for his performance in The Sunshine Boys.

After a certain age, many of us begin to worry a bit about turning a year older.

But within our Judaism, we are told that each day is a gift and we should try to constantly strive to discover new ways to bring meaning to our own lives and to the lives of others.

Roseanne and I recently celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. In a few weeks I celebrate my 52nd birthday, and then a few weeks later our youngest daughter will enter her last year of high school.

As Rabbi for our congregation, I will soon lead my 22nd year of High Holiday Services for Temple Sholom.

Lately time feels like its passing more quickly, and yet the truth is that each day is the same length as the others. The only question that should be asked by me is what shall I try to make of this gift of a new day?

My own goal will be to try and redouble my efforts to continue exploring new ways to present the eternal values and teachings of our beautiful Jewish heritage. And to continue my own rabbinic mission to find new ways by which I can help meaningfully engage the members of our congregation to join me in our sacred mission.

I hope at an advanced age, I'll be named on a list by which I could be cited as someone who helped provide encouragement to another so that they more richly embraced their own treasures of Jewish heritage and found a temple community that helped their fellow members embrace and care about each other in love.

In the poem "Rabbi Ben Ezra," poet Robert Browning writes: "Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be..."

I pray that this should be the privilege we should all be able to continue to enjoy together in happiness, health and peace for many, many years to come.

Rabbi Mitchell M. Hurvitz is Senior Rabbi Temple Sholom of Greenwich, co-founder of the Sholom Center for Interfaith Learning and Fellowship and a past president of the Greenwich Fellowship of Clergy For an archive of past Greenwich Citizen columns, please visit http://www.templesholom.com

Originally posted here:
Perspectives: Growing older another chance to enjoy each day - Greenwich Time

- He claims that on one occasion, his car's windscreen was smashed as he left the premises of the court

- He indicated that it is a pro bono case for him, as such his intentions are not geared towards financial gains

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The legal representative of some of the persons suspected of lynching the late Major Maxwell Mahama has revealed that his life is in danger.

A suspect in the Major Mahama case

READ ALSO: NPP Chairman justifies the formation of a new vigilante group

He claims that several death threats have been directed his way, simply because he decided to take up the case.

According to lawyer George Bernard Shaw, it started at the Cape Coast High Court, where he was verbally attacked for representing the suspects in court.

It didnt end there; the windscreen of his vehicle was smashed by unknown persons as he was leaving the court.

He insists that he would continue to perform his role, as per the law, his clients are innocent till they are proven to be guilty by the court.

READ ALSO: Stop reading the King James Bible - Counsellor

He noted that he has been cautioned by family and friends to discontinue his involvement in the case, but he decided to stand his grounds.

He again stated that he voluntarily took up the case, and as such his actions are not geared towards the expectation of a financial gain.

He concluded by stating that he is open to all possibilities of the outcome of the case, adding that he would be satisfied even if the courts determine the case and finds them guilty.

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I have received numerous threats lawyer defending Major ... - Yen - YEN.COM.GH

It is a time of war, and the stability of Western civilization is being shaken by rising tides of nationalism and religious strife, which threaten to overturn the established order. A cowardly man-child is poised to assume political power when a woman dares to stand up and claim the mantle of leadership. She's selfless, strong-willed and (most importantly) almost always right on the issues. So naturally, powerful men join forces against her, undermining her authority with misogynist insults about her appearance and unsubstantiated accusations of criminal and spiritual corruption.

If this scenario sounds suspiciously similar to recent events, it only goes to show how timeless George Bernard Shaw's historical epic Saint Joan still is. "This play, written in 1923 about events that happened in the 15th century, is still relevant today because we aren't learning from history," says producer-director Jeremy Seghers, whose electrifying staging of Joan of Arc's story is running at Rollins College's Fred Stone Theatre through Saturday, Aug. 5.

"The idea of persisting in the face of complete abandonment from your allies is relevant today, especially for women," Seghers said to me after opening night of his production, "because I think our government can feel like it's turned its back on women."

Seghers earned a reputation with his productions of Equus and This Is Our Youth for intimate, edgy, site-specific shows in unconventional locations, so Saint Joan is a striking departure for him. He was drawn to the Maid of Orleans' saga of ascension, execution and eventual canonization after seeing some Joan of Arc-themed stained glass on display at a Miami museum. He picked Shaw's retelling of the tale in part because "it was kind of hard to deny the contemporary parallels," but also for the opportunity to direct a strong woman: "I've been focusing a lot on dudes and how fucked up they are, so I wanted to do something with a female lead."

Seghers initially considered staging Saint Joan inside an actual church, but chose Rollins' recently renovated Fred Stone instead because, as a former chapel, "it has enough of that church feeling." Seghers calls the theater, which is available for public rentals when school isn't in session, as "a great space [that] is under-utilized," praising its newly installed acoustical panels and resident lighting designer Kaitlyn Harrington. With scenic designer Jamie DeHay, Seghers has arranged audiences around the thrust playing space in groups of 12 "so that everyone is on a jury," and while he calls the production style "submersive rather than immersive," the viewer is never more than a few feet from the action.

At the center of that action is Joan, the Maid of Orleans herself, as heartbreakingly embodied by the luminous Theresa Hanson. A Gainesville transplant and relative newcomer to Orlando's theater community, Hanson radiates a kind of purposeful nobility and clear-eyed conviction that could easily rally an army, without losing sight of the simple teenager underneath the armor. "There is a very straightforwardness to her Joan that I connected to," says Seghers, recalling Hanson's audition. "She wasn't hysterical and weepy," instead exhibiting the militant mettle of a proto-Princess Leia or Wonder Woman. "There was just the right amount of youth and maturity in her. I got very lucky."

Hanson's passionate performance is ably supported by the ensemble, which includes Jim Cundiff, John Moughan and Colton Butcher in multiple roles. Most notably, Cole NeSmith plays the Catholic Inquisitor during the pivotal trial scene, delivering a fiery sermon against individualism that's simultaneously inspiring and insidious. NeSmith, a real-life minister in his own church, preaches this poisoned gospel with such effortless eloquence that even Joan might agree to her execution, adding a compelling complexity to the inevitable outcome. "Bernard Shaw is very clear that he didn't write the play with any villains in mind," Seghers says. "They all think they are doing what is right."

It's only fair to warn you that, at three and a half hours long (including two intermissions), Saint Joan is a marathon for both actors and audience. While conceding that the script can be wordy, Seghers hasn't edited the text or inserted fight scenes to make it more palatable, as other directors have, asking rhetorically, "Why bother doing Shaw if you are going to cut down the dialogue?" But Seghers' aesthetic imprint is evident through his production design's "mishmash and mix-up of genres and periods," which somehow incorporates archaic garb with '80s New Wave and a touch of clownish drag to "show the timelessness of the story, which could have taken place in many different time periods."

Finally, just because Joan "takes herself and everyone very seriously" doesn't mean the show is without levity; the highly theatrical acting style embraces elements of vaudeville, especially during the surreal dream sequence that serves as an extended epilogue, which provides some much-needed comedy while also creating a Brechtian distancing effect from the horror of Joan's grisly doom. "People come in expecting it to be super dark. I think people will be surprised to find themselves laughing." Just don't laugh too loudly, lest you miss a word of this thoughtful, challenging work.

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In Jeremy Seghers' production of 'Saint Joan,' a luminous Joan is judged by a poison gospel - Orlando Weekly

Foothill College has been selected for participation in the California Community Colleges Online Education Initiative Course Exchange, according to Foothill spokeswoman Vanessa Smith. The Course Exchange, facilitated by the Online Education Initiative, allows students at participating colleges to take certain online classes offered at Foothill.

Students in the Course Exchange also will have access to online services such as counseling, tutoring, proctored testing, and readiness assessments, said Smith. The exchange is meant for students who are close to completing their degree and transfer requirements, but are unable to enroll in the required courses at their home colleges.

Foothill College welcomes the opportunity to make its online courses and services readily available to students from other colleges who might otherwise be delayed in their educational pursuits, said Judy Baker, dean of online learning at Foothill College.

Beginning in the fall quarter, Foothill will offer two sociology classes on the Course Exchange:Intro to SociologyandResearch Methods and Designs. Fall classes startSept. 25.

Foothills Course Exchange classes will be open to students from Butte, Fresno, Lake Tahoe, Coastline and Ventura community colleges. Foothill students will be able to register for approximately 20 classes offered by the other five colleges in the Course Exchange. Eventually, the program will expand to include other California community colleges, said Smith

Im excited about Foothill College going live with the Course Exchange, and their participation so far has helped streamline the process for the additional 16 colleges we are working to add in the coming months, said Jory Hadsell, executive director of OEI. Through the Course Exchange, California is beginning to provide students with a new opportunity to accelerate program completion through increased access to high-quality online courses.

OEI is a collaborative effort among California community colleges to increase student access to and success in online courses. OEI is sponsored by the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, in partnership with the Butte-Glenn Community College District and its CCC Technology Center at Butte College as recipients of an $86.9 million five-year grant disbursed by the California Community College Chancellors Office.

In spring 2016, 24 pilot colleges were selected to utilize all OEI resources. The colleges use Canvas, a common course management system, and pilot readiness assessment, online tutoring, academic integrity tools, online counseling and other resources.

For more information, visithttp://ccconlineed.org.

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Foothill College joins statewide online course exchange - Milpitas Post

This week, Education Dive examined how a pilot program at Maryland's Prince George's County Public Schools is working to better integrate humanities into different school curricula, including the STEM fields.

Also in K-12, KIPP Public Charter Schools are exemplifying how branding is key in a school choice environment, and a new report from WalletHub suggests more spending doesn't always lead to higher quality while providing another ranking topped by Massachusetts.

Meanwhile in higher ed, interest in online programs is on the rise as traditional programs continue to see declines, and enrollment growth is likely to look different than before if it picks back up.

Be sure to check out the content in our recent spotlight on higher ed revenue streams and more in this week's most-read posts from Education Dive!

Would you like to see more education news like this in your inbox on a daily basis? Subscribe to our Education Dive email newsletter!

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Online growth and blending STEM with arts: The week's most-read education news - Education Dive

August 4, 2017 EBU Staff Writer

In terms of moving averages for China Online Education Group (COE), the 200-day is currently at 16.05, the 50-day is 16.79, and the 7-day is resting at 18.33. The moving average is a popular investing tool among traders. Moving averages can be used to help filter out the day to day noise created by other factors. MAs may be used to identify uptrends or downtrends, and they can be a prominent indicator for detecting a change in momentum for a particular stock. Many traders will use moving averages for different periods of time in conjunction with other indicators to help gauge future stock price action.

Traders may also be paying close attention to RSI levels on shares of China Online Education Group (COE). The current 14-day RSI is presently sitting at 59.18, the 7-day is 58.89, and the 3-day is 56.61. The RSI, or Relative Strength Index is a popular oscillating indicator among traders and investors. The RSI operates in a range-bound area with values between 0 and 100. When the RSI line moves up, the stock may be experiencing strength. The opposite is the case when the RSI line is heading lower. Different time periods may be used when using the RSI indicator. The RSI may be more volatile using a shorter period of time. Many traders keep an eye on the 30 and 70 marks on the RSI scale. A move above 70 is widely considered to show the stock as overbought, and a move below 30 would indicate that the stock may be oversold. Traders may use these levels to help identify stock price reversals.

When completing stock analysis, investors and traders may opt to review other technical levels. China Online Education Group (COE) currently has a 14-day Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of 50.88. Investors and traders may use this indicator to help spot price reversals, price extremes, and the strength of a trend. Many investors will use the CCI in conjunction with other indicators when evaluating a trade. The CCI may be used to spot if a stock is entering overbought (+100) and oversold (-100) territory. The Average Directional Index or ADX is often considered to be an important tool for technical trading or investing. The ADX is a technical indicator developed by J. Welles Wilder used to determine the strength of a trend. The ADX is often used along with the Plus Directional Indicator (+DI) and Minus Directional Indicator (-DI) to identify the direction of the trend. Presently, the 14-day ADX is resting at 42.35.

Generally speaking, an ADX value from 0-25 would indicate an absent or weak trend. A value of 25-50 would indicate a strong trend. A value of 50-75 would signal a very strong trend, and a value of 75-100 would indicate an extremely strong trend.

Typically bull markets are times when investors may be willing to be a bit more speculative with stock selection. Managing risk is generally at the forefront of many strategies. Investors trying to shift the odds in their favor may be searching for the perfect balance and diversification to help mitigate the risk and enjoy healthier profits. With so many different stocks to choose from, it may take a while to zoom in or a particular set. Investors will also be watching the next wave of economic data to get a better sense of how the overall economy is fairing. With so much noise in the markets, it may be necessary to narrow the gaze in order to set the table for success. Investors may be on the lookout for the major catalyst that either keeps the bulls charging into the second half the year, or wakes up the sleeping bears.

Read more here:
Signal Watch: Checking the Numbers for China Online Education Group (COE) - The Business Union

One lakh self help groups to be digitalized: Raghubar Ranchi August 5, 2017 , by News Desk 3

CM addresses NABARD Bank Linkage Program on Silver Jubilee of Women Self help Groups

Ranchi, Aug. 4: Praising the woman power of Jharkhand, Chief Minister Raghubar Das today said the women of the state have set a precedent for the women of other states. Whether it be agriculture, cottage industry or animal husbandry, women sakhi mandals have proved their worth everywhere. We are proud of them. In the next two and half years, the state will be the most developed state of the nation, said the CM said while addressing NABARD Bank Linkage Program on Silver Jubilee of Women Self help Groups.

Das said the self help groups have given a new identity to rural economy. He appealed to all banks including NABARD to play their roles in the development of the state. Poverty from the state will be eradicated in the next four years and all people will be brought above poverty line. Womens participation in dairy farm, fisheries and animal husbandry will be ensured. The village coordinators will make group of 15 women each in 32,000 villages. These women will be trained and connected with employment strengthening 4,80,000 skilled women working professionally, he said.The CM said that there will be wide range of produce at village level and these products will be sold in domestic as well as international markets.

Jharkhand will prove to be a leader in the Make in India campaign. Apart from blankets, towels and bed sheets, we should prepare enough khowa in Shravani Mela season so that we should not import from outside. 1 lakh self help groups will be digitalized. New technique can speed up the process of production and we will not fall behind in using them. The government will conduct a meeting of bankers with sakhi mandals after every six months, he said.

The CM said that Swami Vivekananda believed that the countrys development was possible through the uplift of the poor, exploited and marginalized people of the nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also prioritized poors uplift as his prime agenda. Our govt. planned the outline of development from the villages. The common budget was made for common people. 364 buses will be run by SC, ST women strengthening rural transportation. He said that broking must be eradicated for development, he said.

Addressing the program Development Commissioner-cum-Additional CS Amit Khare said the sakhi mandals need to be linked with credit and marketing. They play an important role in developing the society economically and socially.

State level SHGs, branch managers and dist mangers were felicitated and given appreciation letter during the programme.

CGM NABARD S. Mandal, Reserve Bank Regional Director P. Barla, SLBC GM Prasad Joshi and Swami Bhavesanand from Divyayan along with a number of SHGs were present on this occasion.

Last updated:Saturday, August 5, 2017

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One lakh self help groups to be digitalized: Raghubar - Avenue Mail

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Boko Haram militants have killed more than 20,000 people and displaced more than 2 million others in northeast Nigeria since 2009.

At the height of its activities, between 2009 and 2015, the insurgents attacked a range of targets, leaving death and destruction in their wake. The targetsincluded churches, mosques, schools, universities, markets, police stations and even military installations. The insurgentsbombed locations, attacked with guns, raped women, killed children, took hostages and occupied territories.

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The militants left government and its security forcespowerlessand people in the region helpless. No place was safe.

Under siege, communities in the northeast were faced with three options:They could flee, join the insurgentsor risk being killed. Many took the first option and fled to safer destinations. Those who stayed were compelled to either join Boko Haram or risk being slaughtered.

But a fourth option emerged: self-defense. People began to organize into emergency community vanguards to defend themselves. Community vigilante movements were born in several communities across the region.

One of the first, the Civilian Joint Task Force,was formed in early 2013 in Adamawa State in northeast Nigeria. It is comprised of community vigilante formations, including neighborhood guards and hunters guilds. The task force carries out community policing through reconnaissance.

The members watch over the community and accost any strange or suspicious people who enter. They operate in cells and carry a combination of traditional and modern weapons. They mount roadblocks, conduct area patrols, and install guards at entry points and borderlines of their communities.

Generally, the involvement of vigilantes in counterinsurgency operations in Nigeria has been a subject of contentious debate. Its apparent that they have contributed to improving security for some communities. But there are also concerns that in the long run they could pose a threat, given their heavy-handed approach. Examples include extrajudicial killings, violation of human rights, extortion and criminal impunity.

The vigilante groups are based on three models. The first is communal neighborhood guards, the second the village hunters guild, and the third is the government-recognized Civilian Joint Task Force. Communal neighborhood guards are village-based vigilante outfits dedicated to community defense. The hunters guild is the vanguard of traditional hunters and warriors that intervenes to reinforce the operation.

Since their emergence, vigilantes have contributed a great deal in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency. They have reinforced and complemented the efforts of Nigerias Armed Forces, particularly in the areas of grassroots reconnaissance and intelligence.

Their cooperation and partnership with the military contributed to the finding of the first abducted Chibok girl to escape from the militants in May 2016.

A local vigilante stands in front of a burnt house in Gubio in Borno State, northeast Nigeria, on May 26, 2015, after an attack by Boko Haram. Stringer/AFP/Getty

Despite their laudable achievements, there are legitimate concerns about the activities of vigilante groups, including fearthat their unguarded deployment could be counterproductive in the long run.

While they may be important in the short term in disrupting Boko Haram activities and serving as local partners in a successful counterterrorism strategy, arming militias is not a long-term policy. This is particularly true if unintended consequences are to be avoided.

Already there have been allegations of forced recruiting, child- and woman-soldiering and extrajudicial killings of suspected insurgents. There is also the concern that the vigilantes could degenerate and proliferate into mercenary militias.

But thats not all. Vigilante activities often give rise to reprisal attacks on communities by the insurgents. The loose organizational and leadership structure of vigilante groups makes them susceptible to infiltration and internal sabotage.

The government and military have acknowledged the apparent successes of volunteer vigilantes in the fight against Boko Haram. But critics contend that vigilantes operate illegallyand argue that giving them a front-line role in counterinsurgency operations implies that the state is abdicating its primary responsibility of ensuring sustainable national security.

Despite those misgivings, the justification for the vigilante approach to counterinsurgency cannotbe disputed. Vigilante groups are uniquely poised to contribute to local security for a number of reasons, includingthe fact that they are formed in response to specific issues and conditions. They are staffed by local volunteers who have knowledge of the area and the trust of the local community.

So what should be done?

If vigilantes are going to continue in counterinsurgency operations in a way thats fruitful and sustainable, they must operate within the law and the established rules of engagement. Their activities must be properly regulated and coordinated through legal and institutional procedures to prevent impunity and other excesses.

The government can institute policy and institutional mechanisms that absorbthe groups into community policing systems orexisting paramilitary structures, or that institutionalize them into a national reserve force dedicated to emergency mobilization.

Such measures would optimize the gains made and help manage abuses inherent in vigilante operations.

Chukwuma Al Okoliis a lecturer/resident researcher inthe Department of Political Science at Federal University Lafia.

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War in Nigeria: Self-Help Vigilante Groups Are Reshaping Security Against Boko Haram - Newsweek