sábado, 10 de octubre de 2009

TICs applied to the Education in Dominican Republic

TICs applied to the Education in Dominican Republic
About technological bases this forum is an approach in the digital revolution actually. Advances in electronic sciences and computers offer digital learning environments. Cognitive sciences must manage new methodologies of teaching. Educational Technology must be introduced inside educator curricula in Dominican Republic. Actual society in this country needs new actions thinking in TICs. Our society recognizes this necessity. The project of this forum looks for tools and activities to resolve this question inside educational degrees in process of innovation.

lunes, 20 de abril de 2009

Opinion´s Forum about Violence in Media

Have Movies and Media (Video games, newspapers, radio, television etc...) in general become more violent in our lifetime? If yes what are some examples of violence in media?

Write a short paragraph expressing your opinion about violence in media.

martes, 20 de enero de 2009

Discurso inaugural del presidente Barack Obama en español

Discurso inaugural del presidente Barack Obama en español

ELPAÍS.com - Washington - 20/01/2009

Facilitado por Lic.: Annfrank Robinson Rosario.
-----------------------------------------
Director Educativo English World Institute

Me presento aquí hoy humildemente consciente de la tarea que nos aguarda, agradecido por la confianza que habéis depositado en mí, conocedor de los sacrificios que hicieron nuestros antepasados. Doy gracias al presidente Bush por su servicio a nuestra nación y por la generosidad y la cooperación que ha demostrado en esta transición.

Son ya 44 los estadounidenses que han prestado juramento como presidentes. Lo han hecho durante mareas de prosperidad y en aguas pacíficas y tranquilas. Sin embargo, en ocasiones, este juramento se ha prestado en medio de nubes y tormentas. En esos momentos, Estados Unidos ha seguido adelante, no sólo gracias a la pericia o la visión de quienes ocupaban el cargo, sino porque Nosotros, el Pueblo, hemos permanecido fieles a los ideales de nuestros antepasados y a nuestros documentos fundacionales. Así ha sido. Y así debe ser con esta generación de estadounidenses.

Es bien sabido que estamos en medio de una crisis. Nuestro país está en guerra contra una red de violencia y odio de gran alcance. Nuestra economía se ha debilitado enormemente, como consecuencia de la codicia y la irresponsabilidad de algunos, pero también por nuestra incapacidad colectiva de tomar decisiones difíciles y preparar a la nación para una nueva era. Se han perdido casas; se han eliminado empleos; se han cerrado empresas. Nuestra sanidad es muy cara; nuestras escuelas tienen demasiados fallos; y cada día trae nuevas pruebas de que nuestros usos de la energía fortalecen a nuestros adversarios y ponen en peligro el planeta.

Estos son indicadores de una crisis, sujetos a datos y estadísticas. Menos fácil de medir pero no menos profunda es la destrucción de la confianza en todo nuestro territorio, un temor persistente de que el declive de Estados Unidos es inevitable y la próxima generación tiene que rebajar sus miras. Hoy os digo que los problemas que nos aguardan son reales. Son graves y son numerosos. No será fácil resolverlos, ni podrá hacerse en poco tiempo. Pero debes tener clara una cosa, América: los resolveremos.

Hoy estamos reunidos aquí porque hemos escogido la esperanza por encima del miedo, el propósito común por encima del conflicto y la discordia. Hoy venimos a proclamar el fin de las disputas mezquinas y las falsas promesas, las recriminaciones y los dogmas gastados que durante tanto tiempo han sofocado nuestra política.

Seguimos siendo una nación joven, pero, como dicen las Escrituras, ha llegado la hora de dejar a un lado las cosas infantiles. Ha llegado la hora de reafirmar nuestro espíritu de resistencia; de escoger lo mejor que tiene nuestra historia; de llevar adelante ese precioso don, esa noble idea, transmitida de generación en generación: la promesa hecha por Dios de que todos somos iguales, todos somos libres, y todos merecemos una oportunidad de buscar toda la felicidad que nos sea posible.

Al reafirmar la grandeza de nuestra nación, sabemos que esa grandeza no es nunca un regalo. Hay que ganársela. Nuestro viaje nunca ha estado hecho de atajos ni se ha conformado con lo más fácil. No ha sido nunca un camino para los pusilánimes, para los que prefieren el ocio al trabajo, o no buscan más que los placeres de la riqueza y la fama. Han sido siempre los audaces, los más activos, los constructores de cosas -algunos reconocidos, pero, en su mayoría, hombres y mujeres cuyos esfuerzos permanecen en la oscuridad- los que nos han impulsado en el largo y arduo sendero hacia la prosperidad y la libertad.

Por nosotros empaquetaron sus escasas posesiones terrenales y cruzaron océanos en busca de una nueva vida. Por nosotros trabajaron en condiciones infrahumanas y colonizaron el Oeste; soportaron el látigo y labraron la dura tierra. Por nosotros combatieron y murieron en lugares como Concord y Gettysburg, Normandía y Khe Sahn. Una y otra vez, esos hombres y mujeres lucharon y se sacrificaron y trabajaron hasta tener las manos en carne viva, para que nosotros pudiéramos tener una vida mejor. Vieron que Estados Unidos era más grande que la suma de nuestras ambiciones individuales; más grande que todas las diferencias de origen, de riqueza, de partido.

Ése es el viaje que hoy continuamos. Seguimos siendo el país más próspero y poderoso de la Tierra. Nuestros trabajadores no son menos productivos que cuando comenzó esta crisis. Nuestras mentes no son menos imaginativas, nuestros bienes y servicios no son menos necesarios que la semana pasada, el mes pasado ni el año pasado. Nuestra capacidad no ha disminuido. Pero el periodo del inmovilismo, de proteger estrechos intereses y aplazar decisiones desagradables ha terminado; a partir de hoy, debemos levantarnos, sacudirnos el polvo y empezar a trabajar para reconstruir Estados Unidos.

Porque, miremos donde miremos, hay trabajo que hacer. El estado de la economía exige actuar con audacia y rapidez, y vamos a actuar; no sólo para crear nuevos puestos de trabajo, sino para sentar nuevas bases de crecimiento. Construiremos las carreteras y los puentes, las redes eléctricas y las líneas digitales que nutren nuestro comercio y nos unen a todos. Volveremos a situar la ciencia en el lugar que le corresponde y utilizaremos las maravillas de la tecnología para elevar la calidad de la atención sanitaria y rebajar sus costes. Aprovecharemos el sol, los vientos y la tierra para hacer funcionar nuestros coches y nuestras fábricas. Y transformaremos nuestras escuelas y nuestras universidades para que respondan a las necesidades de una nueva era. Podemos hacer todo eso. Y todo lo vamos a hacer.

Ya sé que hay quienes ponen en duda la dimensión de mis ambiciones, quienes sugieren que nuestro sistema no puede soportar demasiados grandes planes. Tienen mala memoria. Porque se han olvidado de lo que ya ha hecho este país; de lo que los hombres y mujeres libres pueden lograr cuando la imaginación se une a un propósito común y la necesidad al valor.

Lo que no entienden los escépticos es que el terreno que pisan ha cambiado, que las manidas discusiones políticas que nos han consumido durante tanto tiempo ya no sirven. La pregunta que nos hacemos hoy no es si nuestro gobierno interviene demasiado o demasiado poco, sino si sirve de algo: si ayuda a las familias a encontrar trabajo con un sueldo decente, una sanidad que puedan pagar, una jubilación digna. En los programas en los que la respuesta sea sí, seguiremos adelante. En los que la respuesta sea no, los programas se cancelarán. Y los que manejemos el dinero público tendremos que responder de ello -gastar con prudencia, cambiar malos hábitos y hacer nuestro trabajo a la luz del día-, porque sólo entonces podremos restablecer la crucial confianza entre el pueblo y su gobierno.

Tampoco nos planteamos si el mercado es una fuerza positiva o negativa. Su capacidad de generar riqueza y extender la libertad no tiene igual, pero esta crisis nos ha recordado que, sin un ojo atento, el mercado puede descontrolarse, y que un país no puede prosperar durante mucho tiempo cuando sólo favorece a los que ya son prósperos. El éxito de nuestra economía ha dependido siempre, no sólo del tamaño de nuestro producto interior bruto, sino del alcance de nuestra prosperidad; de nuestra capacidad de ofrecer oportunidades a todas las personas, no por caridad, sino porque es la vía más firme hacia nuestro bien común.

En cuanto a nuestra defensa común, rechazamos como falso que haya que elegir entre nuestra seguridad y nuestros ideales. Nuestros Padres Fundadores, enfrentados a peligros que apenas podemos imaginar, elaboraron una carta que garantizase el imperio de la ley y los derechos humanos, una carta que se ha perfeccionado con la sangre de generaciones. Esos ideales siguen iluminando el mundo, y no vamos a renunciar a ellos por conveniencia. Por eso, a todos los demás pueblos y gobiernos que hoy nos contemplan, desde las mayores capitales hasta la pequeña aldea en la que nació mi padre, os digo: sabed que Estados Unidos es amigo de todas las naciones y todos los hombres, mujeres y niños que buscan paz y dignidad, y que estamos dispuestos a asumir de nuevo el liderazgo.

Recordemos que generaciones anteriores se enfrentaron al fascismo y el comunismo no sólo con misiles y carros de combate, sino con alianzas sólidas y convicciones duraderas. Comprendieron que nuestro poder no puede protegernos por sí solo, ni nos da derecho a hacer lo que queramos. Al contrario, sabían que nuestro poder crece mediante su uso prudente; nuestra seguridad nace de la justicia de nuestra causa, la fuerza de nuestro ejemplo y la moderación que deriva de la humildad y la contención.

Somos los guardianes de este legado. Guiados otra vez por estos principios, podemos hacer frente a esas nuevas amenazas que exigen un esfuerzo aún mayor, más cooperación y más comprensión entre naciones. Empezaremos a dejar Irak, de manera responsable, en manos de su pueblo, y a forjar una merecida paz en Afganistán. Trabajaremos sin descanso con viejos amigos y antiguos enemigos para disminuir la amenaza nuclear y hacer retroceder el espectro del calentamiento del planeta. No pediremos perdón por nuestra forma de vida ni flaquearemos en su defensa, y a quienes pretendan conseguir sus objetivos provocando el terror y asesinando a inocentes les decimos que nuestro espíritu es más fuerte y no podéis romperlo; no duraréis más que nosotros, y os derrotaremos.

Porque sabemos que nuestra herencia multicolor es una ventaja, no una debilidad. Somos una nación de cristianos y musulmanes, judíos e hindúes, y no creyentes. Somos lo que somos por la influencia de todas las lenguas y todas las culturas de todos los rincones de la Tierra; y porque probamos el amargo sabor de la guerra civil y la segregación, y salimos de aquel oscuro capítulo más fuertes y más unidos, no tenemos más remedio que creer que los viejos odios desaparecerán algún día; que las líneas tribales pronto se disolverán; y que Estados Unidos debe desempeñar su papel y ayudar a iniciar una nueva era de paz.

Al mundo musulmán: buscamos un nuevo camino hacia adelante, basado en intereses mutuos y mutuo respeto. A esos líderes de todo el mundo que pretenden sembrar el conflicto o culpar de los males de su sociedad a Occidente: sabed que vuestro pueblo os juzgará por lo que seáis capaces de construir, no por lo que destruyáis. A quienes se aferran al poder mediante la corrupción y el engaño y acallando a los que disienten, tened claro que la historia no está de vuestra parte; pero estamos dispuestos a tender la mano si vosotros abrís el puño.

A los habitantes de los países pobres: nos comprometemos a trabajar a vuestro lado para conseguir que vuestras granjas florezcan y que fluyan aguas potables; para dar de comer a los cuerpos desnutridos y saciar las mentes sedientas. Y a esas naciones que, como la nuestra, disfrutan de una relativa riqueza, les decimos que no podemos seguir mostrando indiferencia ante el sufrimiento que existe más allá de nuestras fronteras, ni podemos consumir los recursos mundiales sin tener en cuenta las consecuencias. Porque el mundo ha cambiado, y nosotros debemos cambiar con él.

Mientras reflexionamos sobre el camino que nos espera, recordamos con humilde gratitud a esos valerosos estadounidenses que en este mismo instante patrullan desiertos lejanos y montañas remotas. Tienen cosas que decirnos, del mismo modo que los héroes caídos que yacen en Arlington nos susurran a través del tiempo. Les rendimos homenaje no sólo porque son guardianes de nuestra libertad, sino porque encarnan el espíritu de servicio, la voluntad de encontrar sentido en algo más grande que ellos mismos. Y sin embargo, en este momento -un momento que definirá a una generación-, ese espíritu es precisamente el que debe llenarnos a todos.

Porque, con todo lo que el gobierno puede y debe hacer, a la hora de la verdad, la fe y el empeño del pueblo norteamericano son el fundamento supremo sobre el que se apoya esta nación. La bondad de dar cobijo a un extraño cuando se rompen los diques, la generosidad de los trabajadores que prefieren reducir sus horas antes que ver cómo pierde su empleo un amigo: eso es lo que nos ayuda a sobrellevar los tiempos más difíciles. Es el valor del bombero que sube corriendo por una escalera llena de humo, pero también la voluntad de un padre de cuidar de su hijo; eso es lo que, al final, decide nuestro destino.

Nuestros retos pueden ser nuevos. Los instrumentos con los que los afrontamos pueden ser nuevos. Pero los valores de los que depende nuestro éxito -el esfuerzo y la honradez, el valor y el juego limpio, la tolerancia y la curiosidad, la lealtad y el patriotismo- son algo viejo. Son cosas reales. Han sido el callado motor de nuestro progreso a lo largo de la historia. Por eso, lo que se necesita es volver a estas verdades. Lo que se nos exige ahora es una nueva era de responsabilidad, un reconocimiento, por parte de cada estadounidense, de que tenemos obligaciones con nosotros mismos, nuestro país y el mundo; unas obligaciones que no aceptamos a regañadientes sino que asumimos de buen grado, con la firme convicción de que no existe nada tan satisfactorio para el espíritu, que defina tan bien nuestro carácter, como la entrega total a una tarea difícil.

Éste es el precio y la promesa de la ciudadanía.

Ésta es la fuente de nuestra confianza; la seguridad de que Dios nos pide que dejemos huella en un destino incierto.

Éste es el significado de nuestra libertad y nuestro credo, por lo que hombres, mujeres y niños de todas las razas y todas las creencias pueden unirse en celebración en este grandioso Mall y por lo que un hombre a cuyo padre, no hace ni 60 años, quizá no le habrían atendido en un restaurante local, puede estar ahora aquí, ante vosotros, y prestar el juramento más sagrado.

Marquemos, pues, este día con el recuerdo de quiénes somos y cuánto camino hemos recorrido. En el año del nacimiento de Estados Unidos, en el mes más frío, un pequeño grupo de patriotas se encontraba apiñado en torno a unas cuantas hogueras mortecinas a orillas de un río helado. La capital estaba abandonada. El enemigo avanzaba. La nieve estaba manchada de sangre. En un momento en el que el resultado de nuestra revolución era completamente incierto, el padre de nuestra nación ordenó que leyeran estas palabras:

"Que se cuente al mundo futuro... que en el más profundo invierno, cuando no podía sobrevivir nada más que la esperanza y la virtud... la ciudad y el campo, alarmados ante el peligro común, se apresuraron a hacerle frente".

América. Ante nuestros peligros comunes, en este invierno de nuestras dificultades, recordemos estas palabras eternas. Con esperanza y virtud, afrontemos una vez más las corrientes heladas y soportemos las tormentas que puedan venir. Que los hijos de nuestros hijos puedan decir que, cuando se nos puso a prueba, nos negamos a permitir que se interrumpiera este viaje, no nos dimos la vuelta ni flaqueamos; y que, con la mirada puesta en el horizonte y la gracia de Dios con nosotros, seguimos llevando hacia adelante el gran don de la libertad y lo entregamos a salvo a las generaciones futuras.

Gracias, que Dios os bendiga, que Dios bendiga a América.


Lic.: Annfrank Robinson Rosario.
-----------------------------------------
Director Educativo English World Institute
Para contactos favor llamar al 809-568-4622 / 829-274-1240 o escribirnos al correo electrónico annfrankrobinson1240@hotmail.com / annfrankrobinson7@gmail.com

Discurso inaugural del presidente Barack Obama Texto íntegro en inglés

Facilitado por Lic.: Annfrank Robinson Rosario Barack Hussein Obama

Discurso inaugural del presidente Barack Obama

Texto íntegro en inglés

ELPAÍS.com - Washington - 20/01/2009

"My fellow citizens:

Barack Obama

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor - who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."

viernes, 31 de octubre de 2008

What To Do If You Are (Or Fear That You May Become) Addicted To The 'Net

A Special Report By Morton C. Orman, M.D.Physician and author of The 14 Day Stress Cure, (c) 1996 -2007 M.C. Orman, MD, FLP.

Dealing with Internet Addiction is no different than dealing with any other type of addiction. Whether you are addicted to heroin, gambling, cigarettes, sexual deviancy, or eating Milky Way bars, all addictions have certain basic elements in common.
The purpose of this Special Report is to review some of these common elements, so you can see if they relate to your own situation. While all addictions can ultimately be cured, this is not always an easy or painless process. A high degree of commitment to breaking established habits is required, as are persistence, dedication, honesty, and self-compassion.
A. Denial
All people who are addicted (to anything) have some degree of denial. Without denial, most addictions would not have become established in the first place.
Denial can take many forms. At the milder extremes, a person may believe "I can handle this problem whenever I decide to do so." The fact that one has a problem is at least acknowledged. At the other extreme, denial often takes the form of: "What problem? I don't have a problem. You've got the problem, Dude. And besides, you're beginning to tick me off!"
Denial can sometimes be so strong that a person's whole life begins to deteriorate, and they still maintain everything is "just fine." Jobs can be lost, marriages can dissolve, a person's health can become affected, and all of these things (and more) can be present for some time before the person ultimately recognizes there is a problem to be solved.
B. Failing to Ask for Help
The second hallmark of most addictions is that people affected are very reluctant to ask for help. The mindset of most addicts is: "I can beat this myself." Addicts are often very proud individuals. Not only are they reluctant to ask other people for help, but even when they do, they don't accept the advice of others easily. Another mistake most addicts make when they do decide to seek help is they ask the wrong kinds of people. Asking family members and friends is not often productive. You would think addicts would avoid asking people who have identical or similar problems themselves, especially if they haven't been successful at dealing with them, but such is not the case.
The best thing to do is to look for individuals or professionals who know how to cure addicted people. While these resource people are rare, you should keep looking for them. If you hook up with someone who claims to have this ability, look at your results and don't hang around too long with this person if you don't see yourself making progress. Keep looking for the right experienced helper and you will eventually find one that works well with you.
C. Lack of Other Pleasures
One thing that is true about most, but not all addictions, is they are often either the only or the strongest source of pleasure and satisfaction in a person's life.
People who become addicted often do so because their lives are not fullfilling. They can't seem to find passion, enjoyment, adventure, or pleasure from life itself, so they have to invent these experiences in other ways. Whether such feelings come to them through gambling, getting "high," "tuning out," or becomming overinvolved with the Internet, their work, their hobbies, or anything else, there is often a lack of other pleasures that drive people (at least in part) to crave pleasure from their addictive behaviors.
This becomes important when you try to end your addiction. If you try to eliminate your main source of pleasure in life without being able to replace it immediately with other sources of pleasure, it is doubtful you will be able to stay away from your addictive behavior very long.
I remember one woman I treated for cigarette addiction, who claimed that she couldn't bring herself to give up smoking even though she had successfully done so in the past and even though she sufferred no serious withdrawal symptoms when she did so. After a few sessions of counselling, we discovered that the main reason she was smoking was that her husband had totally dominated her and took away everything in her life that she considered "her own." The only thing he couldn't take away from her was her smoking--it was the only area left she could claim as her's.
Before this woman was able to end her smoking habit, which she did, she first had to reclaim much of the "territory"--both physical and emotional--her husband had wrested from her. While this was not an easy process, and while it didn't happen over night, she knew that she would never be able to relinquish the behavior of smoking if it remained, in fact, her only source of satisfaction.
D. Underlying Deficiencies in Coping and Life Management Skills
Addiction should never be viewed as a problem in and of itself. Addictions are much better viewed as a symptom of other underlying problems and deficiencies. This is why most addiction therapies are so universally unsuccessful.
To cure most addictions, you must look beyond the addiction itself and deal with underlying deficiencies in coping and life management skills that have given rise to it.
For example, people who become addicted to alcohol and other drugs usually have serious deficiencies in their life management, stress management, and interpersonal skills. Early on in life, they experience a great deal of pain and personal suffering that they can't figure out how to deal with effectively. This drives them to seek external relief and comfort in the form of alcohol or other substances. As this pattern of behavior gets repeated over time, their bodies become physically addicted to the chemical substance, and the addiction then becomes even more difficult to end.
The same is true for cigarette addiction. Many people find that smoking helps them cope with stress or keep their weight under control. Even if they are successful at beating the physical part of cigarette addiction, they often quickly return to smoking because they fail to improve their repetoire of coping skills.
So if you are trying to deal with the problem of Internet Addiction, or any addiction for that matter, you should ask yourself the following questions:
1. What stress management skills or life management skills do I lack that led me to become addicted?
2. What problems in life do I have that my addiction helps me to avoid or to "solve."
3. What would I need to learn how to do in order to let go of my addictive behavior?
4. What "benefits" or payoffs am I getting from my addictive behavior?
E. Giving in to Temptation
Once you decide to eliminate an established addiction, there are certain requirements and pitfalls you must be prepared for. One of these is dealing with temptation.
Whenever you try to stay away from something that previously gave you great pleaure, you're going to be tempted to return to that behavior. Sometimes, the temptation may be very strong. But even if it is, you must be prepared to resist it.
Temptation, in truth, is nothing more than a powerful internal feeling state (i.e., a desire). It is often accompanied by thoughts as well, that are designed to make you "cave in" and satisfy your intense internal cravings.
You, however, are always much stronger than any of your internal thoughts, feelings, or other internal states. You have the power to consistently ignore or to choose not to respond to your thoughts and demanding feelings. Thoughts and feelings have very little power at all (even though many people mistakenly "feel" that their thoughts and feelings are much more powerful than they).
Once you take on the challenge of dealing with any addiction, you will need to marshall your ability to successfully deal with temptation. If you don't have a sense that you have this power to succeed, you can use your addiction as an opportunity to discover that you really do have this important capability.
F. Failing to Keep Your Word
In order to change any established habit, be it an addiction or not, you must be able to give your word to yourself and KEEP YOUR WORD NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS. All behavior change involves deciding what actions are needed to break the established pattern and then taking those actions on a consistent basis over time. This is just another way of saying "you must give your word to yourself every day that you will do this or that or not do this or that. Then you must keep your word, no matter what happens around you or what temptations or seductive excuses you encounter."
Many addiction treatment programs fail because addicts are not empowered to rehabilitate their ability to give and keep their word. Many addicts, experience has shown, are very accomplished liars. Their promises and statements to others often can't be trusted. And their ability to keep promises to themselves is similarly impaired.
Without the ability to give and keep your word, especially to yourself, you've got very little chance of curing any addiction. On the other hand, if you make this goal part of your overall game plan, you may be able to emerge from your addiction a stronger, healthier, and more trustworthy human being.
G. Failing to Do What May Be Necessary
Be very clear about this one important point: ALL ADDICTIONS CAN BE CURED AS LONG AS PEOPLE AGREE TO DO WHATEVER MIGHT BE NECESSARY. One reason most addictions appear to be "incurable" is because people shy away from the types of actions that are often neccessary.
What types of actions are these? Well, they can be numerous, diverse, and highly specific for any individual. They might include any or all of the following (using Internet Addiction as an example):
1. Setting an absolute schedule or time limit for how much time you spend on the 'Net.
2. Forcing yourself to stay away from the 'Net for several days at a time.
3. Placing self-imposed computer "blocks" on certain types of services.
4. Setting an absolute policy for yourself of never signing on to the net at work (unless this is required for your job).
5. Establishing meaningful (but not harmful) consequences for yourself for failing to keep your word.
6. Applying these self-imposed consequences until you do regain your ability to keep your word consistently.
7. Forcing yourself to do other things instead of spending time on the net.
8. Resolving to learn how to derive other more healthy sources of pleasure in life to replace or even exceed the pleasure you got from being on the 'Net.
9. Asking for help whenever you feel you are not being successful.
10. Avoiding people or environments that might encourage you to return to your addictive behavior.
While these are not the only actions that may be called for, many of them will work for a majority of individuals. The point is that in order to cure an addiction, you've got to be willing to do things that may seem drastic or outrageous but not harmful to yourself or others.
Several years ago, I learned about a weight loss counsellor who conducted very successful group weight loss programs for people who had failed miserably many times before. One strategy this counsellor used was both drastic and outrageous. She had every member of the group make a list of the three worst, most despicable, most morally bankrupt organizations they knew of. She then made each member of the group promise to donate $25 to one of the organizations on their list for every week that they failed to lose at least one pound. This strategy worked like a charm. But on their own, most members of the group would never have considered self-imposing such a powerful motivator.
So if you have a history of failing to make any type of desired behavior change, all this may mean is that you weren't willing to do what is necessary. All addictions (and other dysfunctional behaviors) can ultimately be cured. It's just a matter of figuring out what specific actions will work (and will not cause you or others harm) and then executing those actions despite any thoughts or feelings you might have to the contrary.
Failing to Anticipate and Deal With Relapses
No matter how much initial success you have in eliminating an addiction, unintended relapses are just around the corner. Something unexpected might happen in your life or you might otherwise succumb to a moment of weakness.
Good addiction treatment plans anticipate that such relapses commonly occur and prepare individuals to deal with them successfully.
One thing they emphasize is that "relapse" is not synonymous with "failure." A relapse does not mean that you have failed in your efforts to cure yourself of an addiction. If you stay away from cigarettes for 3 months and then smoke again for two days in a row, you can view this as a "failure" if you want, or you can focus on the fact that of the last 92 days, you successfully abstained for 97% of them. That's pretty good.
The trick is to keep 2 days from becoming 5 days, or 5 days from becoming 10 days, etc. Here you will need a game plan to keep an occasional relapse from triggering a return to the addiction.
Before you begin to work on curing your addiction, decide in advance what you will do once you are successful and suffer a minor relapse. Have an outrageous game plan in mind that you hope you will never need to use, but that you are committed to execute if the need ever arises. Then go into this "emergency mode" within 1-2 days of suffering a minor relapse.
Include in your emergency game plan at least three powerful people you can call to give you strong support. Have several self-imposed consequences in mind, and apply them to yourself quickly before things get seriously out of hand. If you jump on these relapses quickly and effectively, and if you don't beat yourself up for such minor regressions, you should be able to reestablish your cure plan.
This Special Report was written by Morton C. Orman, M.D. It is being made available to the Internet community by The Health Resource Network, Inc.

lunes, 22 de septiembre de 2008

El Conocimiento Por Gravedad


Tema: El Conocimiento Por Gravedad

Esta es una teoría que viene a mi mente en cuanto a como los estudiantes, que se les asigna tareas y las hacen, tienen mas probabilidad de lograr un máximo desempeño a la hora de mostrar sus habilidades adquiridas en las áreas fundamentales del idioma, como son ingles, Francés ó de cualquier otro.
Para ilustrar esta teoría me remontare a una experiencia personal que tuve hace e unos años; visitaba yo una pareja de amigos en la comunidad de Bonao, al norte de nuestro país República Dominicana, allí se nos rompió una tubería con lo cual tuve una oportunidad de conocer como funciona la gravedad en materia del agua y tuberías. Es una ley ya comprobada que el agua solo subirá a una altura igual y no superior a la altura de la que fue tomada.http://wikipedia.org/wiki/abastecimiento_de_agua_por_gravedad .El agua no subía al terreno donde estábamos porque la parte alta de la tubería estaba rota. Al reparar el daño el agua fluyo con una presión tan fuerte que teníamos que dejar abierta una llave para que todas las tuberías no sufrieran una eminente explosión.

Fue ahí donde me puse a meditar en esto y al aplicarlo al área de los idiomas , entendí un patrón común que estaba sucediendo con mis estudiantes y los estudiantes de colegas amigos, los estudiantes no podían: leer, pronunciar, escribir, entender lo que hacían en un sentido global, por la sencilla razón de que solo le ponían las manos a los libros cuando venían a estudiar no así los fines de semana ni los días libres en los cuales ni siquiera los veían unos minutos de su tiempo por lo que su desempeño era en el mejor de los casos de un 70% los que ya habían visto Ingles u otro idioma y 50% los cuales este idioma era su primera, esto por supuesto eran los mas inteligentes y habilidosos que buscaban alguna forma de estar mínimamente al día, aunque para esto tuvieran que copiar, con lo cual no aprendían nada o peor aun fotocopiar el trabajo ya hecho de otros, por supuesto con esto solo se engañaban ellos mismos por que a la hora de poner en practica sus conocimientos en la vida real, ya sea en el área laboral, educativa, social etc.… no los tenían en la base de datos de su mente, por que nunca los estudiaron, siempre buscaron la forma de cumplir un programa, un requisito institucional, ect.. pero no de aprender, estos a su vez se auto justificaban con cualquier cosa que pudieran para acallar sus conciencias que le reclamaban lo que pudieron hacer y no hicieron.

Note además que aquellos estudiantes que estaban constantemente estudiando las clases ya dadas, los que no se desconectaban de ellas hasta aprenderlas, esto es, que vivían leyendo, me escribían e-mails, escuchaban música o radio en el idioma en cuestión , veían televisión ya sea programas, series, documentales, películas, vídeos, hablaban lo poco que sabían, aplicaban las técnicas dadas en el curso, motivaban a otros a conversar, compraban todas las herramientas como son diccionarios, CDs, vídeos, libros de trabajo etc.. Y los usaban, se ponían en contacto con ambientes que los favorecieran con la practica de el idioma estudiado en cuestión obtenían en el peor de los casos 90% los que ya habían estudiado y 80% los que nunca habían estudiado; por supuesto que el que lo hacia toda era imposible no adquirir un 95% y hasta un 100% del objetivo del programa.
A partir de lo anteriormente expuesto pude deducir que: El Conocimiento y Dominio Total de una Lengua será equivalente al Esfuerzo Hecho por los Estudiantes sobre las Bases de dichos Idiomas. Una formula gráfica para esto seria: CDTL=EHE/BI. Con esta simple teoría, que aspiro pueda llegar a convertirse en ley, podemos acumular experiencias a través del contacto constante con las herramientas de dicho estudio en particular para obtener resultados óptimos.

A esto llamo conocimiento por gravedad, si en los niveles básicos e intermedios no estas bien no estarás bien en los niveles avanzados y estos serán cada vez mas difíciles para ti provocando un dolor de cabeza hasta llegar a convertirse en una frustración total; pero si por el contrario estos son estudiados con detenimiento y practica repetitiva los superiores serán niveles relajantes y crearan en tu interior un sabor dulce al llegar a saber a cabalidad hasta en un 100% el idioma que estés estudiando. La próxima vez que te toque estudiar un idioma no lo hagas por salir de el, como requisito impuesto o por obligación, en tal caso mejor no lo estudies en ese momento, por el contrario cuando tengas que hacerlo disfruta esa experiencia y aplica la formula: CDTL=EHE/BI. ¡Veras resultados que a ti mismo te sorprenderán!
Autor: LIC.Annfrank Robinson Rosario ITLA's English Professor