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Lancashire Police has issued a warning that protests against organised shoots must be peaceful after making four arrests.
It comes as part of an ongoing investigation into the damage caused at two local sporting estates as well as snares, traps and a trail camera being reported stolen.
I would like to remind the public we treat wildlife crime just as seriously as other crimes and we will target anyone involved in illegal activityPC Andrew Massingham
The two-month investigation at the Bleasdale and Abbeystead Estates came to a conclusion when a 16-year -old girl, a 20-year-old woman, an 18-year-old man and a 45-year- old man, all from Leyland, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and theft. All four have been released on police bail until November 2 pending further enquiries.
And now police are warning that anyone found to be disrupting or sabotaging organised hunting events with unlawful activity will be "dealt with robustly".
PC Andrew Massingham of the Lancaster Neighbourhood Policing Team and Wildlife Officer said: "These arrests come as part of an on-going investigation following a number of incidents which have interfered with the management of the estates affected.
"This week also marks the start of the grouse shooting season throughout the UK. I would like to remind the public that we treat wildlife crime just as seriously as other crimes and we will target anyone involved in illegal activity.
"Similarly, whilst people may wish to express their objections towards organised shoots through peaceful protest, they may not do so by disrupting such events.
"We are committed to tackling rural crime and our wildlife officers will continue to work closely with the community to ensure that any unlawful activity is dealt with robustly."
The red grouse hunting season started last week and the black grouse will be available to be hunted from Thursday, August 20.
Both seasons run until Thursday, December 10.
Restrictions mean that grouse cannot be killed on Sundays and game cannot be shot at from one hour after sunset until one hour before sunrise.


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Yesterday on the Laura Ingraham show, Fox News's Senior Washington Correspondent Brit Hume agreed with Ingraham that examinations of Gov. Sarah Palin's (R-AK) religion are inappropriate. He argued that such reports are completely different than questions the press stoked about Sen. Barack Obama's (D-IL) church, because those questions were about Obama's pastor, not about Obama's faith:
HUME: There was a big controversy about Barack Obama's church, not because of the Christian doctrine that was preached from the pulpit or the nature of the faith that was practiced there, but because of the highly political statements that the pastor had made, mostly about America. Which is an entirely different proposition and an entirely different story. There have been very little if any searching reporting done about Barack Obama's faith.
Listen here:
Despite Hume's attempts to rewrite history, the fact is that the media — with Fox leading the way — spent months discussing Obama's religion, first wondering whether he was a Christian at all and then raising ominous questions about the type of Christianity preached at his church. In fact, a simple Nexis search of Fox transcripts for "black liberation theology" gets 37 returns in just the last six months — including discussions by Hume himself and on his show:
— BRIT HUME: And he distinguishes between Reverend Wright's religious message and these occasional political assertions. … That is a church that is rooted in what is called "black liberation theology." So is that really a distinction that can be credible? [Special Report with Brit Hume, 3/17/08]
— NINA EASTON: But I think the problem is actually deeper and one that will keep on coming back to haunt him, in that it is this church, Trinity Church, which a lot of it practices black liberation theology, which is what this reverend practices. [Special Report with Brit Hume, 5/29/08]
— JASON RILEY: I want to know what Barack thinks about black liberation theology. What dogs he subscribe to? What does he not subscribe to? I would be interested in knowing this. I don't think it is a religious test. I think in our country, with its racial history, it is due diligence. [Journal Editorial Report, 5/2/08]
— SEAN HANNITY: Now, we explored the roots [of] liberation theology on last week's program, but keep in mind that its, quote, "sole purpose" is to apply the freeing power of the gospel to black people under, quote, "white oppression." [Hannity's America, 5/11/08]
Is it really "an entirely different proposition" to examine how Palin's religion might affect her governing views?

subset: commoncrawl


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Scan at the box office and concession stand to earn points, unlock rewards and use your Movie Club credits.
Your web browser is blocking location sharing. Please enable location sharing through your browser settings, or search by ZIP code.
March 22, 2019
116 min
Horror, Thriller
Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Anna Diop, Evan Alex, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Madison Curry, Cali Sheldon, Noelle Sheldon, Duke Nicholson
Jordan Peele
Accompanied by her husband, son and daughter, Adelaide Wilson returns to the beachfront home where she grew up as a child. Haunted by a traumatic experience from the past, Adelaide grows increasingly concerned that something bad is going to happen to her family. Her worst fears soon become a reality when four masked strangers descend upon the house, forcing the Wilsons into a fight for survival. When the masks come off, each stranger takes the appearance of a different family member.
Universal Pictures


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Most people would prefer the dentist's chair over sitting down to hear politicians ramble on about negative gearing or tax rebates.
Granted, these are important issues, but it can be hard to switch on when even the politician selling them doesn't really seem to know what they are talking about.
With Federal Election voting underway and parties keener than ever to give you an ear bashing, Daily Mail Australia has sifted through pages of sleep-inducing policy and boiled it down so you don't have to.
Childcare costs the average family at least $90 a day in Australia and both parties have proposed to shake up the system if elected.
With $3billion packages set aside to help families it's the slight variations that could make a world of difference for your children.
The Coalition has promised to help Australian families 'get ahead' by offering those with incomes between $65,000 and $170,000 around $30 a week for childcare - or $15,000 annually.
In addition, the current yearly cap on subsidies of $7,500, will be removed and families earning more than $185,000 could claim up to $10,000 a year.
The $3billion Jobs for Families child care package involves a major shakeup of the system and is hoped to be introduced by July 2018.
Labor plans to increase the childcare rebate by 15 per cent, leaving some families up to $31 better off per week.
The childcare rebate cap would also move from $7,500 to $10,000 from January 2017 - a year earlier than the current government's plan.
A further $160million to increase childcare and after-school care will also be provided for areas of high demand.
Gonski funding was started in 2014 to ensure that all schools were resourced according to their needs.
The Coalition has said it will fund the next two years of the Gonski programme and has committed another $1.2bn towards it from 2018 to 2020.
To justify where the funding is needed, young students will be tested on reading on maths to find out those who need the most help.
The Coalition has also budgeted to cut $2bn of funding from universities and will hold a consultation before these are identified.
Labor has differentiated itself from the Coaliation by making substantial funding commitments for education.
The Gonski programme will receive $4.5bn from 2018 to 2020 and total education funding will reach $37bn in the next 10 years.
To help pay for this in part, polytech students at private colleges will be restricted to $8,000 per year - saving $6bn over the next decade.
The Coalition will keep a lid on the value of Medicare rebates paid to doctors until at least 2020.
Medical experts have warned this could make it more expensive to go to the doctor - with patient charges rising to $25 a visit by some estimates.
A cash injection of $2.9bn has been put aside to fund public hospitals.
Labor will not freeze Medicare rebates in an effort to keep the cost of a doctor's visit down.
They also plan to get rid of additional payments for pathology services and price increases for some medicines.
Public hospitals will also receive a funding boost under Labor, to the tune of around $5bn in the next four years.
The Liberals have promised to keep their hard-line positions on immigration and border protection.
Australia's humanitarian intake will stick at 13,750 and the 'stop the boats' pledge will remain,
The Liberals also oppose relocating Manus Island and Nauru refugees permanently relocated to Australia.
Labor has pledged to lift Australia's refugee intake from 13,750 to 27,000 - but will do so over the next 10 years.
Similar to the Liberals, they will keep a tough anti-asylum seeker stance.
They will look to relocate Manus and Nauru detainees to other United Nations countries.
The Coalition has ruled out any changes to negative gearing, saying it is used by more than a million Australians, two thirds of whom have taxable incomes below $80,000.
It instead wants to help first home buyers and others get into the market by increasing the number of houses on the market, and through other policy areas like tax cuts and job creation.
There is also a plan to crack down on work stoppages by construction unions, which it claims force up building costs, particularly on apartments, by bringing back the Australian Building and Construction Commission.
Labor has pledged to tackle housing affordability head-on by taking a blowtorch to negative gearing, which is widely held responsible for ballooning house prices.
The party would limit negative gearing to new properties.
The idea is to both reduce house prices by making investment properties less attractive, and increase housing stock by encouraging investors to build new ones.
However, it has been criticised on the grounds that it would cut house prices, by up to five per cent, making current homeowners worse off.
Marriage equality
The Coalition has promised to hold a $158 million plebiscite for the Australian public to vote on whether people of the same sex should be able to legally marry.
A plebiscite is not legally binding and so the government would be able to ignore its results, however Turnbull has pledged to honour the results.
Labor has pledged to hold a free vote in parliament and considers the national vote 'unnecessary' as polls show Australian's favour marriage equality and the matter could be dealt with straight away.
The Liberal's plebiscite has also been criticised over suggestions the ensuing public debate would be toxic for the LGBTQI community.
Climate change
The Turnbull government aims for more than 23 per cent of Australian electricity to come from renewable energy by 2020. $1billion has been pledged to fund large-scale solar projects.
The Coalition plans to reduce emissions by 28 per cent by 2030 and have invested $2.55billion to incentivise businesses to reduce their emissions.
The government also introduced the 'Green Army' to plant trees across the country.
Labor says the right policies will drive jobs creation and put downward pressure on power prices.
The party plans for 50 per cent of electricity to be sourced from renewable energy by 2030 and has pledged to support solar investment.
The Coalition is promising $50 billion in infrastructure funding to improve road and rail links around the country. Much of this was in the Budget.
It has put a lot of stock in its City Deals, which are coordinated development plans for metro centres from Townsville to Perth, including major road upgrades and projects like the Western Sydney airport.
One of the key aims is to slash travel times around major cities so you can get anywhere within 30 minutes.
It will also help fund a slate of projects state governments are already working on or proposing, such as WestConnex in Sydney, Midland Highway upgrade in Tasmania, and upgrading 1,000km of freight rail in regional Victoria.
The centrepiece of Labor's plan is giving Infrastructure Australia $10 billion a year to loosen private sector purse strings for building projects through loans, loan guarantees and equity investments.
But there's a catch - projects will have to prove they are sustainable and have used new technology to get the most out of the new road or rail, such as using flexible lane allocations on arterial roads.
It also wants to coax people out of their cars onto public transport, or get them cycling or walking instead to ease pressure on gridlocked roads. Projects will have to show they tried this and new projects are necessary.


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2018 Toyota RAV4 Platinum Test Drive Review
The Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue and Honda CR-V are to passenger vehicles what the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and RAM 1500 are to trucks: they dominate the market. Last year was huge for compact crossovers, and as more buyers flock to crossovers, that trend doesn't seem to be slowing anytime soon. The 2018 Toyota RAV4 faces some stiff competition, though, from CUVs like the CR-V and Rogue as well as the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Jeep Cherokee, VW Tiguan, Hyundai Tucson and Mazda CX-5. Of course, Toyota is credited with…Read More


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Bon Ltd.
Bon Ltd. is a fast growing Bulgarian-German company which is specialized in the processing and export of seeds and bird food kernels. The company is established in 1994 with Headquarter in Gabrovo, Bulgaria.
After very careful survey of several different ERP solutions, Bon decided to implement ERP system Microsoft Dynamics NAV.


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Worn / Damaged / Unsaleable Clothing
Some organisations are able to sell worn/damaged/un-saleable clothing to companies that recycle the clothing/textiles for industrial rags or other textile byproducts.
Clothing retailers H&M, Zara and Manrags each have garment collection programs for clothing or textiles, which they reuse or recycle.
Quilt covers, sheets and towels
Retailer Sheridan accepts your pre-loved sheets and towels (any brand) at your local Sheridan Boutique, Studio or Outlet store
Bedding for animals
Rags for mechanics
Commercial quantities
Search for a commercial clothing recycler on BusinessRecycling.com.au


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Welcome to Palm Dental Group!
Dr. Teresa Rabanal and staff welcome you to our office. We take great satisfaction in helping you maintain optimal oral health. Our practice is devoted to comprehensive and preventive patient care.
Throughout our website, you will find an abundance of information about our practice, procedures we provide, and dentistry in general. Please explore and learn as much about dentistry and our services as you desire. We believe our patients should have as much information as possible in order to make important, informed decisions regarding their oral health and treatment options.
We look forward to seeing you!
Dr. Rabanal is proud to be a provider of Fastbraces® technology, an innovative orthodontic treatment, specially designed to move teeth fast and efficiently with gentle forces giving beautiful, straight teeth in a matter of months… not years!
Contact Us Today To Book Your Appointment!


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The Cactus BlossomsName: The Cactus BlossomsDate: February 8, 2019Time: 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM CSTWebsite: http://www.stoughtonoperahouse.comEvent Description:The "alt country" music scene isn't as big as it used to be, but there's still a lot of vintage twang in the Twin Cities, courtesy of the Cactus Blossoms. The Minneapolis group, fronted by brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum, harkens back to the roots of country with its earnest songs and pristine harmonizing. Torrey and Burkum play country music the way the best always have: with an ear for universal truth in commonplace stories and for real emotion in simple melodies and beautiful harmonies. The Cactus Blossoms deliver hand-in-glove harmonies that mimic some of the giants of early country-- the Louvin Brothers; the Delmore Brothers; the Everly Brothers. For Jack Torrey, the core of the Cactus Blossoms is the singing. "Your voice is the most expressive thing that you have, if you let it be." www.thecactusblossoms.com
Upcoming Events


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Guess who isn't the adventurer in the family…yea, this girl. Guess who is…my 2nd daughter. I look at the places she's been and the crazy things she does and I just gulp. Where she got those guts from I'll never know. lol
Last year when she decided to go overseas for a year she was told she could only pack what she could fit into two backpacks. What I didn't know when she left is that she went without a camera. Last month, we were finally able to Skype and out of the blue I asked her, "What is one thing you wish you would've taken with you?" she replied by saying, "A GoPro!" There was no hesitation.
I was rather upset. I had no idea she hadn't gotten a camera. I've been seeing amazing photos with her in the 3 countries she's been in so far, so it never crossed my mind that she wasn't taking pictures with a camera. Turns out, one of the girls on her team brought a GoPro.
After we talked, I set out to talk with my family about getting one of the cameras for her and how we'd get it over to her in one of the countries she'd be in. Let's just say we're on a mission!
My daughter isn't the only one who's a GoPro enthusiast. My buddy, Bruce Sallan is the guy to watch when it comes to skiing. Check out one of his many videos:
You won't EVER see me doing that! lol
I'm not sure which GoPro he has but here are some details about them:
· GoPro HERO4 Black: the most advanced GoPro ever, featuring improved image quality and a 2x more powerful processor with 2x faster video frame rates1, HERO4 Black takes award‐winning GoPro performance to a whole new level.
· GoPro HERO4 Silver: the first-ever GoPro to feature a built-in touch display. Controlling The camera, playing back footage and adjusting settings is ultra-convenient—just view, tap and swipe the screen. With 1080p60 and 720p120 video, and 12MP photos at a staggering 30 frames per second, HERO4 Silver combines powerful, pro-quality capture with the convenience of a touch display.
· GoPro HERO: Featuring high‐quality 1080p30 and 720p60 video, and 5MP photos up to 5 fps, HERO captures the same immersive footage that's made GoPro one of the best-selling cameras in the world.
12x more powerful processor with 2x faster video frame rates
Best Buy is the home of the latest cameras and camcorders, including the full line of new GoPro cameras, plus a broad assortment of accessories. GoPro cameras make perfect holiday gifts for everyone, from kids and teens, to gadget gurus. GoPro's new line of cameras allow you to beautifully and authentically capture and share the experiences that bring purpose, adventure, and joy to your life.
Learn more at www.bestbuy.com/GoPro or visit your local Best Buy to check out the latest cameras in person.
I have a feeling as my boys grow older and spend more time with Fred and his kids you'll find them being more adventurous than they are right now. I have a feeling they'll be doing the crazy roller coasters sooner than later! Can you imagine them grabbing a photo like this as they ride one?
Now, we do a lot of other things as a family like going to amusement parks and water parks. For now, I know we won't be living an amazing life like my daughter is right now, but I want her to capture all of the moments she can with a GoPro!
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Adventuring With GoPro
Words Woven by Mimi B at 12:09 AM
16 comments:
Cesar Diaz
I love GoPro! This was a fun review, thank you for sharing.
- October 16, 2014 at 7:19 AM
Steph Sharing A to Z
I would go to Hawaii with my family. Great pictures. Thanks for sharing.
- October 16, 2014 at 3:24 PM
Femme Fitale Fit Club
Boy I would go to the Grand Canyon - I really want one of these of my own.
- October 17, 2014 at 6:45 AM
Kay Maher
I love these cameras! I would say I 'need' one, but you know, I really don't... lol, I would sure love to have one though! I'd strap it to my kids when they are outside, I'd strap it to my car, I'd strap it to our 4 wheelers, this camera would travel if I had it!!
- October 17, 2014 at 9:52 AM
I'm not quite the daredevil your daughter is, but I try to keep up with my son and nieces. I would love to have one of those cameras!
- October 17, 2014 at 7:27 PM
Karissa Ancell
What a cool camera. 'i'd love to have one someday.
- October 17, 2014 at 7:30 PM
Thrifty and Chic Mom
I would definitely take it skiing that would be so fun!
- October 17, 2014 at 9:52 PM
Liz Mays
The first thing I'd do is probably a zipline, but then maybe skydiving!
- October 17, 2014 at 11:41 PM
My dad has one of these and has a blast with it. Can't wait to see more from you with this attached ;)
- October 18, 2014 at 12:42 AM
I want one of these so bad. Hopefully Santa brings one for Christmas.
- October 18, 2014 at 1:54 AM
Grandma Juice
UUmm... that 1st hoto up there... it made me nervous just looking at it! I couldn't know my kids did this. Ever :)
- October 18, 2014 at 8:18 AM
Lisa Douglas
Dude, these cameras would be an AMAZING way to video everything my kids do that I can't EVER capture when I'm too busy holding their hands, pushing the stroller, etc. ;)
- October 18, 2014 at 9:19 AM
Your daughter sounds like the daredevil I was BEFORE I had kids. Course once I had kids I stopped and lost that little devil in me. Now I won't chance anything that risks my life. Wow, she didn't have a camera, something I always make sure I have. So is she backpacking across countries or something? If I had a Go Pro I'd take tons of pictures of the kids rock climbing.
- October 18, 2014 at 11:36 AM
C (Kid Things)
These look like such great cameras and a great way to make sure you never miss a moment of the action!
- October 18, 2014 at 2:45 PM
I so want a GoPro. The boys and I have been doing a lot of adventure travel recently and these would be great for it.
- October 20, 2014 at 8:05 AM
Jennifer DaFonte
What an amazing experience! I hope she gets that GoPro she's been wanting!
- October 20, 2014 at 12:54 PM


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Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise Male-Female Plumage Differences
In some birds, males and females are distinguished solely by color. In others, males possess additional ornamentation not seen in females. This is especially true in birds-of-paradise such as the Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise, which has several long tail wires, which it sweeps across a female's face during courtship displays.
This video accompanies Chapter 4, Feathers and Plumages, Handbook of Bird Biology, 3rd Edition from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Wiley Publishing.
Recorded by Timothy G. Laman, Macaulay Library


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Northwest Hospital recommends annual health screenings as an important part of your ongoing wellness and preventive health care. It's important to ask your physician or health care provider what's appropriate for your age, gender and ethnicity, and whether you and your family are up-to-date on all of your immunizations.
At Northwest Hospital & Medical Center, we offer a variety of screenings — from cancer to heart disease — to help you stay on top of your health. Among these are:
Breast Cancer
Annual screening mammograms start at age 40. Women who have a strong family history of breast cancer should start screening 10 years before the age that the primary relative (mother or sister) was diagnosed. For more information visit the Seattle Breast Center section of our website, or contact the Center at 206.668.5950 to schedule an appointment.
Pelvic Exam and Pap Test
A pelvic exam is a way for doctors to look for signs of illness in certain organs in a woman's body. Annual pelvic exams are recommended for all women. A Pap smear (Pap test), which is part of the pelvic exam, is a test of a sample of cells taken from a woman's cervix. The test is used to look for changes in the cells of the cervix that show cervical cancer or conditions that may develop into cancer. Pap smears are performed on any women who is sexually active or over the age of 21. Pelvic exams and Pap tests can be performed by your family physician or gynecologist.
A colonoscopy is used to screen for colon cancer and diagnose other problems. The American Cancer Society recommends colonoscopy every 10 years beginning at age 50, unless you have a strong family history or other high risk factors.
Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring (CT Scan)
CT scanning is performed to visualize calcified plaque in the coronary arteries. The degree of calcified plaque is measure, scored, and compared with age-based data to assess plaque burden and the extent of coronary artery disease. Men and women between ages 40-70 years of age, who have any of the following risk factor would benefit most:
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- Family history of heart disease
- High cholesterol
Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring tests require a physician referral and are offered only as a direct pay exam (not covered by insurance). Call 206.668.2778 to schedule your CT Scan.
Also, visit our Special Events Calendar or read our latest edition of the Med-Info Magazine for free or low-cost screenings offered in your community.


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This morning's WOD was unsuspectingly hard:
With a partner:
Row 300M
Partner holds 2 kettlebells upright (stovepipe position) until you finish rowing
6 rounds for each person
|Kettlebells: much harder than it looks
Biking: Going to try and going mountain biking this weekend as long as the rain holds out and my legs still work, I haven't been on the bike in over 2 weeks!
Last night, I ran 3 miles at Umstead on the bridle trains but was feeling tired and only managed an 11:30 min/mile pace. I need to step it up!


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Ukrainian crisis overshadows Polish domestic politics
Although the European Parliament election campaign began officially in February and continued to rumble on, last month Polish domestic political developments were overtaken by the dramatic events that occurred in neighbouring Ukraine. With the international situation so fluid and dangerously unpredictable, it is very difficult to tell at this stage what impact the Ukrainian crisis will have on the Polish political scene.
At the start of February, a number of the minor parties announced their candidate lists for the European Parliament (EP) election at national conventions. These included the two centre-left groupings – the communist successor Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) and the liberal-left Europa Plus Your Movement (EPTR) coalition headed up (formally at least) by former Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski – together with two smaller centre-right parties: Poland Together (PR) and Solidaristic Poland (SP). The right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, the main opposition grouping led by Jarosław Kaczyński, also unveiled the latest iteration of its programme. This prompted prime minister and the leader of the centrist Civic Platform (PO), the main governing party since 2007, Donald Tusk to challenge Mr Kaczyński, his predecessor as prime minister, to a televised debate sparking off an inconclusive series of challenges and counter-challenges about the terms under which this should take place. The month ended with Jacek Protasiewicz MEP, a Civic Platform regional party boss and EP Vice-President, resigning as the party's national EP election campaign co-ordinator after causing an international (and possibly career-ending) incident when he apparently shouted 'Heil Hitler' while drunk at a German security official at Frankfurt airport. These would have no doubt have been the main developments on the political scene last month had it not been for the outbreak of the dramatic events in Ukraine.
Polish parties support Ukrainian EU integration
The conflict between Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his opponents camped out in Kiev's Maidan Square began last November when, following pressure from Russia, his government backed out of signing an expected free trade and association agreement with the EU. Having started out as a rally to support EU integration, the so-called 'Euromaidan' quickly turned into a mass-scale anti-government protest movement.
Poland was in the forefront of efforts to secure the EU association agreement. All the main Polish parties share the goal of promoting active EU engagement and closer links with East European post-Soviet states in order to the draw them more closely into the West's orbit, with the eventual prospect of accession to the Union for the most advanced such as Ukraine. Consequently, as in the case of EU policy more generally, Polish-Ukrainian relations have only emerged in the context of domestic inter-party politics as a so-called 'valence' issue: where parties agree on overall objectives but compete over which of them is the most competent to deliver on these shared goals.
The Civic Platform government argued that, under its Law and Justice predecessor, Poland was not able to pursue this objective effectively because poor bi-lateral relations with Moscow had re-inforced the prevalent image among its EU partners of Poles as knee-jerk Russophobes. Instead, the Tusk administration favoured improving Russo-Polish relations alongside a fairly minimalist and consensual approach towards EU Eastern policy based on making long-term progress through building support for small steps forward. The best example of this was the Eastern Partnership programme, a fairly modest Polish initiative aimed at strengthening EU ties and regional co-operation with its post-Soviet neighbours. Civic Platform claimed that it was precisely through slowly and incrementally drawing Ukraine (and other post-Soviet republics) into political and trade agreements with the EU that the long-term goal of further eastward enlargement of the Union could be advanced.
On the other hand, Law and Justice, whose leader was one of the first European politicians to travel to Kiev and support pro-EU demonstrations at end of last year, argued that by focusing on improved relations with Russia and promoting the Eastern Partnership the Tusk administration had downgraded developing bi-lateral ties with Kiev and treated the former Soviet republics as a uniform entity rather than building stronger links with more advanced ones like Ukraine.
Controversy over Mr Sikorski's role
The Ukrainian conflict came to head in February when police tried to halt demonstrators marching towards parliament after government supporters in the legislature blocked constitutional amendments limiting presidential prerogatives, one of the opposition's key demands. Riot police opened fire on anti-government protesters who fought back with improvised weapons such as bricks and smoke bombs, leading (according to opposition estimates) to over 100 deaths over the next few days.
As these dramatic events unfolded, Poland played a pivotal role in the EU's efforts to negotiate a deal that could halt the violence. Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski, together with his French and German counterparts, persuaded Mr Yanukovych to agree to a deal that included: a promise not to impose a state of emergency, early presidential elections (originally scheduled to take place in 2015) by December, constitutional changes to weaken the power of the presidency, the formation of an interim national unity government representing all sides of the political conflict, and an independent investigation into the violence. In subsequent tense negotiations with opposition leaders, who were wary that Mr Yanukovych would renege on the agreement, TV cameras recorded how Mr Sikorski made a dramatic appeal for them to accept the deal or 'you will have martial law, you will have the army, you will all be dead'.
Following the outbreak of violence in Kiev, the Ukrainian crisis was, initially at least, not an issue of inter-party contestation in Poland. The parliamentary debate that followed saw cross-party consensus on a major political issue for the first time in many years, including an extraordinary display of unity between the two main parties which have been engaged in a deeply polarised and bitter political struggle since they emerged as the dominant groupings on the Polish political scene in 2005. Although he called upon the Polish government to take a more pro-active approach, Mr Kaczyński also applauded Mr Tusk's statement that he would try and persuade EU leaders to introduce targeted sanctions against the Ukrainian leaders responsible for the violent crackdown. The prime minister reciprocated by applauding Mr Kaczyński when the Law and Justice leader called upon all Polish political groupings to unite on the Ukraine issue.
However, this cross-party consensus quickly unravelled after Mr Yanukovych's downfall as a number of Law and Justice politicians argued that Mr Sikorski and the other EU ministers had intervened too late and played into the Ukrainian President's hands by allowing him to buy time to plan his escape and secure his family's financial interests. They claimed that, by the time that Mr Sikorski was warning opposition leaders of the dangers of not accepting the deal, Mr Yanukovych's camp was already splintering and had lost too much support to use further violence to crush the Maidan protesters. As it turned out, the agreement quickly became obsolescent when Mr Yanukovych fled from the capital immediately after it was negotiated and the regime decomposed as security forces stood down allowing the opposition to occupy the presidential palace and government buildings. Describing the effects of Mr Sikorski's intervention, Mr Kaczynski argued that 'sometimes you do something bad, but it comes out well'.
Mr Sikorski responded by arguing that no one could have foreseen the rapid collapse of the Yanuokovych regime. He claimed that if the opposition had rejected the deal this could have strengthened the Ukrainian President's hand by allowing him to portray his opponents as intransigent and using this as a pretext to unleash further violence against them. Claiming that documents recovered from the deposed President's residence confirmed that Mr Yanukovych had planned a deadly crackdown against the protesters, Mr Sikorski argued that the scenario of bloodshed was very real and that it was his duty to warn the opposition of the potential threat that they faced.
Future domestic scenarios are difficult to predict
Given the fluidity and dangerous unpredictably of the current situation, with Russia threatening Ukraine's territorial integrity, it is extremely difficult to foresee what impact developments in Poland's Eastern neighbour will have on the Polish political scene. Up until now, everything seemed to suggest that the EP election would focus primarily on domestic issues and this was certainly what the Law and Justice opposition was hoping would happen. With the ruling party running some 5-10% behind Law and Justice in the opinion polls, Mr Kaczyński's party hoped to turn the election into a referendum on the government's performance: a classic second-order poll in which voters express a cost-free protest vote and punish governing parties by supporting the opposition. As noted above, the Ukrainian crisis certainly blew all domestic issues out of the water. Previous experience suggests that Polish elections are always dominated by domestic rather than European or other international issues, except when the latter are framed as valence issues. However, given the dramatic nature of subsequent developments, and that fact that any potential future conflict would occur so close to home, the Ukrainian crisis is likely to overshadow Polish domestic politics for some time to come.
In the short-term, the media spotlight will now inevitably fall on the government, particularly if it plays a leading international role in trying to resolve the crisis. The opposition simply lacks the instruments to exert any real influence at this level and is anyway likely to refrain from criticising the government overtly for the sake of national unity at a time of crisis, for the moment at least. Indeed, at one point, Ukrainian developments appeared to support Civic Platform's claim that its approach towards European policy – based on adopting a conciliatory approach towards, and building alliances with, Poland's main EU partners – was more effective than Law and Justice's in promoting Polish interests at the international level. Some sections of the international media praised Mr Sikorski for his role in the helping to broker the deal with Mr Yanukovych, buttressing the ruling party's claims that Poland was now a key European decision-maker that enjoyed the confidence of major EU states, especially Germany, on Eastern policy. A poll conducted by the IBRMiS Homo Homini Institute for the 'Rzeczpospolita' newspaper suggested that this view was at least partly shared by the Polish public, with 71% evaluating the government's Ukraine diplomacy favourably (54% very favourably) and only 20% unfavourably; although, interestingly, only 43% felt that its actions were sufficient while 40% thought they were not.
However, the impact of the Ukrainian crisis on Polish domestic politics depends not just on whether it remains in the headlines but also on the government's performance in the international arena. For the moment, partisan calculations are likely to be put on hold as the imperative for national unity at a time of international crisis becomes the overriding concern. However, at some point the cross-party consensus could once again start to unravel with the Law and Justice opposition arguing that recent developments highlight the naivety of the Tusk administration's over-conciliatory approach towards Moscow and concomitant downgrading of Polish-Ukrainian relations in recent years. On the other hand, partisan considerations might pale into insignificance if events in Poland's Eastern neighbour spiral dangerously out-of-control and the crisis turns into an armed conflict with Russia, with Warsaw and the rest of the international community looking on helplessly.


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Innoeduca. International Journal of Technology and Educational Innovation
Vol. 2. No. 2. Diciembre 2016 pp. 100-108 ISSN: 2444-2925 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20548/innoeduca.2016.v2i2.1954
Independent Virtual English Language Learning: A Case Study In Higher Education
Aprendizaje Virtual Autónomo de la Lengua Inglesa: un Estudio de Caso en Enseñanza Universitaria
Esther Nieto Moreno de Diezmas1, María Victoria Guadamillas Gómez2, María del Prado García Cano Lizcano3
1Departamento de Filología Moderna, Universidad Castilla-La Mancha, España (firstname.lastname@example.com)
2Departamento de Filología Inglesa, Universidad Castilla-La Mancha, España (firstname.lastname@example.com)
3Departamento de Filología Moderna, Universidad Castilla-La Mancha, España (email@example.com)
Recibido el 25 de mayo de 2016; revisado el 27 de octubre de 2016; aceptado el 27 de octubre de 2016; publicado el 2 de diciembre de 2016
El aprendizaje autónomo y el conocimiento de las herramientas de autoaprendizaje de la lengua extranjera resultan de especial interés en el ámbito de la educación universitaria. Particularmente, se hacen imprescindibles en el área de aprendizaje de lenguas en el que los alumnos necesitan un mayor tiempo de práctica y exposición lingüística para el desarrollo de las destrezas receptivas y productivas. El objetivo de esta contribución es presentar la propuesta de aprendizaje autónomo y aprendizaje virtual llevada a cabo a través de las nuevas tecnologías. Para ello, se diseñaron un grupo de tareas y actividades implementadas a través de Moodle en el marco de un proyecto de innovación docente en el que participan diferentes centros y facultades de Educación de la Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha donde se cursa la materia de Lengua Inglesa I. Se muestran también los resultados iniciales de las percepciones de los alumnos respecto de su aprendizaje autónomo y virtual. Por lo tanto, se trata de un estudio de caso que puede proporcionar conclusiones aplicables a contextos similares donde el aprendizaje de la lengua extranjera a través de contenidos virtuales necesite implementarse. Los resultados iniciales obtenidos indican una respuesta positiva por parte del alumnado en términos tanto de percepción como de participación. Este hecho concede una validez a las tareas y procedimientos aplicados en el desarrollo de la propuesta de aprendizaje autónomo y virtual para el desarrollo de la lengua extranjera.
The development of independent and self-learning strategies for Foreign Language Learning is of special interest in Higher Education. In particular, these strategies are essential in the Foreign Language Learning area (EFL), since students need to practise and strengthen their exposure to language so as to develop receptive and productive skills. The goal of this paper is to show how independent and virtual learning are developed by means of ICT. To this end, a group of tasks and activities have been designed, distributed and implemented by means of Moodle in the setting of a teaching innovation project in which different campuses and faculties of Education of the University of Castilla-La Mancha where English I is studied have taken part. Additionally, the initial results in terms of students' perceptions about their independent and virtual learning are shown. Therefore, this paper focuses on a case study at Higher Education in which valid conclusions may be drawn for other similar settings where language learning and virtual learning need to be combined. Initial results suggest the students have responded positively in terms of their perception and participation. This validates the tasks and procedures carried out in the implementation of virtual foreign language learning.
1 introduction
The development of independent and self-learning strategies at Higher Education Levels is essential in Foreign Language Learning (EFL). It can clearly be seen here that providing students with more opportunities to practise will have a positive influence on their results. Regarding the time and period of exposure to the foreign language, in some studies the benefits of intensive English programs have been observed (Housen, 2012; Serrano, 2012) mainly due to the exposure time. In this regard, Serrano (2012) concludes that "there are certain benefits of concentrating the hours of instruction". The author asserts that "this benefit is clearer when the comparison includes intensive programs that offers more hours of instruction than regular dip-feed programs" (Serrano, 2012: 16). Housen (2012) focuses his attention on the immersion programs in European schools and the advantages of increasing the exposure time to English.
English I is a compulsory course in the degree for Early Childhood Education teacher with a low pass rate. In this setting, a teaching innovation project which encourages students to practice independently via virtual platforms can increase the time of exposure to English and is seen as a possible way of improving students' academic results.
Additionally, self-learning and independent learning techniques are essential in Higher Education, since face-to-face classes have generally been deemed insufficient to address the needs of students. According to Ariza and Viáfara (2009) "being autonomous implies optimizing a viewpoint towards knowledge construction to decide what to learn, when and where learning should be developed, materials to be used and ways to assess one's process" (Ariza and Viáfara, 2009: 89). In the context of this study the issue of giving students the possibility to build their learning and find new opportunities to work on language skills is particularly important.
Furthermore, motivation plays a key role in language learning. Both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation help students improve the way they learn and reach their goals. Boza and Méndez (2013: 333) understand extrinsic motivation to be that which drives one to complete a task in order to reach a goal. In this regard, it is closely related to external rewards which provide recognition in themselves. However, intrinsic motivation bears no relation to any external stimulus, rather it addresses the activities which are generally interesting and motivating for students. Both types of motivation are interrelated and affect academic achievement. Therefore, the design of virtual tasks that students can complete at their own pace could nurture extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, since the activities are presented in an interesting way and students can obtain better marks at the end of the course.
There are numerous studies and research projects which address the use of new technologies in EFL. Some of these studies refer to theoretical issues such as the development of learning to learn competence (Salmerón and Gutiérrez Braojos, 2012). In their study, they consider self-regulating learning to be fundamental to making progress in self-learning and in transforming academic competences into real and useful strategies for university students. Additionally, the authors point out that these learning experiences should be holistic and focus on "competences and strategies development such as self-confidence and self-concept" (Salmerón Pérez and Gutiérrez Braojos, 2012: 7).
Jiménez Raya (2013) focuses on independent language learning at university and its potential; he stresses the importance of nurturing the development of independent students who are able to develop skills, which can be used in different academic fields, effectively. The author points out that creating a friendly environment where learners get used to learning from others and help others is needed. Moreover, Jimenez Raya (2013: 127) thinks that integrating teacher educators in writing and using cases that integrate professional experiences produce "multi-modal texts that help other teachers understand how autonomy can be promoted and supported in the language classroom".
Furthermore, Manzano Vázquez (2015) analyses how the concept of independent learning is developed by means of practical experience in the classroom following the principles of Jiménez Raya et al. (2007). According to the results presented by Manzano Vázquez (2015), independent learning is not a goal in education yet. The author points out that the lack of independence is mainly due to the fact that learners are not held to be responsible for their own learning process and syllabus design and assessment processes do not consider self-learning to be a meaningful strategy for learning.
In view of all the considerations above, a group of professors at the University of Castilla-La Mancha decided to design a project which reflects and nurtures self-learning strategies for improving EFL. The teaching innovation project is being implemented in English I, at different Faculties of Education of the UCLM. Scaffolding strategies are essential, since students are encouraged to build their own learning according to the level of English they have on starting and their possibilities. A learning plan has been designed to encourage students to participate and develop their learning. This plan includes: the task design, the assessment rubrics and the supporting documents which are conducive to developing metacognitive abilities in order to evaluate and build EFL learning.
The main objectives of the teaching innovation project are:
1. To develop key competences for lifelong learning which allow students to adapt to a changing labour market in which a sense of initiative and learning to learn abilities are required.
2. To foster the use of ICT, particularly, the use of Moodle by professors and students. Sharing documents, creating back-ups or recording and uploading multi-modal texts is encouraged.
3. To introduce innovative and creative practices in a university-level course. In this regard, it is important to stress the use of scaffolding, self-assessment and goal setting.
4. To have more coordination amongst professors who teach the same or similar courses in different faculties and campuses by means of rubrics and common methodologies and evaluation criteria.
5. To support students with different learning abilities by guiding them in their learning process.
6. To support and guide students in their learning of a second language. In this regard, with the project there is an attempt to provide students with tools which can be useful for them in different learning settings.
In order to reach these goals, task design plays an important role. Most of the authors reviewed coincide in the importance of task design in virtual and cooperative projects. A task-based approach in language learning has played a leading role in the last 30 years. One of the main contributors to TBL (Task Based Learning) is Ellis (2003). The author emphasizes the practical utility tasks have and how they act as facilitators in communicative exchanges. From a virtual perspective, tasks can be even more important, since they allow learners to gather together and discuss a particular topic in different environments, involving them in a social exchange which can be shaped differently in future conversations. As Kurek emphasizes: "Apart from simply communicating task content and procedures, task instructions may also compensate for the missing social context and include the discourse for maintaining social affiliation" (Kurek, 2015: 20).
In this article the activities and tasks designed in the project are shown. It also focuses on the perception students have and the initial results obtained by means of implementing the project.
2 TASK DESIGN: the learning plan
The importance of task design has been discussed in the introduction, since it plays a significant role in virtual learning environments. The activities that have been put forward to students taking part in the project are related to independent learning and self-evaluation and they guide students towards creating their own learning environment through a guided learning plan. Furthermore, basic dimensions of independent learning and learning to learn competence have been considered such as self-awareness of students' own capacities and self-regulation, or conscious management of their learning process.
In order to develop self-awareness, students have of their capacities and knowledge, two questionnaires have been developed.
The first one was an initial test for students to assess their English level according to the CEFR and so that they can find their starting point in the subject. The test covered grammatical and conversational points and had forty questions on different English levels, so students could answer some questions even if they did not have a good enough level. The results of this test showed that for a considerable number of students, the students' language level was below that required, which justified the implementation of this pedagogical intervention.
The second tool used to foster self-awareness was a questionnaire adapted from the CEVEAPEU instrument for the assessment of learning strategies of university students developed by Gargallo, Suárez-Rodriguez and Pérez-Perez (2009). The main aim of this questionnaire was to promote reflection on the learning processes of students and provide both professors and students with information about the skills and abilities which need to be improved.
Moreover, to encourage self-regulation and conscious management of the learning processes of students, professors created four different types of documents:
1. Repository of online resources which enable students to develop independent and virtual learning (videos, activities, online exercises, etc.). These resources are available for different levels (basic, intermediate, advanced) and classified by skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening). There are also resources for general English practice and online dictionaries. The resources selected by professors are varied and provide an extensive setting for the development of the different language skills (for example, they include more than 200 listening activities of intermediate level). Table 1 shows the links to the activities classified by skills:
Table 1. Repository of online resources.
Reading practice
Writing practice
Listening practice
Speaking and Conversation practice
Exam skills practice: Use of English
Main link to activities
2. An inventory of tasks related to every didactic unit of the textbook was also created by professors aimed to particularly reinforce productive skills (speaking and writing). Students must upload to Moodle their recording, reading aloud and writing tasks. Table 2 shows some of the tasks designed for unit 1.
Table 2. Example of tasks
Recording tasks
(2'-3' minutes)
Writing tasks (100-120 words)
Reading tasks
Talk about your family, studies/job, home, likes/dislikes
Write a report with this headline: "woman finds a suitcase full of money on train"
Read the text "Child of our time" (page 12)
Speak about two important dates connected with your family.
Write an email about "situation 1" (page 10).
Read the text "The money programme: Second Life" (page 16).
Talk about your achievements (things you have done or you have not done).
Write an email about "situation 2" (page 10).
Read the text BBC Hustle (page 28).
What are the stereotypes of men and women in Spain.
Write a story using as many expressions on page 22 as you can.
Read the text "How do you know if someone is lying?" (page 26).
Apart from recordings, writing and reading tasks, there are other suggested activities which focus on pronunciation, speaking and listening, vocabulary lists and online grammar exercises.
3. Two different tools were created to encourage self-assessment strategies: self-assessment questionnaires and rubrics of evaluation for both speaking and writing. After every writing or speaking task, students have to evaluate their work, first by online completion of the corresponding self-assessment questionnaire, and then by self-assigning a score using the rubrics. The self-assessment questionnaires have a check list structure and focus on text organization, grammar and vocabulary and their main objective is for to students to learn to avoid common mistakes. The rubrics of evaluation are the ones that professors use to evaluate productive skills in the final test.
4. The forth tool of the learning plan is the discussion paper on the learning process, designed to support self-learning regulation. Students have to reflect in this document on what they have learnt in every lesson, how they learn better, what their achievements are and in what areas they have improved. They also have to make decisions about their learning process and to work on their weaknesses, using activities from the repository of online resources. In this way, students learn to self-regulate their learning and learn according to their needs and at their own pace.
The main research question guiding this study stems from the inquiry into the opinion students have regarding the effectiveness and usefulness of the teaching innovation project, and particularly about their impressions on the learning plan and on each element it is made up of.
To answer the research question a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodology was used, since each provides valuable information for understanding the other. First, a Likert type scale was applied, since it is the most commonly used one to measure attitudes and opinions (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2000). The format of a typical five-level Likert item was used: 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neither agree nor disagree, 4 = Agree and 5 = Strongly agree.
The questionnaire consisted of 18 questions designed to sound out the attitudes and opinions of students regarding the basic instruments of the educational intervention: repository of online resources, the inventory of tasks, the self-assessment questionnaires, the rubrics of evaluation, and the discussion paper on the learning process. The questionnaire was developed using google forms and filled out by students from Moodle and it was intended to obtain data about the opinions and attitudes students had in the first phase of the project implementation, hence enabling appropriate decisions to be taken for the second phase of its implementation.
As for the participants, the questionnaire was answered by 93 students divided into different classes. Regarding the interpretation of the questionnaire results, since the intervals between values could not be considered to be equal (Blaikie, 2003), ordinal data is described in this paper using response percentages.
In addition, a focus group interview was carried out in order to obtain a more in-depth understanding of the meaning of the answers the students gave on the Likert questionnaire. Although group interviews and focus groups usually have an exploratory purpose (Fontana and Frey, 2005), this time we found it very interesting to observe the students themselves collaborating in making sense of what their peers said, so they took on an active role in the analysis and explanation of the data. This strategy enabled us to construct meaning and obtain an in-depth interpretation of the quantitative data.
The interview was conducted with a group of 12 students for 60 minutes. A confident and safe atmosphere was created, without judging or rebutting any of the answers, and interviewees were made aware of how important their contribution was to the study, as recommended by Gurdián (2010) and Vargas (2012) among others. During the interview, students were shown graphs derived from the analysis of the Likert questionnaire, for them to offer an interpretation or explanation of the results.
The opinions and perceptions collected through the Likert questionnaire and the focus group interview on the key instruments of the pedagogical intervention of the learning plan included in the teaching innovation project are explained below.
4.1 The learning plan and independent learning
The Bologna process and the establishment of ECTS entails a change of perspective to focusing not just on what work students do inside the classroom, but also what they do outside it. What university students do and how they organize their time devoted to independent learning has become an issue in research in recent years (Ruiz-Gallardo, Geraldo Gonzalez and Castaño, 2016).
In this regard, in this study participants have been shown to be sensitive to the actual meaning of ECTS, as none of the respondents believed they could make progress in the subject without independent work outside class time, and 94.6% agreed or strongly agreed that independent learning was essential to complete their learning process.
In this sense, most students thought the tasks in the learning plan made them spend more time learning English (68.9% agreed or strongly agreed with this statement). Most students agreed or strongly agreed (51.1%) with the statement that the learning plan helps them organize their independent work, although a high percentage of students, 31%, chose the option "neither agreeing nor disagreeing".
In the group interview students were asked about this issue and several explanations for the high percentage of neutral opinions were given. Many students stated that they had started the course with a very low level of English and they had to receive private classes, so much of the time that ought to have been devoted to independent work was taken up by attendance of these individual classes instead of fulfilling the learning plan. They also argued that not all classmates were carrying out the learning plan with the same intensity and involvement, and suggested that those students who did not complete the tasks set on time were not developing their strategies in the same say as those students who did.
4.2 Self-assessment questionnaires
The students showed a positive view of self-assessment questionnaires. Only a small percentage (6.9%) of participants evaluated these self-assessment questionnaires negatively. Conversely, 49.4% of students agreed or strongly agreed that self-assessment questionnaires helped them be aware of their own mistakes and review what they had produced. The percentage of students who neither agreed or disagreed with this statement was more than a quarter (27%). On the other hand, students considered the self-assessment questionnaires to be more useful for written production than those referring to oral production. 51.1% agreed or strongly agreed that self-assessment questionnaires for written production helped them improve planning, structuring and reviewing grammatical and lexical aspects of written texts. However, the above percentage dropped slightly to 47.8% when it came to assessing how far the self-assessment questionnaire contributed and helped oral production.
Similar results were yielded in the group interview. Most students considered the self-assessment questionnaires for written productions to be far more useful than those used for oral productions. They argued that it was easier to acquire the models for structuring and revision put forward in the tasks during and after producing a piece of writing since it is possible to correct, go back, rephrase, etc., while in oral production it is more complicated to apply their knowledge and make it their own. "We know that / v / and / b / are pronounced differently, but as you speak you don't realize the way you do it" (Participant 5). Another participant says "Maybe at first you think what you are going to say, but then you say what comes into your head at that moment and you do not think about the self-assessment questionnaire" (Participant 2). As for the percentage of indecisive students (around a quarter), the explanation is similar to that given above: students who did not have a set routine for working on their learning plan did not have a clear idea about the usefulness and meaning of the self-assessment questionnaires.
Finally, we believe the fact that the self-assessment questionnaires have also been criticized is of great significance. Students stressed there was a need to develop different questionnaires for every written and oral task, as at present there is only one model that is applied to all compositions and monologues. They believed that responding to the same questions was tedious. Moreover, they thought that this repetition, rather than helping them to memorize the model, made them fill in their answers automatically, without thinking, as it became a mere routine.
4.3 Rubrics of evaluation
The rubrics of evaluation obtained a more favourable opinion than the self-assessment questionnaires did regarding their usefulness for modelling and reviewing oral and written productions as well as reflecting on learning. 74.2% of students agreed or strongly agreed with the fact that the rubrics of evaluation are important for understanding what items the teacher will assess in written and oral productions.
Additionally, it must be stressed that no student disagreed with its usefulness in this regard. However, 21.3% of students neither agreed nor disagreed in this sense. This is one of the issues that was brought out in the group interview. Students expressed their fears about not being able to interpret the rubrics in the same way as teachers did and that it was not so easy to obtain the minimum level required for each section of the rubrics.
Nevertheless, students agreed or totally agreed (66.6%) with the necessity of knowing rubrics of evaluation for written and oral production in order to get good results in the tests, and to a lesser extent, 63.3% recognized the usefulness of the rubrics to reflect on the progress of their own learning. In conclusion, the instrument the students more positively valued was the rubrics of evaluation.
4.4. Discussion paper on the learning process
63.3% of students agreed or strongly agreed that the discussion paper they had to write at the end of each unit helped them reflect on the content they needed to acquire in each unit (grammar, vocabulary, etc.), while the percentage of students who neither agreed nor disagreed was 26.7%. The perception of the usefulness of this discussion paper to detect the strengths and the areas for improvement was similar to that in the previous question, since 64.3% of students agreed or strongly agreed in this respect, while the percentage of undecided students was 26.4%. 31.4% of students agreed or strongly agreed that it was difficult to draft the discussion paper, while 24.8% disagreed or strongly disagreed with this statement. The percentage of students who neither agreed nor disagreed rose to 43.8%.
In the group interview, students explained that they had never written a similar discussion paper, so they did not know if they were doing it well. As an area of improvement for the second phase of the project we plan to give more guidelines in order to help the students in their writing as well as try to make drafts in class. Within the self-regulation process, the discussion paper was intended to be a starting point for providing information for the students about the areas where they need more practice and therefore it would help them in decision-taking about the organization of their own independent learning, including the use of the repository of online resources. However, only 27% of students reveal that they carried out additional activities from the repository of online resources; 22.4% admit that they did not usually do them, and the percentage of students who neither agreed nor disagreed rose dramatically to 50.6%. Being the students asked on this issue in the group interview, several opinions have been set out. As positive aspects the students emphasized that "different kinds of activities could be found in the repository and they could choose the skills they need to strengthen" (Participant 5), "it's good that the material is organized by difficulty so you can start with activities according to your level and then go increasing" (Participant 4) "it is much better to use the repository of online resources than having to find activities on you own, as you can waste time and not be able to find such good resources as the ones given by the teacher" (Participant 3). Perceptions of other students are not so positive: "there are many activities, too many activities..." (Participant 1), "You go there and you get lost ..." "I do not know exactly what to do ..." (Participant 7). These statements seem to confirm the difficulty students have in managing and filtering digital information, even if it has already been prepared and organized by the teacher and classified by skills and levels. Some students stated: "But…will it be asked in the exam?" (Participant 6), "Sometimes in the reading tasks we can find different vocabulary or topics from the ones worked in class and maybe there will not be similar topics in the test, so it is much better to revise what has been studied in class" (Participant 7). Other student explains: "I am very bad at listening, therefore I try to practise this skill with the online material, but telling the truth, I do not see my improvement" (Participant 2). From the above, it may be inferred that the main objective the students had was to pass the subject rather than actually learn. They felt pressured by the time they had available for studying, so they wanted to optimize it by focusing only on the tasks and topics they will be asked about in the final exam. Students are not aware that learning a foreign language is a slow and long process, they want to reach their goals in little time. Another important concept brought out from the interviews is that autonomous learning or independent digital learning is considered hard work by students, who prefer to learn in a more limited and organized way.
4.5. Relation between the learning plan and the improvement in learning
Students believed that the greatest benefit of the learning plan was its focus on improving vocabulary acquisition, according to 61.8% of participants. The following areas most benefited were written production (51.1% of students agreed or strongly agreed with this statement) and grammar (48.3%), while 42.1% of students agreed and totally agreed that the learning plan enabled them to improve their oral production.
When students were asked in the questionnaire about the general contribution the learning plan made to their improvement in the subject, 39.4% agreed and strongly agreed with the statement that the learning plan had helped them to improve their English language skills, while 40.4% neither agreed nor disagreed. In the group interview students displayed a positive view about the learning plan, but they explained that it was difficult for them to assess the way they were getting better. They also explained that the learning plan provided guidelines for further practice whose results were not often seen immediately. They considered that learning a foreign language bore little relation to learning another subject. They could study vocabulary and understand grammatical rules, but were, perhaps, unable to use them in their written and oral productions with fluency and accuracy.
Two main conclusions may be inferred from the arguments discussed previously. On the one hand, students found it very difficult to internalize their progress and evaluate themselves, which is one of the basic dimensions of the competence of learning to learn and independent learning. On the other hand, the fact was dawning on the students that language learning, unlike other subjects, is a process which develops over a long time and needs very intensive exposure to input. Therefore, they do not achieve success as soon as they do in other subjects.
In this paper we analyse the views and perceptions of a group of university students regarding the implementation of a teaching innovation project, whose main objective was to improve independent learning of the English language by means of online learning and using Moodle (Campus Virtual). The teaching innovation project consisted in the design of a learning plan including an inventory of tasks, a selection of online resources for the autonomous learning and several self-assessment tools as questionnaires and rubrics. At the end of the every unit, students had to reflect on their learning process, make decisions about how to improve their level of English and organize their own learning plan.
In order to gather the opinions the students had on the innovation project and the learning plan, quantitative and qualitative methodological techniques were used, by means of a Likert type questionnaire and a focus group interview, which enabled to make sense of the questionnaire responses.
The view of students had about the learning plan designed was quite positive. The most benefited areas, according to students' perceptions were, in this order: vocabulary acquisition, development of written skills, grammar and improvement of in oral production. They also considered the rubrics of evaluation to be more useful than the self-assessment questionnaire to model, revise and assess their productions. Over 25% of students were undecided (neither agreeing nor disagreeing) on some issues. According to the results in the group interview, the reasons for this high percentage may have been due to the different level of student involvement in carrying out the activities of the learning plan and therefore the different handling of the tools included therein.
From the responses of the focus group interview, it could also be inferred that students struggled with their self-assessment as well as in trying to understand and apply the various instruments of self-evaluation.
Moreover, it was found that students encountered problems when they tried to self-regulate their learning and organize it independently. This was seen in the limited use the students did of the repository of online resources.
In this sense, the group interview revealed that the main goal of the students was to achieve successful marks on the subject, instead of learning and reflecting on their own learning processes. Therefore, it was more important for them for the teacher to explain clearly "which issues will be asked in the exam and which ones will not" (Participant 7) rather than improve their independent learning techniques, self-assessment and self-regulation.
In this setting, it is even more valuable to enhance independent and digital learning in university students, since it will become a key tool for improving their lifelong learning and for their personal, social and professional development.
In this study the views and perceptions of students regarding the learning plan, which was the main action of the teaching innovation project described in this paper, were analysed. The study was conducted before the end of the course, so, lacking academic results of the final evaluation, we only could research the opinion of students about the impact of the various instruments designed on their learning process. However, it would be interesting to determine the impact of the teaching innovation project in improving students' grades by comparing them with the results of previous academic years. It would also be of great interest to see whether there is any relation between the academic performance of students and the degree and intensity of their participation in the teaching innovation project by means of their uploading to Moodle, the tasks, the self-assessments and the discussion paper on their learning process.
On the other hand, the results of this study provide valuable information to improve the design of some of the instruments and its implementation. Such is the case of the self-assessment questionnaires and the discussion paper on the learning process. In the first case, it will be necessary to develop an evaluation questionnaire tailored to each of the tasks. As for the discussion paper, it would be useful to provide guidance to students for structuring it and also to help them effectively use it to organize, plan and carry out their learning process.
In short, this study provided us with a starting point for further work that is twofold: from a pedagogical point of view, it has made us realize the actual needs of improving some of the instruments of the learning plan. On the other hand, it is important to go further in proving its effectiveness through future research aimed at determining the impact of the learning plan on academic performance of students.
The teaching innovation project described in this paper was granted by the Vice-rectorate for teaching of the University of Castilla-La Mancha in the IX call for teaching innovation projects. We would also like to thank the students for their collaboration.
Ariza, A. and Viáfara, J. (2009). Interweaving autonomous learning and peer-tutoring in coaching EFL student-teachers. PROFILE Issues in Teachers' Professional Development, 11(2), 85-104.
Blaikie, N. (2003). Analyzing Quantitive Data –from Description to Explanation. London, UK: SAGE.
Boza Carreño, A. and Méndez Garrido, J. M. (2013). Aprendizaje motivado en alumnos universitarios: validación y resultados generales de una escala. Revista de Investigación Educativa, 31(2), 331-347.
Cohen, L., Manion, L. and Morrison, K. (2000). Research Methods in Education. London, UK: Routledge.
Ellis, R. (2003). Task-Based Language Learning and Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Fontana, A. and Frey, J. (2005). The Interview, from neutral stance to political involvement. In N. K. Denzin and S. Lincoln (Comp.), The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research (pp. 695-727). London, UK: Sage.
Gargallo, B., Suárez-Rodriguez, J. M. and Pérez-Perez, C. (2009). El cuestionario CEVEAPEU. Un instrumento para la evaluación de las estrategias de aprendizaje de los estudiantes universitarios. RELIEVE, 15 (2), 1-31.
Gurdián, A. (2010). El paradigma cualitativo en la investigación socio-educativa. San José, Costa Rica: Editorial Universidad de Costa Rica.
Housen, A. (2012). Time and amount of L2 Contact Inside and Outside the School: Insights from the European School. In C. Muñoz (ed.), Intensive Exposure Experiences in Second Language Acquisition (pp. 111-141). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Jiménez Raya, M., Lamb, T. and Vieira, F. (2007). Pedagogy for Autonomy in Language Education in Europe – Towards a Framework for Learner and Teacher Development. Dublin: Authentik.
Jiménez Raya, M. (2013). Exploring Pedagogy for Autonomy in Language Education at University: Possibilities and Impossibilities. In M. Pérez Cañado (ed.), Competency-Based Language Teaching in the European Higher Education Area. New York: Springer.
Kurek, M. (2015). Designing Tasks for Complex Virtual Learning Environments. Bellaterra Journal of Teaching and Learning Language and Literature, 8(2), 13-32.
Manzano Vázquez, B. (2015). Pedagogy for autonomy in FLT: An exploratory analysis on its implementation through case studies. Porta Linguarum, 23, 59-74.
Ruiz-Gallardo, J. E., Geraldo González, J. L. and Castaño, S. (2016). What are our students doing? Workload, time allocation and time management in PBL instruction. A case study in Science Education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 53, 51-62.
Salmerón Pérez, H. and Gutiérrez Braojos, C. (2012). La competencia de aprender a aprender y el aprendizaje autorregulado. Profesorado Revista de Curriculum y Formación de Profesorado, 16 (1): 5-13.
Serrano, R. (2012). Is Intensive Learning Effective? Reflecting on the Results from Cognitive Psychology and the Second Language Acquisition Literature. In C. Muñoz (ed.), Intensive Exposure Experiences in Second Language Acquisition (pp. 3-22). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Vargas Jiménez, I. (2012). La entrevista en la investigación cualitativa: nuevas tendencias y retos. Revista CAES, 31 (1), 119-139.
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This is the 'Hot off the Press' stunning Spring/Summer collection from Nails Inc. Launching in March, this mini set of their best spring/summer colours are the perfect collection to see you through right till September. With heightened hues of orange and electric pink to soft pastel shades of green and blue, including my favourite Nails Inc shades a slightly powdered coco which look amazing against my skin tone, called Belgravia Gardens this is a great collection.
These shades are named perfectly for the season, with each shade named after a London garden. The range is a perfect taster of pastels and neons that are a great alternative if you prefer a more simple nail (or just can't for the life of you, have the patience to join the nail art trend!). I will definitely be wearing these shades as soon as that sun arrives in London! Bring on the spring!
Nails Inc Spring/Summer Mini collection in shades Belgravia Gardens (Coco), Chelsea Physic Garden (pastel blue), Hampton Court Palace Gardens (orange), Royal Botanical Gardens (mint green), Primrose Hill Gardens (coral) & Kensington Palace Garden (pastel peach). All available in 10ml and 4ml size from March 2013. The Spring/Summer Mini collection of 6 4ml nail polishes will be priced at £22. c/o
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Life as a Writer, Disney World Cast Member, and
Big Sister through Foster Care & Adoption
Good People
Welcome back to Taylor Talks!
It's been a long two days at work, but today was such a nice day!
Our lunch hours were much calmer than they usually are, which was nice because we definitely had a few hiccups behind the scenes when things got started today. Everything went really smoothly today, and even as we started to get tired later in the day, we were constantly smiling because of great interactions with Guests.
I spoke with a few really nice groups today, but one group especially stuck out in my mind. They were extremely happy and outgoing, and immediately started chatting with me. They were excited because they had two Taylors in their group, a guy and a girl, so we immediately bonded over that. I learned that they were Cast Members as well (which made their personalities make so much sense), and they were celebrating a birthday. We talked for quite a while and they truly lifted my spirits toward the end of the night. When they were leaving afterward, I stopped to take a picture for them, and they once again made me feel really happy. It was so nice!
I was also awed by a wonderful family who I had already had great interaction with earlier in the night... They left an extremely generous tip for their server as they were her very last table before she was retiring. It brought tears to everyone's eyes to see how kind people can be. This family was so sweet and supportive, and I know that we'll all remember their goodness for a long time.
I hope that tomorrow will be just as great as today was! I'm looking forward to it!
Your continued support means the world to me. From foster care to novels, and family to work experiences, I look forward to sharing more of my life with you each day. Don't hesitate to share your own stories with me or ask me questions about my life. Please don't forget to like and share my Facebook author page as well!
I'd greatly appreciate it if you would share this blog with friends and family through your favorite social media sites. If you're sharing on Twitter, don't forget to tag me (@TayTayK02) and use the hashtag #TaylorTalks.
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My family has been doing foster care since I was three years old. I'm the only biological child in my family, though I now have five permanent siblings. Having nineteen siblings over the course of my lifetime has been an incredible experience, and I'm hoping that by sharing some of the ups and downs of being the only bio kid in a foster family, other foster families or people looking into doing foster care will be able to learn a bit of what life can be like. I also like to share what life is like on my journey to becoming a published author, as well as where my schooling and career choice are taking me.
December 2017


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Ghosh, Mrinal K and Kumar, Suresh K and Rao, Mallikarjuna KS (2001) A note on stochastic minimax principle. In: Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems: An International Journal for Theory, Application and Computer Simulation, 9 (1-2). pp. 105-112.Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)
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All cameras in canon IXUS series comes with compassionate price that is affordable. In markets, cost of IXUS 140 is around 8800 with no other offers like memory card and pouch. But through flipkart,Read More
I purchased this cam for my brother marriage. very nice images. looking simple and small.But we want to adjust the resolution size while taking the photos in night mode otherwise the image quality isRead More
very good...delivary..product with noissues..i love flip kart..i hope it woont disappoint me in future alsoRead More


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Well . . . it's been an amazingly fun few weeks here at the office looking at everyone's decorating pictures - but, now it's time to start handing out some prizes . . .
So . . . without much further ado (though, as previously stated in this space, I love a good ado) . . . here are the winners of this year's 4th Annual Tartanscot Holiday Decorating Contest -
Kim Macumber, Massachusetts
|Jean Baird, California
glass ornaments from Gumps of San Francisco.


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Though hardy and relatively low-maintenance in nature, bermudagrass lawns can occasionally be afflicted by an invasion of crabgrass. This tenacious weed competes with your lawn for water and nutrients, slowly overwhelming your grass and ruining your lawn's appearance. Prevent this from occurring by maintaining your lawn's health and taking preventative measures to stop crabgrass from sprouting in a bermudagrass lawn in the first place.
Water bermudagrass lawn correctly to encourage a healthy lawn, which is less susceptible to crabgrass invasions. Water the lawn once or twice a week, using enough water to moisten the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches. This encourages deep root development.
Feed your lawn to promote dense growth that chokes out all other types of vegetation, including weeds such as crabgrass. Fertilize from the spring through the fall approximately once every four to six weeks. Use a standard lawn fertilizer and apply it according to the label's guidelines, since potency varies by product. Follow the fertilizer with a short watering session to help carry the fertilizer's nutrients into the soil.
Mow your bermudagrass lawn as high as possible. This increases the shade at the soil level and reduces the chance of weed seeds sprouting, according to the University if Minnesota. Common bermudagrass can be mowed to a height of 1.5 inches, while hybrid bermudagrass species can be mowed at 2.5 inches.
Apply a pre-emergent herbicide such as benefin or prodiamine at the start of your bermudagrass lawn's growing season in April. This stops any crabgrass seeds from sprouting but doesn't harm your lawn. This is ideal if mowing your lawn higher hasn't sufficiently reduced crabgrass populations in your lawn in the past.
Things You Will Need
- Fertilizer
- Lawn mower
- Pre-emergent herbicide
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Internet Download Manager 6:26 Build 8 Full Version re-launched the latest version, almost less than 1 month passed the tonec has issued the latest version of this IDM. the same as before the previous update, the Tonec always fixing bugs-bugs that exist in the IDM from the old version to the new version. so that we as users can feel myself the changes in this latest version.
What's new in version Internet Download Manager 6.26 Build 9 Full Version
(Released: Nov 11, 2016)
- Improved video recognition in web players
- Fixed the problem with erroneous video interceptions from web players
- Fixed bugs
How to Install:
- Download First Internet Download Manager 6:26 Build 8 and also his PATCH
- Extract both with WinRAR
- Install Internet Download Manager to finish
- Close Internet Download Manager is in Taskbar
- Open the folder and copy Patch.exe PATCH. and paste to installation directory IDM
- (C: Program Files (x86) Internet Download Manager)
- Right-click on Patch.exe and run with the Run As Administrator
- Click patch and fill in the First Name and Last Name you.
- finished
Download Link
Pass : softfreein


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Permanency Barriers Project
Timeframe: Since 1992
Managed By: American Bar Association's Center on Children and the Law
The Project has worked in over 30 small, medium, and large locations, urban and rural, throughout the United States. Specific locations include New York, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, and Kentucky.
For more information: http://www.americanbar.org/groups/child_law/what_we_do/projects/permanency_project.html
The Permanency Barriers Project aims to move children efficiently through the foster care system and into safe, loving, and permanent homes–something all children deserve. In doing this, the project also helps states save foster care dollars by completely changing the foster care system in an area. An ABA Project Director is sent to an area monthly for two years to help develop procedures, tools, and skills needed to positively change the foster care system. By going through a series of six major tasks wherever its staff is working, the Permanency Project helps ensure their success. These 6 tasks are:
- Identifying and analyzing the cause of delays;
- Interactively developing policy recommendations;
- Establishing written protocols, procedures, and timetables;
- Implementing reforms outlined in agreements;
- Monitoring the impact of implemented changes;
- Disseminating project results throughout the state.
The Permanency Barriers Project has focused on reforms such as: the early identification of children's needs; refining court procedures in permanency planning areas; training the child welfare agency and legal staff; and sharing information with other counties and states.


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Aprima and Tertiums Partner to Provide Electronic Health Records to Physician Practices
Tertiums, Inc. to provide Aprima EHR/PM solutions to medical practitioners throughout Puerto Rico and Caribbean
DALLAS, TX –June 9, 2010 –Aprima Medical Software, a leading developer of electronic health record (EHR), practice management (PM) and revenue cycle management solutions for medical practices, today announced a Gold VAR Agreement with Tertiums, Inc., a healthcare consulting and management firm with local presence in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
"This partnership with Aprima allows us to address the low adoption rates for EHRs in Puerto Rico," says Sherry Woolard, CEO of Tertiums. "With only seven percent of physicians in Puerto Rico having adopted EHRs to-date, we are now positioned to offer a superior solution that can assist additional practices with meeting the criteria required for incentive payments."
Tertiums specializes in a wide variety of areas within the healthcare market, and offers a complete solution for a range of clients including lawyers, physicians, nurses, health IT, sales representatives and customer representatives. As a value-added reseller, Tertiums will focus on providing Aprima's solution to both single practitioners and large group practices throughout Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.
"Aprima offers physicians in Puerto Rico and the Carribean a cost-effective solution to improve their services," said Guillermo J. Tirado, MD. Internal Medicine, Tertiums VP for Medical Affairs. "Ultimately, this partnership contributes to our goal of improving the overall quality and confidentiality of health services here."
Aprima's template-free, content rich EHR software enables providers to follow their own protocols. Its adaptive learning feature speeds adoption and deployment, a critical capability as medical practices seek to meet "Meaningful Use" standards for government stimulus fund reimbursements. Furthermore, as a single EHR + PM application built on a single database, Aprima affords users with the fastest access to clinical and financial data. AprimaRCM addresses practices' needs for seasoned financial expertise by delivering insight that helps practices collect every dollar they earn. Aprima's licensing plans make sense for everyone from a solo rural practitioner to a multi-specialty urban group.
"Our partnership with Tertiums allows Aprima to offer the Puerto Rico medical community access to our award-winning solutions through a local organization that truly understands the needs and requirements of the population," said Michael Nissenbaum, President and CEO, Aprima. "Through the use of our template-free EHR software, users are able to create their own protocols without IT support or costly custom programming that a template-based system would require."
The partnership was finalized in May of 2010.
About Tertiums, Inc.
Tertiums is an established healthcare consulting and management firm focused on today's complex healthcare industry. Reach Tertiums at 787-296-9767 or www.tertiums.com.
About Aprima Medical Software, Inc.
Aprima Medical Software, Inc. develops innovative electronic health record, practice management and revenue cycle management solutions for medical practices. Reach Aprima at 866-960-6890, firstname.lastname@example.com or aprima.com.


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Main Page
From CARMA
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Somehow I mis-configured the BIMA and NEMO wiki, only the BIMA wiki works. One is supposed to be able to run two wiki's at the same time, but that didn't work.
Our other older AstroWiki was setup by Graeme Lufkin and we keep forgetting to use it..
Getting started
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Other ASTRO computing
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Dr. Eric Williams
Dr. Vidya Subramanian
Spring 2014
During development a single totipotent cell gives rise to the vast array of cell types present in the adult human body, yet each cell has essentially the same DNA sequence. As cells differentiate, distinct sets of genes must be coordinately activated and repressed, ultimately leading to a cell-type specific pattern of gene expression and a particular cell fate. In eukaryotic organisms, DNA is packaged in a complex protein super structure known as chromatin. Modification and reorganization of chromatin play a critical role in coordinating the cell-type specific gene expression programs that are required as a cell transitions from a pluripotent stem cell to a fully differentiated cell type. Epigenetics refers to such heritable changes that occur in chromatin without altering the primary DNA sequence. This class will focus on the role of epigenetic regulation with respect to developmental fate and also consider the fact that the epigenetic mechanisms discussed have broad implications, including how seemingly normal cells can be transformed into cancerous cells.
This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.
Williams, Eric, and Vidya Subramanian. 7.347 Epigenetic Regulation of Stem Cells, Spring 2014. (MIT OpenCourseWare: Massachusetts Institute of Technology), http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/biology/7-347-epigenetic-regulation-of-stem-cells-spring-2014 (Accessed). License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA
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