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Should we force kids to learn material they don't show interest in?
As a college graduate I was thinking about how much material I have studied in all of my educational career and then promptly forgotten after the test. Is it a waste of time to try and learn something you are not interested in? To what extent should we allow educational autonomy?
There are a lot of different ways to be intelligent. Memorization and regurgitation are just one small facet.
Ryan Hayes
Feb 5 2013: You are hinting at something along the lines of having a students education being molded to that particular individual, and not applied to a general population. This is slowly starting to happen, but at the same time, you have to look at education from several perspectives, since it's such a complex issue.
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I am currently in college, and I know how you feel. I am taking classes that I normally would not take unless I was forced to. Although a good amount of this information is something that I don't find interesting right now, I have no idea if I will have use for it in the future. But I'd rather have general background knowledge about a particular subject versus knowing nothing at all.
It also is hard to tell what subjects are actually "needed" by an individual. Also, some of my favorite classes were from subjects that I would never have taken on my own. Many of my friends have changed their majors, and therefore the entire direction of their future, due to classes like these. I am sure there are just as many people who thought of those classes as a waste of time.
I guess the question I would ask is, how can we make the information we "need" to prepare someone for the world interesting to every single student? I would like to be able to have greater freedom in choosing a teacher that works for me, as well as a time that works for me, as well as a format that works for me. Some of us don't learn so well from someone with a monotone voice at 8:30 in the morning with a class of 250 students:/
Feb 5 2013: Good points Ryan, and I agree that as we become more aware of the fact that we all learn differently, I believe people within educational systems are realizing that it may be benificial to "mold" programs to fit student's interests.
I also agree that sometimes, we discover interest in the least likely places......as you say....some of your friends have changed their direction due to what they discovered in classes that they may not have been particularly interested in.
You ask..."how can we make the information we "need" to prepare someone for the world interesting to every single student?"
I suggest that we probably cannot make information interesting to every single student, and that is where the student may have a responsibility? When we engage in something with curiosity, and intent to learn something, it usually is a more beneficial experience. So in some respects, we have an opportunity to create interest. If we continually think of something as a "waste of time", that is exactly the reality we create for ourselves. If we are open to the possibility of discovering SOMETHING interesting in each and every interaction, that is also the reality we create for ourselves. Based on your comment, it appears that you and your friends are open minded, open hearted and genuinely exploring possibilities:>)
Another factor, is that perhaps it is unrealistic to assume a college age person is going to decide what s/he will do for the rest of their life? I am 60+ years of age, I've had several very interesting, challenging, some lucrative (some not so much) careers, and volunteer opportunities, and I have LOVED the opportunity to explore all of them with curiosity. We are living so much longer now, perhaps it would be good to let go of that idea that we need to decide at age 20, what we are going to do for the rest of our lives?
Fritzie -
Feb 3 2013: The best course of action is to make the most vital material interesting for students, connecting it to their lives and involving them in using it in ways that show them its value. Then the issue of forcing anyone to do anything doesn't need to arise.
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Some kids, like some adults, are not very open to new experiences and ways of looking at things. It's important in some cases to show the value of trying new things to such a reluctant person.
No one thinks memorizing and regurgitating tons of stuff is important, except that one has to memorize lots of vocabulary to be able to use or read in languages without the headache of looking up five words in every sentence one reads. There are some things some teachers require kids to memorize that to me make no sense, often in history classes, but I have never taught history, so maybe there is a pedagogical rationale I just don't understand.
There are also some things kids are not required to memorize for school that they love to memorize anyway, for reasons I have never understood, like hundreds of digits of pi.
Ben Jarvis
Feb 9 2013: is everything useful also innately interesting?
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memorization and regurgitation are not intelligence. being able to work out when where and how to regurgitate information you've memorized is. many students suffer from the illusion that material is useless, because they don't see the skills they've picked up while being exposed to it. even if you don't become an artist, having taken some art classes will help you understand and appreciate the variety of aesthetics better, and your presentations will be more visually appealing than if you hadn't. your speech and writing will be better from having studied shakespeare than something more interesting to the current generation like 'twilight', and you will be more likely to be able to instinctively avoid a crash from having taken physics. similarly, while memorizing something, while the thing you are memorizing isn't necessarily important, being able to memorize through having done it is.
you might have forgotten the details of what you've learned, but the way your brain is able to analyse information now is purely because of it.
Feb 9 2013: you are thoroughly right, often we might have forgotten about what we've learn , but our brain will act differently because of the information its received. we have to get through of these material learning because we never know how the future will lead us
Feb 9 2013: another good point! now i'm in my 30s and i still don't presume to know what i will never need, yet plenty of students who haven't even begun to experience the wider world or even their own life are ready to declare so much as a useless waste of time.Feb 9 2013: You will remember that you once knew making it more accessible to learn it again.
Feb 9 2013: yet another very good point! the ability to think in particular ways is learnable up to only about age 18-20. it's no coincidence that so many societies set this age as the beginning of adulthood. from what i've read and studied, those neural pathways are very hard to alter past that age - you can teah an old dog new tricks but it's much harder than if the trick was learnt once before at a younger age.Feb 6 2013: As Vincenzo Sergi and Angela Basile have stated, it is important to expose an individual to academics and materials, which at that time; they may have no interest in the matter, but the exposure will expand their mind with new perspectives and in the future that unwanted material may be a piece of needed information that helps resolve an issue. This exposure makes an individual open-minded to attain new information in the future.Feb 4 2013: yes we should force kids to learn things that presently they show no interest in. As children their lack of interests are the reason of inexperience. No subject or experiece should be left without exploration. If left alone most children will play and play..... I would have to assume that they would become very good players but, I am glad that I was forced to learn, with time I realized how wonderful all knowledge really is. I became hooked. Till this day it hasn't hurt me.
Feb 6 2013: Hi Vince, I agree with you completely. As a parent, it is our duty and responsibility to encourage our children to open their minds to learn beyond what they are interested in.
Feb 9 2013: What did you have for breakfast July 23, 2001?
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We forget.......sometimes what we eat is not very interesting.....sometimes the conversations we have with others is not very interesting.....sometimes our jobs are not very interesting.....but we nevertheless have to nourish our bodies, interact with others, and pay bills.
Life I think, is about compromise.
Today you as a youth have alot of options that were not there for me 30 years ago. You are able to enrich your learning of any material by going online and finding ways to appreciate what your learning through youtube videos, and free turorial sites.
All I had was a professor and books.....talk about dull.
Still, I appreciated my education, and I had the same issues you are having....."why do I have to take this boring class?" In the end, I came out the winner.
Somebody did something right in the schooling of all the individuals that have commented thus far.
Because even though we forget material that we have memorized just to pass a test within hours of passing the test, it is still somewhere in our mind........we are making connections when we learn new things.
To answer your question directly.....No kids should not be forced.....and in reality they are not....you have choices.
Kids drop out of school all the time to pursue other goals. You do have educational autonomy.
My answer is a potpourri of thoughts.....if something doesn't make sense just let me know and I'll try to clarify.
Feb 9 2013: You are right with the internet and things like the Khan Institute students do have a new kind of educational autonomy. I disagree though, most people don't think of dropouts as kids taking their education in their own hands. It would be interesting to find a study about why students dropout.
I guess some material that I memorized for tests is still in the back of my head. I would have trouble recalling it but could recognize if something reminded me.
I think we can do way better.Feb 9 2013: Force seems like a very strong word. And yes, I believe that we all should learn even about things that were aren't necessarily interested in or have no intention developing any expertise in. I well-rounded education in very crucial in holistic development. Being introduced to many different topics is how we eventually find our interests and passions.
I think that the first and second part of your question does not necessarily relate; or should not necessarily be in the same question or topic. While I believe that learning and staying informed about many different topics and fields of study is NOT a waste of time, I also believe that "memorization and regurgitation" is not the best way to "test" what has been learned.
While I'm not convinced that kids should be given complete autonomy in making their own curriculum and only learning about what they may think are their only interests, I also think that we really need a change in how the curriculum, learning, and education are being delivered. Education and learning has to be revolutionized, because we, as a society have changed immensely. So why shouldn't the medium and vectors through which we learn or get our information from change?
I always thought that if professors started tweeting the key points of their lectures (and maybe make it mandatory for their students to "follow" them), the world just might get a bit smarter--or at least more informed.
Feb 9 2013: The student does not decide the curriculum. And what options he is given is very limited. Force may be too strong but there is a definate lack of choice. The less self autonomy we give our children the less self autonomy they will have as young adults.
I see a better approach is to introduce all subjects with relevance and try to make it interesting. If a student still doesn't show interest then why have them spend a whole year studying in detail subject matter?
Memorization doesnt have to be the only way to learn. In fact its quite boring and maybe that's why so many people can't recall what they once knew for a test.Feb 6 2013: Absolutely not. Very very basics should be included so that any child will have a foundation for language, social interaction, and future learning. But beyond that why not let them do what they're inclined to do? What they're passionate about? What they'll excel at? They'll have a better quality of life and provide more for their communities and the economy.
To those that say it exposes you to things you might otherwise never find interest in:
Expose students to the ends which different subjects can achieve, instead of having them memorize all the fine details which don't apply to them. Any student would be more inclined to study biology if instead of memorizing facts about tRNA, and mitochondria, and centrioles, they instead were exposed to what biology-knowledge can do. It empowers one to create GMO crops to feed starving nations, cure disease, bring quality healthcare to the masses, the ability to create and change the world. So instead of taking years of biology throughout highschool and college, maybe expose kids occasionally to "ads" for biology.
To those that say little kids are too inexperienced to know what to learn:
Certainly children won't develop an affinity for, say, history unless they understand why it's important. But they have the most inquisitive, plastic minds of anyone and they are BUILT to learn. So instead of boring them with subjects that don't interest them and creating industrialized drones, empower them to achieve whatever degree of learning suits them and they will pursue it. For example, little boys like to blow stuff up. Instead of incentivizing kids to learn math for math's sake, show them how a little math can help them build an awesome trebuchet. You better bet they'll learn math if you provide the right incentive, and they'll be grateful for what they learned instead of sick of cramming for pointless (in their minds) tests.
Feb 7 2013: I completely agree.
Elizabeth Gu
Feb 5 2013: By "force" do you mean just teachers' and parents' authoritarian ways of educating kids?
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If so, then I guess it depends on what kind of "force" they use.
For example, they—teachers and parents—could manipulatively use "reinforcement(with reward)" and "punishment" strategies to help students to learn more about some subject, which they aren't really fond of.
What's worse is adults' cleverly planned "make-you-realize-the-reality" education strategy.
It's more complicated and could be more manipulative.
Educators keep telling their students that the outside of the class is filled with competitive atmosphere, which means students should find a way to survive in there: Study hard!
"If you don't learn about this, you wouldn't get a good grade on this subject. And if you don't get a good grade on this subject, you'll probably fail to enter the college you want to go(could be you've been wanting to go). And if you fail to go to college, it's quite possible that you wouldn't get a good job you want to take. You would be unemployed and people around you would think of you as a pitiful creature. That is, your life would be miserable without this long process of learning. Do you understand?"
Although the way to make students understand the reality and persuade them to study hard no matter what could be different, in essence, we can say that this kind of approach is also part of forcing students to learn material they don't show interest in. I have to say, it's kind of brutal..
Fyi, I've seen this kind of approach a lot. The result: perfect score on your math test, terrible "math-hangover" after each test. Students just hope that this—the period of learning of a subject—would end soon—"Sooner the better!"
Feb 6 2013: I understand what you are saying Elizabeth, I agree. And I would add that even when students receive good marks on their schoolwork it doesn't necessarily mean the student will retain that knowledge. Ultimately, it is up to the students brain to decide if those memories are worth keeping. A lot of time students just study to get a good grade but don't really care for the material.
Barry Palmer
Feb 4 2013: In a democracy, if children do not learn about democracy, they will not be able to preserve it as adults. Also, the value of democracy cannot be taught without teaching history and current events. It is impossible to understand your place in the world without learning the basics of geography and how to use a map.
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So, to function at a minimum level of competency as adults, children must learn a few things whether they are interested or not. Another example is basic health and hygiene.
I agree with Fritzie that most everything that is vital to our lives can be made interesting to children, and force is not necessary. The key is that these subjects are vital. Show children the importance of these subjects, to them personally, and they will be full of questions.
Feb 4 2013: I agree Barry, and your mention of learning about democracy reminds me of this TED talk, which I LOVE.
I believe there are ALWAYS possibilities to engage children AND adults in ways that are appealing, exciting enjoyable, challenging and respectful to all participants.
I agree with you and others on this thread who have expressed the idea that "most everything that is vital to our lives can be made interesting, and force is not necessary".Feb 4 2013: Sure there are foundational subjects. And yes everything that is taught should be made interesting and relevant. It definately was not my experience that public schools taught this way. Although some teachers are better than other my experience is that public education has one teaching style and one curriculum.Feb 3 2013: There are important things that kids have to learn. They should also be encouraged to learn things that they find interesting. Kids should not be given the freedom of choice that they are not equiped and matured enough to handle. THere has to be some foundational guardiance.
Gail .
Feb 3 2013: Reading, writing, arithmetic, and the love of learning. These should be taught to all. Beyond that, let learning go where it may.
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All kids are naturally curious, so when I say that we should teach love of learning, it is more like we should teach kids how to find answers to questions they have, and allow them the joy of learning through experimentation.
Lawren Jones
Feb 3 2013: To that I would add history. These are the basics that everyone should have broad knowledge of.
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Feb 3 2013: I believe history is a subject that a child should learn only if he/she wants to. History is told differently by different societies, cultures, people so I don't think it is a keystone subject so to speak.
Lawren Jones
Feb 3 2013: I have to strongly disagree. A basic understanding of the history of one's society is essential. A child doesn't need to a deep or detailed education in it, only enough to understand the society one resides in. It's just like arithmetic, you may shun and dislike it as an adult, but you need to have been generally introduced to it as a child.Feb 4 2013: Who gets to tell the story of one's society? What if the parents story is different than the schools? What is notable in history? Why isn't natural history as basic to our education?
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My point is history is controversial. I think once you teach reading you can introduce the child to all kinds of things including history.Feb 3 2013: I'd quickly agree to that, if it's REAL history and not just dates and boring stuff. If it's left at what I remember it being, it's a huge waste of time (as is obvious by how Americans haven't learned a thing about history and seem determined to re-walk some very dangerous roads). How I hated history, until much later when I understood what an exciting field of study it is. It's not really as much about history as it is the parts that make history real.
I've never read an interesting history text book - not when I was in school or my daughter. Those books miss the point!Feb 4 2013: TED Lover, Lawren and Brian,
I wholeheartedly agree TED Lover, that it is important to encourage the love of learning. I believe learning will indeed "go where it may", and as you point out, there are different methods of learning. I agree that most kids are naturally curious, and I think/feel it is beneficial to encourage curiosity throughout our life adventure.
I'm with you Brian, and your statement..."I was thinking about how much material I have studied in all of my educational career and then promptly forgotten after the test. There are a lot of different ways to be intelligent. Memorization and regurgitation are just one small facet"
I was never good in a classroom setting, and I also memorized lots of information in order to pass the tests. Some of that information was "regurgitated" for use later in life.....some not. When all my friends were participating in higher education, I was exploring many different avenues of the life experience with practical involvement and application. When I started guest lecturing at the university, I always encouraged the students to participate with discussion, rather than listen to me speak for hours:>) For me, participation is more valuable than simply memorizing information, and I believe all methods of learning are valuable, depending on the preference of the student.
l agree with Lawren that history is valuable and also agree with Brian that history gives us the background of different societies and cultures, which may open our worldview tremendously, so I think/feel it IS very important.
In my experience, it depends on how history is taught. I had no interest in history in school, because it was about memorizing names and dates for the test. There didn't seem to be any interesting connections made in history books or classes. As an adult, reading historical novels, traveling, genuinely exploring history, cultures and people's background is amazing, astounding, fascinating and VERY interesting:>)Feb 9 2013: Hi Brian,
first of all , I'd like to thank u for this important topic that you have shared with us and then I think that memorization is not considered as a kind of intelligence or a special skill because everyone could do it.concerning your question I believe that kids need to learn everything starting by biology till mathematics because in that period of time their mind is not already ready to determinate what should or shouldn't learn and it's likely to get and memorize information easier,of course I'm talking about the elementary school period.once the pupil reach the high school I think he's going to be able to chose what way is the most suitable for him ,in this level the student can chose a particular course and focus on it a 100% without caring about other materials .Feb 9 2013: No.Feb 9 2013: With young kids in school now, I'm considering 'what' school is in a new way. Primary school is about conformity. As they get older critical thinking is (hopefully) built into the curriculum. If they go through college, then I trust they will have the ability to digest any subject or problem reasonably and methodically. There is a lot I learned in school that has nothing to do with my day-to-day life. As has been said in this conversation many times, school teaches mostly how to think. However, there is a lot of that 'useless' information that comes back to me to inform my understanding on a broad array of topics, making them more accessible and, therefore, more meaningful to me.
Letting kids choose? Depends on the age. What child before the ages of 16-18 really knows 'what' is good for them? Or what will be useful 10+ years down the road. Public schools, in my estimation, teach to a level of greatest common denominator. Rote learning (memorization and regurgitation) seems to be the biggest brush schools can paint everyone with. I've heard of private schools that use different teaching systems that foster independent progress and outcomes. Could all students thrive in an environment like that? I don't know. I wish I could afford those schools, as do many who have kids in public education.
To address the original question, I think that more choices should open up to students as they get older. There are the basic mechanisms of intelligence that have to first be instilled. Once that foundation is laid and the child is old enough to understand what they want and, to a small degree, who they are curriculum choice makes more sense. Giving them free reign would be counterproductive, though.
One thing I can say about my education is that I'm grateful for both aspects: what I had to learn and the choices given to me to pursue my interests. Because of that I can intelligently digest and discuss many topics, which provides me a richer existence.Feb 9 2013: we should not force kids to learn material they don't show interest in because we make it a burden which they don't like to carry. Their mind and heart don't accept that thing which results most of the time in failure but in contrast to this we should figure out the material they show interest and give them a guide line about that things.Feb 9 2013: Dear,
Greeting before all.
First of all, kids are the key for better future, and we are the tool to make that key works well or just a key that open no doors, the point is yes we should teach our kids but without forcing them, instead we should follow what they like, what they want and how they want things, i am not saying so spoiled way but show you care and without pushing them.
So far i believe that if you force a kid nor to do something more he is likely will do it when you are absent.
to short cut the answer my view will go more for wise, calm, peaceful way and building a good structure for a kid will totaly help the present and the future of the whole society...
blessingFeb 8 2013: How can teachers make subjects interesting and relevant?Feb 8 2013: Well, I'll just keep replying since your convo expires soon. It seems to me you are raising two different issues. One is the issue of narrowness of expertise, you're saying that each professor only has a small field he/she is interested in. I could see this as a strength because they'll actually be good at this field. Well, I cannot remember if algebra was required, was it? If it wasn't, and you didn't want to take it, you just didn't take it. If it was required, well, I would suppose someone made a decision that algebra is worth knowing for life. The thing is, though, Brian, algebra is hard. To really get it under your belt, I would think you'd have to spend a school year on it, doing it over and over with different kinds of word problems, really working it until you have it for life. I'm fifty-two and I use it occasionally, and I'm guessing I remember it because we drilled it over and over until we remembered it.
The other issue you're raising is whether it has practical use. As I say, I use it occasionally, but I'm not knowledgeable enough to gauge whether it should be required. Right now I can't think of a specific example, but I know it has come up where I have three knowns and I want to know what the fourth, x, is. Oh just hypothetically, let's say you had a tire that extended four inches from the rim, and you knew the tire held sixty pounds of air. You're thinking of buying a tire that extends six inches from the rim and you want to know how many pounds of air that will take, who knows why, maybe you have an air cylinder that only has so much air left in it. It's not a very good example, but that would be an algebra problem, it can come in handy. Also it gives me an appreciation, like when I read an article about science or math in a magazine I appreciate it more because I have a knowledge about the basics of math and science.
Feb 8 2013: I don't know if your just trying to disagree with everything I have to say or you honestly have a completely different opinion. haha
Algebra was mandatory yes. I don't want someone to decide what's required for me to learn in life. I want an overview of subjects, I want relevance, I want critical thinking and creativity. Eventually yes a student has to decide what they want to focus on. Once they have is when I see the need for classes like algebra (if it pertains).
Feb 9 2013: Well, your comment is really interesting, Brian. I wish I hadmore time to think about it.
I probably took algebra at age thirteen. I don't know if I could have decided what I wanted to do at age thirteen and picked my classes accordingly. But I was quite happy to take a variety of classes (many were required), because I had the sense that I would be a well-rounded individual, that as I got older and tried to meet the challenges of life it would help to have a variety of skills. And it does, I can say at age 52 that it really helps me to have a varied set of skills and knowledge.
I honestly use algebra from time to time, and it really comes in handy in a very practical way. Here's another lousy example: if I know I get a certain amount of interest per month on my savings, but the month is cut short, to say 28 days, how much interest should I expect to get. This is a bad example because it's kind of OCD, it's not going to be that much different; but other more relevant examples do arise.
But you know, maybe you don't have a math mind. But maybe you should change and become more math-oriented, if just for your finances. What about these rock stars who make millions of dollars and don't know where it all goes because they dislike math?
Ben Jarvis
Feb 9 2013: yeah it is, came up again and again while i was doing chemistry at university. even integrals were necessary! absolutely tedious and completely uninteresting calculations, but the end point to which we were applying them was exceedingly interesting.
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Feb 9 2013: Yeah, right, Ben, but what would you say to an artist who wanted nothing to do with math and science (see my answer above).Feb 7 2013: Brian, how are you using "science" below? If you take an art class, is there really a "scientific" approach?
Feb 8 2013: 'I don't think we need to have a curriculum that's goal is for all of its students to become scientists. I am using science broadly. Students should be introduced to subjects and be able to dig deeper if they so choose. I think school is a turn off when one has to study minute details on a subject they are not even interested in.'
Academia like to refer to their subject as a science. Social science, earth science, life science, etc. My point was that subject matter can be presented in way relevant to student. I think it is a disservice to teach the subject matter with theories or in depth details.
Feb 8 2013: I don't know, Brian, it still seems to me you get more choice as you get older. And you get to choose whether you want an in-depth course on one subject, or a broad course that gives you an overview of a field. I suppose in any class there will be a little give-and-take where you won't be thrilled about every aspect of the course, but wouldn't that be impossible to design a course where every aspect would thrill every student, even though the students all have different personalities? I mean, there may be nothing in life where you're thrilled about every aspect, you may like your job but dislike certain aspects, you may like your spouse but dislike certain aspects.
But you know, I expect I'm misunderstanding you. You probably have a more powerful point that I'm not quite getting. I'm just replying cause your convo is about to expire.
Feb 8 2013: Well I think part of the problem with education is that the educator has a narrow field of knowledge that he/she can teach. How much practical knowledge can an algebra teacher give to a student? I don't know because I didn't get anything out of algebra. And if I was interested in algebra I didn't know how it was used in professional careers. I guess my point here is that specialization of labor for educators is not a good thing.Feb 7 2013: We should be teaching kids "how to think and the communicant thoughts" and stop this "What to think" dumbing-down.
It is not the subjects that are failing to be interesting, it is the teachers and material they are giving that are brain numbing boring.Feb 7 2013: I don't think we should force a kid to memorize, we should find a way to connect information and knowledge to things kids are passionate about and they can relate to. Memorization without a purpose is just a waste of time and brain power.Feb 6 2013: I also do not use 90% of things I learned at school and universities. The value of learning things is not the things we learn. The value is learning how to learn.
I wrote and defended 2 theses in graduate schools. One was about electronic paramagnetic resonance of cadmium halide crystals, another about characterization of alternating-current thin film electroluminescent devices. Are you excited yet? None of these subjects have any practical significance today. But in the process I learned how to acquire and process data, how to present the data in scientific papers, how to research literature - and these skills I use every day now.
My son says that school algebra class is boring for him, because he understands the topic before the teacher finishes explaining it. His grade is not great, because, as he says, he makes mistakes in tedious calculations in home work assignments and tests. To avoid calculation mistakes, he decided to solve problems by writing programs on his TI calculator. So, he is learning programming BECAUSE he is bored.
And, by the way, patience, effort and self-control are useful skills by themselves.
We learn from any experiences, especially from negative ones.
Feb 6 2013: "I wrote and defended 2 theses in graduate schools."
So you learned how to learn by doing these 2 projects, but that was toward the end of grad school. Sure you did similar stuff throughout your learning career, but why not help people focus a little more on these kinds of projects that help you learn. Your projects were learning to know how to learn, but I'd argue that by far the vast majority of my education in the U.S. has unintentionally boiled down to cramming to learn how to cram. I'm not going to spend my time intimately learning something if I know I'll never use it, so I gladly cram over true learning. But there are plenty of things I spend countless hours on myself where the learning is more pure, would it be so difficult to make learning a little more applicable to people?
Feb 7 2013: Perhaps, these quotes from Mark Twain could shed some light on the issue... or add to the confusion :-)
"What work I have done I have done because it has been play. If it had been work I shouldn't have done it.
Who was it who said, "Blessed is the man who has found his work"? Whoever it was he had the right idea in his mind. Mark you, he says his work--not somebody else's work. The work that is really a man's own work is play and not work at all. Cursed is the man who has found some other man's work and cannot lose it. When we talk about the great workers of the world we really mean the great players of the world. The fellows who groan and sweat under the weary load of toil that they bear never can hope to do anything great. How can they when their souls are in a ferment of revolt against the employment of their hands and brains? The product of slavery, intellectual or physical, can never be great."
- "A Humorist's Confession," The New York Times, 11/26/1905
Feb 9 2013: I'll be the odd one and say the first one not so much, the second one while definitely not a subject I'm strong or very knowledgeable in, I'd want to read and learn a bit more about the subject and would read a paper on said subject. Then again I'm interested in computer
technology, more specifically the fields of computer science and computer engineering so it perks my interest a bit.Feb 7 2013: Arkady,
Mark Twain said that.....how cool!!! I don't think I ever heard it, and I call everything my work/play:>)
I honestly cannot say that I'm excited about "electronic paramagnetic resonance of cadmium halide crystals", or " characterization of alternating-current thin film electroluminescent devices". :>)
I AM excited about your perception that we can learn how to learn. I have sat in hundreds of classes, workshops, conferences, etc., (as many of us have done), and when leaving, felt like I may have gotten a couple usefull snippets of information. Many times, down the road however, information that was presented will pop in when it is needed......where the heck did THAT come from.....oh.....I remember.....it was a class or workshop I attended years ago.... LOL!
You say..."would it be so difficult to make learning a little more applicable to people?"
That is an excellent idea, however, it may not be very realistic because we are all different.....we learn differently....assimilate and use information differently, so it would be very difficult to make learning applicalbe to all people.....wouldn't it? We certainly CAN, however make an attempt.
When I was guest lecturing at the univ. for example, we (the professor and I) spoke in the large classes, and then seperated the large classes into small discussion groups. which gave the students a chance to participate in discussions with their own perspectives. This practice engaged the students AND also gave them the opportunity to participate on an equal level with the teachers. So, we all became teachers and students, which I feel is empowering to all of us.
I feel that the teachers AND students have the responsibility to contribute to the learning process. We, as individuals can sift through information to a certain degree, and decide for ourselves what serves us AND the whole at any given time.
Feb 7 2013: Re: "Many times, down the road however, information that was presented will pop in when it is needed......where the heck did THAT come from.....oh.....I remember.....it was a class or workshop I attended years ago.... LOL!"
Exactly. Or even "...oh...I remember...Someone mentioned it in a TED conversation..." As long as we are discussing ideas and not people or events, we learn. That's why I love TED.
Feb 7 2013: Me too Arkady:>)
I was just watching this TED presentation.....take a look....it is delightful!
http://www.ted.com/talks/kid_president_i_think_we_all_need_a_pep_talk.html?source=email#.URPZhpsLa6R.emailFeb 6 2013: I think, a talented teacher who is passionate about what he/she teaches can excite interest in that subject in almost anyone. On the other hand, a boring teacher can make any subject look boring.
I remember studying a subject in college that didn't seem like much fun until we had a substitute teacher in one of the classes. That teacher captured everyone's attention at once and kept it till the end of the class. Ever since, I kept wondering if that skill can be learned. Teacher's personality and teaching style has a major role in how we perceive the subject.Feb 6 2013: I think education system should be reshaped.
We live in age of information, so information changes faster, that educational programs.
Teachers that teach children are from other times, i mean "it was like that then".
12 years i was learning my language and i nearly passed out exams.
But there was no english in my school and i have learned it somehow, without education and learning, also other languages.
Schools should teach children how to think, not what to think. Focus on critical thinking.
I had problems in my school and were learning only what was interesting to me, for example not try to learn geography,history (we move forward in life), music, math in higher grades (*when i don't understood what can i calculate with it), literature (*our national is boring) wanted chemistry, but teacher had problems explaining things to all children.
Weird thing is that i had average grades in school, but when we done IQ test, only one guy from all had same score as mine, well he had best grades in school.
So i think in reality, we get infromation that we need from everywhere, so school should only build logical thinking and brain will do the rest of work.
Schools should teach only scientific (biology, anatomy, chemistry, physics, math, astronomy) and make it interesting, also english and grammar, other should by by choice.Feb 6 2013: Of course! My kids show no interest whatsoever in washing dishes. I don't care. They learned anyway.
Yes we learn a lot of stuff that maybe we never will use again. My head is full of completely useless information. But i would rather have that than an empty head.
Feb 7 2013: What if you had a head full of information relevant to you? Who says it has to be completely useless?Feb 6 2013: I think it is the fear of not giving sufficient information in school what makes the curricula so packed with unnecessary topics.
It is a good idea to introduce students into different majors, but that doesn't mean they have to be expert in everything to choose what they want to do for their careers!
Memorizing and taking tests is just the worst model for education. Who started this way of teaching? It distracts us from the true purpose of school and turns knowledge into numbers and ratings. We need a system that gives the student a better reason to study other than just a grade.
We need a system that brings us back to the meaning of education.Feb 6 2013: Pushing something that bores them is a surefire way to put them off for life. A better approach, I think, is to stop and think about their existing interests and find ways that will enhance those interests and delight them.
Fritzie -
Feb 6 2013: But there is so much context one can bring into the classroom that doesn't involve staring at a screen that can situate material in an interesting context relevant to students. I always asked my students to fill out a card for me the first day about their interests, dreams, and ambitions, and took my contexts and examples from that information. I never forgot their interests and aspirations and engaged with them about that regularly in the context of the course content.Feb 6 2013: Well put Angela.Feb 5 2013: This is a good question, even with the loaded word "force." Of all the classes I took in high school, art and yearbook are the only two I chose. I didn't want to take senior English or chemistry or calculus or civics. Now, decades later, I am a high school English teacher, and every day I am glad my parents and advisors made me take those classes, not because derivatives come up in poetry but because I can refer to bits and pieces that I remember of those classes and get my students to think and discuss and write. Not every essay for an English class has to be about a Shakespearean sonnet. Also, if I can get my students used to the idea of thinking about the overlap of their classes, then they will be more insightful and, therefore, better students.
- +2
I don't use information from calculus and statistics every day, but my brothers the engineer and the warehouse manager do. I don't use stuff from econ. every day, but my brother in marketing does. We all had to take those classes with little promise or expectation that we'd ever use that stuff, but we do use it and in unexpected ways.
Having said all that, though, I must say that education is very complex in terms of curriculum and pedagogy. I love the idea of "educational autonomy" but don't see how it's possible in our current educational environment. I think people (whoever they may be) could come up with an essential and minimal core of courses and then let students go where their talents and interests take them. There are too many noneducational interests invested in education, though, for something like that to happen.
This is a question all educators should think about. Maybe stick "Why" in front of your question. . .Feb 4 2013: I disagree with the word "force". As a society we should teach K thru 12 students what is necessary to be functioning, critical-thinking, productive, law-abiding, tax-paying citizens. Extra-curricular activity aside, students cannot establish their own curriculum based on their current interests.
Feb 4 2013: Ok maybe force isn't the right word. The threat of getting bad grades isn't force. Although bad grades can be detrimental to one's future.
I think if we really did a good job of teaching critical thinking we'd have a generation that refuses to pay their taxes. Haha .. I'm only slightly joking
Feb 6 2013: Hi Brian. I did not once envision 'force' for this particular subject as being used in the Medieval torture type of way, One could never learn that way. And for those that might have interpreted that way..... how about, strongly encourage??
CheersFeb 3 2013: If it will be important to them in the future.Feb 2 2013: Might want to put more time on this. Hit "edit" to add time.
Well, they say nothing is ever wasted in nature, and I think life in general is that way, nothing we learn is ever wasted. Actually, as you grow from kindergarten, you have increasing choice over what you learn and can choose things you are interested in. I do think our society believes everybody should have certain basic skills, however.
Feb 3 2013: Sure one can learn from mistakes but an education should help the child get on the track of avoiding some of what life will throw. If we emphasis critical thinking and creativity for example. The human brain is a supercomputer and I do believe we need to see that every child gets to use it before they get the attitude that school sucks.
Feb 4 2013: Well, Brian, I tend to want to defend education because I enjoyed my school years. I did not find that it was all about memorization or regurgitation. New concepts were presented to us over and over in all my classes, many of the new concepts were difficult and took effort to understand, and I think it exercised my brain to do the work to get the new concepts "under my belt." This would have been true both in math and science and in the humanities. There were many opportunities to take art classes and expand creativity.
I was on the fast track academically. I was in the mentally gifted minor program in elementary school, took all the hardest courses in junior high and high school, and went on to Stanford bachelor's. Most of my friends were also really smart. I don't know, where were you, or are you, academically?
Feb 4 2013: Ok so you had a different educational career than the majority. I had your standard public high school, public university education.
I don't think we need to have a curriculum that's goal is for all of its students to become scientists. I am using science broadly. Students should be introduced to subjects and be able to dig deeper if they so choose. I think school is a turn off when one has to study minute details on a subject they are not even interested in.


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JOHNSONBURG – Johnsonburg varsity wrestling was honored with a banquet Wednesday night at Johnsonburg Area High School.
Varsity head coach Mike Votano expressed appreciation to assistant coaches Eric Iorfido, Bart Nelson, Beau Iorfido and Dylan Nelson.
Votano recognized the wrestlers. Alex Zimmerman won the Aaron Muroski Memorial Award and the Most Outstanding Wrestler award, the latter award won for the third time by the Johnsonburg seniors. Votano estimated Zimmerman's 4-year record at 85-17.

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Stylist's Day Off: Tina Fey
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Archive article: Hunters of the Ladies' Singles title beware. A teenage Serb is on the prowl and her ferocity so far hasn't spared anyone. On the contrary, with every scalp her appetite seems to be increasing.
On Court 13 today, Ana Ivanovic, the 17-year-old star from Serbia-Montenegro, sent out another winning roar. This time her prey was Stephanie Foretz of France. And again it was a straight sets affair, 6-4, 6-3.
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Oswego River AOC
Contact Information
U.S. EPA RAP Liaison
John Perrecone (firstname.lastname@example.com) 312-353-1149
State RAP Contacts
Gerald Pratt
New York State AOC Coordinator
Oswego River Remedial
Advisory Committee
Karen Noyes
Committee Chair
Oswego County Department of Planning and Community Development
Partners & Stakeholders
- Anheuser-Busch Corporation or current facility management
- Armstrong World Industries or current facility management
- Atlantic States Legal Foundation
- Brookfield Power
- City of Fulton
- City of Oswego
- Finger Lakes-Lake Ontario Watershed Protection Alliance (FL-LOWPA)
- Great Lakes Research Consortium
- Great Lakes United
- Lake Ontario Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP)
- Lake Ontario Sportfishing Promotional Council
- New York State Canal Corporation
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
- Niagara Mohawk Corporation (now National Grid)
- Onondaga County
- Oswego County and New York State Health Departments
- Oswego County
- Oswego County Department of Planning and Community Development
- Oswego County Department of Promotion and Tourism
- Oswego County Soil and Water Conservation District
- Oswego County Water Quality Advisory Committee
- Oswego County Water Quality Coordinating Committee
- Oswego Port Authority
- Oswego River Remedial Advisory Committee
- Oswego Waterfront Revitalization Program
- Sea Grant of SUNY Oswego
- Sierra Club – Atlantic Chapter (Sierra Club of Syracuse, NY)
- State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego
- Upstate Freshwater Institute
- U.S. EPA, Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO)
- U.S. EPA, Region 2 - New York City
Frequent Acronyms
- Delisting - Oswego River Area of Concern Becomes First U.S. AOC to be Delisted!
- Background
- Beneficial Use Impairments
- Delisting Targets
- RAP Development and Status
- Significant RAP Milestones
- RAP Implementation
- RAP-Related Publications
- Community Involvement
- Photos
You will need the free Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.
On July 21, 2006, the Oswego River, New York Area of Concern (AOC) became the first United States AOC to be formally delisted. As a result of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada and much hard work and cooperation, the lower Oswego River and Harbor is once again the crown jewel of the City of Oswego! Through coordinated efforts, the City of Oswego has revitalized the downtown area, the Port Authority has made many improvements, boating and fishing interests have grown, and water access and water quality have improved tremendously.
As a diverse group of community stakeholders and citizens, the Remedial Advisory Committee, in conjunction with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, documented in the Stage 3 Remedial Action Plan [Oswego_Stage3a.PDF (PDF 3.64Mb, 136 pages; Oswego_Stage3b.PDF (PDF 1.5Mb, 84 pages)] that the RAP process responded to local interests and concerns. The report was designed specifically to focus on and address the resolution of the fourteen RAP use impairment indicators in detail. The data and strategies establish the resolution of the indicators. The delisting document includes 135 pages of Appendices that lists the RAC participants, details the evaluation strategy / criteria / endpoints, contains a responsiveness summary to concerns, summarizes the remedial activities contributing to the restoration and protection over the last fifteen years, contains the pubic involvement power point presentation, lists the FERC license provisions, and describes other RAP supporting activities including a list of references.
For the Oswego RAP, impairments involving fish consumption, fish habitat and populations, and eutrophication and algae were identified. Through public participation, investigative studies, expert involvement and assessment efforts, we know that pollution reduction activities to address hazardous waste sites, point and non-point water discharges, watershed best management practices, and local agency river corridor enhancement activities addressed the indicators and beneficial uses for the Oswego AOC. Consistent with delisting guidance, the larger Lake Ontario Lakewide Management Plan responds to the fish consumption advisories, the FERC relicensing of the power dams responds to the fish habitat and population recovery, and eutrophication, algae, and weed characteristics have improved to be not impaired and managed as nuisance conditions where they occur in isolated areas. Watershed restoration and protection activities as well as Lake Ontario initiatives all contribute to the desired results.
There is a true success story behind the preparation of the Stage 3 document and delisting of the Oswego River Area of Concern. Historically, the Oswego watershed was an identified source of contamination to Lake Ontario. A water quality change from an image of garbage, sewage and undesired pollution to that of becoming a focus of the waterfront community was achieved. By representing stakeholder interests, the RAP Remedial Advisory Committee (RAC) accomplished the community's recognition of the importance of this area as a natural resource and thereby encouraged others to act responsibly to restore and to protect the environment and the beneficial uses of the waters. The RAC stakeholders have determined, influenced, and observed the implementation of many supportive activities in the Oswego watershed.
For example, the City of Oswego revitalized the river shoreline and downtown area, the Port Authority made many aesthetic and pollution control improvements, recreational boating and sport fishing interests have grown, upstream hazardous waste site remediation has addressed downstream impacts, and water access and water quality have improved tremendously. Other activities and improvements included: the undertaking and accomplishment of a number of investigative studies and report review activities by the RAP; the FERC power dam license provisions which fully respond to the needs identified in the Fisheries Enhancement Plan for the Oswego River and receipt of research funding by the academic community based on the AOC designation. Recreational interests have been protected and improved by the AOC designation and responsible agencies oversight.
The RAC effectively implemented the application of the body of knowledge that only an ecosystem approach can accomplish. As a result, the status of each of the Use Impairment Indicators was resolved and an understanding was achieved that a significant impairment and/or threat to the AOC environment does not exist. The conclusion is that the lower Oswego River and harbor area no longer warrant the AOC designation.
NYSDEC, USEPA, and other agencies will continue to use the existing suite of environmental law and regulatory oversight to implement, monitor and enforce programs that protect the environment in and around the AOC. The presence of local area environmental groups, concerned citizens, and the agencies' purview provide a vigilance that assures beneficial uses will remain intact and that the riverine system will not revert back to an impaired status.
Related Documents
- June 7, 2005: Letter from IJC to US Department of State Regarding IJC Review of the Stage 3 RAP
- June 7, 2005: Letter from IJC to USEPA Region 2 Regarding IJC Review of the Stage 3 RAP
- May 4, 2006: Letter from NYSDEC to USEPA Region 2 Requesting Formal Delisting of the AOC
- June 7, 2006: Letter from USEPA Region 2 to NYSDEC Approving Delisting
- June 14, 2006: Letter from USEPA Region 2 to U.S. Department of State Recommending the U.S. State Department Formally Delist the AOC
- June 19, 2006: Letter from U.S. Department of State to the IJC Notifying the IJC of the Official Delisting of the AOC
- July 21, 2006: Letter from USEPA Administrator Johnson to NY Governor Pataki that the AOC has been officially delisted
The Oswego River/Harbor Area of Concern (AOC) is located on the southeastern shore of Lake Ontario and is centered in the City of Oswego, New York. The AOC includes the harbor area and the lower segment of the Oswego River up to the Varick power dam. The harbor itself is characterized as a multiple-use resource and over 1.2 million people live in the drainage basin. The Oswego River watershed includes the Finger Lakes, industries, municipalities, and extensive areas of farmland and forest that expand an area of over 5,100 square miles. The Oswego River is second only to the Niagara River in size as a tributary to Lake Ontario.
A comprehensive RAP Update was published in 1996 and includes results of a fish pathology study, Oswego River and harbor water quality and sediment investigations, remedial activity progress, and delisting criteria. A 1998 workshop accomplished its objective to obtain an improved understanding of these study results and to better define the next steps and actions needed to restore and to protect the Oswego River AOC. The importance and close relationships of addressing the fish consumption restrictions and fish habitat/population impairments as part of larger management plans operating external, however influencing the AOC, were recognized.
Workshop proceedings, including comments and recommendations, were published along with a RAP Update in 1999. Results of that workshop addressed the use impairment indicators and established the supporting data, strategy, and rationale for the preparation of the Stage 3 document.
Beneficial Use Impairments
- Restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption
- Degradation of fish and wildlife populations
- Loss of fish and wildlife habitat
Oswego Harbor is one of the original 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOC) for which Remedial Action Plans (RAP) were developed in the late 1980s to address impairments to fishing and recreational activities. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) initiated public input into the development of the Oswego River RAP in 1987 with the establishment of an advisory committee. Historically, upstream pollutants were known to have traveled through the river and harbor, and impacted the Lake Ontario ecosystem, thereby forming the basis for the Area of Concern designation. The 1990 Stage1 RAP identified beneficial use impairments (BUI) and their causes and sources. The main impairments for the RAP to address were identified as fish consumption restrictions (re: Lake Ontario), loss of fish habitat, fish population change, and reported eutrophic conditions associated with non-AOC sources. (These impairments are bulleted in the table above; the remaining impairments either required further investigation or were evaluated as not impaired.) The 1991 Stage 2 RAP described next step remedial actions to restore beneficial uses and to eliminate adverse impacts to Lake Ontario. The current final Stage 3 – Delisting document resolves each of the RAP beneficial use indicators for the AOC.
Delisting Targets
For a quick reference to Oswego River beneficial use impairment endpoints (PDF 85Kb, 1 page), view this extraction from Table 1 of the Oswego River Stage 3 Delisting document.
In the Oswego River Stage 3 Delisting document, each of the fourteen IJC beneficial use indicators has been developed to detail the resolution and delisting for each of the use impairment indicators. Table 1 provides summary information for each of the use impairment indicator endpoints, the original status of each indicator, the revised indicator status, identification of responsible parties, and the supporting data and rationale for the resolution of each RAP indictor. The table combines input from the Use Impairment Indicator Sub-Committee of the Oswego River RAP Remedial Advisory Committee on the definition of desired endpoints that serve to resolve the use impairment indicators. These endpoints describe the restoration of best uses in order to delist the indicator. By comparing the original status of the use impairment indicators from the 1990 Stage 1 RAP to the resolved status of each indicator, the table illustrates what has been accomplished for the delisting of the Area of Concern. The resolution of each indicator involves the description of the supporting data and the rationale to document that the beneficial use has been addressed. The resolution of the use impairment indicators for the Oswego RAP is described in Section III of the Oswego River Stage 3 Delisting document.
The Great Lakes community (including USEPA, IJC, and RAP Remedial Advisory Committees) has conducted meetings and developed principles and guidance towards accomplishing delisting. Consistent with this guidance, NYSDEC and the Oswego River RAP Remedial Advisory Committee have adopted key delisting principles and guidance points, formulated next step delisting actions, and identified responsibilities in conducting post-delisting activities. Each of these is necessary and applicable to moving ahead to accomplish delisting of the Oswego River Area of Concern. See Section IV of the Oswego River Stage 3 Delisting document.
RAP Development and Status
The most recent efforts of the Remedial Advisory Committee focused on the development of the strategies and endpoints to address each of the RAP use impairment indicators in the preparation of a Stage 3 delisting document. The supporting data and rationale are provided to resolve the impairments and describe that the desired beneficial use objectives have been met. For the AOC, these endpoints have been achieved by the RAP process to the maximum extent practicable. Through remedial action and studies, we now know that the Oswego River RAP designated area is no longer an Area of Concern contributing to Great Lakes' use impairments and that the Oswego RAP process has accomplished what it can within the AOC. The RAP substantiates that the water quality is not impaired. The remaining issues are therefore actually part of the resolution strategy of more inclusive regional management plan activities. Within the AOC, achieving the endpoints for the habitat and fish consumption impairments is therefore being addressed respectively by provisions of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions (FERC) power dam license for the Oswego River and the binational Lake Ontario Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP).
Significant RAP Milestones
- 2006: Oswego River RAP Stage 3 – Delisting (PDF 3.64Mb, 136 pages) document (with Appendices) (PDF 1.5Mb, 84 pages) is finalized following the Environmental Notice Bulletin and forty-five day public comment period.
- 2005: Presentation at International Joint Commission (IJC) Biennial Conference and subsequent formal endorsement of delisting by IJC letter to EPA.
- 2004: Comprehensive agency review and Responsiveness Summary (App. G) prepared.
- 2001 to 2003: Oswego County area presentations combining peer and public review.
- 2000: Delisting strategy and initial delisting proposal developed by RAC and DEC.
- 1999: Workshop summary and RAP Update document completed.
- 1998: Two-day RAP Workshop conducted.
- 1996: RAP Update (PDF 5.79Mb, 175 pages) (and comprehensive summary) completed.
- 1992: RAP Update completed.
- 1991: Stage 2 RAP document (PDF 5.04Mb, 162 pages) completed.
- 1990: Stage 1 RAP document (PDF 2.83Mb, 128 pages) completed.
- 1987: Initial Remedial Advisory Committee coordination and RAP development began.
RAP Implementation
Recent progress and achievements
Implementation of the Oswego River RAP is a dynamic, continuous improvement process that has included periodic updates and improvements as knowledge of the use impairments, sources, and remedial action has progressed. Within the Area of Concern, the Oswego River watershed, Lake Ontario, and reference communities, studies and assessment have assisted in identifying and acting on priorities. The priorities have included fish consumption restrictions, fish habitat evaluation and resolution, sediment investigation, aesthetics assessment, and contaminant track down activities. Restoring and maintaining an improved quality of life in the ecosystem of the Oswego River Area of Concern and its watershed is a goal that much progress has been made towards achieving.
A 1998 Two-Day Workshop helped to better define the steps and needed actions to restore and protect the beneficial uses of the Oswego River AOC. Following are some activity highlights relative to RAP progress and achievements. Nine environmental program areas are used to describe progress. Concurrent with the RAP process, many NYSDEC environmental program activities are in place and progressing as part of State environmental protection laws and policies, and therefore are being implemented independent of any formal RAP coordination. The RAP strategies do, however, make use of all resource commitments to restore beneficial uses. The challenge of the RAC has been to assure that all stakeholder interests and concerns have been satisfactorily investigated and resolved as much as possible. A key to successful restoration has been securing implementation commitments to achieve RAP objectives.
Hazardous Waste Site Remediation (Land-Based):
Many hazardous waste site remediation projects have and are occurring in the Oswego River watershed. These upstream activities reduce loadings to the receiving waters and benefit the AOC and Lake Ontario. At the Columbia Mills site, storage tanks and sewer remediation work has been completed and the landfill is capped. A Consent Order has addressed PCB contamination in dredged material along the banks of Ley Creek in the Syracuse Area. The restoration of Onondaga Lake and its effect on the Oswego River system continues to make progress as surrounding sites are remediated and the Syracuse Metropolitan municipal discharge is upgraded to tertiary treatment. Although manufacturing has ceased, Miller Brewing has completed measures to address the City of Fulton's water supply. The Volney Landfill remediation was completed in 2002. The Clay Town Landfill cap is complete. The Clothier site and Fulton Terminals remediation projects have also been completed.
Contaminated River Sediments:
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has developed a comprehensive Contaminated Sediment Management Strategy. Four goals address prevention, cleanup, disposal management, and consistent analytical methodologies. The Oswego River Sediment Study report was completed in April 1997. This report addresses ten areas of investigation along the Oswego River including the AOC. Follow-up investigation was conducted upstream of the Oswego River AOC at Battle Island near the Armstrong facility below Fulton. Review of the 2002 Sediment Report did not identify a need for further follow-up action. Surveillance and assessment of these upstream sites continues under state and federal core environmental programs. The DEC and EPA agencies are prepared to take action to respond to source trackdown priorities with appropriate remedial measures when evaluation warrants this activity.
Point Source Discharge Control:
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has developed an Environmental Benefit Permit Strategy to assist in establishing priority for renewal modifications of point source discharge permits based on the identification of environmental/water quality benefits. A significant reduction in the mass of PCBs and other contaminants discharged within the Oswego River drainage basin by area industries (primarily stormwater and site related) has been achieved by the installation of improved wastewater treatment systems, implementation of best management practices, and hazardous waste site remediation activities. U.S. EPA and New York's Environmental Bond Act are both supplying funding to complete treatment plant upgrades and infrastructure improvements.
Nonpoint Source Pollution Control:
Excessive nutrients (phosphorus) and sedimentation (erosion) from agriculture are believed to be the main nonpoint source pollution problems in the Oswego River Drainage Basin. County Water Quality Management Strategies have been developed to address nonpoint source pollution. Implementation of these strategies and related Best Management Practices (BMPs), including improvements to stormwater management, has been progressing. Various funding programs (grants) support and are available to assist in the implementation of nonpoint source pollution control efforts. The grants provide for agricultural projects and non-agricultural nonpoint source projects.
Air Pollution Control:
Air pollution remedial strategies call for the reduction of contaminant emissions from the major industrial facilities. The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 require air discharges to comply with Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) limits. Where appropriate, NYS Air Standards require treatment beyond MACT. The Oswego County and Onondaga County waste incinerators are two facilities that have conducted monitoring concerning their air discharges involving dioxin. New York State has put together a comprehensive program to improve air quality and to bring the State into compliance with the 1990 federal Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA).
Fish and Wildlife Assessments/Actions:
Key use impairment indicators in the Oswego RAP are based on the status of fish and wildlife conditions and considerations. A number of studies have reported useful information. A fish pathology study conducted by Cornell University found little evidence of impairment of fish health by contaminants in the Oswego River harbor. Fish consumption restrictions and habitat impairments are known; however, contaminant levels are below those causing an increase in fish tumors or other abnormalities. Routine fish monitoring studies provide significant protection for the establishment of advisories. Results of fish and wildlife investigation, environmental monitoring and habitat restoration and protection activities in and around the Oswego River Area of Concern have been developed as part of remedial planning actions. Funding for investigative studies is very limited. The provisions of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) relicensing process addressing the Varick power dam fully address the fish habitat and population concerns for the RAP as described in the Oswego River Fisheries Enhancement Plan.
Health and Environmental Assessments/Actions:
Maintaining current and useful contaminated fish consumption advisory information serves to reduce exposure of user groups. NYSDEC in conjunction with NYSDOH has prepared updated fish consumption advisory pamphlets to assist with public outreach and education. Additional funding to assist with providing improved communication of the fish consumption advisory at the local level and to continue research necessary to monitor long-term trends in regard to the larger lakewide advisory would be beneficial beyond the current level of funding. Additional funds would also be useful to conduct further human health assessments particularly in larger management planning activities.
Investigations and Monitoring Activities:
The results of conducting various investigations and monitoring activities have been instrumental toward resolving the Oswego River Area of Concern use impairments. Some monitoring plans are part of other environmental program activities (e.g. hazardous waste site remediation) and the larger Lake Ontario Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP). The development and implementation of these plans are subject to regulatory review, approval and limited resources of funding. Although the goal is to encourage the ecosystem approach, project money may very well have specific requirements attached that limit the benefits to the Remedial Action Plan. The Oswego RAP has been fortunate in that a number of investigative and monitoring study results have contributed to resolving use impairments in the AOC.
Current projects and outlook
- The 1999 Oswego River RAP Workshop Summary and the final Stage 3 Delisting document (January 2006) describe the improved understanding of study results relating to the Area of Concern and next step activities to be taken to complete the Oswego River delisting. The results and evaluation by the Remedial Advisory Committee, environmental experts, government agencies, and stakeholders have determined that the RAP has accomplished all it can towards resolving the indicators. Responsible parties and actions have been identified to further address the beneficial uses as part of larger management planning activities. Specifically, the Lake Ontario Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP) addresses the fish consumption advisory, and the provisions of the new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) license of the Varick power dam addresses the fish habitat and population concerns.
- As the final Stage 3 Delisting document for the Oswego RAP has been prepared, and the formal public comment period conducted, the coordination of activities among the government agencies including IJC is progressing. To mark the delisting, a commemoration activity is planned for the July 2006 Harborfest in the City of Oswego.
RAP-Related Publications
- 2002: Eastern
Lake Ontario Sand Transport Study (ELOSTS): Final Report on
Sediment Transport Patterns and Management Implications for
Eastern Lake Ontario
(PDF 837Kb, 27 pages)
- 2000: A Report on Water Resources and Local Watershed Management
Programs: The State of the New York Lake Ontario Basin
(PDF 2.40Mb, 122 pages) Exit EPA
In addition, AOC-related documents for the Oswego River AOC are available from the RAP Coordinator or as noted below. These documents include:
- Fish Consumption Advisories and brochure - NYSDEC in cooperation with NYSDOH has produced an informational handout advising specific limits and prohibitions concerning eating certain Lake Ontario fish. Child bearing women have been identified as a high risk group and should particularly heed these warnings. The statewide "Chemicals in Sportfish and Game" lists these advisories on the Internet at: www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/fish/fish.pdf(PDF 947Kb, 39 pages) Exit EPA
- DePinto, J., J. Hassett, M. Velleux, and S. Burns. 1995. A Screening-Level Mass Balance Analysis of Mirex Transport and Fate in the Oswego River. Journal of Great Lakes Research Report. 17 pp.
- NYSDEC. 1992. Rotating Intensive Basin Studies. Water Quality Assessment Program 1989-90 Biennial Report. Seneca-Oneida-Oswego Rivers Basin. pg. 67-82.
- NYSDEC. 1994. Oswego Harbor Survey.
- NYSDEC. 1994. Fisheries Enhancement Plan Report.
- NYSDEC. 1997. Oswego River Sediment Study.
- NYSDOH, USATSDR, Health Consultation for the Armstrong Cork Landfills. Summary Report 1996. 49 pp.
- Oswego County Water Quality Coordinating Committee Strategy. Committee Report. 1992.
- Oswego County Planning Board. 1992. Oswego River Scenic Assessment. 56 pp.
- Spitsbergen, Jan. Report on Neoplasia and Other Lesions in Fish from the Oswego Harbor AOC, Sampled 1993-94. Technical Report 1995. 20 pages plus data.
- See "Milestones" above and Stage 3, Appendix H for a complete listing of 87 references.
Community Involvement
Recent efforts focused on defining the endpoints to address the use impairments and consulting environmental experts regarding monitoring and assessment. Finally, realizing that significant activities had been accomplished to address pollutant sources was a key to stakeholder involvement in evaluating what the RAP Process had achieved. Over the years, the Remedial Advisory Committee (RAC) conducted monthly, and later quarterly, meetings on RAP implementation. The committee has consisted of a diverse and multi-stakeholder representation with the task of identifying needed studies and remedial actions, seeking implementation, and then affecting these activities in the watershed and AOC. Reporting on progress and communicating this information to the public has been an objective of the committee.RAP Public Participation and Outreach: Conducting regular meetings of the Remedial Advisory Committee (RAC) throughout the development and implementation of the all three stages of the RAP Process has been a significant remedial activity. A number of measures to improve communication have been conducted including: development of a slide show and public display to increase public awareness, use of pamphlets and newsletters, RAP documents, and a workshop. It is important that the RAP process and other responsible parties continue to keep stakeholders informed of remedial activities and progress and continue to provide a means for local concerns to be expressed and addressed. Next step actions have included activities to conduct presentations of the AOC delisting. Input from this public consultation along with DEC's liaison with USEPA, GLNPO, local agencies, and IJC has lead to the development of the final Stage 3 Oswego River delisting document. A 45-day formal public comment period was conducted and ended on January 27, 2006. All substantive comments are addressed in the Stage 3 delisting document. Public activities that were instrumental and very effective in the 1990's Oswego River RAP process have included the following:
- Slide Show - A slide show was produced for the Oswego River RAP in the early 1990's with the purpose of providing stakeholders with information about the AOC, the local industries, cultural diversity, and watershed relationships. Public awareness and involvement were encouraged.
- RAP Display - A New York State RAP the exhibit has been used to introduce the stakeholders to the six RAPs in New York State. The display illustrates what actions needed and are currently underway to effectively clean up New York's RAP Areas of Concern.
- "RAPs in Action" - This1990 brochure was developed to augment the message of the RAP display. The brochure provides more detailed information on remedial activities that are being implemented to restore and to protect beneficial uses in New York State's RAP Areas of Concern.
- "Getting the Word Out" - This1990 brochure was developed to provide a description of public outreach and educational materials (see audiovisuals, brochures, fact sheets, etc.) produced by and/or for the RAPs or the Lake Ontario Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP).
- "Oswego River Remedial Action Plan; Past Present and Future" - This1991 brochure was developed to summarize the RAP process as it is being implemented in the Oswego River Area of Concern. The role of stakeholders in the RAP process was provided (out of publication).
- "Watershed Watch" - This mid 1990's annual newsletter was dedicated to increasing awareness about water quality and RAP issues in the Oswego River Area of Concern (out of publication).
- RAC Membership - Volunteer members to the over fifteen year Oswego River RAP process are to be acknowledged. Two original and current members are Joe Allerton and Les Monostory. A special thanks for their dedication and striving to restore and protect the Oswego River AOC.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) relicensing process: The relicensing process of the power facilities along the Oswego River addressed the fish habitat and population concerns for the Area of Concern. Provisions fully address the needs of the Oswego River Fisheries Enhancement Plan.
Remedial Advisory Committee (RAC) Activities: In addition to periodic meetings, the RAC has produced and distributed a RAP poster and bumper stickers, participated in Harborfest Celebrations and Fulton River Days, conducted a public information survey and involved the local news media.
Oswego County Water Quality Advisory Committee: The Oswego County Water Quality Strategy was prepared by the OCWQAC. The committee works to coordinate efforts to improve water quality in the county, especially through the development and implementation of a strategy to control nonpoint source water pollution. Activities have greatly contributed to the RAP.
Oswego County Soil and Water Conservation District: OCSWCD strives to address nonpoint sources of pollution in the county. Invasive species control including aquatic plants and weeds is a priority in the Oswego River. Nonpoint sources are seen as a threat or potential threat to water quality in all of the county's major watersheds. The SWCD and Environmental Management Council (EMC) strive to address sources of nonpoint pollution including: agricultural and related runoff (fertilizers and pesticides), sedimentation from erosion, septic system failure and other runoff from sources such as road salt, leaking underground storage tanks and other chemical containers to protect the environment.
Lake Ontario Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP): the RAP and LaMP are linked in many ways. Stakeholders share watershed, tributary, nearshore, and lakewide concerns and strive to effect restoration and protection priorities and activities.


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Laughlin, NV
Laughlin, NV
We invite you to fly on Total Rewards Air to Harrah's Laughlin! Choose a getaway from our flight schedules which include flights from an extensive list of cities Nationwide!
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- Roundtrip Airfare
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All flight packages are based on double occupancy. If you have a Total Rewards card, please mention it to the Reservations Agent - it may qualify you for a reduced price! Call 1-800-315-9113 to book your charter package today!
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FLIGHT TIMES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING FINAL CONFIRMATION. Please check the webiste 15 days prior to departure. Charter passengers must read, print, sign and return the TPA Agreement to the address indicated. Offer is by invitation only and is non-transferable. Package price includes all taxes and September 11th security fees. Single Passengers will incur a $50 single guest fee. Flights are Public Charters operated by Caesars Entertainment Operating Company utilizing Republic Airlines on Embraer 190 or similar aircraft. All Passengers will have a $30 per person experience fee included in their package price. See Tour Participation Agreement for further details. Management reserves the right to change, cancel or amend offer. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Additional restrictions may apply. Must be 21 years of age or older. A credit card will be required to hold your reservation. Reservations must be cancelled 14 days in advance of the flight or a penalty charge equal to the fare cost will be applied. Valid at Harrah's Laughlin only. Any attempt to sell, auction or otherwise transfer shall nullify this offer except as provided in the TPA Agreement. Gaming Restricted Patrons Prohibited. Know when to stop before you start.® Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-522-4700 © 2012, Caesars Entertainment.


text:
Proliant ML350T G3 3.06GHz 512KB 1GB
Part# 333371-001
Overview:ProLiant ML350 Generation 3 (G3) is an expandable rack or tower server delivering affordable 2-way performance and essential availability to corporate workgroups and growing businesses. The third generation ProLiant ML350 G3 delivers on a long tradition of engineering excellence with state-of-the-art technologies that maximize reliability and performance at an affordable price.
CategoryProliant Server
Part Number333371-001
Products ID15608
ChipsetServerworks Grand Champion LE
Form FactorTower
ProcessorXeon 3.06 GHz
Processors Qty.1
Installed Memory1GB (DDR SDRAM)
Socket TypeSocket 604
Max Supported Qty2
Processor UpgradabilityUpgradeable
Storage Controller Type2-Channel U3 adapter + SA641
Expansion SlotsPCI x 1, PCI-X 64 Bit x 4
Hot Swap ComponentsPower Supply
Bus Speed533 MHz
Video Output InterfacePCI
Installed RAM1GB
RAM TechnologyDDR SDRAM
Suppored RAM Speeds200 MHz
Installed L2 Cache Memory512 KB
Max. L3 Cache Memory1 MB
Installed Video Memory8 MB
Dimensions ( WxDxH )10.24 in x 26 in x 18.52 in
Weight59.98 lbs


text:
Kosher Bread
|Garlic Knots
by Leah Schapira, Fresh & Easy Kosher Cooking
Many people believe that you make garlic knots by brushing the knots with oil and garlic before you bake them. The opposite is true. These are totally irresistible and taste much better than the variety youd buy. While I prefer to make it with pizza dough, the recipe works well with challah dough too. For an exciting variation replace the parsley with za'atar.
1 1/2 pound pizza or challah dough or 1 package purchased pizza dough
Preheat oven to 475F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out the dough to the size of the baking sheet. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough crosswise into thin strips. You should have about 15 strips. Then cut in half lengthwise. Tie each strip into a knot. Place on prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 7-9 minutes. Knots should be slightly browned with the bottoms still white (otherwise they will be too hard).
In a large bowl combine olive oil, garlic, parsley and optional salt. While warm, toss with the olive oil mixture.
Yield: 30 mini knots
The Mince Vs. The Crush:


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- Independent
- The Enterprise
- The Recorder
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development service office in Prince Frederick is closing Oct. 1 and services will be dispersed among two other locations in Southern Maryland, in an effort to increase efficiency and cut costs, according to USDA officials.
On Tuesday, USDA Rural Development Acting Under Secretary Doug O'Brien visited the USDA Service Center in Upper Marlboro to announce that location as one of the two Rural Development offices in Southern Maryland beginning Oct. 1, according to a USDA news release. The other office will be located in La Plata.
USDA Rural Development helps rural individuals, communities and businesses obtain financial and technical assistance needed to address their diverse and unique needs, according to the USDA website.
Currently, the only Rural Development office in Southern Maryland is in Prince Frederick and serves Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Prince George's and St. Mary's counties, according to the USDA website. The existing Prince Frederick office is one of four Rural Development offices in Maryland.
Kathy Beisner, acting state director of Rural Development for Maryland, said Wednesday that the office at Prince Frederick primarily works with rural residents needing help with housing or house repairs.
Beisner said the USDA will be using available space at the existing USDA offices in Upper Marlboro and La Plata.
In the release, O'Brien said, "We are grateful for the partnership with the Farm [S]ervice Agency to join together at Upper Marlboro and La Plata to satisfy Secretary [of Agriculture Tom] Vilsack's goal to maintain high-quality service to all USDA customers."
According to the release, the Prince Frederick office is one of 259 offices marked for closure by Vilsack as part of his Blueprint for Stronger Service to increase efficiency in USDA operations. The Blueprint for Stronger Service is based on a departmentwide review of operations conducted "as part of the [Obama] Administration's Campaign to Cut Waste ... to make government work better and more efficiently for the American People," the release states.
For more information about the Blueprint for Stronger Service initiative, go to www.usda.gov and click on "Blueprint" under the "Secretary's Priorities" section.


text:
Shoulder Sling Beach Bag
Description: Screen printed on cotton twill; this versatile lightweight fabric is perfect for window treatments (draperies, valances, curtains and swags), toss pillows, bed skirts, duvet covers, some upholstery and other home decor accents. Create handbags, apparel (skirts, lightweight jackets, pants) and ...
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text:
Gallery: Clever Recycled Furniture Made from Undesirable Materials
The green movement has helped guide some great designers to create amazing new products from materials that already exist by sourcing supplies from consumer trash. New York City-based furniture designer Chris Rucker gets right to the heart of the issue by addressing reasons why, in modern culture, trash is considered trash in the first place. Rucker uses materials such as plastic laminates, oriented-strand-board, and construction sheathing combined with quality construction methods to showcase a revolutionary and desirable aesthetic.
Ruker became fascinated with the common practice where Brooklyn residents leave abandoned furniture outside to be claimed by someone new. As he walked to and from his Brooklyn studio each day, the bundles of discarded furniture and their distressed materials began to speak to him — he wanted to know what made these pieces so disposable in the first place.
The disregarded pieces all expressed something in common — highlighted areas of common everyday wear and tear, short-lived fabrication methods, and inexpensive approaches that mimic those used to produce high-quality furnishings. Rucker began to experiment, and by re-using materials that are already considered undesirable, he found a solution to reducing furniture waste by redirecting how the average consumer visualizes something deemed worthless and transforming it into something with value.
Via Designerblog
4 Comments
October 26, 2010 at 6:33 pm
[…] Designs has been making reclaimed furniture in Brooklyn with love for years. Now they're using vintage soda crates as magazine drawers […]
August 1, 2010 at 12:18 am
I really applaud your efforts.It has definitely given a good idea to me how to reuse my now unused things.
July 30, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Maybe I have an unusual taste regarding the furniture, in general, but this is a very unaesthetic one. My opinion.
July 27, 2010 at 2:41 pm
This looks really cool, and I applaud the effort to reuse "trash", but…. oriented strand board is notoriuosly bad in the VOC's department. It typically contains urea-formaldehyde, whcih is kown to have cancer causign properties. I don't think i would want to sit on somethign that poses a risk to my health.
Healthy air quality is one of the most often overlooked areas of green design. So often buildings are designed to be super energy efficient and sir tight, but that traps any toxic chemicals inside- whether they are from the materials used or even just the CO2 that we as humans exhale with every breath. It is important to design adequate air flow and exchange as well as avoid using products that contain dangerous chemicals.