Archive for July, 2015
July 30, 2015 at 10:24 am · Filed under Climate Change, Security
This July 23, 2015 report from the DoD – National Security Implications of Climate-Related Risks and a Changing Climate – was issued in response to a Congressional inquiry on how global warming would affect combat readiness and what risk mitigations are necessary. (This request was embedded in the DoD appropriations bill, Senate Report 113-211) As this very recent report points out: “Global climate change will have wide-ranging implications for U.S. national security interests over the foreseeable future because it will aggravate existing problems—such as poverty, social tensions, environmental degradation, ineffectual leadership, and weak political institutions—that threaten domestic stability in a number of countries.”(3)
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July 29, 2015 at 9:59 am · Filed under History, Images
“The Curzon Project offers digital images of political cartoons from the period of the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars…. a selection of 800 prints has been made, focusing on changing representations of Napoleon and on British fears of invasion during the period 1793-1805.“
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July 29, 2015 at 9:41 am · Filed under Online Primary Sources, Videos
Both of these producers have contributed thousands of videos on their respective YouTube sites. The AP Archive “…offers 1.7 million global news and entertainment video stories, which date back to 1895” while “British Movietone is arguably the world’s greatest newsreel archive, spanning the period 1895 to 1986.” There are pre-selected, curated collections as well as editorial recommendations. These historical newsreels are a window into our past and can be considered primary sources as long as the evaluation process for verifying primary sources is carefully utilized.
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July 27, 2015 at 7:32 am · Filed under Foreign Relations, Online Primary Sources
In light of the restoration of full diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba, it might be beneficial to review salient documents that inform the past; these are volumes from the Foreign Relations of the United States series specifically devoted to Cuba: Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Cuba, Volume VI; Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume X, Cuba, January 1961–September 1962; Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, American Republics; Cuba 1961–1962; Cuban Missile Crisis and Aftermath, Volumes X/XI/XII, Microfiche Supplement; Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XI, Cuban Missile Crisis and Aftermath; and Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXXII, Dominican Republic; Cuba; Haiti; Guyana. Other mentions of Cuba in FRUS series can be found here. This recent CRS report – Cuba: Issues for the 114th Congress is of value.
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July 22, 2015 at 8:57 am · Filed under Education, Government, New Jersey
Recent newsworthy activities at Kean, Montclair and Stockton universities, along with a seemingly endless proliferation of duplicative programs across the state, have resulted in a bill (S 2165) passed by both legislative houses that “Requires Secretary of Higher Education to adopt new comprehensive master plan within six months and every seven years thereafter.” An editorial from The Bergen Record should also be perused.
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July 16, 2015 at 8:11 am · Filed under Education, New Jersey, Statistics
In June, the state had released a report detailing the effectiveness of teachers; many were disappointed that the numbers were reported in the aggregate. Now, an interactive evaluation database has been produced (thanks to NJ Spotlight) that results in ratings being broken down to the school district/school level. The data is alphabetically arranged by the name of the district; the school breakdowns then follow. At the end of each district’s evaluation you can find a total numbers for the district as a whole. (N.B. Principal numbers are included as well). You can also do a search for a school district rather than scroll through the almost 3000 entries. Some of the results have been suppressed, in some cases making information impossible to ascertain; the explanation for that is here.
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July 15, 2015 at 8:29 am · Filed under Current Events, Health/Nursing
There are many of us who use statins to help combat cholesterol. But are the guidelines under which we take these drugs still valid? Should more people be taking statins based on other factors than LDL? Many of these questions are answered in this FAQ from The Washington Post. And importantly, this article provides links to the literature it cites so you can you can make informed decisions along with your health provider.
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July 2, 2015 at 7:49 am · Filed under Interviews, New Jersey
This isn’t necessarily about politicians, rock stars, or media celebrities, but it is more about those people who really make a difference in others’ lives. NJ Spotlight, among its many features, produces Profiles, a site comprised of interviews with people whose work impacts New Jersey. For example: Gary Szatkowski who is this area’s top meteorologist for the National Weather Service; Megan Gilhool, who started a knitting therapy group in Sandy-ravaged Sea Bright; or Susie Wilson, the original champion of the family life curriculum for New Jersey schools. There are dozens of more worthies to read about.
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July 1, 2015 at 12:12 pm · Filed under EdTech, Reports
This new Pew report – Americans’ Internet Access: 2000-2015 – traces Internet adoption across age, class, educational attainment, household income, race/ethnic, and community (rural vs urban) metrics. Each variable is accompanied by charts and data that reinforce the statistical findings. Well worth a perusal.
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July 1, 2015 at 10:59 am · Filed under EdTech
What are the near-term trends in the application of edtech to the K-12 sector? What about predictions for the long haul? These topics are explored in the NMC Horizon Report – 2015 K-12 Edition. Trends, challenges, and developments are explored in this report generated from the musings of 56 educational experts. Hundreds of endnotes (unfortunately none with active links) and dozens of active programs (with active links) add to the utility of this report.
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Congressman Frank J. Guarini Library Blog 