Give me a place to stand and I will move the world! Life-long learning in the digital age / Dadme un punto de apoyo y moveré el mundo: el aprendizaje permanente en la era digital

Research on ‘digital natives’ indicates that today’s youngsters interact with one another, and the world, in ways that are different from the ways we did growing up. At the same time, ‘millennials’ are not unique in their attempts to cope with so-called twenty-first century skill requirements. Adults too are on a treadmill. They too qualify as life-long learners. This paper stresses the ways today’s learners — and those in charge of their upbringing — navigate, position, p[l]ace themselves in the settings they inhabit, however shortly or permanently. Learning everywhere all the time is not a new idea, especially among progressive educators. Yet its unexamined promotion calls for a pause. To be viable, our schools will be ‘edgeless’ but they cannot be place-less! Students will be connected (online) yet in touch (grounded, centred, sentient). Tools-at-hand may be smart but shouldn’t take over. Lastly, educational institutions will need to rethink their raison d’être within a broader range of initiatives, platforms and programs, all brought to the attention of masses of [lifelong] learners in search of [short-term] options in a sea of fleeting opportunities.     

Vitamin D and the athlete: Emerging insights

Abstract

Interest in Vitamin D has risen considerably recently with many athletes now advised to take daily vitamin D supplements. The reason for this interest is partly not only attributed to the resurgence of the Vitamin D-deficient disease rickets but also due to the discovery of a Vitamin D receptor in many tissues suggesting a more global role for Vitamin D than previously considered. Unlike the other vitamins that are obtained through the diet, Vitamin D is unique since endogenous synthesis following ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure is the predominant route of entry into systemic circulation. Moreover, Vitamin D could be better classed as a seco-steroid, given that its structure is similar to that of a steroid, and its production is derived from a cholesterol precursor (7-dehydrocholesteol) in the skin. The classification of Vitamin D status is currently subject to considerable debate with many authors opposing governing body recommendations. Regardless of the suggested optimal concentration, there is now growing evidence to suggest that many athletes are in fact Vitamin D deficient, especially in the winter months largely as a consequence of inadequate sun exposure, combined with poor dietary practices, although the consequences of such deficiencies are still unclear in athletic populations. Impaired muscle function and reduced regenerative capacity, impaired immune function, poor bone health and even impaired cardiovascular function have all been associated with low Vitamin D in athletes, however, to date, the majority of studies on Vitamin D have described associations and much more research is now needed examining causation.     

The role of wood in meeting current and future global energy needs

Recent surveys by the FAO and other organisations have shown that worldwide the amount of wood used as fuel is far greater than had been supposed. It probably exceeds one billion tonnes annually, comparable with the quantity used for all other purposes combined. This has stimulated interest in the economic viability of growing wood as a fuel crop, particularly by coppicing.     

Social Justice in Teacher Education

This reflective essay explores the relationship between wonder and learning. Building on the belief that child-like wonder is a precursor to growth, the author discusses four ways to encourage wonder in her college students: getting straight on “who we are” as learners, providing opportunities for discovery and surprise, asking and inviting questions, and creating memorable classroom experiences.