Friday Roundup

Here is a roundup of news articles of interest published within the last 7-10 days:

Health

1. A writer traces illnesses back to the womb, Dec. 27, 2010, NYT.com
Brief Intro:"The idea led to her acclaimed new book, “Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives” (Free Press). Divided into nine chapters that mirror the nine months of Ms. Paul’s own pregnancies, it explores the notion that heart disease, diabetes and perhaps other illnesses may have their origins during pregnancy."

2. New drug strategy shows promise against HIV, Dec. 22, 2010, Health Day
Brief Intro:"Scientists are reporting early but promising results from a new drug that blocks HIV as it attempts to invade human cells."

3. Nutrition: At home, influence wanes on child diets, Dec. 27, 2010, NYT.com
Brief Intro:"Researchers reviewed 24 studies on parent and child dietary habits, using statistical techniques to combine their results. Their analysis, being published in the February issue of The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, found only a weak correlation between what parents and their children eat.

They also found that the association diminished over time — later studies generally showed a weaker connection than earlier ones between child-parent pairs. The authors acknowledge that their conclusions were based on limited data, that only three of the studies were conducted in developing countries, and that methodologies varied."

Vulnerable populations

1. Anti-bias agency cracks down on the use of credit and criminal checks in job screenings, Dec. 27, 2010, Chicago Tribune
Brief Intro:"The federal agency that enforces workplace anti-discrimination laws is warning employers they could be sued if they refuse to hire blacks or Latinos because of a bad credit history or a criminal record."

2. Hispanics leave Connecticut town as FBI probes complaints of police abuse, racial profiling, Dec. 26, 2010, Chicago Tribune
Brief Intro:"Racial profiling allegations began swirling about two years ago in East Haven, a predominantly Italian-American seaside suburb of about 28,000 people 70 miles northeast of New York City. Hispanics make up only about 7 percent of the population, but their numbers had been growing as the peaceful, small-town setting and thriving businesses attracted newcomers from Mexico and Ecuador."

Breadcrumb tutorial and training sessions

As I have blogged about a couple of Breadcrumb projects that I have worked on, I decided to create a tutorial to help others make use of the tool to make their own learning applications. You can view a tutorial presentation on my Slideshare account (or a WebEx recording I've posted onto YouTube). The tutorial will provide you with an introductory overview of Breadcrumb and tips for working on your first idea. You'll also learn about advanced coding techniques to add hosted images, videos and quizzes to your mobile learning app.

If you are a CFL member interested in additional Breadcrumb training, I have scheduled sessions for February 2011. Click on this link for more information. These classes are free but space is very limited.

Friday Roundup

Here is a listing of articles of interest that have been published within the last 7-10 days:

Health

1. Walgreens, U.S. join to offer flu shot vouchers to uninsured, Los Angeles Times, Dec. 17, 2010:

Brief Intro: "The Obama administration and Walgreens on Friday announced a partnership to provide free flu shot vouchers to 350,000 uninsured Americans and others with inadequate health benefits."

2. Depression during pregnancy might affect baby, HealthDay, Dec. 14, 2010:

Brief Intro:"Babies born to mothers who are depressed during pregnancy have higher levels of stress hormones, decreased muscle tone and other neurological and behavioral differences, a new study finds."

3. Thousands on HIV drugs desperate amid budget woes, Associated Press, Dec. 16, 2010:

Brief Intro: Cash-strapped states are cutting back on a program that provides free medicine to people with HIV, leaving thousands of patients to wonder where their drugs will come from and stirring fears of a return to the days..."

Education

1. Unease grows about future of financing for Pell grants, NYT.com, Dec. 17, 2010:

Brief Intro:"With the lame-duck Congress winding down and a $5.7 billion gap in financing looming for next year’s Pell grants — and a further $8 billion gap for the following year — there is growing uncertainty about the future of the grants, the nation’s most significant financial-aid program for college students."

2. Los Angeles schools to seek sponsors, NYT.com, Dec. 15, 2010:

Brief Intro:"Facing another potential round of huge budget cuts, the Los Angeles school board unanimously approved a plan on Tuesday night to allow the district to seek corporate sponsorships as a way to get money to the schools.

The district is not the first to look for private dollars as a way to close public budget gaps — districts in Sheboygan, Wis., and Midland, Tex., for example, have offered up naming rights for their stadiums for years. But the Los Angeles school district is by far the largest to do so, and officials say the plan could generate as much as $18 million for the schools."

Childhood: A Caffeine Buzz From Soft Drinks

An article in the New York Times discusses a small study completed by an urban pediatric clinic that suggests that children younger than 12 may be routinely drinking so much caffeine that it could interfere with their sleep. The source was almost exclusively caffeinated soft drinks. About 78% of the 228 children in the study consumed caffeine - with children 5-7 consuming about 52milligrams per day and children 8-12 consuming about 109 milligrams.

The study was published online in The Journal of Pediatrics.

Senate Blocks Bill for Young Illegal Immigrants

A recent article in the New York Times reported that the Dream Act was voted down in the Senate 55-41. The bill would have created a path for citizenship for children brought to the U.S. as illegal immigrants by requiring them to meet a set list of requirements that included completing two years of college or service in the military along with the passage of a criminal background check.

When Children Are Caught in the Cycle of Poverty

An article in the New York Times cites figures produced by The Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness that shows 1.35 million children are homeless nationwide. Children make up a quarter of the U.S. population but account for 36% of all people in poverty, according to a report from the National Center for Children in Poverty.

The effects of poverty on children can range from poor performance in school and poor mental health. Facing such disadvantages so early in life and with no intervention, these children will find it difficult to transcend these obstacles and as adults may perpetuate the cycle.

Creating a Black History Month Learning App with Breadcrumb

I have been doing some more experimenting with Google Labs Breadcrumb, the mobile learning design interface. Since developing my first mobile app using the tool, I've learned how to add images and pop-up windows that can launch videos and websites without having the user leave the learning application itself. Here is a Black history month learning application I created that makes use of short quizzes to test user learning, window launching to play a YouTube video of Dr. King's famous "I have a Dream" speech, and a final resource window that provides a listing of other sites that users may want to visit to learn more.

*If you have an Android phone, go ahead and scan the code to load it onto your phone or click on the highlighted link up above to view it in your browser.