50 % ). for the first terminal, the best available choice is 70 ft ( authority 80 % ) assuming that the valve noise is acceptable and the valve actuator is capable of closing against 87 ft head. if not, the design of the system has to be change. if all the terminal valves are closed and only terminal 1 is in operation, the differential pressure δh cd drops from 87 to 25 ft since the differential pressure control is set for δh ef = 25 ft. the maximum flow in terminal 1 is reduced. it drops by ratio : then the cooling output drops to 80 % ( fig 2a ). the 20 % reduction in cooling output, in this extreme case, may be acceptable. the case could be much more dramatic if he system is not balanced. to avoid the reduction in flow for the first terminal, its control valve could be selected based on the minimum available differential pressure ( 25 ft ). the first terminal would be now able to have its design flow in the worst case. however, during start - up, the control valve is fully open with an available differential pressure of 87 ft. in this case, the water flow in the first terminal will reach 187 % of its design value9. in start - up, most of the control valves are wide open. the pump runs at maximum speed and cannot keep 25 ft at the last terminal. flow greater than design may cause low flows in other parts of the system generating complaints from occupants. moreover, if the return main flow is greater than design, the flow in the bypass mn ( fig 1 ) will reverse creating an increase of the supply water temperature at mixing point m. this makes morning start - up a time consuming operation. one solution for terminal 1 is to keep the differential pressure across the control valve constant with a local differential pressure controller ( see reference f ). ( fig 7 ) the set point of the ap controller is selected to obtain the design flow for the control valve when fully open. that way, the control valve is always correctly sized and its authority is kept close to 100 %. when the system can be represented by figure 6, the differential pressure may be maintained constant at the middle of the system ( ab instead of ef ) taking the same example as before, the set point would be 56 ft. when the average load is close to zero, the maximum flow obtainable at the first terminal would be of 80 % 10, reducing the maximum power output by only 6 % ( fig 2a ). for the last terminal, the control valve authority will decrease


when the average load is close to zero, the maximum flow obtainable at the first terminal would be of 80 % 10, reducing the maximum power output by only 6 % ( fig 2a ). for the last terminal, the control valve authority will decrease from 50 % to 22 % which is still acceptable. most of the systems cannot be represented by figure 6 as thee are risers, branches, etc. control valves are calculated to take a maximum of pressure drop in design condition and the remaining differential pressure is taken up by a balancing valve. so the best authority is obtained and flows over design are avoided. the δp should be measured in strategic points, for instance on some risers. each δp sensor is associated with a controlled whose set point corresponds with the local design value. the variable speed pump is controlled by the highest demand. this gives the guarantee that all terminals can always work at design value when necessary and the control valve authority is generally improved at small loads. a hvac system is designed for a certain maximum load. if full load cannot be obtained because the system is not balanced for design condition, the owner will not receive the return for his investment. control valves cannot handle this situation as they are fully open when maximum load is required. sizing the two - way control valves is difficult and the valves calculated may not be available on the market. consequently, they are mostly oversized. hydronic balancing is then essential and represents typically less than one percent of the total hvac investment. two - way control valves have to be sized properly to achieve stable control. a good rule is to obtain at least an authority of 25 % in the worst condition. when this goal cannot be achieved, reconsider at least the design of the circuits concerned by installing, for instance, a local self acting differential pressure controller to maintain the control valves authority close to 100 % ( fig 7 ). pumping costs can also be reduced by increasing the design water δt and by using variable speeds pumps with optimum location of the δp sensor transmitters. terminal proportional integral ( pi ) controls require lower flows at intermediary loads than on - off controls ( fig 2a ) and can therefore also reduce the pumping costs. it is also important to compensate for pump oversizing. the excess pressure is shown on the balancing valves in the pump discharge. when the correct changes to the pump have been made, the pump discharge balancing valve should be fully opened. hydronic balancing requires the correct tools, up to date procedures and efficient measuring instruments. the manual balancing valve remains the most


polycystic ovary syndrome ( pcos ) is a chronic endocrine disorder in women. characteristics of pcos are : - high levels of male hormones ( androgens ) - insulin resistance - hair growth on face and body - anovulation — when the ovaries mature few or no eggs ovaries make follicles that hold eggs. with pcos, the ovaries make the follicles, but the eggs do not mature or leave the ovary. the immature follicles can turn into fluid - filled sacs called cysts. most women with pcos have cysts. however, women with ovarian cysts do not necessarily have pcos. the cause is unknown. genes may play a role. the problem is related to insulin resistance that creates high levels of insulin. these high insulin levels cause too much androgen from the ovaries. this prevents ovulation and leads to enlarged, polycystic ovaries. these factors increase your chance of developing pcos. tell your doctor if you have any of these risk factors : - sedentary lifestyle - family members with pcos - irregular menstrual cycles - age at onset : 15 - 30 years old if you have any of these symptoms do not assume it is due to pcos. these symptoms may be caused by other conditions. tell your doctor if you have any of these : - irregular menstrual periods or no menstrual period ( amenorrhea ) - undesired hair growth on face and body - weight gain - dark patches of skin on neck, groin, and arm pit rarely, symptoms include : - deep voice - temporal ( right or left side of forehead ) balding women with pcos are also at increased risk for : - type 2 diabetes — due to insulin resistance ( also glucose intolerance and prediabetes ) - hyperlipidemia — increased fat and cholesterol in the blood - overgrowth and thickening of uterine lining — endometrial hyperplasia, a precancerous condition - endometrial cancer - high blood pressure - heart disease - metabolic syndrome — a combination of obesity, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and increased tendency to blood clotting and inflammatory states the doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. she will ask questions about your periods and when they first started. the doctor will also perform a physical exam. it will include a pelvic exam and a measurement


clotting and inflammatory states the doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. she will ask questions about your periods and when they first started. the doctor will also perform a physical exam. it will include a pelvic exam and a measurement of your body mass. the doctor will order a range of blood tests, such as : - androgen – free testosterone or total testosterone - dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate ( dheas ) - prolactin and thyroid function tests are often done - fasting blood sugar level and fasting insulin are recommended - fasting lipid profile is recommended a pelvic ultrasound may also be done to look for multiple cysts on the ovaries. treatment differs according to whether you want to conceive or not. treatment targets the underlying insulin resistance that accompanies pcos diagnosis. - managing symptoms - weight loss if overweight ; nutrition consultation insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and prediabetes management - use of oral agents such as : metformin, glucophage, actos, avandia - oral contraceptive inducing ovulation ( if you want to get pregnant ) - metformin with or without clomiphene citrate - advanced reproductive technologies - preventing complications - anti - androgenic medicines for blocking future hirsutism ( unwanted hair growth ) to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease : - get regular screenings for diabetes, high blood cholesterol, and fat levels. - exercise regularly. - eat a low - fat diet. - maintain a healthy weight. birth control pills regulate periods. also, by causing the uterine lining to shed regularly, they reduce the risk of overgrowth or cancer. they also control abnormal hair growth and acne by suppressing androgen. other hormones ( called progestins ) may also be used to regulate menstruation. they can be used monthly or intermittently. fertility drugs may be given instead to stimulate ovulation in women who want to become pregnant. pcos can be prevented by recognizing those at risk during their teen years — due to family history, irregular periods, and obesity. it may be possible to avoid pcos if the causes of obesity are addressed successfully and you follow a special diet and exercises. - reviewer : andrea chisholm - review date : 10 / 2012 - - update date : 10 / 31 / 2012 -


most active stories around the nation wed august 29, 2012 isaac ' s size, speed help it pack a heavyweight punch originally published on fri october 26, 2012 11 : 28 am isaac might not be in the same league as hurricane katrina seven years ago, but the latest storm to batter louisiana ' s gulf coast is punching above its weight class in more ways than one, scientists say. the 2005 hurricane katrina, which devastated louisiana and parts of mississippi and alabama, was a category 3 storm ( sustained winds of 125 mph ) moving at about 15 mph when it made landfall on the gulf coast. by comparison, isaac was a weak category 1 storm as measured on the saffir - simpson scale, with sustained winds of 74 - 95 mph. by wednesday afternoon, isaac had been downgraded to a tropical storm, although it still was close to the gulf coast and continued to dump torrential rain. while isaac is considerably less intense than katrina, it is large and slow — a dangerous combination — and it ' s moving west of the mississippi river, a track that intensifies storm surge, says timothy schott, a meteorologist at the national weather service ' s tropical cyclone program. " this storm has sustained tropical storm force winds currently extending out to about 175 miles from the center and the hurricane force about 45 miles from the center, " schott told npr at about noon et wednesday. measuring isaac on three criteria — storm surge, rainfall and wind — schott would rate the storm " high impact " on all of them. even though the winds are category 1, the slow movement of the storm increases their effect, he says. " there ' s also a connection between the size of the storm and the storm surge, " schott says. " we ' re seeing the storm surge inundation values coming in at 8, 9, 10 feet in those southeast louisiana parishes. " when it comes to predicting storm surge, a lot of factors come into play, says brian mcnoldy, a senior research assistant at the rosenstiel school of marine and atmospheric science at the university of miami. among the questions : how large is the storm? how far do the tropical - force winds extend? how fast is it moving and how long has it been moving in the same way? how deep is the ocean offshore? " then the onshore land makes a difference too, " mcnoldy says. " if the land is really, really flat, like new orleans, the storm surge can go a lot farther inland


way? how deep is the ocean offshore? " then the onshore land makes a difference too, " mcnoldy says. " if the land is really, really flat, like new orleans, the storm surge can go a lot farther inland. " putting ' the cork ' in place and, with isaac moving overland at less than 10 mph, isaac will have plenty of time — perhaps 20 hours in some areas — to bottle up storm surge in the mississippi, effectively placing a cork in the bottom as it continues to add more water in the form of torrential rainfall. it ' s not uncommon for hurricanes in the gulf of mexico to be relatively slow movers and isaac had been forecast to be just that, schott says. " not every storm moves quickly and sometimes along the gulf coast and at these lower latitudes, the storms can slow down as this one has and as it was expected to do, " he says. mcnoldy calls isaac ' s stalling out over one of the most vulnerable flood plains in the country just " bad timing, " but says it could have been far worse. " we just got really lucky that this didn ' t strengthen more as it was moving across the gulf of mexico these last few days, " he says. better forecasting has also been a boon. it turns out that models are getting quite good at predicting a storm ' s path, its speed and even the elusive storm surge. but predicting a hurricane ' s intensity has proved more difficult, mcnoldy says. " for intensity, in some cases we don ' t even know if we ' re putting the right data into the models, " he says.


at your best friend ' s sleepover party last weekend, everyone pigged out on cheese pizza and ice cream. then they flopped on their sleeping bags for a night of dvds. you were having a great time, but after about an hour you started feeling awful. first your stomach felt really full — almost too full. then it started to ache and you had a lot of gas — phew! before long, you were running to the bathroom because you had to poop and you couldn ' t wait! oh, no! you hadn ' t been feeling sick before, and no one else felt yucky. so why was your stomach in knots? maybe you have lactose intolerance ( say : lak - tose in - tahl - er - ents ). what is lactose intolerance? people who have lactose intolerance have trouble digesting ( say : dye - jest - ing ) lactose, a type of sugar found in milk and other dairy foods. lactose intolerance does not mean you are allergic to milk, but you will probably feel bad after drinking milk or eating cheese, ice cream, or anything else containing lactose. as with everything else you eat, your body needs to digest lactose to be able to use it for fuel. the small intestine normally makes a special substance called lactase ( say : lak - tase ), an enzyme that breaks lactose down into simpler sugars called glucose ( say : gloo - kose ) and galactose ( say : guh - lak - tose ). these sugars are easy for your body to absorb and turn into energy. people with lactose intolerance do not make enough lactase in their small intestine. without lactase, the body can ' t properly digest food that has lactose in it. this means that if you eat dairy foods, the lactose from these foods will pass into your intestine, which can lead to gas, cramps, a bloated feeling, and diarrhea ( say : dye - uh - ree - uh ), which is loose, watery poop. a lot of people have lactose intolerance, but no one has to put up with feeling awful. if you have lactose intolerance, you can learn to watch what you eat and your doctor may suggest medicine that can help. between 30 million and 50 million people in the united states have lactose intolerance. that means


feeling awful. if you have lactose intolerance, you can learn to watch what you eat and your doctor may suggest medicine that can help. between 30 million and 50 million people in the united states have lactose intolerance. that means at least 1 out of every 10 americans is lactose intolerant. many cases of lactose intolerance are genetic ( say : juh - neh - tik ). that means that something in these people ' s genes makes them more likely to develop it. the condition is more common among some groups of people — about 90 % or more of asian americans and native americans are lactose intolerant, and up to 80 % of african americans and hispanic americans get symptoms whenever they eat dairy foods. if you belong to one of these groups, you ' re also more likely to develop lactose intolerance while you ' re young. people can also develop lactose intolerance for other reasons. sometimes another illness may keep the intestine from producing enough lactase. for example, people with inflammatory bowel disease ( ibd ), such as crohn ' s disease, or other long - term problems that affect the intestines are often lactose intolerant. people can also develop lactose intolerance if they ' re taking certain medicines or just had an infection that caused diarrhea. luckily, this type of lactose intolerance doesn ' t usually last long. even if you don ' t have trouble with lactose now, there ' s a chance you might someday. why? because your body starts making less lactase when you ' re around 2 years old. the older you get, the more likely it is that you could have trouble digesting dairy foods. got lactose intolerance? if you have lactose intolerance, your body will usually start acting up within 2 hours of eating or drinking something that has lactose in it. not everyone reacts in the same way — or within the same amount of time — because some people can handle more lactose than others can. but when your body starts trying to digest the food, you ' ll begin to feel yucky. if you once got a sick feeling in your stomach after gulping down a glass of milk, that doesn ' t mean you have lactose intolerance. but if you get an upset stomach every time you drink a milkshake, snack on ice cream, or eat a slice of cheesy pizza, there ' s a good


, that doesn ' t mean you have lactose intolerance. but if you get an upset stomach every time you drink a milkshake, snack on ice cream, or eat a slice of cheesy pizza, there ' s a good chance that ' s what it is. lactose intolerance can start suddenly — even if you ' ve never had trouble with dairy products or other foods containing lactose. if you and your parent think you might have lactose intolerance, the next step is to see your doctor. after hearing about your symptoms and doing a physical exam, your doctor may ask you to stop eating dairy for a period of time. if your symptoms improve on a dairy - free diet, but happen again when you try dairy again, there ' s a good chance you are lactose intolerant. the doctor also can test your breath to see if you show signs of lactose intolerance. no, the doctor won ' t sniff to see if your breath smells stinky! he or she will check your breath for hydrogen ( say : hye - druh - jun ) — a gas you cannot see or taste. when lactose isn ' t digested, the bacteria that normally live in the large intestine use it and make hydrogen gas. to test the amount of hydrogen, the doctor will have you drink something with lactose in it. you ' ll be asked to blow into a mask or bag to check the hydrogen level in your breath about every 15 minutes during the test. if it ' s high, you might have lactose intolerance. if you ' re diagnosed with lactose intolerance, your doctor will talk to you about the best ways to treat it and help you feel your best. you will play a big part in how you feel because it ' s up to you to watch what you eat. you might want to keep a list of foods that make you feel sick, so you can steer clear of them in the future. talking with a dietitian ( say : dye - uh - tih - shun ) — someone who specializes in food and nutrition — could help you decide what to eat and what not to eat. the doctor also might suggest a kind of medicine you can take when you eat dairy products and other foods containing lactose. this medicine, which contains the lactase enzyme, comes in drops or pills and can be bought in drugstores and supermarkets. if you take it right before eating foods that cause you trouble, it usually


dairy products and other foods containing lactose. this medicine, which contains the lactase enzyme, comes in drops or pills and can be bought in drugstores and supermarkets. if you take it right before eating foods that cause you trouble, it usually helps your body digest the lactose. some people with lactose intolerance must avoid all foods containing lactose, but others can eat certain dairy foods. many people can drink lactose - free milk that has added calcium. ask your doctor if this could be a good choice for you. if you are new to lactose intolerance, start by figuring out what ' s best for you to eat. again, a nutritionist can help you plan healthy meals that contain little or no lactose. when you do eat dairy products, stick with foods that have smaller amounts of lactose in them, such as aged cheeses, including cheddar. yogurt that contains live cultures is more easily digested because it contains healthy bacteria that produce lactase. even if you ' re lactose intolerant, you may be able to handle smaller portions of your favorite dairy products. it also may help to eat a food that does not contain lactose along with a food that does, so have some fruit with your bagel and cream cheese! if you have lactose intolerance, make sure you still get enough calcium from foods like tofu, leafy green veggies ( spinach is a great choice ), lactose - free milk, and juices or soy milk that have added calcium. eating a healthy diet that includes many different kinds of food should do the trick. if you can ' t seem to get enough calcium in your diet, your doctor may recommend a calcium supplement. you also need to get the right amount of vitamin d, which helps your body use calcium. you may also take a lactase enzyme supplement. taking this before eating food that contains dairy will help your body digest the lactose sugar in dairy so you don ' t have pain, cramping, bloating, gas or diarrhea. and if you ' re trying to cut out lactose, you ' ll have to cut out more than milk. remember to check food labels because many packaged foods have added lactose, and sometimes it ' s tricky to figure out which ones do. watch out for ingredients like butter, cheese, cream, dried milk, milk solids, powdered milk, and whey, for example. if you ' re not sure about an ingredient


| this article appears in the january 23, 2004 issue of executive intelligence review. the mars exploration rovers begin the intensive study of the planet mars, which can lay the basis for its human exploration in the future. marsha freeman reports. spirit rover gets ready to follow the water on mars a highly complex and extraordinary representative of man ' s intelligence is sitting now in gusev crater on the surface of mars, preparing to begin a geological study of the history of water on the red planet. from its full stand - up height of nearly five feet, spirit is transmitting back to earth full - color, three - dimensional photographs of mars, which are comparable in resolution to what you would see with your own eyes, were you standing there. its journey will be the first step in a planned multi - decade nasa mars exploration program. the success of the spirit landing and its initial operation have placed on the agenda, once again, lyndon larouche ' s 40 - year program, developed in the 1980s, for the establishment of a science city on mars. ( see below ). the primary task of the mars exploration rovers, named spirit and opportunity, is to deploy a suite of scientific instruments, in order to peer into the past, and help answer the question : at some time in its history, did mars have a climate and environment that would have supported life? the rovers will not be searching for fossils or direct evidence of life. experiments aboard the two viking landers in 1976 attempted to do that, returning ambiguous results that are still being debated in the scientific community. the complex soil chemistry on the martian surface convinced scientists that the level of robotic technology available today, would best be deployed to search for indirect evidence of possible life on mars. since the 1970s viking missions, field research in extreme environments on earth has revealed not only that liquid water is a prerequisite for life, but that everywhere there is water, and some source of energy, there is life. such environments have included hot steam vents under the ocean, lakes under the ice of antarctica, and the inside of radioactive nuclear power plants. where there is water and energy, there is life. there is no evidence of liquid water currently on the surface of mars. there is frozen water at the poles, and, as recently discovered from orbital measurements, significant caches of ice co - mingled with soil under the surface of much of the planet. there is gaseous water vapor in the atmosphere, whose concentration waxes and wanes with the change of seasons on mars, when polar ice sublimes into the atmosphere


river ' s trip into gusev, before it exited through a gap in the crater ' s northern rim. the surface of gusev crater, which appeared relatively smooth from orbit, and confirmed to be so by photographs taken by spirit on the ground, may be covered with wind - blown dust deposits, or material from volcanic eruptions. the samples of layered sedimentary rocks that would tell the history of the site, therefore, may be found in the material from the bottom of the original crater that was ejected to the surface, when secondary impacts took place. placing spirit in a portion of gusev crater that was not too rocky, relatively flat, and not too dusty, required the most intricate trajectory planning, and the analysis of real - time data of the changing conditions in the martian atmosphere, in order to allow last - minute adjustments. the parameters for entry into mars ' atmosphere, descent, and landing were carefully calculated using models based on imaging and thermal data from the two orbiters. but even the best models can be bested by the red planet. in early december, a dust storm was observed on the opposite side of mars as the spirit landing site. scientists were aware that the increased dust in the atmosphere would increase its temperature, but thought that effect would be limited to the vicinity of the storm. but they discovered shortly before spirit landed that the effects were global, and that higher temperatures than expected would have an impact on spirit ' s landing. small adjustments were made in the last few minutes before descent and landing, to account for the change in the weather. images and data, including the dust deposits on the rover ' s solar arrays, lead scientists to conclude that visibility at gusev carter now is similar to a smoggy day on a big city on earth. mission managers warned before landing that even a large gust of wind could end the mission. to increase the likelihood of success, a set of systems was placed on the lander to help guide its descent. these included downward - looking cameras on the lander to take three images on the way down ; three small rockets to compensate for any wind gusts that might give the lander a horizontal velocity ; radar on the lander to send pulses toward the ground to measure its altitude ; and the ability for spirit to communicate with mars odyssey during its entire descent to the surface, in order to record each step of the process. the result was that the engineers succeeded in placing spirit in " the sweet spot, " as scientist dr. steve squyres described it. from the first black - and - white


to the surface, in order to record each step of the process. the result was that the engineers succeeded in placing spirit in " the sweet spot, " as scientist dr. steve squyres described it. from the first black - and - white images the rover transmitted to earth, three hours after it landed, it was clear that its neighborhood on gusev crater is made to order. a different mars unlike the 1970s viking and 1997 pathfinder landing sites, this site has only 3 % of its surface covered with rocks, versus 20 %. there are no large boulders visiblenothing so tall that the rover will have to drive around it. nature has saved the scientists time, dr. squyres has noted, by scouring the surfaces of many of the rocks through the periodic transit of dust devils, swirling through the windy crater. the site contains the diversity of rocks and soil the scientists had hoped for. there are rounded and angular rocks, dark - surfaced and brighter rocks, soil that appears dusty, soil that appears compacted, and insets of small craters, where ejecta may expose primary material from the past of gusev crater. while the egress of the rover from its landing platform was delayed by a couple of daysin order to turn it in place so it could roll off in the safest directionscientists have been studying the data collected by spirit to make their short - and long - term exploration plans. at a briefing from nasa ' s jet propulsion laboratory on jan. 13, dr. squyres outlined the primary objectives of each of the working science teams. the atmospheric science team, he reported, is studying the observations of the sky taken by the rover ' s thermal emission spectrometer, to refine their understanding of mars ' dynamic atomsphere and weather. the team is aiming for high - fidelity temperature profiles of the atmosphere on mars. this data will be important in fine - tuning the landing of the opportunity rover on jan. 25, as well as generally improving weather forecasting on mars. " there is almost an embarrassment of rocks " to study, squyres said, in regard to the work of the geology and long - term planning science team. the first order of business will be to study the different rock and soil types in the immediate vicinity of the rover, and the team will be choosing the best targets. visual images, as well as infrared measurements, already indicate the variety the scientists had hoped for. the group interested in studying the physical properties of the rocks and soil, is most


vicinity of the rover, and the team will be choosing the best targets. visual images, as well as infrared measurements, already indicate the variety the scientists had hoped for. the group interested in studying the physical properties of the rocks and soil, is most immediately anxious to gain access to the images of the tracks that the rover ' s wheels will leave in the soil, as it exits the lander ramp. they will study the soil ' s compressibility, and do little wheel maneuverssuch as holding five fixed and rotating the sixthto provide a look at material at some depth. later, the rover will do trenching, digging deeper down in the soil. following that, an intriguing piece of real estate near the landernow dubbed the " magic carpet " where spirit ' s airbags apparently dragged against the soil, will be a point of interest. from the visual images, the darker, subsurface soil that was uncovered, looks like mud. scientists caution that it is unlikely the soil is actually wet, but are anxious to discern its differences from the surrounding area. the mineralogy and geochemistry group is deciding in which direction the rover should go, after it studies its immediate surroundings. the first order of business is to provide a map of the diversity of the site. their job is to use the rover ' s suite of spectrographic instruments, which will provide the compositional data on the rocks, to do a thorough characterization of the neighborhood. by jan. 13, the scientists had assembled the entire 360° color 3 - d panorama of photographs from the rover, seeing details that were invisible in the first, black - and - white, lower - resolution navigation images. on the horizon, in an easterly direction from spirit, is a cluster of eight rolling hills. the nearest, however, is almost two miles from the landing spot, or about five times the distance the rover was designed to travel. dr. squyres stressed that even if the rover could not make the traverse all the way to the hills, the view and detail of the hills will " get better and better, " as the rover is sent closer and closer. one " extremely attractive target, " according to dr. squyres, is a small crater only about 800 feet in the distance. it appears to be an impact crater that has excavated subsurface material. once the rover is on the move, scientists and engineers will decide if it should drive over and peek over the ridge of the crater ' s rim. meet the field geologists the


appears to be an impact crater that has excavated subsurface material. once the rover is on the move, scientists and engineers will decide if it should drive over and peek over the ridge of the crater ' s rim. meet the field geologists the mars exploration rovers are the most complex robotic devices for planetary study ever deployed. each is designed to wander the red planet for at least 90 mars days, or sols ( equivalent to 92 earth days ), and cover a distance of up to 300 feet per day. unlike the diminutive 22 - pound sojourner rover, which depended upon a lander for communications, the 384 - pound, golf cart - sized spirit and opportunity rovers communicate directly with the two overhead mars orbiters, and with the earth. thus, they have no limit on distance they can travel from the landing site. the amount of data, including images, that spirit can send back in a day, using all three communication links, is more than ten times what was retrieved from sojourner in 1997. how far each rover will travel will depend upon how long it is operational. as mars goes from summer to fall in its northern hemisphere over the next three months, and the days shorten and temperatures decline, the rovers will have to use more energy to keep their instruments and electronics warm. at the same time, there will be less solar energy available for their panels to convert into electricity. so for this mission, time is of the essence. during the time they are functioning on the surface of mars, the rovers have their prime objectives. these were chosen to carry out the studies that would indicate whether or not water was persistent on mars. for spirit, this means a thorough characterization of the diversity of the rocks and soil ; the search for minerals that could have been deposited by water flow or precipitation ; the search for minerals created in the presence of water ; and the extraction of clues from its geologic investigation that relate to the environmental conditions when liquid water was present on the surface, such as erosion, or rock fracturing. to meet these objectives, spirit has a scientific payload, called athena. it includes two instruments that survey the general site. the first is a pair of high - resolution color stereo cameras, whose photographs have already produced images with a clarity never before seen. the second is a miniature thermal emission spectrometer, or mini - tes, which sees objects in the infrared. from afar, mini - tes is determining the mineral composition of martian features, peering through the dust that coats some of the rocks,


second is a miniature thermal emission spectrometer, or mini - tes, which sees objects in the infrared. from afar, mini - tes is determining the mineral composition of martian features, peering through the dust that coats some of the rocks, to see their spectral signature. it has already identified higher - than - expected concentrations of carbonates, which form in the presence of water on earth. mini - tes also measures the gross heat emitted by objects, and will help characterize the texture of the soil ( fluffy or compacted ), by obtaining a profile of its absorption of heat during the day, and its release at night. the rover has an arm ( and hand, and fingers ), which can reach out and deploy three instruments for in situ measurements. these are the microscopic imagera combined microscope and camera, which will produce extremely closeup view of rocks and soils ; the mossbauer spectrometer, to determine the composition and abundance of iron - bearing minerals, and magnetic properties of surface materials ; and the alpha particle x - ray spectrometer, to determine the individual elements that make up the rocks and soil. to clear the way for looking behind the surface and into the interior, the rock abrasion tool will grind away the top layer of rocks, and expose fresh material underneath for the arm ' s instruments to investigate up close. by the end of its mission, scientists hope that spirit will provide them with the quantity and quality of data to come to a definitive answer to the question of whether there was a lake of some sort at gusev crater, and, if so, how long the water persisted there. next rover about to arrive opportunity is scheduled to land on the opposite side of mars, at meridiani planum, on jan. 25, eastern standard time ; late night the previous day, at the jet propulsion laboratory in california. like gusev crater, meridiani is near the martian equator, but halfway around the planet. the site is one of the smoothest, flattest plains on mars, and is of particular interest due to its mineral composition. from orbit, the mars global surveyor thermal emission spectrometer has observed that meridiani planum is rich in an iron oxide mineral called gray hematite, which on earth is usually formed in the presence of water. opportunity will take a closer look. these two complementary rover missions are taking important steps in nasa ' s effort to " follow the water " on mars. throughout the rest of this decade, future missions will extend the scope and depth of this


of water. opportunity will take a closer look. these two complementary rover missions are taking important steps in nasa ' s effort to " follow the water " on mars. throughout the rest of this decade, future missions will extend the scope and depth of this intensive exploration of mars, and put in place the infrastructure for the decade to follow. in 2005, nasa plans to launch the mars reconnaissance orbiter, to carry our a remote sensing study of the planet, comparable to what is carried out continuously to study the earth. it is designed to combine the big - picture perspective of an orbiter with the level of local detail previously only obtainable from landing a spacecraft on the surface. the phoenix mars scout, scheduled for the next launch opportunity in 2007, will send a spacecraft, for the first time, to a non - equatorial landing spot, at the icy northern, arctic part of the planet. after the mars reconnaissance orbiter conducts its high - resolution examination of thousands of mars locales, the nuclear - powered, precision - landed mars science laboratory will be deployed in 2009, to intensively study the surface for a full martian year or longer ; it will be able to cover a distance on the ground an order of magnitude larger than the current set of rovers. during the same 2009 launch window, the mars telecommunications orbiter will be sent to mars. it will be the first interplanetary spacecraft whose primary mission will be to provide a communications link for other missions. its first task will be to provide the capability to dramatically increase the amount of data that the science laboratory can send back to earth.


cesar chavez ' s home is designated national historic site cesar chavez ’ s california retreat has been added to the national register of historic places. interior secretary ken salazar announced the designation of the site in the tehachapi mountains where the labor leader lived and led the farm workers movement the last 22 years of his life. salazar, who called chavez " one of the heroes of the 20th century, ' ' made the announcement at a gathering of the congressional hispanic caucus institute in washington on wednesday night. the 187 - acre nuestra senora reina de la paz in keene, southeast of bakersfield, served as headquarters of the united farm workers and chavez ’ s residence from 1971 to 1993. it is now home to the national chavez center. chavez was buried there in 1993. the listing is largely honorific. the site is one of a number of places in the west associated with chavez ' s life that are under consideration for designation as national historic landmarks or additions to the national park system. the national park service staff is expected to send its recommendations to congress early next year. “ for my father, la paz was a personal refuge from bitter struggles in agricultural valleys and big cities, a spiritual harbor where he recharged batteries, drew fresh inspiration and prepared for the battles ahead, ” paul f. chavez, cesar chavez ' s middle son and president of the cesar chavez foundation, said in a statement. “ it was a place where many dedicated people spent years of their lives working with cesar chavez for social justice, inspiring generations of americans from all walks of life who never worked on a farm to social and political activism. " the national register of historic places includes more than 87, 000 historic buildings, structures, districts, sites and objects. la paz was nominated for listing by california ’ s state historic preservation officer. a 12 - member advisory board then recommended the designation to salazar, who approved it after visiting the site. as the leader of the united farm workers union, chavez staged a massive grape boycott that raised awareness of the plight of predominantly latino farmworkers. his efforts were credited with inspiring millions of other latinos in their fight for more educational opportunities, better housing and more political power. - - richard simon reporting from washington, d. c. photo : villa la paz, a conference and education center, is located at the national chavez center at la paz in keene, ca. the site has been added to the national register of historic places. credit : mel melcon / los angeles times


all morning, i have been on twitter, waiting to find out who john mccain would pick as his vice presidential running mate. sarah palin ’ s name was floated early, in advance of the announcement, and i checked out her bio on wikipedia. one thing stuck out immediately for me - she has a baby, born in april 2008, now 5 months old, who has down syndrome. down syndrome is also called trisomy 21 - the children have a third # 21 chromosome, and it can cause a series of issues. from wikipedia : individuals with down syndrome tend to have a lower than average cognitive ability, often ranging from mild to moderate learning disabilities. a small number have severe to profound mental disability. the incidence of down syndrome is estimated at 1 per 800 to 1, 000 births, although these statistics are heavily influenced by the age of the mother. other factors may also play a role. many of the common physical features of down syndrome also appear in people with a standard set of chromosomes. they may include a single transverse palmar crease ( a single instead of a double crease across one or both palms, also called the simian crease ), an almond shape to the eyes caused by an epicanthic fold of the eyelid, upslanting palpebral fissures, shorter limbs, poor muscle tone, a larger than normal space between the big and second toes, and protruding tongue. health concerns for individuals with down syndrome include a higher risk for congenital heart defects, gastroesophageal reflux disease, recurrent ear infections, obstructive sleep apnea, and thyroid dysfunctions. early childhood intervention, screening for common problems, medical treatment where indicated, a conducive family environment, and vocational training can improve the overall development of children with down syndrome. although some of the physical genetic limitations of down syndrome cannot be overcome, education and proper care will improve quality of life. in the “ learning disabilities world ”, people are often oddly jealous of parents of down ’ s kids in comparison. this sounds really weird, right? how could that be? well, parents who know their child has a disability like down ’ s from birth, automatically often get hooked up with advocacy groups, help and information like the national down syndrome society, national association for down syndrome, national down syndrome congress, and others. for parents of kids with other cognitive and even mild learning disabilities, ranging from autism to adhd and dyslexia, their child ’ s disability often comes as a surprise,


national association for down syndrome, national down syndrome congress, and others. for parents of kids with other cognitive and even mild learning disabilities, ranging from autism to adhd and dyslexia, their child ’ s disability often comes as a surprise, several years after the child is born. something seems off. you wonder whether or not it ’ s just your imagination. you have to be a detective, as well as assertive with practitioners to figure out what ’ s going on. too frequently, if a mom suspects something ’ s wrong, they also have to deal with the fact that the knee - jerk response from many pediatricians is “ wait and see - you are being too nervous. ” these disabilities are not immediately known and obvious, and often blind - side parents who have been assuming everything is just fine and dandy. this road into disability land is really rough for many people, especially for those who aren ’ t expecting it. but it isn ’ t easy for anyone, even those who know the road will be different. emily perl kingsley wrote a moving piece called “ welcome to holland “ about her experience of having a child with down ’ s syndrome. most of the moms i know whose children have any sort of issue feel very much the same way. the link above will take you to the piece, but i think it ’ s equally important to reprint it here for the purposes of this post : i am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability – to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. it ’ s like this … … when you ’ re going to have a baby, it ’ s like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to italy. you buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. the coliseum. the michelangelo david. the gondolas in venice. you may learn some handy phrases in italian. it ’ s all very exciting. after months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. you pack your bags and off you go. several hours later, the plane lands. the stewardess comes in and says, “ welcome to holland. ” “ holland?!? ” you say. “ what do you mean holland?? i signed up for italy! i ’ m supposed to be in italy. all my life i ’ ve dreamed of going to italy. ” but there ’ s been a change in the flight plan. they ’ ve landed in holland and there you must stay. the important thing is


i ’ m supposed to be in italy. all my life i ’ ve dreamed of going to italy. ” but there ’ s been a change in the flight plan. they ’ ve landed in holland and there you must stay. the important thing is that they haven ’ t taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. it ’ s just a different place. so you must go out and buy new guide books. and you must learn a whole new language. and you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met. it ’ s just a different place. it ’ s slower - paced than italy, less flashy than italy. but after you ’ ve been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around …. and you begin to notice that holland has windmills …. and holland has tulips. holland even has rembrandts. but everyone you know is busy coming and going from italy … and they ’ re all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. and for the rest of your life, you will say “ yes, that ’ s where i was supposed to go. that ’ s what i had planned. ” and the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away … because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss. but … if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn ’ t get to italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things … about holland. having a child who is different is a challenge. it takes lots of time. you go from doctor ’ s appointment to therapists to psychologists. you have iep meetings with teachers and educators. you have a whole program of enrichment you need to do at home, to keep your child on track and make them successful and hopefully, eventually, independent. this post is not supposed to be a giant pity party about the difficulties parents face when they have a child with a disability. there ’ s plenty of fun and joy and laughter, but let me not delude you for a moment to say that it is a heck of a lot of work and requires a heck of a lot of time. then there ’ s the whole issue of how much siblings lose out when so much time is spent helping the child with a disability, but we ’ ll save that one for a different day. while i will be one of the first people in line to be empathetic with


whole issue of how much siblings lose out when so much time is spent helping the child with a disability, but we ’ ll save that one for a different day. while i will be one of the first people in line to be empathetic with sarah palin and the challenges she faces ahead of her with her son, i think she is deluding herself that she can be both a great mom to a child with a disability and the vice president of the united states. heck, most moms i know have enough problems being a mom, holding a job, handling homework, and volunteering with the pta. having a job like vice president basically is a 24 x 7 type of position. she will be required to sit in the senate. she will have meetings all over the world. yes, i have heard of nannies. but her son will require tons of care and attention, consistently, and especially during his early years, to ensure he develops to the maximum of his potential. and i worry that being vice president means she will miss all of that, or leave it to her other children and / or caretakers to take her place. so many times, it ’ s a mom ’ s observation of her child and their subtle behaviors that let you know what ’ s normal and what ’ s not. it helps clue professionals and therapists to possible treatments and underlying problems. there ’ s a story in dr. william sears ’ book the successful child ( p. 40 ) about how one mom knew there was a problem with a new speech therapist ’ s perception of what her child needed and what was wrong, and it was only through observation and being able to explain how her child was at home, that the mom could convince the speech therapist to try something new, and that seemed to make all the difference. i am a firm believer, that whether you are a working mom or a stay at home mom, you need to be an active part in your child ’ s life and you need to know them well, in order to advocate well for them. you can ’ t outsource this responsibility to others - no one else has the same love and attachment for your child as you do. i am sure palin ’ s husband may take over this role if she becomes vice president, but he won ’ t be able to be the baby ’ s mom. sarah palin faces a difficult and challenging and rewarding journey ahead with her children and family. and i have sincere doubts that both her job as a mom to a child with a


he won ’ t be able to be the baby ’ s mom. sarah palin faces a difficult and challenging and rewarding journey ahead with her children and family. and i have sincere doubts that both her job as a mom to a child with a severe disability and her potential job as vp will get all the attention they deserve if she tries to do them both simultaneously. sarah palin ’ s child is very young right now, and i don ’ t think she can fully appreciate the path that is laid out before her. if someone called and offered me the vice presidency, i would have a hard time saying no as well. it is a once in a lifetime, career opportunity. it could change the course of her life, and the life of our country and even the world. even the nomination is important. this is an uncommon situation. but i think it would be tragic to outsource her child for the sake of this position - a childhood is something that cannot be replayed or recaptured when it is convenient, or when the term is over. what kind of treatment and therapy this child gets over the next few years will help determine the course of the rest of his life - every expert says early intervention is key. is this child ’ s future something that should be in play? we will see how this all plays out. as someone who has children with relatively minor learning issues, who talks to parents who have kids with many more complex issues than mine, and who interviews experts in the field of learning and education, i can say i doubt they make a day long enough for sarah palin to be both vice president of the united states and an involved mom of a child with a disability. and for all the heroics that she may be painted with for the next 67 days, for having 5 children, including one being deployed to iraq as well as an infant with down ’ s, and the host of other merit badges that support her selection, i honestly believe she cannot yet appreciate the challenges she will face with her son. george will has a son with down syndrome and wrote an interesting piece about it in newsweek, wondering whether or not prenatal testing is leading too many women to choose to abort fetuses with down syndrome. i do not consider any of this a debate about abortion or genetic anomalies, or anything other than the amount of time and care involved in raising children with disabilities. there is no doubt that people with down syndrome can lead fine lives, but this also means having great care and loving, involved parents to


or genetic anomalies, or anything other than the amount of time and care involved in raising children with disabilities. there is no doubt that people with down syndrome can lead fine lives, but this also means having great care and loving, involved parents to make sure it happens. randy alcorn also talks about his son with down syndrome here. correction - this link is to an excerpt of the george will article in newsweek, on randy alcorn ’ s website, and is not about randy ’ s own family. the national down syndrome society talks about the need and importance of early intervention here. some of the things a child with down ’ s will need includes : when should early intervention start? early intervention should begin any time shortly after birth, and continue until the child reaches age three. the sooner early intervention begins, the better, however, it ’ s never too late to start. once it is determined that your baby has down syndrome, you may contact your local early intervention specialist and arrange for an evaluation and assessment. what is early intervention? based upon patterns of development, early intervention is a systematic program of physical therapy, exercise and activity designed to remedy developmental delays that may be experienced by children with down syndrome. in many instances, the program is individualized to meet the specific needs of each child, and to help all infants and children reach growth milestones in every area of development. early intervention helps in each of the four main areas of development : gross motor and fine motor skills, language, social development and self - help skills.


dysgraphia is similar to dyslexia which affects writing or written expression. it is a learning disability that makes it difficult for an otherwise bright child to express himself well through writing. the national institute for neurological disorders defines dysgraphia as follows : " dysgraphia is a neurological disorder characterized by writing disabilities. specifically, the disorder causes a person ' s writing to be distorted or incorrect. in children, the disorder generally emerges when they are first introduced to writing. they make inappropriately sized and spaced letters, or write wrong or misspelled words, despite thorough instruction. children with the disorder may have other learning disabilities, however, they usually have no social or other academic problems. in addition to poor handwriting, dysgraphia is characterized by wrong or odd spelling, and production of words that are not correct ( i. e., using " boy " for " child " ). the cause of the disorder is unknown. " dysgraphia is a ' sister ' disability to dyslexia. whereas dyslexia is ' difficulty with language ', dysgraphia is ' difficulty with writing '. dysgraphia causes difficulty with processing information, organizing thoughts, and going through the process of putting the words down onto paper. often a child with dysgraphia hates writing, will have writing that is variable in size and spacing, and will sometimes orient letters incorrectly. ( continued below.. ) a child with dysgraphia may or may not be able to think of what he wants to write. often children with dysgraphia will be able to express themselves well verbally, however seem unable to write at a level that reflects the complexity of their thoughts. a child may express himself with sentences such as, " the apatosaurus was gigantic, but was primarily a herbivore. " however, he would be likely to write, " the dino was big. " there is an excellent article about dysgraphia on the international dyslexia association website called, " just the facts.. dysgraphia ". you may also find helpful information on ldonline. you can also view additional information about remediation programs on our writing remediation page.


the sign for " birth " can be done a couple of ways. both signs mean " birth " or " born. " one is based on the idea of a baby " coming out " and the other is based on the idea of a baby the palm of the right hand is held near the stomach. the left hand is coving the right hand. the right slips downward and outward representing the motion of a baby out of a womb. birth or born : note : in the picture i ' m holding my hand against my stomach because i ' m over - posing. in real life this sign tends to be done a few inches away from the stomach so as to allow for high speed signing. note : while the above sign is great for discussing the birthing process, i don ' t recommend it for use in the sign for " birthday. " it wouldn ' t be " wrong " - - just a bit weird ( as if you said " birthing day. " if you want to sign " birthday " then either use the specific sign used in your region ( ask your local deaf friends ) or see " arriving baby " version below. also see " birthday. " " birth / born " version 2 : this version is based on the idea of a baby " arriving. " hold your right hand palm on your belly. hold your left hand, palm up in front of your lower belly area. bring your right hand forward and down until it lands on your left palm. the right hand starts at the belly and moves to the left hand. this sign looks a lot like the sign for arrive, except that " birth " is done closer to the belly. also see : day you can learn american language ( asl ) online at american sign language university ™ by lifeprint. com © dr. william vicars


polycarbonates, known by the trademarked names lexan, makrolon, and others, are a particular group of thermoplastic polymers. they are easily worked, moulded, and thermoformed. because of these properties, polycarbonates find many applications. polycarbonate is the first commercially useful thermoplastic material which incorporates the carbonate radical as an integral part of the main polymer chain. polycarbonate derived from bpa is a very durable material. although it has high impact - resistance. the characteristics of polycarbonate are quite like those of polymethyl methacrylate ( pmma, acrylic ), but polycarbonate is stronger, usable in a wider temperature range. this polymer is highly transparent to visible light and has better light transmission characteristics than many kinds of glass. unlike most thermoplastics, polycarbonate can undergo large plastic deformations without cracking or breaking. as a result, it can be processed and formed at room temperature using sheet metal techniques, such as forming bends on a brake. even for sharp angle bends with a tight radius, no heating is generally necessary. this makes it valuable in prototyping applications where transparent or electrically non - conductive parts are needed, which cannot be made from sheet metal. low water absorption high heat resistance, thermal stability and good electrical properties and very high impact strength are among the many desirable properties that polycarbonates possess. electronic components - being a good electrical insulator and having heat and flame resistant properties, it is used in myriad products associated with electrical and telecommunications hardware. it is used as dielectric in high stability capacitorsconstruction materials - the second largest consumer of polycarbonates is the construction industry, e. g. for domelights, flat or curved glazing, and sound walls. data storage - a major application of polycarbonate is the production of compact discs, dvds, and blu - ray discs. the blanks are produced by injection molding. typical products of sheet / film production include applications in advertisement ( signs, displays, poster protection ). automotive, aircraft, and security components - in the automotive industry, injection moulded polycarbonate can produce very smooth surfaces that make it well suited for direct ( without the need for a basecoat ) metalised parts such as decorative bezels and optical reflectors. its uniform mould shrinkage results in parts with greater accuracy than those made of polypropylene. however, due to its su


( without the need for a basecoat ) metalised parts such as decorative bezels and optical reflectors. its uniform mould shrinkage results in parts with greater accuracy than those made of polypropylene. however, due to its susceptibility to environmental stress cracking, its use is limited to low stress applications. it can be laminated to make bullet - proof " glass ", although " bullet - resistant " is more accurate for the thinner windows, such as are used in bullet - resistant windows in automobiles. the thicker barriers of transparent plastic used in teller ' s windows and barriers in banks, are also polycarbonate. so called " theft - proof " large plastic packaging for smaller items, which cannot be opened by hand, is uniformly made from polycarbonate. the cockpit canopy of the f - 22 raptor jet fighter is made from a piece of high optical quality polycarbonate, and is the largest piece of its type formed in the worldniche applications - many kinds of lenses are manufactured from polycarbonate, including automotive headlamp lenses, lighting lenses, sunglass / eyeglass, lenses, and safety glasses. other miscellaneous items : mp3 / digital audio player cases, ocarinas, computer cases, riot shields, visors, instrument panels. many toys and hobby items are made from polycarbonate parts, e. g. fins, gyro mounts, and flybar locks for use with radio - controlled helicopters. the fact that polycarbonates has exceptionally high impact strength suggest its use in applications where toughness is a requisite, such as housings for business machines, communication equipment, automotive, aircraft and security components.


given the twin demands of controlling climate change and ensuring the world ' s future energy needs are met, " the first question to ask is not ' how do we reduce emissions? ' " says roger pielke jr., a science - policy specialist at the university of colorado at boulder, the author of the critique. instead, he says, the question should be : " in a world that needs vast amounts of more energy, how can we provide that energy in ways that do not lead to the accumulation of carbon in the atmosphere? " technologies that are already at hand or likely to go commercial over the next decade may not be climate friendly enough to stabilize atmospheric greenhouse - gas concentrations so that global warming is held to about 3. 6 degrees fahrenheit by century ' s end. at this stage, he says, people should focus more on policies that directly address what many analysts see as a yawning technology gap, rather than on regulatory approaches that deal with the gap less directly. the critique by dr. pielke and colleagues at the national center for atmospheric research in boulder, colo., and mcgill university in montreal, has touched off a small firestorm among the scientific community – in no small part because it appeared in the pages of nature, one of the most high - profile science journals on the planet. some of the reaction to the critique focuses on the nuts and bolts of the argument, which implies that when the ipcc lays out emissions projections, it might do better to assume that technologies don ' t get much better over time. that would give a clearer sense of the challenge ahead than assuming – as they argue the ipcc does now – that anywhere from half to virtually all of the technology gap could close in the course of ordinary economic evolution.


webster ' s revised unabridged dictionary ( 1913 + 1828 ) back " rack (? ), back " rag (? ), n. see bacharach. backs (? ), n. pl. among leather dealers, the thickest and stoutest tanned hides. back " saw ` (? ), n. [ 2d back, n. + saw. ] a saw ( as a tenon saw ) whose blade is stiffened by an added metallic back. back " set ` (? ), n. [ back, adv. + set. ] 1. a check ; a relapse ; a discouragement ; a setback. 2. whatever is thrown back in its course, as water. slackwater, or the backset caused by the overflow. back " set `, v. i. to plow again, in the fall ; - - said of prairie land broken up in the spring. [ western u. s. ] back " set " tler (? ), n. [ back, a. + settler. ] one living in the back or outlying districts of a community. the english backsettlers of leinster and munster. back " sheesh `, back " shish ` (? ), n. [ pers. bakhshish, fr. bakhshidan to give. ] in egypt and the turkish empire, a gratuity ; a tip ". back " side ` (? ), n. [ back, a. + side. ] the hinder part, posteriors, or rump of a person or animal. & hand ; backside ( one word ) was formerly used of the rear part or side of any thing or place, but in such senses is now two words. back " sight ` (? ), n. [ back, adv. + sight. ] ( surv. ) the reading of the leveling staff in its unchanged position when the leveling instrument has been taken to a new position ; a sight directed backwards to a station previously occupied. cf. foresight, n., 3. back ` slide " (? ), v. i. [ imp. backslid (? ) ; p. p. backslidden (? ), backslid ; p. pr. & vb. n. backsliding. ] [ back, adv. + slide. ] to slide back ; to fall away ; esp. to abandon gradually the faith and practice of a religion that has been


; p. pr. & vb. n. backsliding. ] [ back, adv. + slide. ] to slide back ; to fall away ; esp. to abandon gradually the faith and practice of a religion that has been professed. back " slid " er (? ), n. one who backslides. back " slid " ing, a. slipping back ; falling back into sin or error ; sinning. turn, o backsliding children, saith the lord. jer. iii. 14. back " slid " ing, n. the act of one who backslides ; abandonment of faith or duty. our backslidings are many. jer. xiv. 7. back " staff ` (? ), n. an instrument formerly used for taking the altitude of the heavenly bodies, but now superseded by the quadrant and sextant ; - - so called because the observer turned his back to the body observed. back " stairs `. stairs in the back part of a house, as distinguished from the front stairs ; hence, a private or indirect way. back " stairs `, back " stair `, a. private ; indirect ; secret ; intriguing ; as if finding access by the back stairs. a backstairs influence. female caprice and backstairs influence. back " stay ` (? ), n. [ back, a. orn. + stay. ] 1. ( naut. ) a rope or stay extending from the masthead to the side of a ship, slanting a little aft, to assist the shrouds in supporting the mast. [ often used in the plural. ] 2. a rope or strap used to prevent excessive forward motion. back " ster (? ), n. [ see baxter. ] a backer. [ obs. ] back " stitch ` (? ), n. [ back, adv. + stitch. ] a stitch made by setting the needle back of the end of the last stitch, and bringing it out in front of the end. back " stitch `, v. i. to sew with backstitches ; as, to backstitch a seam. back " stress (? ), n. a female baker. [ obs. ] back " sword ` (? ), n. [ 2d back, n. + sword. ] 1. a sword with one sharp edge. 2. in england, a stick with a basket handle, used in rustic


. [ obs. ] back " sword ` (? ), n. [ 2d back, n. + sword. ] 1. a sword with one sharp edge. 2. in england, a stick with a basket handle, used in rustic amusements ; also, the game in which the stick is used. also called singlestick. back " ward (? ), back " wards (? ), adv. [ back, adv. + - ward. ] 1. with the back in advance or foremost ; as, to ride backward. 2. toward the back ; toward the rear ; as, to throw the arms backward. 3. on the back, or with the back downward. thou wilt fall backward. 4. toward, or in, past time or events ; ago. some reigns backward. 5. by way of reflection ; reflexively. sir j. davies. 6. from a better to a worse state, as from honor to shame, from religion to sin. the work went backward. 7. in a contrary or reverse manner, way, or direction ; contrarily ; as, to read backwards. we might have... beat them backward home. 1. directed to the back or rear ; as, backward glances. 2. unwilling ; averse ; reluctant ; hesitating ; loath. for wiser brutes were backward to be slaves. 3. not well advanced in learning ; not quick of apprehension ; dull ; inapt ; as, a backward child. the backward learner. " 4. late or behindhand ; as, a backward season. 5. not advanced in civilization ; undeveloped ; as, the country or region is in a backward state. 6. already past or gone ; bygone. [ r. ] and flies unconscious o ' er each backward year. back " ward, n. the state behind or past. [ obs. ] in the dark backward and abysm of time. back " ward, v. i. to keep back ; to hinder. [ obs. ] back ` war * da " tion (? ), n. [ backward, v. i. + - ation. ] ( stock exchange ) the seller ' s postponement of delivery of stock or shares, with the consent of the buyer, upon payment of a premium to the latter ; - - also, the premium so paid. see contango. back " ward * ly (? ), adv. 1. reluctantly


stock or shares, with the consent of the buyer, upon payment of a premium to the latter ; - - also, the premium so paid. see contango. back " ward * ly (? ), adv. 1. reluctantly ; slowly ; aversely. [ obs. ] sir p. sidney. 2. perversely ; ill. [ obs. ] and does he think so backwardly of me? back " ward * ness, n. the state of being backward. back " wash ` (? ), v. i. to clean the oil from ( wood ) after combing. back " wa ` ter (? ), n. [ back, a. or adv. + - ward. ] 1. water turned back in its course by an obstruction, an opposing current, or the flow of the tide, as in a sewer or river channel, or across a river bar. 2. an accumulation of water overflowing the low lands, caused by an obstruction. 3. water thrown back by the turning of a waterwheel, or by the paddle wheels of a steamer. back " woods " (? ), n. pl. [ back, a. + woods. ] the forests or partly cleared grounds on the frontiers. back " woods " man (? ), n. ; pl. backwoodsmen ( ). a men living in the forest in or beyond the new settlements, especially on the western frontiers of the older portions of the united states. back " worm ` (? ), n. [ 2d back, n. + worm. ] a disease of hawks. see filanders. ba " con (? ), n. [ of. bacon, fr. ohg. bacho, bahho, flitch of bacon, ham ; akin to e. back. cf. back the back side. ] the back and sides of a pig salted and smoked ; formerly, the flesh of a pig salted or fresh. bacon beetle ( zool. ), a beetle ( dermestes lardarius ) which, especially in the larval state, feeds upon bacon, woolens, furs, etc. see dermestes. - - to save one ' s bacon, to save one ' s self or property from harm or less. [ colloq. ] ba * co " ni * an (? ), a. of or pertaining to lord bacon, or to his system of philosophy. baconian method,


to save one ' s self or property from harm or less. [ colloq. ] ba * co " ni * an (? ), a. of or pertaining to lord bacon, or to his system of philosophy. baconian method, the inductive method. see induction. bac * te " ri * a (? ), n. p. see bacterium. bac * te " ri * al (? ), a. ( biol. ) of or pertaining to bacteria. bac * te " ri * ci ` dal (? ), a. destructive of bacteria. bac * te " ri * cide (? ), n. [ bacterium + l. caedere to kill ] ( biol. ) same as germicide. bac * te " ri * o * log ` ic * al (? ), a. of or pertaining to bacteriology ; as, bacteriological studies. bac * te " ri * ol ` o * gist, n. one skilled in bacteriology. bac * te " ri * ol ` o * gy (? ), n. [ bacterium + - logy. ] ( biol. ) the science relating to bacteria. bac * te ` ri * o * scop " ic (? ), a. ( biol. ) relating to bacterioscopy ; as, a bacterioscopic examination. bac * te ` ri * os " co * pist (? ), n. ( biol. ) one skilled in bacterioscopic examinations. bac * te ` ri * os " co * py (? ), n. [ bacterium + - scopy ] ( biol. ) the application of a knowledge of bacteria for their detection and identification, as in the examination of polluted water. bac * te " ri * um (? ), n. ; pl. bacteria ( # ). [ nl., fr. gr.,, a staff : cf. f. bacterie. ] ( biol. ) a microscopic vegetable organism, belonging to the class algæ, usually in the form of a jointed rodlike filament, and found in putrefying organic infusions. bacteria are destitute of chlorophyll, and are the smallest of microscopic organisms. they are very widely diffused in nature, and multiply with marvelous rapidity, both by fission


found in putrefying organic infusions. bacteria are destitute of chlorophyll, and are the smallest of microscopic organisms. they are very widely diffused in nature, and multiply with marvelous rapidity, both by fission and by spores. certain species are active agents in fermentation, while others appear to be the cause of certain infectious diseases. see bacillus. bac " te * roid (? ), bac ` te * roid " al (? ), a. [ bacterium + - oid. ] ( biol. ) resembling bacteria ; as, bacteroid particles. bac " tri * an (? ), a. of or pertaining to bactria in asia. - - n. a native of bactria. bactrian camel, the two - humped camel. bac " ule (? ), n. [ f. ] ( fort. ) see bascule. bac " u * line (? ), a. [ l. baculum staff. ] of or pertaining to the rod or punishment with the rod. bac " u * lite (? ), n. [ l. baculune stick, staff ; cf. f. baculite. ] ( paleon. ) a cephalopod of the extinct genus baculites, found fossil in the cretaceous rocks. it is like an uncoiled ammonite. bac ` u * lom " e * try (? ), n. [ l. baculum staff + - metry ] measurement of distance or altitude by a staff or staffs. bad (? ), imp. of bid. bade. [ obs. ] bad (? ), a. [ compar. worse (? ) ; superl. worst (? ). ] [ probably fr. as. bæddel hermaphrodite ; cf. bædling effeminate fellow. ] wanting good qualities, whether physical or moral ; injurious, hurtful, inconvenient, offensive, painful, unfavorable, or defective, either physically or morally ; evil ; vicious ; wicked ; - - the opposite of good ; as a bad man ; bad conduct ; bad habits ; bad soil ; bad health ; bad crop ; bad news. sometimes used substantively. the strong antipathy of good to bad. syn. - - pernicious ; deleterious


good ; as a bad man ; bad conduct ; bad habits ; bad soil ; bad health ; bad crop ; bad news. sometimes used substantively. the strong antipathy of good to bad. syn. - - pernicious ; deleterious ; noxious ; baneful ; injurious ; hurtful ; evil ; vile ; wretched ; corrupt ; wicked ; vicious ; imperfect. bad " der (? ), compar. of bad, a. [ obs. ] bad " der * locks (? ), n. [ perh. for balderlocks, fr. balder the scandinavian deity. ] ( bot. ) a large black seaweed ( alaria esculenta ) sometimes eaten in europe ; - - also called murlins, honeyware, and henware. bad " dish, a. somewhat bad ; inferior. bade (? ). a form of the pat tense of bid. badge (? ), n. [ ll. bagea, bagia, sign, prob. of german origin ; cf. as. beag, beah, bracelet, collar, crown, os bg - in comp., as. bgan to bow, bend, g. biegen. see bow to bend. ] 1. a distinctive mark, token, sign, or cognizance, worn on the person ; as, the badge of a society ; the badge of a policeman. tax gatherers, recognized by their official badges. " 2. something characteristic ; a mark ; a token. sweet mercy is nobility ' s true badge. 3. ( naut. ) a carved ornament on the stern of a vessel, containing a window or the representation of one. badge (? ), v. t. to mark or distinguish with a badge. badge " less, a. having no badge. badg " er (? ), n. [ of uncertain origin ; perh. fr. an old verb badge to lay up provisions to sell again. ] an itinerant licensed dealer in commodities used for food ; a hawker ; a huckster ; - - formerly applied especially to one who bought grain in one place and sold it in another. [ now dialectic, eng. ] badg " er, n. [ oe. bageard, prob. fr. badge + - ard, in reference to the white mark on its forehead. see badge, n. ] 1. a carnivorous quad


. ] badg " er, n. [ oe. bageard, prob. fr. badge + - ard, in reference to the white mark on its forehead. see badge, n. ] 1. a carnivorous quadruped of the genus meles or of an allied genus. it is a burrowing animal, with short, thick legs, and long claws on the fore feet. one species ( m. vulgaris ), called also brock, inhabits the north of europe and asia ; another species ( taxidea americana or labradorica ) inhabits the northern parts of north america. see teledu. 2. a brush made of badgers ' hair, used by artists. badger dog. ( zool. ) see dachshund. badg " er, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. badgered ( ) ; p. pr. & vb. n. badgering. ] [ for sense 1, see 2d badger ; for 2, see 1st badger. ] 1. to tease or annoy, as a badger when baited ; to worry or irritate persistently. 2. to beat down ; to cheapen ; to barter ; to bargain. badg " er * er (? ), n. 1. one who badgers. 2. a kind of dog used in badger baiting. 1. the act of one who badgers. 2. the practice of buying wheat and other kinds of food in one place and selling them in another for a profit. [ prov. eng. ] badg " er - legged ` (? ), a. having legs of unequal length, as the badger was thought to have. bad ` i * a " ga (? ), n. [ russ. badiaga. ] ( zool. ) a fresh - water sponge ( spongilla ), common in the north of europe, the powder of which is used to take away the livid marks of bruises. ba " di * an (? ), n. [ f. badiane, fr. per. badian anise. ] ( bot. ) an evergreen chinese shrub of the magnolia family ( illicium anisatum ), and its aromatic seeds ; chinese anise ; star anise. ba * di " geon (? ), n. [ f. ] a cement or paste ( as of plaster and freestone, or of sawdust and glue or lime


, and its aromatic seeds ; chinese anise ; star anise. ba * di " geon (? ), n. [ f. ] a cement or paste ( as of plaster and freestone, or of sawdust and glue or lime ) used by sculptors, builders, and workers in wood or stone, to fill holes, cover defects, or finish a surface. ba ` di ` nage " (? ), n. [ f., fr. badiner to joke, of. to trifle, be silly, fr. badin silly. ] playful raillery ; banter. he... indulged himself only in an elegant badinage. " bad " lands " (? ). barren regions, especially in the western united states, where horizontal strata ( tertiary deposits ) have been often eroded into fantastic forms, and much intersected by canons, and where lack of wood, water, and forage increases the difficulty of traversing the country, whence the name, first given by the canadian french, mauvaises terres ( bad lands ). bad " ly, adv. in a bad manner ; poorly ; not well ; unskillfully ; imperfectly ; unfortunately ; grievously ; so as to cause harm ; disagreeably ; seriously. & hand ; badly is often used colloquially for very much or very greatly, with words signifying to want or need. bad " min * ton (? ), n. [ from the name of the seat of the duke of beaufort in england. ] 1. a game, similar to lawn tennis, played with shuttlecocks. 2. a preparation of claret, spiced and sweetened. bad " ness, n. the state of being bad. bæ " no * mere (? ), n. [ gr. to walk + - mere. ] ( zool. ) one of the somites ( arthromeres ) that make up the thorax of arthropods. bæ " no * pod (? ), n. [ gr. to walk + - pod. ] ( zool. ) one of the thoracic legs of arthropods. bæ " no * some (? ), n. [ gr. to walk + - some body. ] ( zool. ) the thorax of arthropods. baff (? ), n. a blow ; a stroke. [ scot. ] baf " fl


n. [ gr. to walk + - some body. ] ( zool. ) the thorax of arthropods. baff (? ), n. a blow ; a stroke. [ scot. ] baf " fle (? ), v. i. [ imp. & p. p. baffled ( ) ; p. pr. & vb. n. baffling ( ). ] [ cf. lowland scotch bauchle to treat contemptuously, bauch tasteless, abashed, jaded, icel. bagr uneasy, poor, or bagr, n., struggle, bægja to push, treat harshly, of. beffler, beffer, to mock, deceive, dial. g. bappe mouth, beffen to bark, chide. ] 1. to cause to undergo a disgraceful punishment, as a recreant knight. [ obs. ] he by the heels him hung upon a tree, and baffled so, that all which passed by the picture of his punishment might see. 2. to check by shifts and turns ; to elude ; to foil. the art that baffles time ' s tyrannic claim. 3. to check by perplexing ; to disconcert, frustrate, or defeat ; to thwart. a baffled purpose. " a suitable scripture ready to repel and baffle them all. calculations so difficult as to have baffled, until within a... recent period, the most enlightened nations. the mere intricacy of a question should not baffle us. baffling wind ( naut. ), one that frequently shifts from one point to another. syn. - - to balk ; thwart ; foil ; frustrate ; defeat. baf " fle, v. i. 1. to practice deceit. [ obs. ] 2. to struggle against in vain ; as, a ship baffles with the winds. [ r. ] baf " fle, n. a defeat by artifice, shifts, and turns ; discomfiture. [ r. ] a baffle to philosophy. " baf " fle * ment (? ), n. the process or act of baffling, or of being baffled ; frustration ; check. baf " fler (? ), n. one who, or that which, baffles.


most travel guides simply call it the “ shovel museum, ” but it ’ s really the stonehill industrial history center. much more than shovels, curator greg galer tells us the collection reveals interesting facts about what we were building and how we built it over the past 200 years. by the 1870s ames was the largest shovel manufacturer in the world, making three - fifths of the world ’ s shovels, although even as early as the 1830s and 1840s they struggled to meet the demand for their highly prized products. ames shovels were the tool of choice in both the california and australian gold rushes as well as in most major american building projects including the erie and panama canals and most american railroad construction. ames shovels literally built america. above is the ames centennial display of 19 silver - plated shovels as prepared for the 1876 centennial exhibition in philadelphia. amusingly, they ’ re displayed in the original display case. inside the vault with the rest of the collection, galer proudly points out not only the typical shovels we ’ re familiar with, but shovels designed for working coffee beans, 10 - foot - long shovels used to dig telegraph pole holes, and tiny trenching shovels used by us troops in wwi and wwii. but shovels are just a piece of the collection. deeper in the vault are the business records, blueprints, patents and other materials that offer primary source documentation of america ’ s early growth into an industrial superpower.


every week, momondealz brings us a kids craft that is fun, educational, and frugal. since st. patrick ’ s day is this weekend i used pictures with this holiday ’ s symbols ; however, this craft can easily be altered to be for any holiday ( check out the educational activities at the bottom for ideas )! if you ’ ve missed any previous crafts, check out momondealz ’ s kids frugal fun page. st. patrick ’ s day learning wheel clip art pictures or crayons / markers 1. draw and cut a circle from the cardboard box. 2. cover the circle with white construction paper and glue it onto the cardboard. 3. divide the circle into equal parts by drawing lines. 4. find pictures or words and put one inside of each section of the learning wheel ( i found my clipart here ). 5. label clothespin with the beginning letter of each word and have your child label them. - language arts : we used this board for beginning sounds but you can also alter it for synonyms, antonyms, matching lower and upper case letters, etc. - math : put different numbers of pictures inside each section and put the corresponding number on the clothespins and have your child match them. you can also put math equations and the answers and have your child match those. - science : label each section with different animals and label the clothespins with the habitat they can be found. - social studies / history : label each section with contributions from famous people and label each clothespin with the famous names for your child to match.


have you ever heard of harry harlow? he was an american psychologist that is best known for his social isolation experiments with rhesus monkeys that were conducted in the 1950 ’ s and 60 ’ s. his work was highly criticized as being unethical mainly due to his treatment of the animals, but he also received many awards and accolades for the conclusions that he was able to draw from his experiments. since he died in 1981, we will leave the ethics out of it and instead focus on the results of one of his experiments. in one of harlow ’ s experiments he placed five rhesus monkeys in large cage. he then hung a banana at the top of the cage high out of the reach of the monkeys. next he put a step - ladder into the cage that would allow the monkeys to reach the banana. the monkeys were obviously delighted by this development and one of them immediately proceeded up the ladder. as the monkey started up the ladder, all five monkeys ( even those that were not touching the ladder ) were sprayed with freezing cold water. obviously the monkeys were stunned for moment, but then proceeded to head back up the ladder. after a couple more freezing showers, they rapidly came to the conclusion that if you touch the ladder, then everyone gets sprayed with freezing water. even though they still wanted the banana, they gave up their pursuit of it. that part is not so amazing, but what happened next was. the next step in the experiment was to replace one of the monkeys. they switched one of the original five out for a new monkey. the newcomer did not know any better, so they immediately started for the ladder. before the newcomer could make it up the ladder or get sprayed, they were pulled off the ladder and beaten by the other four monkeys. this continued until the newcomer was literally beaten into submission and stopped trying to go up the ladder. they continued to switch out each of the original monkeys one at a time. the same process was repeated. the new monkey would be beaten into submission until they stopped trying to go up the ladder. they kept switching out monkeys until none of the original monkeys remained. keep in mind the hose with the ice - cold water had long been removed so there was no real threat of anyone getting sprayed. none of the monkeys that were currently in the cage had ever been sprayed. they did not have any knowledge of the ice water consequences, but they did know that they would be beaten if they tried to go up the ladder. what does this questionable experiment have to do with management? everything. the monkey


planning tip 1 : make the planning process inclusive. the professional development planning process will benefit from participation by a number of individuals, including teachers, principals and other school leaders, and school - based professional development staff and supervisors. it is especially important to include at least some of the potential participants in the activity in every step of the planning process. in addition, it is a good idea to include the persons who will be responsible for evaluating the activity. broad - based participation in planning helps generate interest in and ownership of the activity. involving participants can provide a reality check for the identification of professional learning needs and for the intended outcomes. involving principals and other school leaders in the process can help define their role in the various learning activities and follow up as well as in making sure that there are adequate resources in place to support implementation and use of new knowledge and skills in the classroom and elsewhere in school programs. finally, broad - based participation helps to distribute the workload. planning tip 2 : think ahead and map backward to ensure that professional development is of the highest quality. all of your planning efforts should be guided by the axiom that high - quality professional development as envisioned by the maryland teacher professional development standards is a critical component of every effort to improve the education for all of maryland ’ s students. therefore it is important to think carefully about the kind of student outcomes that you want to effect and to think just as carefully about what teachers need to know and be able to do to help students achieve those outcomes. as your goals and objectives for improving student learning become more ambitious, so too should your goals and strategies for teacher learning. if you expect significant changes in teacher performance as a result of the professional development you are planning, it is essential that you plan realistically for the kinds of learning activities that will foster these changes and the kinds of follow up and other support that will increase the likelihood that they make it into the classroom. it is also critical to be realistic about time : how much time will the professional learning really require? how much time will be necessary to ensure adequate opportunities for practice and feedback on the mastery and application of new knowledge and skills? when is it reasonable to expect changes in student learning? attending to these questions and to the “ fit ” between the intended outcomes and the strategies for achieving your plan will greatly increase the possibilities for success. as you plan, keep in mind that high - quality professional development has other benefits for teachers that extend beyond improving instruction. exciting, engaging professional learning activities can stimulate teachers as learners and can boost morale in difficult times.


greatly increase the possibilities for success. as you plan, keep in mind that high - quality professional development has other benefits for teachers that extend beyond improving instruction. exciting, engaging professional learning activities can stimulate teachers as learners and can boost morale in difficult times. conversely, professional development that does not engage teachers as active adult learners and problem solvers and that does not acknowledge their knowledge and skills will not have any kind of a positive impact. indeed, these activities may undermine teachers ’ willingness to participate in other professional development as well as their commitment to improvement efforts. planning tip 3 : consider developing a logic model to guide your planning.. the w. k. kellogg foundation has prepared the logic model development guide, which is an excellent resource for program planning and evaluation. as the kellogg guide explains in the introduction, a logic model is a picture of how your organization does its work — the theory and assumptions underlying the program. a program logic model links outcomes ( both short - and long - term ) with program activities / processes and the theoretical assumptions / principles of the program. the kellogg guide is available at no charge on the foundation ’ s website : www. wkkf. org. a logic model for professional development will list the student outcomes that you are seeking as well as the outcomes for teachers and other participants. the logic model will specify the kinds of learning activities that are necessary to ensure that teachers and other participants achieve the intended outcomes. the logic model can also help clarify assumptions about the sequence of the learning activities that you are planning and how much time they will require. the logic model can help you think about the resources that are required. finally, developing a logic model can help you think about the logical connections among all of the components of your plan. planning tip 4 : learn what the data tell you, but don ’ t take on too much. a thorough analysis of a variety of disaggregated student data and data on current teacher knowledge and skills may result in the identification of a wide range of needs that could be addressed through teacher professional development programs and initiatives. at this point, planners may be tempted to try to address all of the needs. doing so could result in frustration as planners tackle too much. more importantly, it could result in designing professional development activities that are too broad in focus and too limited in appropriate teacher learning activities to be successful. planners are well advised to list all of the needs that they identify and to carefully choose those that be adequately addressed in the activities that they are planning. these choices can be guided by planners ’ assumptions


too limited in appropriate teacher learning activities to be successful. planners are well advised to list all of the needs that they identify and to carefully choose those that be adequately addressed in the activities that they are planning. these choices can be guided by planners ’ assumptions about the pace and sequence of introducing and implementing new knowledge and skills, local and state improvement priorities, and the availability of resources, especially money and time. needs not addressed in the current planning effort represent an excellent starting point for the next round of planning. planning tip 5 : student outcomes are important, but think carefully about the indicators. improvements in the quality of student work are good indicators of the implementation and use of new curricula and new instructional strategies. therefore, your planning group may want to think about specific changes in student work that should be considered outcomes of professional development. over the longer term, changes in student test scores and changes in end of course assessments are certainly desirable outcomes, but unless the professional development activity that your are planning is very ambitious and broad in scope, it will be very difficult to identify specific changes in student scores that are attributable to the professional development. alternatively, results of benchmark assessment or student work samples collected at various points during the year may be reasonably sensitive indicators of the outcomes of professional development. planning tip 6 : consider developing a management plan to guide implementation of the activity you are planning. a solid management plan will spell out the tasks necessary to implement the activity that you are planning, the timeline, and who will be responsible. developing this plan can help clarify your thinking about key details of scheduling, resource needs, and communications with prospective participants and consultants and others who will help with the activity. the management plan can be a simple as a checklist or it can be more complex. planning tip 7 : focus, focus, focus. effective professional development has a clearly defined focus. professional development that attempts to address too many topics is likely to have little or no impact on instruction or student outcomes. this is a good point in the planning process to review your choice of content. as a rule of thumb, if you have selected more than two of the professional development content standards, the activity that you are planning may be too broad in scope. alternatively, if you have chosen to address more of the content standards, you will need to be sure that the learning activities and follow up that you plan are consistent with the breadth of the content and that you have allotted sufficient time for teacher engagement and practice. planning tip 8 : think about group process. if you expect that


you will need to be sure that the learning activities and follow up that you plan are consistent with the breadth of the content and that you have allotted sufficient time for teacher engagement and practice. planning tip 8 : think about group process. if you expect that participants will engage in the activity in groups, it will be important to ensure that the groups are able to function effectively. for example, if participants are sit members or members of grade - level teams, they will probably have some experience in working together. alternatively, if the groups are formed for the purpose of participating in the activity and members do not know each other or have not worked together, your plan should probably include activities that focus on building collaboration skills and that foster setting a norm for collegiality among members of the group. this will be especially important if you expect the group to generate a product, such as a school improvement plan, or to continue working together after the initial learning activities. planning tip 9 : ensure that everyone gets into the action. it is important that all participants have the opportunity to participate in all of the activities that you are planning. for example, if your plan calls for opportunities to practice a new strategy, the plan should ensure that these opportunities are available to all participants. similarly, if the plan includes feedback on this practice or feedback on materials developed by the participant, it is important to ensure that all participants receive feedback. planning tip 10 : look for strategies and opportunities to share the responsibility for follow up. too often follow up is left to chance or there are unspoken assumptions about the kinds of things that will happen to support teachers after the initial learning activities have been completed. as you think about options for follow up, think about who can or should provide the follow up. for example, if you are planning a series of workshops or training sessions that will take place at a central location or a location that is some distance from school sites, it may not be feasible or practical for the presenters and facilitators in these sessions to provide school - based follow up to individual teachers or groups of teachers. instead, principals, other school leaders, school - based professional development staff or district professional development staff and specialists may be in a better position to provide the necessary follow up. if you decide to include these other staff in follow up activities it will be important to communicate with them about what they are expected to do and to provide them with concrete guidance and other resources that they will need to be effective. for example, you will want to provide some basic information ( perhaps in the form