i.shui.tech

Language has the power to analyze experience into theoretically dissociable elements and to create that world of the potential integrating with the actual which enables human beings to transcend the immediately given in their individual experiences and to join in a larger common understanding.

Edward Sapir

Scientific discovery is worth little if it is not shared, and language is the means by which science must presented both within the discipline of the scientist and to broader audience, whether they be other scientists or the general public. Language is, as Sapir says, “the reduction of experience to familiar form” (p.49). So why does scientific talk seem to be less than familiar to most, and another language to many?  Edward Sapir introduces two concepts of language that help us understand the meaning behind the language of science.

First, scientific paradigms are differentiated as disciplinary cultures. As Thomas Kuhn (1996) made clear, scientific disciplines follow paradigms used to understand the physical world around us. These paradigms are often complex and use a complex symbolic lexicon or vocabulary to reference observations with precision and accuracy. This vocabulary is more than names of objects or even processes specific to the discipline. The vocabulary permit abstraction and modeling of a mental world that formulates the nature of reality according to the paradigm. “Language is primarily a vocal actualization of the tendency to see realities symbolically” (p. 50), and the use of language is essential to the scientific method.

Second, scientists, through language, associate themselves with specific disciplinary cultures. The scientific jargon holds special meaning to those specifically trained in and practicing the paradigm. One scientist meeting another from the same discipline will assume a certain paradigmatic framework of understanding and the vocabulary that comes with it. “The mere fact of a common speech serves as a peculiarly potent symbol of the social solidarity of those who speak the language” (p. 50). Sapir continues:

A great deal of the cultural stock in trade of a primitive society is presented in more or less well defined linguistic form. Proverbs, medicine formulae, standardized payers, folk tales, standardized speeches, song texts, genealogies are some of the more overt forms which language takes as a culture-preserving instrument. (p. 51)

Modern science is anything by primitive, but it is cultural. Like in culture, both primitive and modern, these disciplinary linguistic forms are are used to teach young scientists, detail how the science is enacted, and ensure mutual understanding and sharing of knowledge of the science between disciplinary practitioners. The use of a unique vocabulary, combined with disciplinary specific teaching and  practices, help specify the cultural artifacts that associate a scientific paradigm with a disciplinary culture. These artifacts, through both language and practice, distinguish the discipline from others disciplines and the public.

The common understanding of what defines different languages tends to focus on phonetic differences. But as Sapir points out, language is also how we talk and in what cultural context the talk is constituted. Scientific disciplines demonstrate both unique ways of talking as well as unique cultural artifacts delineated by their paradigms.

I read Nigerian phishing emails. I find many are good examples of creativity. This latest tops all others that have graced my Inbox. Enjoy!

Anti-Terrorist and Monetary Crimes Division.
Federal Bureau Of Investigation.
J. Edgar. Hoover Building,
Telephone Number : (206) 984 – 0470

ATTN: BENEFICIARY

This is to Officially inform you that it has come to our notice and we have thoroughly completed an Investigated with the help of our Intelligence Monitoring Network System that you are having an illegal transaction with Impostors claiming to be Prof. Charles C. Soludo of the Central Bank Of Nigeria, Mr. Patrick Aziza, Mr Frank Nweke, none officials of Oceanic Bank, none officials of Zenith Bank and some impostors claiming to be the Federal Bureau Of Investigation agents. During our Investigation, it came to our notice that the reason why you have not received your payment is because you have not fulfilled your Financial Obligation given to you in respect of your Contract/Inheritance Payment.

So therefore, we have contacted the Federal Ministry Of Finance on your behalf and they have brought a solution to your problem by coordinating your payment in the total amount of $800,000.00 USD which will be deposited into an ATM CARD which you will use to withdraw funds anywhere of the world. You now have the lawful right to claim your funds which have been deposited into the ATM CARD.

Since the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been involved in this transaction, you are now to be rest assured that this transaction is legitimate and completely risk-free as it is our duty to Protect and Serve citizens of the United States Of America. All you have to do is immediately contact the ATM CARD CENTER via E-mail for instructions on how to procure your Approval Slip which contains details on how to receive and activate your ATM CARD for immediate use to withdraw funds being paid to you. We have confirmed that the amount required to procure the Approval Slip will cost you a total of $150 USD which will be paid directly to the ATM CARD CENTER agent via Western Union Money Transfer / MoneyGram Money Transfer. Below, you shall find contact details of the Agent whom will process your transaction:

CONTACT INFORMATION

NAME: MR. JOHN BRUCE

EMAIL: john_bruce0101@sify.com

Immediately contact Mr.John Bruce of the ATM Card Centre with the following information:

Full Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Direct Phone Number:
Current Occupation:
Annual Income:

Once you have sent the required information to Mr.John Bruce he will contact you with instructions on how to make the payment of $150 USD for the Approval Slip after which he will proceed towards delivery of the ATM CARD without any further delay. You have hereby been authorized/guaranteed by the Federal Bureau Of Investigation to commence towards completing this transaction, as there shall be NO delay once payment for the Approval Slip has been made to the authorized agent.

Once you have completed payment of $150 to the agent in charge of this transaction, immediately contact me back so as to ensure your ATM CARD gets to you rapidly.

FBI Director
Robert Mueller.

NOTE: Do disregard any email you get from any impostors or offices claiming to be in possession of your ATM CARD, you are hereby adviced only to be in contact with Mr. John Bruce of the ATM CARD CENTER who is the rightful person to deal with in regards to your ATM CARD PAYMENT and forward any emails you get from impostors to Mr. John Bruce so we could act upon and commence investigation.

A great video from TED. Robert Full: Learning from the Gecko’s tail. The combo of biology and robotics make this a fun lesson. Dr. Full also demonstrates the nature of scientific discovery by following each discovery with another concise question that can be answered through experimentation. If I were a teacher, I’d have my students first watch the video on their own and individually try to count the number of times he asks a question, then watch it in groups to pull the questions and describe how each one was answered.

Some months ago, I wrote a post on multitasking teens. A recent article from the New York Times points to some new research on enhancing concentration through the use of visual stimuli, much like the stimuli we receive from a television.

When something bright or novel flashes, it tends to automatically win the competition for the brain’s attention, but that involuntary bottom-up impulse can be voluntarily overridden through a top-down process that Dr. Desimone calls “biased competition.”

In the nearer future, neuroscientists might also help you focus by observing your brain activity and providing biofeedback as you practice strengthening your concentration.

Cool info, but this is what I got out of the article:

Ms. Gallagher advocates meditation to increase your focus, but she says there are also simpler ways to put the lessons of attention researchers to use. Once she learned how hard it was for the brain to avoid paying attention to sounds, particularly other people’s voices, she began carrying ear plugs with her. When you’re trapped in a noisy subway car or a taxi with a TV that won’t turn off, she says you have to build your own “stimulus shelter.”

She recommends starting your work day concentrating on your most important task for 90 minutes. At that point your prefrontal cortex probably needs a rest, and you can answer e-mail, return phone calls and sip caffeine (which does help attention) before focusing again. But until that first break, don’t get distracted by anything else, because it can take the brain 20 minutes to do the equivalent of rebooting after an interruption. (For more advice, go to nytimes.com/tierneylab.)

The now “infamous” American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has passed both House and Senate riding on the Democrat majority. How big is it? According to the gop.gov website:

According to the Federal Reserve, $789.5 billion is almost as much as all the money currently in circulation in the U.S. ($829 billion). If the “stimulus” legislation were a nation’s GDP, it would be the 16^th largest economy in the world.

Yes, it is big, and yes, it probably represents one of the largest pork barrel spending efforts in history. However many earmarks have been slipped in, there are a few positive points. One being the American Opportunity Tax Credit… presuming the nation gets a positive return on this investment. Which is pretty large in and of itself (also from the gop.gov site):

College Tax Credit: Creates the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which gives tax credits to students and parents for the cost of post-secondary tuition and expenses.  The conference report provides $2,500 in tax credits per student and in 2009 and 2010.  40% of this tax credit would be refundable.  This provision would cost $13.9 billion.

So how can $13.9 billion help everyone, especially if it targets only college students (and possibly their parents) and consist of a partially refundable tax credit? The tax credit implies paybacks to those not even paying taxes. In GOP lingo, this amounts to a welfare program:

Refundable Tax Credits: Contains billions in refundable tax credits to provide direct payments to individuals that that pay little or no income taxes. Unlike tax cuts, these refunds do little to spur growth, create more jobs, or stimulate the economy and are more similar to new spending through tax policy than actual tax cuts.

Congressman Fattah’s H.R. 106, which I’ve mentioned in a previous post, doesn’t exactly create jobs, but it does make college students work for the tax credit. And will make better college graduates. Let’s start with the immediate return on the investment.

Any one of us, even those at the top of the economic ladder, are effected by organizations such as the American Red Cross. It might be a house fire, environmental event, or even receiving blood at a hospital. And this help comes from tireless volunteers that take the time to provide basic services in times of need that the government can’t. Perhaps if we chose a socialist government, we wouldn’t need volunteer services. Until then, these organizations are the life blood for many. It isn’t about welfare. It’s about helping in times of need. The more volunteers we have, the less these non-profit agencies must rely on government support. Service is fundamental to the American ideal. College students and retirees make up a considerable portion of the volunteer population. HR 106 can turn the American Opportunity Tax Credit in the American Recover and Reinvestment Act into an investment for service that will effect all Americans, not just college students.

And the part about making better students? Service Learning is about students applying what they learn in the classroom to real world experiences. They don’t do this as employees (they aren’t professionals yet), but rather as volunteers. This authentic component to learning has been proven to be effective in increased student achievement. It also ties students to their communities. They have the opporunity to learn the needs of the world outside of college, making them better prepared to enter the workforce. And the connections are lasting. Relationships are built with these organizations and their communities which create better citizens and leaders. HR 106 is a good long term investment in the future of our nation’s workforce.

Here’s some additional impact I can see:

1. Students who need the extra income to pay for college expenses can fore go the fast-food employment for volunteer work that is meaningfully connected to their studies. Those jobs can be made available to others in need.
2. Non-profit groups dependent on fund raising to pay for positions are feeling the economic pinch just like businesses. HR 106 can provide necessary volunteers needed to fill once-paid positions until the crisis abates.
3. Our economic and political model depends on non-profits and church organizations to fulfill the role of social organizations. Service is fundamental to the American way of live. Students need to have this ideal ingrained to continue to support this effort after graduation.

The American Recovery and Investment Act is bloated. Let’s make the best of it by supporting legislation that can redirect how some of the funding is dispersed. HR 106 is an excellent example of insuring a positive return on this huge investment.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 just passed the House and Senate. A summary from the Ways and Means Committee with regards to the American Opportunity Education Tax Credit:

“American Opportunity” Education Tax Credit.  The bill would provide financial assistance for individuals seeking a college education.  For 2009 and 2010, the bill would provide taxpayers with a new “American Opportunity” tax credit of up to $2,500 of the cost of tuition and related expenses paid during the taxable year.  Under this new tax credit, taxpayers will receive a tax credit based on one hundred percent (100%) of the first $2,000 of tuition and related expenses (including books) paid during the taxable year and twenty-five percent (25%) of the next $2,000 of tuition and related expenses paid during the taxable year.  Forty percent (40%) of the credit
would be refundable.  This tax credit will be subject to a phase-out for taxpayers with adjusted
gross income in excess of $80,000 ($160,000 for married couples filing jointly).  This proposal is estimated to cost $13.907 billion over 10 years.

Congressman Fattah (D-PA) details the impact of the stimulus package on this press release:

“This legislation provides a significant down payment on the concepts contained in H.R. 106, the American Opportunity Tax Credit Act of 2009, which I introduced on the first day of the new Congress. Modeled after President Obama’s campaign pledge of college education for all, the package will provide $2,500 refundable tax credits for college tuition for young people from low income families who might otherwise miss this opportunity to improve their prospects in the work force. This tax credit is partially refundable – a critical provision for low-income students. The Stimulus also directs the Treasury Department to study the feasibility of requiring 100 hours of community service in exchange for the tax credit.

President Obama has been touting a new proposal to trade a tuition tax credit for community service. The timing couldn’t be better. The economic downturn will adversely effect American’s opportunity for higher education. Students and parents will be struggling to make tuition payments, especially as public higher education institutions find themseves with significant funding cuts.

On the other side of the university green, community hospitals, non-profits, and K-12 schools are just as effected. Lack of funding is stalling projects and stretching resources. There is a resource these agencies and organizations has relied on for years to bring poorly funded projects to life: volunteers.

Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA) has introduced one of the best ideas I’ve seen yet for addressing tuition and service: H.R. 106: The American Opportunities Tax Credit. The idea is simple: a $4000 tuition tax credit in exchange for 100 hours of community service. The language of the bill with regards to implentation is vague. How it works on the tax credit side is left to the Secretary of the Treasury. How the colleges and universities insure the 100 hours of community service is left to the Secretary of Education. To be honest, even I’m reluctant to say I understand the implication of this being a tax credit, but if it means that $4000 comes back to me somehow, I’ll be happy.

At the University of OKlahoma, we’ve been knee deep in an large community engagement initiative. President and former Senator David Boren has been pushing student service initiatives since taking office. In 2007 he saw an opportunity to institutionalize the effort. The K20 Center has become increasingly successful at pulling off partnership initatives, which is just what a university wide service initative needed. It couldn’t just be another mandate from the president’s office. It needed to be grassroots with local leadership taking charge. He took the director of the K20 Center, Mary John O’Hair, and promoted her to Vice Provost for School and Community Partnerships. This provided the necessary administrative power to structure partnerships within the university.

Two immediate effects came from this: formation of the Community Engagement Committee, and a university-wide audit of community engagement activities. The audit and committee demonstrated the need to develop a formalized student tracking system that would inform the committee and provide service transcripts to students. OU Engage was born.

It has been my responsibility to bring OU Engage to life. I’ll go into the details of the tracking system in another post. Here I want to talk about my own opportunity to show support for the link between community service and tuition credits.

Two weeks ago I contacted Congressman Fattah’s inquiring about the bill. My inquiry was simple… how did they see the Secretary of Education tracking those community hours? The conversation turned to what the University of Oklahoma was doing above and beyond the tracking of hours. And that prompted an invitation to Washington D.C. by Fattah. Four days later I was on a plane to sit in on a congressional panel. My presentation on the panel is available on Slideshare and Google Docs.

After the presentation, I was fortunate to be able to visit with Senator Wofford (D-PA, retired), Congressman Dan Boren (D-OK), and Congressman Tom Cole (R-OK). I expressed my interest in the Act and suggested each consider suporting it.

There is one other important point about the bill. Funding for the American Opportunity Tax Credit is layed out in the Stimulus package under the same name. It was in HR 1 when it left the House. Now the Senate has it. I’m keeping my fingers crossed it stays. I’ve already written to Oklahoma Senator Coburn and Senator Inhofe. If I were to ask my blog readers anything, I’d ask then to do the same.