Kira wakes up one morning and goes through her usual routine of making breakfast and dropping her kids off at school. However, on this day in June 2007 everything changes. As Kira and her husband Eduardo drive away from the school, they are followed and ambushed by armed men. Eduardo is beaten unconscious while Kira is thrown from the vehicle with instructions on how to get her husband back. For months, Kira receives disturbing messages, photos and videos of the badly beaten Eduardo as she tries to come up with the ransom money demanded by the kidnappers. After many twists and turns, Eduardo is finally returned to Kira in a severely weakened state, having endured months of captivity and abuse.
Dominican Starfish Foundation 2018 Year in ReviewLouise ZoBell
These are a portion of our 2018 activities in the Dominican Republic. We would like to thank all of our supporters for their help and donations which made this possible.
Dominican Starfish Foundation 2018 Year in ReviewLouise ZoBell
These are a portion of our 2018 activities in the Dominican Republic. We would like to thank all of our supporters for their help and donations which made this possible.
Dominican Starfish Foundation has participated in the building of 23 homes April 1st, 2013 to April 1, 2015. Two are still under construction. One repair and renovation we don't have pictures for. We have 10 more homes in the fundraising process.
Dominican Starfish Foundation Summary of Activities January to March 2020Louise ZoBell
This is a summary of our foundation activity in January to March 2020. Most of this time was spent in the Dominican Republic. We added the last part from home as we have been very active in helping those suffering from hunger because of the COVID-19 restrictions.
Join us in supporting families dealing with catastrophic illness across the country. Donate today and spread the word.
Corporate Sponsorship Kit. Please pass along.
The French Revolution, which began in 1789, was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France. It marked the decline of absolute monarchies, the rise of secular and democratic republics, and the eventual rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. This revolutionary period is crucial in understanding the transition from feudalism to modernity in Europe.
For more information, visit-www.vavaclasses.com
Dominican Starfish Foundation has participated in the building of 23 homes April 1st, 2013 to April 1, 2015. Two are still under construction. One repair and renovation we don't have pictures for. We have 10 more homes in the fundraising process.
Dominican Starfish Foundation Summary of Activities January to March 2020Louise ZoBell
This is a summary of our foundation activity in January to March 2020. Most of this time was spent in the Dominican Republic. We added the last part from home as we have been very active in helping those suffering from hunger because of the COVID-19 restrictions.
Join us in supporting families dealing with catastrophic illness across the country. Donate today and spread the word.
Corporate Sponsorship Kit. Please pass along.
The French Revolution, which began in 1789, was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France. It marked the decline of absolute monarchies, the rise of secular and democratic republics, and the eventual rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. This revolutionary period is crucial in understanding the transition from feudalism to modernity in Europe.
For more information, visit-www.vavaclasses.com
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
June 3, 2024 Anti-Semitism Letter Sent to MIT President Kornbluth and MIT Cor...Levi Shapiro
Letter from the Congress of the United States regarding Anti-Semitism sent June 3rd to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Corp Chair, Mark Gorenberg
Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist. The House believes that your institution is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the inability or
unwillingness to rectify this violation through action requires accountability.
Postsecondary education is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have their ideas and beliefs challenged. However, universities receiving hundreds of millions of federal funds annually have denied
students that opportunity and have been hijacked to become venues for the promotion of terrorism, antisemitic harassment and intimidation, unlawful encampments, and in some cases, assaults and riots.
The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism. Investigations into campus antisemitism by the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means have been expanded into a Congress-wide probe across all relevant jurisdictions to address this national crisis. The undersigned Committees will conduct oversight into the use of federal funds at MIT and its learning environment under authorities granted to each Committee.
• The Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating your institution since December 7, 2023. The Committee has broad jurisdiction over postsecondary education, including its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus safety concerns over disruptions to the learning environment, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act.
• The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the sources of funding and other support flowing to groups espousing pro-Hamas propaganda and engaged in antisemitic harassment and intimidation of students. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is the principal oversight committee of the US House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
• The Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating several universities since November 15, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing. The Committee followed the hearing with letters to those institutions on January 10, 202
Read| The latest issue of The Challenger is here! We are thrilled to announce that our school paper has qualified for the NATIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE (NSPC) 2024. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust. Dive into the stories that made us stand out!
Safalta Digital marketing institute in Noida, provide complete applications that encompass a huge range of virtual advertising and marketing additives, which includes search engine optimization, virtual communication advertising, pay-per-click on marketing, content material advertising, internet analytics, and greater. These university courses are designed for students who possess a comprehensive understanding of virtual marketing strategies and attributes.Safalta Digital Marketing Institute in Noida is a first choice for young individuals or students who are looking to start their careers in the field of digital advertising. The institute gives specialized courses designed and certification.
for beginners, providing thorough training in areas such as SEO, digital communication marketing, and PPC training in Noida. After finishing the program, students receive the certifications recognised by top different universitie, setting a strong foundation for a successful career in digital marketing.
Embracing GenAI - A Strategic ImperativePeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
Digital Artifact 2 - Investigating Pavilion Designs
Rhetorical analysis of an article
1. Rhetorical Essay
The article I selected is titled “My Husband was kidnapped." It is about a women name
Kira who wakes up to do her everyday routine, make breakfast for the kids and then take the kids
to school, but in one day in June, 2007, her life would all change. Shortly after leaving the kids at
school, both her and her husband, Eduardo, are followed and ambushed with guns. The terrorist
remove both of them from their vehicle and beat Eduardo unconscious. After driving them to an
unfamiliar location, Kira is thrown out the vehicle with instructions on how to get her husband
back. This article details her terrifying experience along with the pain and measures she took in
order to get her husband back.
Rhetorical Analysis
The article "My Husband was Kidnapped," was written by Kira Zalan. This was her story
as she lived it. She begins the first paragraph by stating "As an American, she'd always dreamed
of living in a place like San Miguel, with its charming town square where people gather at sunset
to hear a chorus of birds." She describes the city of San Miguel, as a beautiful place known for
its historical monuments. The scenery attracts over 250,000 visitors a year that is well known for
its religious sanctuary, the Sanctuary of Atotonilco. People come from all over the world to view
its beautiful history and landmarks. This is what caught my attention in the beginning. The
architecture in the article was described as domestic rather than monumental, with well-tended
courtyards and rich architectural detail. The place seems peaceful, little to hardly any crime at
all. The author, Kira, wanted the audience to get a visual of the classy, elegant San Miguel,
which was the reason why her and her husband, Eduardo, had lived there for 15 years. It was
truly a beautiful place to call home.
Eduardo was handed down a hefty inheritance and owned a train that coincidently
traveled through the backyard of their stunning home and ranch. When they had children, and
Kira wondered about the education the children would get in San Miguel, Eduardo built a school
on their ranch. He hired qualified teachers and allowed other children to attend the school as
2. well. It was like a fairytale marriage. They had a beautiful family, a good school for the kids and
a stunning ranch. It was the perfect, all you can ask for, dream life.
The two would wake up every morning enjoying what they built together. This would all
change after dropping the kids off at school one day. As Kira and Eduardo drive off from the
school, an unknown car follows them, as they drive back down the direction that they originally
came. Up ahead an SUV slam on its brakes, but it’s too late Eduardo smashes into the back of
the vehicle. Before they can recover from the impact, a group of men surround the vehicle and
order them to get out. At this point the readers and audience are in shock. Why is this happening
to a family that has been so content and grateful for life and their success? The story begins a
few miles down this road where Kira is thrown out of a vehicle and left with instructions on how
to get her husband back alive.
Kira opens the instructions. Very clearly it states, "Go to your email, and wait for my
directions. If you call the police your husband will be killed." For almost a week Kira waits for
the email and is too scared to call the police. During that time days begin to feel like years. She
has lost hope and believes her husband is dead. Just when Kira feels discouraged most, the
kidnappers request 8,000,000 dollars cash for the safe return of her husband. She tells them in an
email that there must be a mistake, for they have no money, it was all spent on the ranch and the
title of the ranch wasn't even in her name. After that no reply was made back from the
kidnappers. The response from them would come weeks later in the form of a homemade video
of some disguised men shooting Eduardo in both his arm and legs. For months and months later,
Kira would continue to receive disturbing letters with threats and disturbing photos of Eduardo.
His blood would be stained to the attached letters that were scanned in the emails.
Eduardo's health looked terrible and with all the beatings Eduardo endured, he was
almost unrecognizable in the video. What was Kira to do? Was her husband even alive still? It
had been 5 months since she seen him at this point. The final email contained a message from the
kidnappers to Kira to take a loan out on the ranch with a loan application they would send to her
with Eduardo's name and signature. She agreed to try to take out the loan, but when she went to
the bank, bankers denied her request. She was advised by the bank manager that Eduardo had to
3. be present. At this point she was breaking down. She decided to tell the bank manager the
situation and this is where the story takes a twist. The next day after leaving the bank hopeless,
Kira receives a call. It's an anonymous donator. He only asks to be left anonymous and gives
Kira 800,000 dollars for the ransom. That was only a fraction of what the kidnappers wanted
but she attempts to contact the kidnappers and offers them what she has. No response. Months
pass and on January 23, 2008 Kira receives a call from the kidnappers stating they want to
exchange Eduardo for the money she'd offered. Per the kidnappers' instructions, she sends two
ranch employees to a hotel in Mexico City with a duffel bag full of $100 bills. From the hotel,
the ranch employees went to a pay phone that had a note attached. The note sent them to several
other pay-phone notes, until one of the notes finally directed them to a dark alley, where they
were supposed to trade the money for her husband, but Eduardo wasn't there. Instead, the
kidnappers took the money—along with one of the ranch employees. The next day, the
kidnappers sent an e-mail saying they would hold the rancher hostage but set Eduardo free so he
could get the money they wanted. At this point Kira is torn apart.
The last paragraph is all smiles and joy. Kira is cooking in her kitchen when she looks out
the window and notices a frail man walking toward her house. It was Eduardo. She sent the kids
to their room and stumbles to the door, as she tries to process the fact her husband is finally
home. After she opens the door, Eduardo pauses still, like a ghost with no facial expressions.
There was no greeting, no smile, no anything. She embraces him and keeps repeating, "I love
you." She kisses him. At 80 pounds, Eduardo is barely alive. The author did a great job telling
her experience. I couldn't imagine this happening to me. I don't know that I would be able to
handle such an issue, but Kira stayed strong for her children. The purpose and meaning of this
story is that life can be taken away at anytime. Nothing is promised. You can be minding your
own business or doing a good deed and your life can be taken away. Tell the ones you love how
much you appreciate them each day and more importantly the article messages us that, “God is
good and never lose faith."