Planetaki Planet RuthK

New Beyond the Bars Exhibit | Opening Reception Feb 3

2012-02-03T23:38:59Z

Learn more about ACRJ Inmate Programs at http://beyond-bars.com/. New volunteers are always welcome! For more information contact Phyllis Back, pback@acrj.org.

Two new volunteer opportunities from JABA

2012-02-02T23:36:18Z

Twice Is Nice, JABA’s upscale resale shop in Preston Plaza, is having a makeover. We need help on Monday, February 6th, emptying the store to get ready for the contractors and again on Monday, February 13th, to restage the store. … Continue reading →

Medalion at First and Main – Want to Help?

2012-01-31T14:51:44Z

I am so pleased to be a supporter of this project and I hope you will join me. What a great project! I have been thinking a lot about “place” recently after Charlottesville Tomorrow started a Google+ discussion about the … Continue reading →

Tangerine Tango – Sounds good to me!

2012-01-29T23:14:07Z

In reading the Washington Post Magazine this morning I learned that the PANTONE 2012 Color of The Year is Pantone 17-1463 Tangerine Tango. I looked it up to learn more about it. I love color, so of course I did! … Continue reading →

JABA Volunteer Opportunities

2012-01-25T00:14:00Z

We are looking for some administrative help with the FISH (Friends in Schools Helping) program on Wednesdays. If you have an interest in or background in publicity, volunteer management or training please join our FISH Leadership Team and have a … Continue reading →

TODAY will be YESTERDAY TOMORROW | Share your stories now in cvillepedia!

2012-01-17T19:48:52Z

Celebrate 250 is partnering with cvillepedia to have residents share their stories about life in Charlottesville. cvillepedia is a wiki hosted by Charlottesville Tomorrow dedicated to sharing and building community knowledge. It is built with the same software as Wikipedia … Continue reading →

What We Can Learn About the Law from the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2012-01-05T23:23:49Z

The University of Virginia’s Engaging the Mind Public Lecture Series provides learning opportunities for alumni, parents and community members throughout Virginia. This program presents notable faculty members in an effort to share the University’s vast knowledge with communities where our … Continue reading →

Think twice before you click | Spam Finds a New Target – WSJ.com

2012-01-05T00:01:42Z

This article appeared in the Wall Street Journal this morning. Many people (especially those being lured into social networking sites for the first time in the hopes of winning an iPad or getting free coupons think that spam is merely … Continue reading →

Beyond the Bars | Knitting program helps inmates give back to society

2011-12-23T20:34:21Z

Did you know about the knitting and crocheting program offered by Inmate Programs at the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail? A great example of volunteers donating time and talent to help others! “I call it knots of love,” Camilla Handy said … Continue reading →

Soup for Seniors | JABAcares.org

2011-12-22T21:17:04Z

At this time of feasting and merriment please think of our less fortunate friends and neighbors! Soup for Seniors runs from January 2 to January 16. Volunteers with JABA and local companies join to fill cupboards of low-income elders. In … Continue reading →

This tip from The Solopreneur Life might be really helpful!

2011-02-27T21:24:36Z

Sometimes plugin updates time out and quit on hosted WordPress sites. This could be a useful and simple check for some residual problems.

It’s the end of the week, and just like almost every Friday at The Solopreneur Life, I have a menu of information for you. This week’s “Bits” is being delivered late, because I had major Web site problems early in the week that brought down TheSolopreneurLife.com for about 72 hours. As you can imagine, it threw me off my schedule just a tad.

So, this week’s Bits is short, and it’s mostly vegetables that are very good for you. The main Bit deals with the one line of code crippled my Web site, the villain who caused the problem, and the obscure WordPress plugin that rescued my site.

Continue reading … The Solopreneur Life’s “Friday Bits” Column #40 « The Solopreneur Life.

Filed under: Teaching/Learning Tagged: blogs, Plugin, read/write web, Technology, WordPress

OLLI Be SMART has a new home!

2011-02-01T15:44:20Z

OLLI Be SMART has moved to a new address : http://pages.shanti.virginia.edu/ollibesmart/

Hope to see everyone there!

-RuthK

Filed under: Diet

Broccoli Slaw with Asian Peanut Dressing – from Tufts

2011-01-23T20:47:45Z

I love the recipes in the Tufts Nutrition Newsletter. Here is an example:

… Broccoli Slaw with Asian Peanut Dressing

And a special email extra winter-salad recipe… Place 1/3 cup natural peanut butter in large bowl. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup hot brewed black or green tea. Add 4 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce, 4 tsp rice vinegar, 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp hot sauce (such as sriracha, chile-garlic sauce or Tabasco); whisk until smooth. Add 1 (10-oz) package broccoli coleslaw (or 4 cups shredded peeled broccoli stalks, carrots and red cabbage); toss to coat well. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts.
Yield: 6 (2/3-cup) servings. Per serving: Calories: 157. Total fat: 11 grams. Saturated fat: 1 gram. Cholesterol: 0 milligrams. Sodium: 238 milligrams. Carbohydrates: 9 grams: Fiber: 3 grams. Protein: 7 grams.

More information about Tufts Nutrition Letter.

Filed under: Diet Tagged: colors, Cooking, Nutrition, Peanut, Recipes, Red Cabbage, Soy sauce, vegetables

Mediterranean Diet May Slow Cognitive Decline, Study Says

2011-01-19T17:31:11Z

It is too soon to know if the benefits are really as great as we would like to believe, but when the foods associated with the Mediterranean diet are so delicious, it is worth a try. I can’t wait for our City Market to open again!

Aging: Mediterranean Diet as Brain Food
By NICHOLAS BAKALAR
Published: January 13, 2011

The Mediterranean diet — heavy on vegetables, fish and olive oil, with moderate amounts of wine — may be associated with slower rates of mental decline in the elderly. …

Continue reading … Mediterranean Diet May Slow Cognitive Decline, Study Says – NYTimes.com.

Filed under: Brain Fitness, Diet Tagged: Alzheimer's disease, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Buy Fresh - Buy Local, Charlottesville, City Market, Cognition, dementia, Diets, health, healthy lifestyle, local produce, Mediterranean Diet, memory, Nutrition, stay healthier

Getting started with a WordPress Classroom Blog? | Print friendly help at http://learn.wordpress.com/?print=true

2011-01-15T01:57:51Z

It is so easy to set up a powerful classroom blog with WordPress! Check out http://learn.wordpress.com/?print=true for a printable version of the entire Learn WordPress tutorial.

Filed under: Teaching/Learning Tagged: blogs, classroom blogs, Education, Educational technology, Instructional Technology, read/write web, teacher blogs, teaching resources, Teaching/Learning, Technology, writing

Touching makes you healthier – CNN.com

2011-01-05T22:39:05Z

Whether it’s a squeeze of the hand, a big bear hug, a kneading massage, even a bedroom romp, touch is shaping up to be the ultimate mind-body medicine.

From lowering blood pressure and heart rate to increasing immune function and relieving pain, getting touched or doing some touching makes you healthier — not to mention happier and less anxious.

via Touching makes you healthier – CNN.com.

Filed under: Mind-Body Tagged: Blood pressure, health, healthy lifestyle, Massage, Mind-Body, stay healthier

21st Century Learning – Are You Fully Loaded?

2011-01-05T22:39:03Z

What is required for students (or for anyone) to be “fully loaded?” Here is an answer from a teacher-librarian. I am happy to see how the Internet has grown into a 21st Century learning environment for everyone!

What does it mean to be fully loaded? I often consider the notion for my students. In fact, ever since I acquired the first apps for my iPhone, I’ve adopted the admittedly odd habit of pondering which apps I would “load” onto my students.If, indeed, high school students were smartphones or iPads, I would do my very best to fully load them with the critical skills and tools they need to become information- and media-fluent adults. …

Read complete article: Fully Loaded: Outfitting a teacher librarian for the 21st century. Here’s what it takes. ...

Filed under: Teaching/Learning Tagged: Education, Educational technology, information literacy, Library, read/write web, teaching resources, Teaching/Learning, Technology

Healthy People 2020

2010-12-13T21:10:28Z

I remember how hopeful we were ten years ago when Healthy People 2010 was announced. But sadly we have not made much progress. The number of obese people in the US has grown, and we now have an epidemic of adult-onset diabetes and other diet-related diseases. Hope we can do better this time!

Stay Involved and Informed

Public participation is shaping Healthy People 2020, its purpose, goals, organization, and action plans. HHS is seeking input from communities and stakeholders through public meetings across the country and public comment periods. As a national initiative, Healthy People’s success depends on a coordinated commitment to improve the health of the nation. Subscribe to the Healthy People listserv for the latest information on Healthy People 2020 and to receive e-mail notices of related news, events, publications, and more! To become an active supporter of Healthy People, join the Healthy People Consortium.

via Healthy People 2020.

Filed under: Diet, Fitness Tagged: health, healthy lifestyle, Healthy People 2010, healthy weight, National initiative, Nutrition, stay healthier, United States, United States Department of Health and Human Services

December NIH News in Health now online

2010-12-06T19:05:57Z

The December issue of NIH News in Health, the monthly newsletter bringing you practical health news and tips based on the latest NIH research, is now available! In this edition:

Making Your Resolutions Stick
How to Create Healthy Habits
New Year’s resolutions—they’re easy to make but easier to break. NIH-funded scientists are learning more about how we can make healthy changes and, even more important, how to sustain them.
Read more about making healthy changes to your life.

Healthy Horizons
Lasting Gift Ideas
This holiday season, why not try giving gifts that will last a lifetime? Help your friends and loved ones stay healthy, and they’ll remember how much you care about them for years to come.
Read more about healthy gift ideas.

Filed under: Diet, Fitness Tagged: health, Healthy Habits, National Institutes of Health, New Year Resolutions

Make your Knees stronger by Exercise | CVS Health Resources

2010-11-22T19:49:45Z

It is so important to maintain strong muscles in the legs to avoid painful torn ligaments and other knee damage. The following multimedia presentation provided on the CVS Pharmacy website shows some very simple steps that you can take at home to keep your knees healthy – no need for special equipment or a trip to the gym!

Multimedia: Make your Knees stronger by Exercise | CVS Health Resources.

Filed under: Fitness, Seniors Tagged: active lifestyle, Fitness, health, healthy lifestyle, knee health, mobility, stay healthier

Whole Grains battle dangerous belly fat according to Tufts researchers

2010-11-12T21:14:54Z

So many times when we read that a food item is “good for us” we simply add it to our diet without removing an equivalent amount of calories somewhere else in our diet. I know how tempting it is to add plenty of olive oil, nuts, avocados!

Here are the results of a Tufts University study that remind us that whole grains are a good addition to our diet if we use them to replace the refined grains that we are already consuming!

Whole grains can help fight the belly fat that’s linked to heart disease and diabetes, according to Tufts researchers, while refined grains like white bread and pasta can cancel out those benefits.

Researchers led by Tufts’ Nicola McKeown analyzed nutrition-survey data on 2,834 people ages 32 to 83, adjusting for other lifestyle factors. People who reported eating three or more daily servings of whole grains (such as oatmeal, popcorn or whole-wheat bread) and who limited their intake of refined grains to less than one serving a day averaged 10% lower visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Such fat around the abdominal organs is particularly unhealthy, and is a factor in metabolic syndrome, a precursor to heart disease and diabetes. On the other hand, McKeown and colleagues reported that the VAT-fighting benefits of whole grains were diminished among people eating four or more daily servings of refined grains.

McKeown commented, “This result implies that it is important to make substitutions in the diet, rather than simply adding whole-grain foods.” – American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Continue reading articles … Tufts Health Updates

Filed under: Diet Tagged: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, heart disease, Nutrition, Refined grains, stay healthier, Tufts University, Whole grain

The 2010 National Education Technology Plan, Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology

2010-11-10T17:25:16Z

The 2010 national Educational Technology Plan is now available on the US Department of Education website. The plan presents goals for continuous improvement in five areas powered by technology: Learning, Assessment, Teaching, Infrastructure, and Productivity.

We need to prepare ALL of our students for citizenship in the 21st century global community!

The National Education Technology Plan, Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology, calls for applying the advanced technologies used in our daily personal and professional lives to our entire education system to improve student learning, accelerate and scale up the adoption of effective practices, and use data and information for continuous improvement. It presents five goals with recommendations for states, districts, the federal government, and other stakeholders. Each goal addresses one of the five essential components of learning powered by technology: Learning, Assessment, Teaching, Infrastructure, and Productivity.

Learn more … http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010

Filed under: Teaching/Learning Tagged: Education, Educational technology, Instructional Technology, K through 12, Learning, read/write web, teaching resources, Teaching/Learning, Technology, United States

Are you getting enough sleep?

2010-11-05T16:47:32Z

I remember that while I was a college instructor there often seemed to be a competition among my students for which student had stayed up the latest studying for the current test. Some wanted to make sure that I knew before grading the tests that they had stayed up all night studying! I have never been able to function very well without a full night’s sleep, so I was always at a loss to know exactly what to say.

The strange thing to me was that so many of the other faculty members seemed to have entered the same competition for least amount of sleep, as if that made them somehow a better teacher. After a sleepless night, I could hardly use a computer – much less teach JAVA programming! So I persisted in my “early to bed, early to rise” habits.

The quote below makes me feel better about all those full nights of sleep that I enjoyed:

Even one sleepless night can reduce attention and memory up to 50 percent, increase insulin resistance making you more prone to diabetes, and cause moodiness.via Dr Oz – Get Back to Sleep – AARP The Magazine.

Filed under: Brain Fitness, Mind-Body, Seniors Tagged: active lifestyle, health, healthy lifestyle, memory, sleep, Sleep deprivation, stay healthier

Tis the season again for home-made bread| no-knead makes it very simple!

2010-10-27T01:16:57Z

I first published this post last February in the midst of a very cold and snowy winter. It was so nice to have the oven on and the wonderful aroma filling the house. I stopped baking over the summer, but now I have dusted off my recipes and jumped in again. You won’t believe how simple this is!

No-Knead Whole Grain Bread: easy and good!

Recently I cut out a recipe for “Whole Grain Garlic Knots with Parsley and Olive Oil” from the Daily Progress. The recipe was included in an article about the book, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D., & Zoe François.

All of the recent snowy days have given me a chance to start experimenting with homemade bread again after many years. This time, however, I am concentrating on whole grain “good for you” breads, and the idea of no kneading was very interesting. I ordered the book, and when it arrived I tried out the basic dough. Would you believe that you can order the vital wheat gluten from Amazon along with the book?

The method is truly easy, and the results were wonderful. Now I have a wonderful new hobby!

HEALTHY BREAD IN FIVE MINUTES A DAY whips up fabulous breads made with more whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

The secret? Mix up a lightning-fast batch of moist no-knead dough, save it in your refrigerator, tear off portions over the next week or more, shape, and bake.

via Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Filed under: Diet Tagged: Bread, Cooking, Dough, Olive Oil, Recipe, Whole grain

Educational Technology for Diverse Learners – Thanks Curriki!

2010-10-09T16:47:38Z

I am volunteering to help an ESL student improve his English reading skills. Our goal is 0 to 3rd grade in one year, and I know that the Read/Write Web is going to give us a big boost. Thanks to Curriki for helping us to find resources!

The rise of technology in education is opening doors for learners of all backgrounds: students from diverse economic situations, students with special passions and students with unique educational needs. The following courses, resources and research are excellent guides for using educational technology to support diverse learners in the classroom.

via Educational Technology for Diverse Learners « Curriki’s Blog.

Filed under: Teaching/Learning Tagged: Education, Educational technology, educationaltechnology, ELL, English as a foreign or second language, ESL, Instructional Technology, K through 12, Student, Technology