2021: Year Of Public Universities For Connectivity As A Universal Right - How Texting Makes Stress Worse? - Rosa Parks - ISSUE#96 FEBRUARY
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2021 ISSUE #96 FEBRUARY
2021: Year Of Public Universities For
Connectivity As A Universal Right
How Texting
Makes Stress
Worse?
Rosa Parks
INSIDE COVER PAGE
This month our cover page is dedicated
2 EDITORIAL
to Rosa Parks whose defiance sparked
UTN NEWS the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Its success
3 Specialization Program In Management launched nationwide efforts to end racial
Of Collaborative Economic Initiatives segregation of public facilities. If you have
And Social Economy At UTN an awesome picture you think could be on
4 Public Universities Declare 2021: Year Of the cover of one of The ILE Post editions,
Public Universities For Connectivity As A send it to eherrera@utn.ac.cr. So far several
Universal Right readers have sent amazing pictures
4 UTN Enabled A New Employment that we will be sharing with you soon.
If you want to know what is happening
Platform For Students And Graduates
in ILE, follow us on FACEBOOK.
AROUND THE GLOBE
5 Italy Births Fall 22% During Lockdown Photo Credit:
5 How Texting Makes Stress Worse? https://freesvg.org/rosa-parks-1574173495
This picture is under public domain
6 COVID Hits Exam-Taking And Poorer All materials used and produced by The ILE Post are for educational purposes. They can be used
Pupils Worst In UK, Study Finds and reproduced for educational purposes as long as you credit you for the original creation.
6 Fifty Ancient Coffins Uncovered At
Egypt’s Sahara Necropolis
THE ILE ETHOS
CONTRIBUTORS
7 Why And How To Learn Collocations
8 What Is Your Role In All Of This?
ACADEMICS AND MORE Judith Corella Essay Writer
9 How Assessment Is Changing In The Jenaro Diaz-Ducca English For You
Digital Age - Five Guiding Principles
Clare Goodman Academic Editor
11 VOX POPULI
THE STUDENTS’ VOICE
Cristopher Montero Editorial
12 Representation Of Race In Modern Cindy Rodríguez Essay Writer
Family Sitcom Alonso Salazar Article Writer
POP WORLD Izabella Sepúlveda News Translator
14 Beheadings, Forbidden Love, And A Fat
Little Kid: The Truth of Valentine’s Day?
DID YOU KNOW...?
15 What Is Imposter Syndrome?
TECHNOLOGY BITS
16 What Is Zoom Fatigue And How To Avoid
It in Students?at is an Arduino?
LANGUAGE CORNER
18 Rosa Parks And Equal Rights
19 English For You
LOUDER THAN WORDS
20 Krabi, Thailand
www.facebook.com/TheILEPost?fref=ts
1
EDITORIAL
10 Short Stories About UTN
by Cristopher Montero Corrales (Professor)
Story # 1 Can you imagine a hospital where there is more incentive production, incapable of promoting the generation of an academ-
to be an administrator than a physician? It is a hospital where the ic article with a mincemeat of hours. This does not allow time and
decisions of the board of physicians are made by the support staff; a space to produce science and intellectual reflection. The R-115 is a
place where the decision to hire a neurologist or cardiologist is based vision of administrative control over a true strategic academic vision.
on whether you checked the box for your specialty or not. Story # 8 That’s the hospital we inherited. We have inherited that par-
Story # 2 On February 8th, I received an impersonal and informal ticular tenure. Hopefully, in 2021, we will know how to call the doc-
email address concursoacademico@utn.ac.cr. This mail contained tors so that patients won’t keep dying on us. Therefore, it will not be
no signature, no letterhead, no final periods and grammatical errors, someone who tells us that we didn’t mark a box correctly, or that we
with a caption at the end saying “Informative mail”. It was being didn’t upload what was necessary to the drive when we are trying
announced that I had been excluded from the famous Academ- to produce science, art and humanism for a University that needs
ic Public Contest CP-01-2019. The reason given was, “The Specialty academia
does not correspond to the sub-area selected in the Classification of to survive.
this tenure. No additional observations.” Story # 9 Administrativism is the reduction of academic life to le-
Story # 3 And so I wonder, how do I officially reply to an informative gal-administrative interpretations and actions: the slogan is not what
email? How do you appeal to an informative email? Did you see all is reasonable academically or strategically, but what can be done
the grammtical errors in the email? Did you see the capital letters all legally and administratively. Do not think that there is something ille-
over the place? gal in this, there are things so badly thought out, but well done on pa-
Story # 4 My scientific production published in several countries did per that surely, they are right to make a fool of themselves by leaving
not matter, neither did my Aquileo J. Echeverría National Literature many academics out of the competition for things like this.
Award, my six books, my eight academic articles, my excellent Story # 10
grades in 8 years of working at the University, or my national and Censorship is bad for your health, but humor and criticism are not.
international papers did not matter either.
What actually mattered was that I supposedly checked the wrong Cristopher Montero Corrales. Academic who continues in the interim
box and there was no room for reflection or opportunity for amend- as many others.
ment. Nor does the e-mail explain which box I checked, and there is
no way to verify it.
If you doubt my commitment to UTN, I invite you to view my indexed
Story # 5 The Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic states academic production at http://kimuk.conare.ac.cr/Search/Results?
that one of UTN’s weaknesses is the hiring of qualified personnel.
lookfor=Cristopher+Montero+Corrales&type=AllFields
Story # 6 A hint: at the UCR and the UNA the tenure contest is made
and directed by the academic staff: the academic council makes
There is a missing article that has just been published in the UCR So-
and decides, by utilizing a public process, which reflects and de-
cial Science Journal. You can find it here: https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/
bates. They have the right to vote to decide on the suitability of the
index.php/sociales/article/view/45497
personnel that will occupy a position according to their academic
trajectory and the specific needs of the institution.
PS. Since there is no academic regime, there is no real recognition
That is why it is an academic council; it is above any individual posi-
of the production that, with great effort, I continue to make,despite
tion such as the Major director or coordinator. The council has auton-
all this, to increase the rates of scientific production and the prestige
omy and is sovereign: that is an academic council.
of the UTN.
Story # 7 This is a hospital where decisions are made by the support
staff. The UTN has not paid attention, after twelve years, in creating
Publicación original en boletín UTRA UTN
an academic regime regulation, which is a proven element to in-
del 11 de febrero, traducido con el per-
crease the quality of scientific production in university life. Instead,
miso del académico Cristopher Montero
there is the R-115, which is an instrument of administrative control
por Jose Soto Morera, miembro editorial
over the academy, incapable of increasing the quality and scientific
the ILE POST, revisado por Clare Good-
incapable of increasing academic quality, incapable of incentiviz-
man
ing scientific production, incapable of generating an article on the
Translated By Jose Soto (ILE Director) 2
UTN NEWS
Specialization Program In Management Of Collaborative
Economic Initiatives And Social Economy At UTN
Translated By Izabela Sepúlveda (ILE Professor)
A graduation ceremony was held virtually on January 22nd. with great economic, social and collaborative impact, both
The UTN Vice-Chancellor´s Office for Extension and Social at a cooperative and associative level; thus achieving the
Action taught a Specialization Program in Management of development and well-being of both its members and the
Collaborative Economic Initiatives and Social Economy (INI- community as a whole.
CIA Project) for 29 people, thanks to the co-financing of the These initiatives range from a platform for the support of en-
Erasmus Plus Program of the European Union. trepreneurs, companies, cooperatives and consumers, to the
This project was made up of a consortium of 19 partners from management of water resources, the commercialization of
both Latin America and Europe; in whose countries the spe- agricultural products, mechanisms to reactivate the econ-
cialization program was also developed by the participating omy of a coastal area with training and accompaniment
universities. The distribution of the partners was as follows: in their economic activities, support technical and financial
support to solidarity associations and finally food collection.
• 12 universities in Central America The projects developed with the following:
• 2 Argentinian Universities
• 3 European Universities 1. Collaborative platform for entrepreneurs, businessmen
• 1 Regional Organization and consumers: Virtual Market.
• 1 European Organization 2. AGAMOS (“acronym for Agua gestionando Agua
con movimiento solidario”): Water managing Water
The training process was carried out for 10 months, for a total in a solidarity movement.
of 900 hours, with a theoretical-practical methodology. 3. Aguas Zarcas Marketing and Supply Center.
The Inicia Project aims to “contribute to the curricular adap- 4. Socioeconomic reactivation in the Island of Venado,
tation of Central American Universities, concerning the new Gulf of Nicoya, Puntarenas, through the Collaborative
forms of economic organization linked to the Social and Sol- Economy and Social and Solidarity Economy model.
idarity Economy and the Collaborative Economy, in order 5. Technological support service for Solidarity Associations
to improve the competencies of their human resources and towards a solidarity and social economy: ASOPORTEC
prepare them to face the challenges of these new econom- S.A.
ic models”. 6. Solidarity Table: a collection of food for people in need.
7. Costa Rica ESSColaborativa: “The Platform of the
Collaborative Solidarity Social Economy for Costa Rica”
8. Web Portal and Observatory mipymes San Carlos.
9. Economy in T: a structure which includes “Cooperative
and collaborative networks in times of crisis”
Graduation ceremony
During the graduation ceremony of the 29 participants held
on Friday, January 22nd, Paula Ulloa Meneses, coordinator of
the INICIA Project, affirmed that this is the first generation of
specialists in solidarity social economy, which is very import-
ant because they come to open a new field and contribute
to Costa Rican society. Ulloa added that in the projects that
the participants carried out, they showed that extra mile that
each of them gave, with success.
Carlos Salas León, vice-chancellor of Extension and Social
Action expressed his satisfaction that the UTN has been able
to give its contribution to training these new specialists so that
they can contribute to local economic development. “Our
In addition to this contribution, it is expected, in the business micro and small companies have in the associativity and in
sphere, to obtain benefits linked to initiatives in the social the solidarity social economy, a great alternative to be able
economy, the formation of small and medium-sized enterpris- to be competitive, that is why we must focus on developing
es, and support for local, national and regional organizations, collaborative initiatives that allow them to carry out an as-
among others. sociativity, either horizontally or vertically, depending on the
The 29 participants who were in charge of the UTN, creat- interests that they have ”added the vice-chancellor Salas.
ed 9 working groups in which they developed their initiatives,
To read original news in Spanish, go to: https://www.utn.ac.cr/content/utn-impartió-programa-de-especialización-en-gestión-de-iniciativas-económicas-colaborativas
3
UTN NEWS
Public Universities Declare 2021:
Year Of Public Universities For Connectivity As A Universal Right
Translated By Izabela Sepúlveda (ILE Professor)
The National Council of Chancellors internet access as a human right, con-
agreed to declare 2021: Year of Public tributing to the social order and the for-
Universities for connectivity as a univer- mation of a more just society.
sal human right to promote the recogni- In this context, the joint action of dif-
tion of internet connectivity as a human ferent areas is of great importance to
right for all inhabitants of our country. promote and develop an effective and
This recognition aims to the strength- concrete policy in order to make the In-
ening of a fairer society and sustain- ternet widely available, accessible and
able human development, through the affordable for all sectors of the popu-
management of public universities. lation.
CONARE and the state universities will The institutional declaration: 2021: Pub-
articulate efforts that focus on promot- lic Universities for connectivity as a uni-
ing universal and free access through- versal human right represents the voca-
out the country´s territory, as a fun- tion of our universities in favor of human
damental right, essential to exercise rights and progress with social justice.
freedom of thought and expression, In this sense, the urgency of raising the right for all inhabitants, which contrib-
whose access must be guaranteed consciousness of our university popula- utes to the strengthening of a more just
and protected. They will work from their tion and society, in general is raised to society.
humanistic, democratizing vocation, promote a university culture of recogni-
which guides the academy to promote tion of internet connectivity as a human
To read original news in Spanish, go to: https://www.conare.ac.cr/noticias/238-universidades-publicas-declaran-ano-2021-ano-de-las-universidades-publicas-por-la-conectividad-como-derecho-humano-universal?fbclid=-
IwAR0nSxL8vePuSu1JTupXkBjS4qw9WOvFXvzLXZ1_3ynXOFRd_JznqZTo2aY
UTN Enabled A New Employment Platform
For Students And Graduates
the Employment Intermediation System
where the platform is hosted. Students
and graduates must access the “Pub-
lish curriculum” section and entrepre-
neurs and industrialists must enter the
“Publish job advertisements” section.
Quirós pointed out that, as it is a new
employment platform, those who have
shared their resumes on the previous
one, must update their data again.
The advantage of the new UTN Employ-
ment Platform is that it is linked to the
“Elempleo.com” platform, which allows
students and graduates of the UTN to
have access to all job offers published
on this platform. This mentioned plat-
form has a national scope and also
The Employment Intermediation System Employers can also publish on the plat- allows employers to access the data-
(SIE) of the Vice-chancellor office for form the different jobs they have avail- base of students and graduates of the
Student Life put into operation a new able. university who are looking for a job op-
employment platform for students and As reported by Sofía Quirós Arguedas, portunity.
graduates of the UTN to publish their re- in charge of the Employment Interme- Employers’ job offers will be published
sumes to be seen by businessmen and diation System, those interested in us- for a period of one month, since it is
industrialists who are requiring special- ing the UTN employment platform must considered a prudent period for them
ized human resource. register, entering the website www.utn. to observe the published resumes.
In the case of UTN students, they can ac.cr and there they can search for, Those interested in obtaining more in-
use the platform from the moment they at the end of the page, the SIE button formation can write an email to
start the first year of their major. which directs them to the section of bagdeempleo@utn.ac.cr and address
it Sofía Quirós Arguedas.
To read original news in Spanish, go to: https://www.utn.ac.cr/content/utn-habilitó-nueva-plataforma-de-empleo-para-estudiantes-y-egresados
4
AROUND THE GLOBE
Italy Births Fall22% During Lockdown
Maybe it was the stress. Maybe it was being likely to say they were delaying, while Italians
cooped up with the mother-in-law. But the were more likely to say they had abandoned
numbers are in, and one effect of the coro- their plans altogether.
navirus lockdown is now clear: People made Last year, Britain recorded a plunge in im-
fewer babies. A lot fewer babies. ports of baby carriages, to the lowest level
Births in Italy in December — exactly nine since records began in 2000. (Yes, the Trea-
months after the country went into Europe’s sury counts imports of baby carriages. In
first lockdown — plunged by a whopping tons.)
21.6 percent, according to figures from a While its data is not yet complete, the Ger-
sample of 15 Italian cities released this week man statistics office said 2020 was probably
by statistics agency ISTAT, aljazeera.com re- the first year since 2011 that the population
ported. did not grow, both because of declining
And the effect is far from over. Marriages fell births and because COVID-19 meant fewer
by more than half in the first 10 months of last people immigrated.
year, which ISTAT chief Gian Carlo Blangiar- Still, there are signs some people who put
do called “a further factor in a probable de- off making babies in 2020 may be getting
cline in births in the immediate future”. down to business at last. Sales of pregnan-
Demographics experts have been predict- cy tests and pregnancy vitamins in Germany Institute for Population Research.
ing a baby bust across Europe for 2021, as jumped in the last few months, according to “So in countries where the welfare state min-
the effect of last year’s lockdowns is felt. a poll conducted for pharmacy news service imizes the economic impact — like Germany
A survey conducted in five European coun- Apotheke Adhoc. — there might be less of a negative effect.”
tries during the March and April lockdown “The bigger the economic fears, the bigger
showed many people calling off plans to the impact on the birth rate,” said Martin Bu-
have kids. Germans and French were more jard, deputy director at Germany’s Federal
Information taken from: https://irandaily.ir/News/280398.html?catid=1023&title=Italy-births-fall-22--during-lockdown Image taken from: www.pixabay.com
How Texting Makes Stress Worse?
up with a good excuse, either — what was I versity in California who specializes in the
going to say: “Sorry I missed your message, I intersection of technology and psychology.
was too busy staying at home doing nothing Not responding right away makes us anxious;
for the eighth consecutive month”? it gives us a “sense of having fallen behind
Group threads have always caused some and broken a major rule of online commu-
people anxiety, even before the pandemic. nications”.
But as someone who embraced them be- What’s more, when you fall behind in a
fore the pandemic, it’s surprising to discover group chat, a backlog of missed messages
that in the age of social distancing, it’s possi- can quickly pile up. Then, before you know
ble to suffer from social overload. If they give it, texting starts to feel as cumbersome as
us solace and connection in a crisis, why do drudging through work email. It makes for a
some of us feel burnt out and overwhelmed “dreaded communication debt that we can
by them? now accrue by having asynchronous mes-
‘Communication debt’ sages”, said Bernie Hogan, senior research
Lockdown has meant that many more of us fellow at the University of Oxford’s Internet
are using messaging apps. Text messages Institute.
If group chats give us solace and connec-
are casual, immediate and research shows Before the pandemic, we could use the ex-
tion in a crisis, why do some of us feel burnt
that we like them more than emails. By late cuse of our busy lives to explain away missing
out and overwhelmed by them?
March, for example, WhatsApp had already a message or an entire conversation. If you
When lockdown first started in March, group
reported a 40% spike in the number of users. felt tired and didn’t want to socialize, you
chats were my lifeline. Text conversations
A study in September of more than 1,300 US could just say so. But since options for social
with work friends, New York City friends, old
adults showed that use of digital communi- activity have been so curtailed, group chats
friends and relatives helped me stay con-
cations of all kinds increased during COVID, have come to play a bigger role in many of
nected during the once-in-a-generation
with text messaging leading with a 43% jump. our lives. We feel we should prize these inter-
crisis. We laughed at memes, calmed each
We’re lucky to have that kind of technolo- actions, yet they’re coming at a much faster
other down, check in on each other’s fami-
gy; without Zoom, Slack and WhatsApp, the pace and higher volume than we’re used to.
lies, according to BBC.
pandemic would be a far lonelier experi- While we could still manage, pre-COVID, to
But as the pandemic went on, I found group
ence. But group chat platforms come with interrupt what we were doing and engage
chats made my stress worse, not better. My
an immediacy and intimacy that can make in this read-and-respond-in-real-time ritual, it
phone was already constantly lighting up
participating in them feel stressful. has become all but impossible to continue
with news notifications, and the 50 or 60
“One reason they stress us out is the built-in doing so with the magnitude and frequency
missed texts that I could get in an hour from
urge to read a text in real time — and the of interruptions today,” saidAboujaoude.
any one group chat made me feel anxious
parallel expectation in online culture that
about putting it down. I felt guilty for not re-
you will also respond in real time,” said Elias
sponding to a text right away, or checking in
Aboujaoude, a psychiatrist at Stanford Uni-
on a group thread. I couldn’t exactly come
Information takenfrom: https://irandaily.ir/News/280503.html Image taken from: www.pixabay.com
5
AROUND THE GLOBE COVID Hits Exam-Taking And Poorer Pupils Worst In UK, Study Finds Children studying for exams and those from will not be straightforward and will require a disadvantaged families are the most likely to sustained and multifaceted approach, fo- have suffered severe disruption to their learn- cused on those who have lost out the most.” ing and motivation during the pandemic, Pupils in years 10 and 11 had the most pes- according to the largest published study of simistic view of their learning last year, with its impact on pupils in England. children in those year groups remaining the The surveys and interviews of more than most anxious after the summer holidays. 60,000 students aged from six to 18 reveal “These scores hint at the pressures that exam huge disparities in the impact of lockdown uncertainty has caused,” the report’s au- and school closures, with very different pro- thors noted. files for learning loss and wellbeing among The research uncovered some intriguing children spread across different households, details that explain the disparities between theguardian.com reported. groups. While 97% of children in disadvan- Children taking General Certificate of Sec- taged households — largely those who had ondary Education (GCSE) courses appeared received free school meals — said they had most at risk of disruption, with nearly one in a digital device such as a laptop or tablet at four pupils in years 10 and 11 saying they home, only two out of three said they were could not get help from family members with able to use it to complete their schoolwork. schools across England, from May until No- questions about their schoolwork, while 40% In non-disadvantaged households, 99% said vember last year. said they lacked a routine to help them study they had digital devices at home, although “Education throughout COVID-19 has been from home. more than one in five reported that they did a challenging process but we hope this The research comes after academics es- not have sufficient access to complete their study and its findings assists schools. We are timated that the pandemic will cost about work. already seeing schools using the data to tar- £350 billion in lost earnings across the working Of the learning itself, many children reported get resources towards those groups of pupils life of today’s school pupils, adding to calls they didn’t understand the schoolwork given in their schools who need different types of for the government to do more to help chil- to them during lockdown, but the effect was support,” said Owen Carter, cofounder and dren catch up over the coming years. more pronounced for those from disadvan- managing director of ImpactEd. James Turner, chief executive of the Sutton taged families. On wellbeing, the research found there was Trust, said the research showed there was Only 45% of children eligible for the pupil pre- little impact on pupils overall, with self-report- “no question” that the pandemic was hav- mium said they understood the school work ed wellbeing slightly higher in May, June and ing a devastating impact. they were given during lockdown, com- July than prior to lockdown. But the impact “Many of the findings reinforce our own re- pared with 57% of their better-off peers also varied: Girls reported 10% higher anxiety search showing the disproportionate impact working remotely. than boys, and nearly twice as many girls as of the pandemic on disadvantaged young The study by the charity ImpactEd carried boys said they were worried about returning people,” said Turner. “The road to recovery out a series of surveys of 62,000 pupils in to school. Information adapted from: https://irandaily.ir/News/280502.html Image taken from: www.pixabay.co Fifty Ancient Coffins Uncovered At Egypt’s Sahara Necropolis Egypt announced the discovery of a new In November, Egypt announced the discov- – the Grand Egyptian Museum – at the Giza trove of treasures at the Saqqara necropolis ery of more than 100 intact sarcophagi, in plateau. south of Cairo, including an ancient funerary the largest such find of the year. There has been a flurry of excavations in temple. The sealed wooden coffins, unveiled along- recent years in Saqqara, home to the step The Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said the side statues of ancient deities, dated back pyramid of Djoser, one of the earliest built in “major discoveries” made by a team of ar- more than 2,500 years and belonged to top ancient Egypt. cheologists headed by the Egyptologist Zahi officials of the Late Period and the Ptolema- Hawass also included more than 50 sarcoph- ic Period of ancient Egypt. At the time, the agi. antiquities and tourism minister, Khaled al- The wooden sarcophagi, which date back Anani, predicted that “Saqqara has yet to to the New Kingdom period – between the reveal all of its contents”. 16th and the 11th century BCE – were found Hawass said the latest discoveries could in 52 burial shafts at depths of 10 to 12 meters shed new light on the history of Saqqara (40 feet), the Guardian reported. during the New Kingdom. The find was made Hawass said the funerary temple of Queen near the pyramid where King Teti, the first Naert, the wife of King Teti, as well as three pharaoh of the sixth dynasty of the Old King- warehouses made of bricks were also found dom, is buried. on the site. Egypt hopes archeological discoveries will Saqqara, home to more than a dozen pyra- spur tourism, a sector that has endured mul- mids, ancient monasteries and animal burial tiple shocks, from the 2011 uprisings to the sites, was a vast necropolis of the ancient ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Egyptian capital of Memphis that has be- Later this year, and after several delays, au- come a UNESCO world heritage site. thorities hope to inaugurate a new museum Information taken from: https://irandaily.ir/News/279587.html Image taken from: www.pixabay.com
THE ILE ETHOS
Why And How To Learn Collocations
Written by Alonso Salazar (ILE Professor)
Is it “do the bed” or “make the bed”? memorize the whole phrase containing it so that you can
Both of them may sound correct or in- use it naturally instead of just trying to fit it in based on your
correct for a non-native speaker. When native language speech structures. For instance, if you
we are in doubt, which one should come across the word ‘perpetuate’ and only learn what
we use? In my experience teaching it means, you will add it to your passive vocabulary. There
English at the university level, many of is a chance you may use it in your conversations, but I
my students have often dealt with this doubt it will come to you instinctively or spontaneously.
problem. They cannot use structures You will have to spend a few moments before you realize
correctly if they do not have enough it is the best fitting word for that particular situation. It is
vocabulary knowledge. Incorporating better to memorize a natural English collocation such as
lexical chunks or collocations into any ‘to perpetuate the stereotype’ so that whenever you dis-
language lesson plan is a way of getting students to be- cuss a related issue, you will be able to deliver that phrase
gin speaking, writing, and reading their new language in naturally. Second, it is helpful to mimic native and other
a more consistent way. Here are some reasons why to English speakers and collect language chunks along the
learn collocations and how to be successful in doing it. way. When you communicate with other English speak-
Collocations enhance communicative skills. They boost ers, you will definitely notice the way they speak and
the improvement of learners’ oral communication, lis- what phrases, expressions and word combinations they
tening comprehension, and reading speed, and enable use to describe certain things. For example, I noticed that
learners to be aware of language chunks – groups of one of my work colleagues uses the word ‘contrary’ to
words that can be used together in language – used by describe certain people by calling them ‘a contrary per-
native speakers in speech and writing. Language class- son’. Prior to that, I would only use the word ‘contrary’ as
room experience has taught me that the reason EFL part of the phrase ‘on the contrary’ – meaning ‘to the
learners have poor performance in oral production is not opposite what was said’. Now I started to mimic my work
simply a lack of vocabulary but insufficient acquisition of colleague by using the expression ‘a contrary person’
language chunks. The knowledge of idioms, proverbs, to describe someone who always disagrees with what I
sayings, collocations, short set expressions, and long set am saying. Third, create visual associations. I believe that
expressions is a vital element of language and can be our thinking and speech process has an abstract thinking
used to distinguish native from non-native speakers. I be- stage. For instance, when you are hungry and you think
lieve lexical phrases, especially collocations, to be the of certain food, do you always have that thought ap-
very center of language acquisition as they can be ap- pear in your mind as actual words? Is not there a second
plied into the spoken discourse, listening comprehension, when you just see an image of French fries and chicken
reading, and writing scenarios. Collocations also improve in front of your eyes? We all can think of such moments,
fluency and native-like sounding. Native speakers have so it should tell you of the importance of creating a di-
the capability to choose and distinguish appropriate vo- rect association between the image and related English
cabulary and expressions for different social situations, word or term. This sort of association is great for building
which enhances their language fluency. I have found your English vocabulary and making sure your native lan-
that for most learners it is easier to store and memorize guage will not mix with the newly acquired English words.
a new word in a network of associations than as a sin- Saying ‘My uncle is a very high person’ will sound unnat-
gle unit. Thus, language or lexical chunks help learners to ural and might confuse your listeners. Did you mean he
store information better. Collocations, especially, which was two meters tall or that he has a high position in gov-
are useful in enhancing comprehension for the associa- ernment or business? To avoid these misunderstandings is
tion of words, assist the learners in committing words to where collocations come to the rescue. They can make
memory and also permit people to predict what kinds of you not only perform better in the four language skills, but
words may be found together. Collocations are also use- also approach native fluency. In order to accomplish the
ful for teaching language production because learners task of learning collocations or lexical chunks, you can
will notice certain lexical restrictions by learning colloca- memorize phrases instead of isolated words, mimic native
tions. Learners will not have to reconstruct the language speakers and the word combinations they use, and finally
every time they want to say something but instead create visual associations. Undoubtedly, collocations will
can use these collocations as “pre-packaged building help you communicate in a more natural and accurate
blocks”, which will help them approach native fluency. way. Give collocations a try, or is it a chance?
Learning collocations or lexical chunks can be ap-
proached in different ways. First, you can learn which I challenge you to find out.
words go together when building your English vocab-
ulary. Whenever you hear a new word, make sure you
References
5 ways of learning natural English collocations and creating useful vocabulary associations. (2016, August 14). Retrieved February 09, 2021, from
https://englishharmony.com/how-to-learn-natural-english-collocations/
Role that collocations play in language learning English language essay. (n.d.). Retrieved February 09, 2021, from
https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-language/role-that-collocations-play-in-language-learning-english-language-essay.php
7
THE ILE ETHOS
What Is Your Role In All Of This?
Written by Cindy Rodríguez (ILE Professor)
I started writing this article without re- Why in the world am I talking about the Laws of Thermo-
ally knowing the answer to this ques- dynamics to talk about my role in humanity? I am going
tion. To me, 2021 is a brand new pair to elaborate on this. Thermodynamics are mostly used
of sneakers that I am going to wear and studied in the field of Physics (obviously), Chemistry,
after wearing 2020’s most uncomfort- and Engineering, however, if you think about them, they
able-tied shoes. I feel like “walking are all based on a molecular level, and matter, but we
on sunshine”, I do not know if it is be- humans are also composed of these, so, I believe these
cause of the bright windy yet sunny laws also apply. Please bear with me and consider the
days that come with January, or be- following ideas.
cause I have emptied all the files on We humans impact other humans without even thinking
my computer which means a fresh about it. Like cool J once said: “Do unto others as you
start for me. So, what is my role in all would have them do unto you.” I really believe that he
of this? was trying to explain the implications of many Laws of
What do I mean by “this” is the first question to ask. Life? Physics in simple words. It is what it is. Now, what I be-
Pandemic? Classes? Well, it depends on your point of lieve is that just as what the latter explained Laws say,
view or interest. To me, it is all the same. My role is import- temperature is transferred through matter until an equi-
ant, especially for me and my family, but my role and librium is reached, and that equilibrium could be positive
reaction are important for myself, and the world and or not. So, a point of equilibrium can be that everyone
even you reading. My role in all of this is being kind, lov- complains because that is what most people do, leaving
ing, and caring as much as possible to myself, my family, even personal perspectives aside, humans may reach a
my students,, coworkers, nature, and everything; but just “default” mode on many things: respect, help, support,
as much as my strengths allow it. Thank God I got him/her work dynamics, relationships, you name it!
because there is no way to do all of this. For a mind-blowing physicist and philosopher, Frijof
Albert Einstein, the adorable brilliant mind that goes be- Capra, my ideas would not sound that crazy. He affirms
yond relativity once said: “A hundred times every day I that chaos is natural, and that there is an order behind it
remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on that we just need to figure out. I believe that our whole
the labors of other men [humans], living and dead, and being, conscious or not, affects other people, and even
that I must exert myself in order to give in the same mea- nature. Whatever we do, think, eat, and decide has an
sure as I have received and am still receiving.” What the unforetold and unknown impact, like the “Butterfly Ef-
heck does that mean? Every action has an impact. Let fect”, which states that a small change (the flapping of
me develop this a bit more. the butterfly) will have an impact on a large scale, (even
Let’s start with the Law of Thermodynamics. You might causing a massive storm). As it can be seen, if the origins
remember that phrase that was repeated to us constant- of such affirmations, its process, and demonstrations are
ly in high school: “energy is not created or destroyed”, analyzed to the Nano level, using physics and molecu-
and continues with a phrase similar to the one said by lar biology, we can see that this kind of effects are real.
the sweet Paraguayan genius, Jorge Drexler, “Todo se Therefore, why can’t they be applied to a social and po-
transforma.” Well, my dear reader, that is the first law of litical level.
Thermodynamics. Then, the second law has to do with Therefore, what do you think? Too much craziness? I also
“entropy” which means, in simple words, ”chaos” or “dis- have learned this. I do not believe in so-called “Karma”,
order”. This law states that “the entropy of the universe or “Auras”, but I do believe in Science, and I believe that
is always increasing”, meaning that chaos will always in- God is the most loving, brilliant Physicist that has left us
crease. The third law is so complicated that I have not clues about this (besides the obvious concrete expla-
even tried to understand it! It has to do with entropy and nations he has given us through the Big J). Science has
absolute zero, and I have no idea how that works nor the shown it, and great minds like Newton, Einstein, Matur-
logic behind it. However, there is a fourth law that is easy ana, and Capra have proven it. I encourage you to be
to understand and within which relies deep and pro- more aware of what is going on, and what you are think-
found wisdom: the Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics. The ing and doing: then ask yourself, where is this coming
Zeroth Law is about thermal equilibrium with means that from? Are my thoughts really mine? Are these loving, and
if there are three objects that have different tempera- human-focused ones?
tures they do not have thermal equilibrium, but, when the Keep in mind, that your role is important for future gener-
temperatures level between the bodies, they all reach ations to come.
thermal equilibrium. And that explains a lot! You might be
thinking: What in the world are you talking about Cindy?
Happy 2021!
Well, let me explain.
8
ACADEMICS AND MORE
How Assessment Is Changing In
The Digital Age - Five Guiding Principles
COVID-19 changed how faculty and instructors ap-
proach assessments. Fewer mid- and end of term ex-
aminations and more continuous assessment. Some
moved from percentages and complex grading (F
to A+) to pass/fail. Others moved from individual as-
sessments to a combination of group, small team and
individual assessment. There are more video, audio
and multimedia assessments taking place and many
instructors also engaged in peer-to-peer assessment,
some for the first time.
A new era in assessment was emerging before
COVID-19, in part enabled by technology, but also by
a shift in the mind-set of what assessment is for. The big
shift included seeing assessment as much more about
enabling improved learning rather than simply assess-
ing whether or not a student could recall and recount
what was presented in class. This shift towards assess- “the learner express themselves in ways which feel
ment for learning is supported by the widespread use natural to them and prepares them for what they are
of adaptive learning engines within many learning going to do next”.
management systems. Grant Wiggins (1998) suggested authentic assessment
Assessment is crucial to learning. Providing feedback, involves students providing responses to a challenge,
nudging learners to improve and suggesting addition- a question, or a problem that:
al work and activities that could strengthen their learn- •Is realistic.
ing is key to assessment for learning. Grading against •Requires judgement and innovation.
clear rubrics that reflect the objectives of the course •Asks the student to “do” the subject.
and intentions of the program of study is key to the •Replicates or simulates the contexts in which
assessment of learning and to the task of quality as- adults are “tested” in the workplace, in civic life,
surance. and in personal life.
What will assessment look like in the future? •Assesses the student’s ability to efficiently and
How might assessment change, given: effectively use a repertoire of knowledge and
•The emergence of technology-enabled tools skill to negotiate a complex task.
for assessment; •Allows appropriate opportunities to rehearse,
•New challenges about security and academic practice, consult resources, and get feedback
integrity; and on and refine performances and products.
•New ways of delivering learning? Rather than produce an essay or thesis, students might
A recent report from the United Kingdom’s JISC, a develop a website, a video, a powerful multimedia
membership based hub for technology innovation presentation, an installation, a storyboard or a comic
in higher education, suggests five principles, which book.
should inform the conversation about the future of as- Students may also work in small groups or teams on
sessment. a problem that is authentic to them and choose how
Principle 1: Authentic Assessment best to present their solution back to their peers and
COVID-19 and remote instruction made proctored instructor but also to share it with those impacted by
mid-term and end-of-term examinations difficult, but the problem.
not impossible. Some instructors persisted. But most In a recent class, students challenged with the same
shifted their assessment to continuous or project-based issue produced varied evidence of their learning: a
assessment, with some moving from grades to pass/ 12-minute video and storyboard; a thing from the fu-
fail. JISC suggests the real shift needs to be away from ture coupled with an audio describing its components;
“standardized approaches” to assessment to more a 32-slide PowerPoint presentation with audio and vid-
authentic assessment. eo; a written document; and a 3D photo gallery with
But what does this mean? For JISC, it means letting sound track. All were assessed against the same rubric.
9ACADEMICS AND MORE
Principle 2: Accessible and Inclusive Assessment
If an assessment is not accessible and inclusive, it is not Principles in Action: The Future of Assessment
a good basis for assessment of learning. The Head of Assessment Futures at the Scottish Qual-
All technology used by colleges and universities must ifications Authority in Glasgow, Martyn Ware, asks a
be accessible by all students and staff, some of whom simple question:
may have challenges with the way assessments are “Put ourselves in the position of young people who are
currently delivered. These challenges may relate to having to take the assessments that we’re offering at
disability, gender, race or other factor. For example, it the moment and to really be honest about whether
is established that multiple-choice examinations may those assessments are serving these young people
discriminate by gender and certain assessments are well. If they aren’t, then what are we going to do
more difficult for students with different religious back- about it? Do we still think it’s going to be OK in ten
grounds to respond to. years’ time?”
Universal design for learning (UDL) provides a frame- He suggests vice-presidents, academic and provosts
work and tools for creating accessible and inclusive need to see assessment as a major focus for educa-
assessment. One key feature of UDL is a need to pro- tional transformation aimed at increasing its value for
vide different ways for students to express and share learning as well as improving the experience of learn-
what they know and make very clear what the rubrics ing and overall quality of qualifications. Students sup-
are for assessment: no surprises. port this view, at least in Scotland.
Principle 3: Appropriately Automated Assessment COVID-19 stimulated new thinking and experience
A range of technologies and approaches were de- of different forms of assessment, and may be the be-
veloped, which make creating, deploying, securing, ginning of new thinking about what is assessed, when
marking and providing feedback much easier now and how. It is time for a renaissance in assessment.
than it was just five years ago. Whether these are Ar- The key features of this renaissance are likely to in-
tificial Intelligent (AI)-enabled test item generators, clude five key shifts:
automated marking and feedback systems or adap- •A shift from an information-based assessment,
tive learning engines for learner support based on quiz “can you correctly recollect the information
scores, new supports for instructors and students are shared in class and in the textbook?”, to
now available. Given how significant assessment is as assessment based on knowledge in use such
a component of instructors’ workloads, such develop- as “show me you know what to do with the
ments are welcome. information shared in class and in the textbook
The key is technology should be deployed in ways that when given a relevant problem or challenge”.
enhance and improve the student experience, not just •A shift from multiple choice and written
lower costs and reduce the time spent on marking. assessments to a variety of assessments, such as
There is also a need to ensure the algorithms used in oral presentations, video-based assessment, or
automated systems are free of bias. producing an artefact that demonstrates mastery
Principle 4: Continuous Assessment of knowledge and skill.
Colleges and universities have moved away from •A shift from classroom-based assessment to
high stakes, high stress mid-term and end of term ex- assessment in the community, workplace or
aminations in favour of continuous assessment. Given natural setting.
the challenge is to develop lifelong learning, constant •A shift towards assessment on demand, “I am
feedback and learning activities by students better re- ready for my assessment now!”
flect both the workplace and the world in which we •A shift from instructor marked assessments to
live. It reinforces the efficacy of teaching and learning a combination of instructor, peer and
and positions teaching as a formative process and a technology marking.
dialectic. The underlying shift is towards more authentic assess-
Principle 5: Secure Assessment ment as described above.
Colleges and universities are (as they have always This will not happen overnight, but the shifts are dis-
been) concerned about academic misconduct and cernable. The five principles documented by JISC and
cheating in continuous assessment and students com- briefly summarized here support the change in assess-
plain that, especially in group projects, not all students ment practices.
“pull their weight”. These are not new problems and
emerging technologies can provide resources to pro-
tect from these misdemeanours.
Information taken from: https://teachonline.ca/tools-trends/how-assessment-changing-digital-age-five-guiding-principles
Photo credit: https://pixabay.com
10VOX POPULI
The UTN community includes professors, administrative staff and students. Each
individual has something to say about everything. In this section, we give the
university community the opportunity to express what they feel about different
school, country and world issues that in one or another way affect or impact our
lives, feelings and opinions. This month we asked students:
What can administrative management do to improve/help
teaching management? (II)
As a transforming value of the
society that includes the student, Administrative
They should start by learning what teaching is all the academic, the administration, Administrative manag- management
about. Management of institutions such as Universities the public and private sector, the ers/authorities need to should keep an
not only require administrative but also knowledge teaching management must give involve teachers when effective commu-
of the world of teaching and its implications. Several elements of understanding to the ad- making decisions. Most nication with the
times decisions that come from higher hierarchy have ministrative management, so it can of the time administra- UTN university
not been even considered to ask to the teaching staff ’s effectively give adequate support. tive decisions that affect community to
opinions. For instance, teachers were never asked for Teaching management is best un- the working conditions of improve
their opinions or consulted with regarding several derstood through the improvement teachers are made with- teaching.
decisions that have come from the upper levels of the of the administrative management, out their knowledge.
universities bureaucracy. as elements linked to the service of Gabriela Calvo
Aaron Torres Eugenia González
the student as a client, who is also
given a service to impact positively
on society in general. That is why
the administrative management
supports the teacher.
Marvin Segura
Universities, just like any other
educational institution, offer
the opportunity to build spaces Administrative management should support our work and back it More than twenty years of
for social construction. For up in a better way. For many years, the UTN has grown enormous- experience have thaught me that
this reason, it is necessary to ly in the administrative area while the teaching staff has not been where there is an active and pos-
have trained staff, technolog- given the place and support it deserves. For example, adminis- itive teacher-administrator re-
ical and financial resources, trative buildings have been provided with electric door systems lationships, there is a favorable
and appropriate facilities to and other accessory elements while the labs for ILE have been put school culture where teachers
ensure the proper functioning out of order because there are no resources to fix and have them understand school policies and
of all areas. If the adminis- running all the time to provide a better learning experience for our requests, and ultimately lead to
trative management works students. better classroom instruction.
according to the expectations, Xinia Nagygellér
the teaching management can Anonymous
achieve its objectives. In brief,
one complements the other.
Oscar Vega
I consider promoting an assertive and permanent communication between the
administrative management and the teaching management represents a key point
to reinforce their relation inside the organization to avoid possible misunderstand-
ings at the time of making important decisions together. This needs to be done by
both the administration and teaching department seen as a single working unit
that is moving forward to accomplishing their academic goals, and this job does
not depend on the administrative management exclusively. Also, it is vital to learn
to listen to what the teaching department needs since the administration is the
voice of its teachers, and they need to be heard for the benefit of the entire student
community
11 Christian CorralesTHE STUDENTS’ VOICE
Representation Of Race In Modern Family Sitcom
By Judith Corella (ILE Student)
Modern Family is an American sitcom in which three interrelated families are documented through
their daily lives. To better understand the points that will be discussed later, it is necessary to compre-
hend the context of this show. Jay Pritchett, Claire and Mitchell’s father, is married to a Colombian
woman named Gloria. She is a lot younger than him and used to be a hairdresser, but now, she is a
stay-at-home wife who takes care of their two children. Through his well-positioned company, Jay
has become wealthy. On the other hand, Claire is married to Phil. She stopped working so that she
could take care of their children too. Furthermore, Mitchell is married to Cameron. After some years
of living together, they decided to adopt a Vietnamese girl. This show became popular since topics
such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation are represented. Despite many people
describe this sitcom as racially or culturally diverse, some others find humor about racial stereotypes
annoying. Through Modern Family, race is portrayed negatively because white supremacy, Latinos’
discrimination, and patriarchal structures are evidenced season after season.
Notwithstanding, during the first chapters of this show, racist behaviors were not manifested, but as the
sitcom progresses, the representation of white supremacy becomes more evident. In Modern Family,
the protagonist family is composed of white members, which are seen as the normal ones, while the
others outside this circle are remarked with undesirable stereotypical characteristics. At the begin-
ning of the show, because of his son’s sexual orientation, Jay Pritchett is shown as an intolerable and
ashamed father. As the series develops, it presents how Jay tries to relate better with his son; however,
the program narrative always concludes by highlighting the normative values of the traditional white
American family. Given the authoritarian white male structure presented in the sitcom, Gloria, Jay’s
wife, functions as a character who clearly exemplifies the limitations she possesses as a foreign mem-
ber of the family. Gloria is an undocumented Colombian who seeks a better life for both herself and her
son after experiencing physical abuse during her previous marriage. Her representation as a middle-
class and economically dependent person reinforces the dominant immigration discourse. Vergara
is the typical example of a foreigner who is desired and needed by the dominant class. On this show,
racial privilege is treated on a comic basis; however, the social superiority of the white characters al-
ways comes out.
Many studies have shown that Latino characters are often portrayed in hypersexualized, criminal, vi-
olent, or ignorant roles. Actually, according to a survey conducted by the National Public Radio, the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (2017), “a third or
more of Latinos say they have personally experienced racial or ethnic slurs (37%) and people making
insensitive or offensive comments or negative assumptions about their race or ethnicity (33%)” (p. 1).
In the case of Modern Family, Gloria and her Colombian relatives are embedded within these stereo-
types. In the episode “Unplugged”, Gloria is accused by her husband and son of murdering their neigh-
bor’s dog, pointing out that due to her past in Colombia, she might have criminal behaviors. Another
example arises in a chapter where Gloria’s sister visits her. Her sister asks where the river is, so she can
go and do the laundry. Making the assumption of her sister not understanding the differences between
village and city matters, and this makes her sister look like a nonsensical person. As stated by Calla-
nan (2012), “programs are more likely to come from a white perspective” (p. 94). As a consequence,
“non-whites are more likely to be portrayed in a negative light relative to whites” (Entman, 1990, as
cited in Callanan, 1994, p. 94). It is clear that in the sitcom, Latinos are represented in a stereotyped
way, perhaps inserting a wrong idea in Americans’ minds, encouraging mockery and discrimination.
12You can also read
