ESSO course

I started the ESSO course (English Skills for Staff Officers in Multinational Operations). I hope it is the good example of ADL course.
The forum in Norfolk, USA, where I attended, was fully concentrated to background of ADL, but I thing is the good way for new experience to tray forward side of ADL too.
And, an introduction to ESSO includes a short explanation of the PfP Learning Management System (LMS) and recommended learning activities. It also contains supplementary information, the Objective Vocabulary introduced in the units, learning strategies for language learning, and references to useful online sources and tools for language learning.

Explosion at French nuclear plant of Marcoule

Explosion at French nuclear plant of Marcoule
(by BBC)
One person has been killed and four injured, one seriously, by an explosion at the southern French nuclear plant of Marcoule.
There were no radioactive leaks after the blast, caused by a fire near a furnace in a radioactive waste storage site, a French nuclear official said.
A security perimeter has been set up because of the risk of leakage.
The plant produces MOX fuel, which recycles plutonium from nuclear weapons, but does not include reactors.
(follow the link on BBC)

Norfolk in pictures (II.)

VMASC where ADL Forum was placed


Sunset (and "my Chevy")

Traffic in the town...

Buckroe Beach and Park


A lot of traffic on the I664 due to an accident on I64 - Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel

Sixth ADL Forum in Suffolk (II.)

On the photo I stay behind Brigadier General Dourouklis, in the middle of the scene - with black hat, unexpectedly :-)

Sixth ADL Forum in Suffolk

I attended the Sixth ADL Forum in Suffolk, Va.

Written by Paul Thurkettle, LMS Admin
Wednesday, 31 August 2011 09:54

Despite the impact of Hurricane Irene, 37 attendees made it to the 2011 Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Forum held at the Virginia Modelling and Simulation Centre in Suffolk, Virginia.

“It was getting very worrying as we did not know what impact the storm would have on us”, stated Paul Thurkettle from the Education and Training Technologies section under ACOS JETE. “We made the decision to go ahead and thankfully 94% of our travellers made it with some interesting tales and adventures”.

The annual ADL Forum now in its sixth year invites ADL developers from NATO and partner nations, users of ADL and academics in the eLearning field together to discuss the ADL program, NATO direction and guidance and discuss best practices for online courses, lessons learned and the latest in academic theory for adult training. The Forum also has representation from Joint Force Command Brunssum and will discuss the ISAF ADL program.


With attendees from NATO education and training centres, NATO commands, Centres of Excellence, Partnership Training Centres and nations including Ukraine, Moldova, Switzerland, France, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, United States and Slovenia the Forum creates an atmosphere of mutual cooperation.

“With ADL now a major program in many of our nations, we all share the same issues and ambitions, at the forum we can discuss who is doing what and where we can work together or share results”, added Dr. Sürsal, head of the Education and Training Technologies section. “This makes the forum a very valuable asset to ACT, both in letting the community know what the ACT direction and guidance is, as well as seeing and learning where nations are going and what they have done”.

Assistant Chief of Staff, Joint Education, Training and Exercises, Brigadier General Dourouklis (Greek Army) addressed the Forum emphasising the need to work together as well as the key message Deputy Chief of Staff Joint Force Trainer Lieutenant General Karlheinz Viereck gave to the African E-Learning conference on the need to create a global community in order to reach all the potential audience NATO needs to in order to fully prepare for the future.

The Forum runs from Aug 30th to Sep 1st.

Eight different types of intelligence

“Intelligence is the capacity to do something useful in the society in which we live. Intelligence is the ability to respond successfully to new situations and the capacity to learn from one’s past experiences.”
Dr. Howard Gardner, author, Frames of Mind and Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice

You can see the eight different types of intelligence, and you can begin to adjust your teaching/tutoring methods to match your learner's (or learners') strengths.

Actually, no one uses just one type of intelligence; we all use several in our daily lives. Some are stronger than others for each person. Thus it's helpful to determine your learner's top intelligences and tailor your methods to best meet your learner's particular combination of strengths.

What gives me the server www.literacyworks.org as my top three intelligences (score 5.0 is highest):

---

4.86 Logic/math: You enjoy exploring how things are related, and you like to understand how things work. You like mathematical concepts, puzzles and manipulative games. You are good at critical thinking.

4.57 Spatial: You remember things visually, including exact sizes and shapes of objects. You like posters, charts, and graphics. You like any kind of visual clues. You enjoy drawing. Effective techniques of enhancing your learning using your spatial intelligence include creating and/or using pictures, maps, diagrams, and graphs as you learn things.

4.14 Self: You have a very good sense of self. You like to spend time by yourself and think things over. You will often take in information from another person, mull it over by yourself, and come back to that person later to discuss it. You like working on projects on your own. You often prefer to learn by trial and error. Effective techniques to enhance your learning include keeping a journal and giving yourself time to reflect on new ideas and information.

---

In the others skills (nature, language, social, musical, body movement) is my average score above three, I am using that intelligence quite often to help you learn.

Norfolk in pictures

"My plane" in Atlanta...

"My hotel" in Suffolk...

River Park Drive



"My car Chevy"...

I am going to Norfolk

At work I got the final instructions, in the afternoon I left Vyskov in the duty car.
At home I finish packing of my suitcase.

The web page About Norfolk, USA - Aug/Sep 2011 is prepared.

All seems to be prepared, at Sunday I am going to Norfolk (ADL Conference). :-)

Blogger is back

...unable to publish to Blogger for the past 20.5 hours...

Here’s what happened: during scheduled maintenance work Wednesday night, we experienced some data corruption that impacted Blogger’s behavior. Since then, bloggers and readers may have experienced a variety of anomalies including intermittent outages, disappearing posts, and arriving at unintended blogs or error pages. A small subset of Blogger users (we estimate 0.16%) may have encountered additional problems specific to their accounts. Yesterday we returned Blogger to a pre-maintenance state and placed the service in read-only mode while we worked on restoring all content: that’s why you haven’t been able to publish. We rolled back to a version of Blogger as of Wednesday May 11th, so your posts since then were temporarily removed. Those are the posts that we’re in the progress of restoring.

Again, we are very sorry for the impact to our authors and readers. We try hard to ensure Blogger is always available for you to share your thoughts and opinions with the world, and we’ll do our best to prevent this from happening again.

Posted by Eddie Kessler, Tech Lead/Manager, Blogger

(original text is here)

Long Journey Home

The American Center would like to remind you of this week´s reading by Charles O. Heller from his new book Long Journey Home.
After painful experience with the Nazi regime, Ota Karel Heller moved to America.
By becoming Charles Ota Heller, he left not only his identity, but also his memories and scars, behind on the other side of the Atlantic.
In his memoir, he now tries to confront the ghosts of the past. Mr. Heller will read in English.

WHEN: April 28, 2011 at 6:30 pm

WHERE: American Center, Tržiště 13, Praha 1 – Staré Město

Image management

This week I worked on thumbs, zoom and image management for articles. From web Articles Images I used BK-multithumb finally.
I studied all settings and info from web Kreacom.dk, downloaded plugin and realized the voted settings.
It seems to be easy but the understanding of all settings took me the long time...

ITEC

I was thinking about participation on ITEC ("Europe's largest gathering of military training & simulation specialists") but the term of ITEC is collided with my other activities...

Joomla 1.6

I will fill out the form to launch the new 100% working Joomla! site, hosted free for 30 days on demo.joomla.org to try new version (1.6) of Joomla - it is a free, open-source content management system (CMS) and application framework that powers 2.7% of the entire web.

Letter (No. 5 - after correction)

JCBRN Defence COE, Vyskov, the Czech Republic

Memorandum to Commander of JCBRN Defence COE
From: CPT Radek Novotny, JCBRN Defence COE, Vyskov
16 February 2011
Subject: Report of unit’s involvement in area Lipova

1. The special CBRN unit was sent to the area of Lipova to identify the repeated problem with the source of drinking water connected probably to the small-level earthquake in the mountains of Jeseniky. The problem was identified and the standardized system of measurement was done. The open-area task is completed now.
2. The team was in the area from 10 January 2011 to 12 February 2011. The system of measurement was done in 3 villages (Horni Lipova, Dolni Lipova, Lipova-Lazne). The map is attached.
3. The set of equipment called DS-2010 (Drill Set) was used 18 times in 9 specific points were calculated by software DSX-2009.
4. Based on global data from CHMU there are no foreseeable encountered problems in the future. This small earthquake was connected to misusing of explosive material in the area Konecna, where the new railway tunnel is being built.
5. The necessary actions for repairing the water system in this area will be described in the detailed report (will be sent on 24 February 2011).
Novotny

Radek Novotny
deputy commandant of JCBRN Defence COE appointed for this involvement
cell +420 777 083 126

Letter (No. 6 - after correction)

JCBRN Defence COE, Vyskov, the Czech Republic

Memorandum to Personnel of JCBRN Defence COE
From: CPT Radek Novotny, JCBRN Defence COE, Vyskov
22 February 2011
Subject: Open Day for the general public

1. An Open Day for general public is going to be organized on the military base in Vyskov on 12 April 2011 (The Anniversary of Joining NATO) from 9:00 to 13:00. Our unit was asked by COL Vsechnovi to contribute to the program.
2. The Training Department will prepare the small show of our special anti-chemical suits in the area between blocks B and C (COL Prvnisef is in charge of this show). The show will take 15 minutes and will be presented twice (10:00 and 11:00).
3. The Teaching Department is responsible for preparing an interactive show in the M&S room (building 257). The simulation of a nuclear attack will be presented at 10:00. Use the same example as on the DAT conference (from September 2010) – it is based on unclassified data. COL Druhysef is in charge of this.
4. The logistic branch (LB) is responsible for providing light refreshment on the first floor of building 257, the budget allocation for this is 10.000 CZK.
5. COL Prvnisef, COL Druhysef and commander of LB will prepare the text for an article in The Order No. 15. The Aid-de-Camp converts the final text of The Order to the article about the preparation of this day for web pages.
6. If you need any further information do not hesitate to contact me as soon as possible. I will also require an update by no later than 6 April 2011.
Novotny

Radek Novotny
deputy commander of JCBRN Defence COE appointed for this action
cell +420 777 083 126

Composition (No. 11 - after correction)

As of the 1 January 2011, a new rank structure was applied in the Czech military. This new structure is supposed to be equivalent to those in most NATO countries. I am not in favor of this change.
Firstly, only the rank structure of the lower levels was changed. To the best of my knowledge, the ranks of officers and generals are the same, and are based on the same principle as all countries around the world. The same responsibility is given to the captain in the Czech army or in the US Army. So, it makes all imaginable situations easier that you know the rank of the person you are speaking to or working with.
Secondly, when Czech Army became fully professional, there were no enlisted men and we only had the sergeants and warrant officers. The lowest rank in the Czech Army was the Staff-Sergeant. It was not logical to have the lowest rank in the Czech military on the same equivalent level which in other countries was fifth in their rank structure. From my point of view, the new rank structure is a logical final step of changing our army from a conscript army to a professional one.
Moreover, I have heard many stories about situations based on misusing the Czech rank system by foreigners, and vice-versa. Sometimes it was funny, sometimes it made problems with a communication as foreign forces believe that our soldiers were in fact officers and saluted them.
Generally speaking, the changing of the rank system was the logical step in the development of our army. It could have been implemented over a longer time period, without the big change of “rank down” (for many soldiers). Taking everything into account, it had to be done and we can only discuss the way how it was realized.

Composition (No. 10 - after correction)

The Czech Republic joined NATO 12 years ago. Twelve years is the long time for many people, it is one thirds of their working carrier (from passing the university to retirement). So, it is time to say: “What about the way NATO conducts its military operation?”
However I did not participate on any operation abroad, I have many very different pieces of information about it. So, it is difficult to speak about some concrete situations, but it is possible to try to make a résumé of general information – where and why the countries joined NATO to participate in local conflicts. Let summarize this type of information.
Firstly, where the NATO countries participate in some local conflicts? Nowadays there is the well-known conflict in Afghanistan, which seems to be endless. Needles to say, the situation in Kosovo or Iraq is still unclear and the units of NATO countries have to stay there longer than the expected time. According to today’s news, in Libya, Egypt or Yemen it would be the same in near future.
Secondly, the simple answer to the question “why” does not exist. But all these places, except Kosovo, have one thing, which connects them together – and that is oil. And if we changed the word “oil” to word “resources”, we would be able to add the countries created in the area “Yugoslavia”. So, the resources seem to be a reason why we participate on these conflicts, although in the role of the pace-keeper. Moreover, I suppose, it not necessary to describe the logic way from “resources and having the area of them under control” to “to be prospering country” or “wealth”. The status “having resources” and “to be rich” are not equivalent, but it is necessary to have resources to be able to start and develop the process in the economy.
Generally speaking, I feel the membership of our country in NATO as “the ticket to club of rich countries”. The politicians had been probably motivated by the same ideas. Taking everything into account, the described circumstances seem to me as the international political system based on the idea to have the areas with resources under control. It is possible to discuss if the system is moral or immoral. But it is the way that has been used many times in the past and it works. Who has resources is the winner.

Composition (No. 9 - after correction)

A famous British scientist once stated at the end of the 19th century that electricity was no more than a fashionable craze. How has the invention of electricity changed our lives? And how would our lives look like without electricity?
Firstly, we use a lot of equipment, without thinking how they work. Many of them work using electricity as a source of energy. We realize this fact just at the moment when the source of electricity is unavailable – the system of providing us with electricity is out of work or the battery is empty.
Secondly, although we use a lot of equipment based on electricity as the source of energy, many of them represent only the way how to make our life more simple and easier. But some of them we need for “normal being”. From my point of view, it is electricity as a source of light (electric bulbs in their wide variability) and a source for equipment producing heat (electric cooker) or cold (refrigerator). On the contrary, I can imagine our life without TV, phone, radio – there is an endless list of examples.
Moreover, I have knowledge from many SCI-FI books I have read. So, I could imagine that if electricity had not been invented, we would have used some equipment based on the different sources, for example memories based on the neurons and machines based on the artificial stomach as the source of energy.
Generally speaking, human beings have huge potential to invent. According to ideas from the book “Darkness” by Ondřej Neff based on idea the idea “the principle of electricity can be temporarily switched off”, if the principle of energy did not work, we would adapt to new circumstances. As they say in the USA: “Yes, we can”.
Taking everything into account, people are able to adapt to any circumstances. If there had been no electricity, human beings would have been able to invent a different source of energy and to use it. Therefore, the British scientist was proved very wrong – it is, without doubt, one of the most important inventions of all time.

Composition (No. 8 - after correction)

There are many problematic issues in the world today and public health seems to be a front-runner. As the rising numbers of governments have made smoking in public places illegal, many businesses now say that no one can smoke in any of their offices, even the entire building.
Firstly, based only on the statistical data, there is a direct correlation between health and smoking. The dependence of probability to die of cancer and the number of cigarettes smoked per day epitomizes common used sentence, but it is still only a theory based on the statistical data. No chemical process in the body, which is responsible for the beginning of cancer is described. So the global war against smokers is only a political game. The governments like the tax on cigarettes.
Secondly, “the clever smoker” practices his obsession with cigarettes outside all the time. It is a well-known fact that an enclosed area (any room) smells with cigarette smoke more than two days, although the air is completely refreshed through the open window after smoking. So, every “clever smoker” smokes outside so as to not restrict non-smokers, and, generally, to not restrict the use of inside areas of the building.
Moreover, many good ideas and solutions were built in small group of people taking a discussion about some problems by the smoking of cigarettes. Smoking has been adopted in the cultural and social environment for many years and, vice-versa, the rooting out of “human environment” will take many years.
Generally speaking, smoking is the cultural attitude based in previous centuries. Although the addiction on nicotine is described in many medical texts, the amount of advertisement for cigarettes decreased in this century. Taking everything into account, governments are not able to change attitude of previous generation in one day. It is not the issue for some restricted law “where it is allowed to smoke”, but the solution is based on teaching the next generation to be non-smokers completely.

Composition (No. 7 - after correction)

Information Technology (IT) and communication technology is an integral part of today’s modern society. As IT is introduced into most areas of military life, it seems that the human factor is gradually diminishing from decision-making processes. But the human factor has to have the priority in the decision-making processes.
Firstly, information technology is not at such a high level to be able to make decisions on a full-time basis. The problem is not in fact how quickly the computer is able to trace all available ways of solving a specific situation, but we do not have the technologies to put in the computer memory as many well described situations as is necessary. Artificial intelligence, on what the decision-making process is based in IT, needs the huge quantity of relevant data.
Secondly, in future we will probably be able to collect, to order and to sort the tera or penta bytes of data. But, who will be responsible to put into the computer the result which situation from the real world the action has to be signed as the example of bad solution of the situation, and vice versa, which description of real activities has to be signed as permitted or which as the best way. Although the final resolution is individual every time and depends on many circumstances, only humans have ability to make decision, especially if it is connected with other human being. And, according to sentence fro ancients Greek: “You never would be in the same river”, it is very difficult to write in the computer program strict rules how to use the description of the similar situation “A” and the solution evaluated as the best solution of that situation “A” to find the best solution of the new situation “B”. The new situation “B” only looks like the situation “A”, it has never been the some.
Generally speaking, IT is not ready for building the artificial intelligence. Taking everything into account, the human being is the only one who is nowadays responsible for his action. And, the theory above is fully independent on fact if we are speaking about civilian or military area, even though it is possible to search some specific circumstances in the military life. But as I used only philosophical categories the ideas are applicable on both, military and civilian area.