CUNY English

Deadline for Open Enrollment in Health Insurance is Dec 15th, 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 23:21:00 +0000

Deadline for open enrollment in Obamacare’s health insurance exchange is December 15th,, 2017. Enroll now if you haven’t done so already - https://www.healthcare.gov

If you miss it, you will have to wait until the end of next year (unless you fit certain criteria of exceptions).

Free Consultation

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 20:47:00 +0000

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Some of you know that I do some pro bono work (without pay) because some people who need my help (such as students) cannot afford to pay me at my freelance rates.

If you are seeking my services for free, you need to understand what I am telling you in this blog if you want to continue to receive my help for free. The monetary perspective is the way most people can easily understand this. So that’s the way I will explain it here, but I actually do not think in monetary terms.

First, you must understand how much you are getting for free to avoid wasting my time and avoid frustrating me. My freelance consultation rates range from $30 to $50 per hour. Also, I have been paid $100 per one-hour seminar, or freelance speaking engagement. In terms of my freelance writing, my highest paid assignment so far compensated almost $2000 for almost 4000 words.

For those of you receiving my help for free, you need to know how this translates into internet equivalent in order to better understand what it's costing me (since the most important aim of my work is on the internet). To offset what it's costing me, I ask you to at least click a few likes and shares (which would help me help more people.) Let’s be reasonable. This is nothing compared to what you are getting from me in return.

Generally, $30 to $100 is equivalent to 10,000 to 50,000 hits/views on my websites and blogs. (But this is an oversimplified estimate.)

1 Hour of My Time = $30 to $100 = 10,000 to 50,000 hits/views on my web pages

1 Hour of My Time = 10,000 to 50,000 hits/view on my web pages

In other words, to compensate for an hour of my time, you would have to be able to direct 10,000 to 50,000 viewers to my websites and blogs. Even if you “like” or “share” 50,000 of my web pages, it would not automatically translate into 50,000 hits/views from others. But I am not even asking you to "like" or "share" that many. For some of you, all I ask is to click "like" or "share" here and there, whenever I direct you to a page or whenever you see a new post from me.

Again, let’s be reasonable. A few likes on my Facebook, Twitter, and web pages obviously do not generate 10,000 views/hits and therefore definitely cannot compensate for an hour of my time (not even close). However, if you are willing to do at least some "likes" and "shares" whenever I point them out to you, I will be willing to continue to help you.

I hate to sound negative, but the progress of my work on the Internet is way behind what I had planned and the number of people on the Internet I am serving is far below what it should be right now. One big reason is my lack of time. I am still willing to help you, but you have to be willing to help me by merely moving your finger a few times, in clicking "like" and "share", which does not cost you any money. And I am not even asking you to like or share 10,000 of my pages. I don’t even have 10,000 pages for you to click “like”. (I hadn’t had time to put that much content on the web and that’s part of my problem - lack of time. The other parts of my problem is lack of funding and lack of people to help.)

There are other ways of looking at this. When you use up my time, you are not just costing me in dollars, but you are also taking away my services from the multitudes online. One hour of my time can reach/help a lot more people on the internet than in person.

To clarify, I still provide some free consultations, mentoring, and tutoring because I do want to help you. But you must be willing to help me too (or help me help many others online). Thank you for helping me help multitudes of people.

Step one for you would be simply adding me as friend on Facebook at - https://www.facebook.com/amadeoconstanzo

and follow me on Twitter at -
https://twitter.com/amadeoconstanzo

A Spirit Vastly Superior to Man

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Sat, 26 Nov 2016 08:01:00 +0000

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“Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a Spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe – a Spirit vastly superior to that of man.” - Albert Einstein

“I can tell you as a result of my research on the atom this much. All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter.” - Max Planck

Writing Prompt
What did you learn from these two quotes (from two of the most famous physicists in history)? What are your thoughts in response to these quotes? Please write as much as you like. You may write a speech or a journal entry (freewriting).

To stimulate your thoughts on the issue, you may address some of the following questions. What do you think Einstein and Planck meant? Why do you think they came to this conclusion? Who is this vastly superior Spirit, as Einstein mentioned, or this conscious and intelligent mind mentioned by Planck? Who is this Spirit to you? Have you observed evidence of this vastly superior Spirit? Have you experienced this vastly superior Spirit in your life? Please describe and explain.

$1000, $300, and $200 prizes in Essay Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 19:34:00 +0000

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All CUNY students are eligible to take part in this essay contest where there will be three winners:

First Place: $1000
Second Place: $300
Third Place: $200

The submission deadline is November 4, 2016. By the way, they have this same contest with the same topic (morality and ethics) every year. So, even if you miss this one, prepare to write one for next year.

More information, guidelines, and submission forms are available at:

http://www.aaari.info/ethics.htm

http://www.aaari.info/notes/2016EssayForm.pdf

Note to Professors and Instructors (in English, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Asian Studies, and other relevant subjects)
You may want to assign this essay for your class. Your students would have an added interest in this assignment, since they would not be writing just for a grade but also for prize money.

Feel free to follow us on Facebook at- https://www.facebook.com/SpirFit-141881909215772/

Free CATW Workshops

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Tue, 13 Sep 2016 19:17:00 +0000

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Those of you who have not yet passed the CATW already know that you cannot go on to take many of your classes until you pass both exams. You also already know that the longer you go on not passing it, the more tuition money and financial aid you would be using up (not to mention time), and you end up paying a lot more.

We want to help you. FREE CATW Workshops are now available at L219. You may still sign up for them. Sign up before it’s too late.

These workshops are small group workshops of two to three students. Therefore, you will receive more individual attention than you do in your English class.

For now, only Shu's workshops are endorsed here as he is the only one in L219 who incorporates the SpirFit educational approach. On this website, I cannot endorse other workshop instructors unless they are trained in the SpirFit educational approach.

This approach effectively addresses your individual needs, whatever your English level. Although students in the same workshop may be at very different levels and have different needs, the SpirFit educational approach is able to effectively address each student's needs by incorporating innovative educational methods of recent years brought about by game changers from Silicon Valley, MIT, and Harvard. In addition, the SpirFit educational approach includes pedagogy or teaching methodology encouraged by the English department, CAWS, CUNY Start, and others. The SpirFit teaching approach also includes unconventional methods from other fields and methods supported by science.

Current KCC students this semester, KCC Continuing Education students, CLIP students, and CUNY Start students are all eligible for these FREE workshops at L219. If you were enrolled in the regular Spring semester but not in the summer semester, you are still eligible for these workshops. Since you have already paid for these workshops with your tuition, why not make use of them!

If you are not a student at KCC, but you need help with the CATW exam, email me at healthsciencewriter@gmail.com and I'll see what I can do.

Shu's Workshops

Sign-up Location: L219 at Kingsborough Community College

For free academic lessons online in various subjects and life lessons, feel free to go to SpirFit.org

For more interesting readings that will improve your career and your life, feel free to follow our SpirFit Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpirFit/141881909215772

Free Grammar Workshops

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Tue, 13 Sep 2016 18:44:00 +0000

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Do you have problems with grammar on your essays (in English and other subjects)? Do you think your grammatical problems are lowering your scores on certain writing exams? Are your problems with grammar showing in your job applications, resumes, and cover letters? If so, you should sign up for FREE grammar workshops taught by Shu this current semester at L219. Why not use this current summer session to improve your grammar. Sign up as soon as possible at L219 before they fill up.

For now, only Shu's grammar workshops are endorsed here on this website, since he is the only one in L219 who incorporates the SpirFit educational approach. I cannot here endorse other workshop instructors unless they are trained in the SpirFit educational approach.

This approach effectively addresses each of your individual needs, whatever your English level. Although students in the same workshop may be at very different levels, the SpirFit educational approach is able to effectively address each student's needs by incorporating innovative educational methods of recent years brought about by game changers from Silicon Valley, MIT, and Harvard. In addition, the SpirFit educational approach considers the pedagogy (or some of the teaching methods) of the KCC English department, CAWS, CUNY Start, and other departments. The SpirFit teaching approach also includes unconventional methods from other professions and methods backed up by science.

KCC students, KCC Continuing Education students, CLIP, and CUNY Start students are all eligible for these FREE grammar workshops. Since you have already paid for these workshops with your tuition, why not make use of them!

Shu's Grammar Workshops

Sign-up Location: L219 at Kingsborough Community College

Feel free to follow us on our Facebook page at - https://www.facebook.com/SpirFit-141881909215772/

Website Down

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Mon, 08 Aug 2016 23:01:00 +0000

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Our website SpirFit.org is temporarily offline. However, we have temporarily parked it at -

http://spirfit.byethost17.com/Academy/index.htm

You may still be able to get everything from the temporary site (including the CATW and ACT Reading practices). We are in the process of moving to a new host. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience

Obama After Dark (NYT Article of the Day)

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Tue, 05 Jul 2016 20:26:00 +0000

1. Read this English version (at least) twice:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/03/us/politics/obama-after-dark-the-precious-hours-alone.html?ref=nyt-es

2. For Spanish readers, read this Spanish version of the article (but make sure you read the English version first)::

http://www.nytimes.com/es/2016/07/05/las-noches-de-obama-como-aprovecha-sus-valiosas-horas-de-soledad/

2. For Chinese readers, read this Chinese version of the article (but make sure you read the English version first):

http://cn.nytstyle.com/international/20160704/obama-after-dark-the-precious-hours-alone/dual/

More learning resources and lessons can be found at - SpirFit.org

Free CATW Workshops

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 21:17:00 +0000

Follow @AmadeoConstanzo

Those of you who have not yet passed the CATW already know that you cannot go on to take many of your classes until you pass this exam. You also already know that the longer you go on not passing it, the more tuition money and financial aid you would be using up (not to mention time).

Sign-up Location: L219 at Kingsborough Community College

For free academic lessons online in various subjects and life lessons, feel free to go to SpirFit.org

For more interesting readings that will improve your career and your life, feel free to follow our SpirFit Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpirFit/141881909215772

$1000 for Students Every Year

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 22:35:00 +0000

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They have this $1000 scholarship every year, and they don't look at your grades or GPA. This is the CUNY Thomas Tam scholarship. All CUNY undergraduate students are eligible (Asian or non-Asian). This scholarship is completely based on a project you may be working on anyway for one of your upcoming classes (or in your job/internship or fellowship.) One requirement is that your project is related to Asian concerns. It could be relevant to health, social issues, economic issues, or other concerns in the Asian communities. If you have already completed a project (whether it is a research paper for a class, a media project, an art work, or any other form of project), I encourage you to apply for this year's Thomas Tam Scholarship (due June 30th).

If you haven't completed any project related to Asian issues, you should plan to do one for next year's scholarship deadline. (Again, they have been offering this scholarship every year.) Most likely, you will be doing projects and research papers for at least one of your classes anyway (whether it is health, psychology, sociology, economics, or journalism). If you can gear it toward an Asian issue, then you would be able to also submit it for next year's Thomas Tam scholarship. This is what they call "killing two birds with one stone."

Also, your chances are pretty good because it seems like not many student know about this scholarship; not many students apply for this scholarship.

Feel free to contact me at healthsciencewriter@gmail.com if you need help planning for this and for free proofreading service. (However, I will not write your paper or do your project for you.) Here are the scholarship information and application:

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1101711496710&ca=1af96f7c-da87-4a71-be33-e6d53e353836

http://www.aaari.info/tomtamscholar.htm

http://www.aaari.info/notes/2016TamScholarshipForm.pdf

Feel free to follow us on our Facebook page at - https://www.facebook.com/SpirFit-141881909215772/

Essay that Led to a Student's Acceptance into 5 Ivy League Schools: An Expert's Analysis

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 05:52:00 +0000

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Some of you may have already read about the college application essay by Brittany Stinson that led to her acceptance to five Ivy League schools (University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Yale, Dartmouth, and Cornell) and Stanford (which is more difficult to get into than even some of the Ivy Leagues). I am here to tell her story from an expert point of view. I am here to help you extract from Stinson’s essay what you can learn for your own college applications and grad school applications. Because I had worked for professors who served on admissions committees at UC Berkeley and UCSF Medical School, I am probably in a better position than most to analyze Stinson’s essay for you. I am in a better position than most also because I currently teach/tutor students in writing essays and papers. Almost as impressive as Brittany Stinson, my students have been admitted to competitive schools and programs such as the business program in Columbia University, a doctoral program, a physical therapy program, and many nursing programs.

Brittany Stinson's essay in its entirety is posted at the end of this article, with her permission.

In Stinson’s essay, she wrote about her affinity to Costco ever since she was a child. Although she was writing about Costco, she was not promoting excessive consumerism or “affuenza”. That would not be appealing to admissions officers. Instead, Stinson alluded to how her need for intellectual exploration is linked to her tendency to explore the material items in the humongous world that is Costco. “Perusing the aisles gave me time to ponder… Was cultured yogurt any more well-mannered than its uncultured counterpart? Costco gave birth to my unfettered curiosity...,” wrote Stinson with humor. “I sampled calculus, cross country running, scientific research… With cart in hand, I do what scares me; I absorb the warehouse that is the world. Whether it be through attempting aerial yoga, learning how to chart blackbody radiation using astronomical software,…”

Although I am not psychic, I could just sense some students thinking, “I too will do what Brittany Stinson did. I too will write about Costco.” My first advice to you is: Don’t do that! Also, don’t write about Walmart, Safeway, Target, or another superstore, because most likely, this is not who you are. Don’t play copycat. It won’t work as it will be obvious in your writing that you are not being sincere.

Instead of mindlessly imitating, you need to understand Stinson’s approach as she explained, “The essay is really where it’s important to show your personality and what gets you going. I knew that an essay about Costco would certainly be memorable -- whether the admissions officers liked it or not.” Costco truly gets Stinson going. It is clear in her essay that she really has an affinity to Costco and this genuine characteristic (although quirky for an admissions essay) stands out to the admissions officers. It’s apparent to readers that it’s not fake. (Why would a student write about a place that’s risky and odd to put in an admissions essay if it’s fake?)

It may seem risky to write about Costco, but it’s really not that risky when it is part of her true individuality, or who she is. I want to re-emphasize Stinson’s words when she said “whether the admissions officers liked it or not.” It’s as if she’s saying, That’s me. If they don’t like it, then that’s not the school for me and that’s fine with me.

One of my students, Danni, who last year was admitted to a doctoral program in veterinary medicine took the same individualistic approach as Stinson. (By the way, medical schools and veterinary schools are very difficult to get into.) I’ve tutored and mentored Danni for years and I know her quite well. In helping her with her admissions essays, I guided her to explore why she was interested in veterinary medicine. Pretty much, she wants to become a vet because of her love for animals and people. She wants to serve people and treat their pets. This passion was strongly influenced by her relationship with God, His love, and how He served people and healed many (such as through His Son and the prophets). This, coupled with her love for animals, is truly what drives Danni on her career path to serve pet owners and to heal animals. However, she initially hesitated to include this in her essay because it is common knowledge to not include “religion” in school applications and job applications. But I changed her mind and guided her to include this.

Because Danni’s faith in God is truly what drives her to vet school, I advised her to include this in her essay (consistent with Brittany Stinson’s point of view of staying true to herself). As I explained to Danni, DVM (Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine) schools should be admitting students who have a genuine desire to serve pet owners and animals, and if a school does not like her divine source of motivation to serve, then that’s not the school for her.

Apparently, Danni’s candid writing of her motivation and who she is (relevant to her academic and career path in veterinary medicine) was well received and it got her into a DVM program and Danni is now in her first year in vet school, well on her way to becoming an animal doctor.

It is important to note that both Brittany Stinson and Danni have high G.P.A.s among other meritorious accomplishments. Brittany Stinson has a 4.0 GPA, is the Vice President of the Science Honors Society, and is the President of the National Honors Society at her school. In both cases of Brittany Stinson and my student Danni, their stellar essays greatly boosted their chances for admissions. But the essay alone cannot get you into competitive schools if it is not accompanied by other important factors (such as good G.P.A. and test scores). However, a poorly or unwisely written essay can significantly lower your chances, even if you have excellent test scores, a high G.P.A., and impressive extracurriculars.)

There is also another pointer that my students as well as Stinson understand; Do not take the common approach of - I will write anything that would get me in. Don’t just write anything to get in, because the admissions officers can sense this from your essay. Many students write with this approach, which is partly why many students do not stand out and many do not get into the highly competitive schools.

You really have to mentally (and spiritually) explore the real you before you write this essay. (Those students who have done such mental contemplation for years, long before the college application process, have an advantage when it comes to the personal statement in school applications. However, it is not too late to start now.) When I help students with these essays, we usually start with this type of introspective and self-historical prewriting (or brainstorming) on scrap paper. (If you need help with this, feel free to contact me at healthsciencewriter@gmail.com)

Brittany Stinson was mentally clear on who she is and was sure of her individual strengths in her personality while writing her essay. “I just did something that was me,” she said. “I knew I was capable of weaving humor into the essay, and I knew that with kids that have similar extracurriculars and scores, you need to stand out when it comes to the essay.”

Brittany Stinson's Essay (with her permission):

Prompt 1: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

Managing to break free from my mother’s grasp, I charged. With arms flailing and chubby legs fluttering beneath me, I was the ferocious two year old rampaging through Costco on a Saturday morning. My mother’s eyes widened in horror as I jettisoned my churro; the cinnamonsugar rocket gracefully sliced its way through the air while I continued my spree. I sprinted through the aisles, looking up in awe at the massive bulk products that towered over me. Overcome with wonder, I wanted to touch and taste, to stick my head into industrialsized freezers, to explore every crevice. I was a conquistador, but rather than searching the land for El Dorado, I scoured aisles for free samples. Before inevitably being whisked away into a shopping cart, I scaled a mountain of plush toys and surveyed the expanse that lay before me: the kingdom of Costco.

Notorious for its oversized portions and dollar fifty hot dog combo, Costco is the apex of consumerism. From the days spent being toted around in a shopping cart to when I was finally tall enough to reach lofty sample trays, Costco has endured a steady presence throughout my life. As a veteran Costco shopper, I navigate the aisles of foodstuffs, thrusting the majority of my weight upon a generously filled shopping cart whose enormity juxtaposes my small frame. Over time, I’ve developed a habit of observing fellow patrons tote their carts piled with frozen burritos, cheese puffs, tubs of ice cream, and weight loss supplements. Perusing the aisles gave me time to ponder. Who needs three pounds of sour cream? Was cultured yogurt any more well mannered than its uncultured counterpart? Costco gave birth to my unfettered curiosity.

While enjoying an obligatory hot dog, I did not find myself thinking about the ‘all beef’ goodness that Costco boasted. I instead considered finitudes and infinitudes, unimagined uses for tubs of sour cream, the projectile motion of said tub when launched from an eighty foot shelf or maybe when pushed from a speedy cart by a scrawny seventeen year old. I contemplated the philosophical: If there exists a thirty three ounce jar of Nutella, do we really have free will? I experienced a harsh physics lesson while observing a shopper who had no evident familiarity of inertia's workings. With a cart filled to overflowing, she made her way towards the sloped exit, continuing to push and push while steadily losing control until the cart escaped her and went crashing into a concrete column, 52” plasma screen TV and all. Purchasing the yuletide hickory smoked ham inevitably led to a conversation between my father and me about Andrew Jackson’s controversiality. There was no questioning Old Hickory’s dedication; he was steadfast in his beliefs and pursuits – qualities I am compelled to admire, yet his morals were crooked. We both found the ham to be more likeable–and tender.

I adopted my exploratory skills, fine tuned by Costco, towards my intellectual endeavors. Just as I sampled buffalo chicken dip or chocolate truffles, I probed the realms of history, dance and biology, all in pursuit of the ideal cart–one overflowing with theoretical situations and notions both silly and serious. I sampled calculus, crosscountry running, scientific research, all of which are now household favorites. With cart in hand, I do what scares me; I absorb the warehouse that is the world. Whether it be through attempting aerial yoga, learning how to chart blackbody radiation using astronomical software, or dancing in front of hundreds of people, I am compelled to try any activity that interests me in the slightest.

My intense desire to know, to explore beyond the bounds of rational thought; this is what defines me. Costco fuels my insatiability and cultivates curiosity within me at a cellular level. Encoded to immerse myself in the unknown, I find it difficult to complacently accept the “what”; I want to hunt for the “whys” and dissect the “hows”. In essence, I subsist on discovery.

To start to (or further) contemplate about your life and yourself, feel free to get some guidance from - http://spirfit.org/Academy/#life

For CATW or writing practice prompts, feel free to go to - http://spirfit.org/Academy/catw/index.htm#prompts

Unscramble INJUOR

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 05:33:00 +0000

Rearrange the order of the letters to form a word. What word is this?

INJUOR

Scroll down below for the answer

JUNIOR

Writing Exercise: The Judge Who Went Viral for Unusual Punishments

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 10:45:00 +0000

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This judge went viral for his unusual punishments.

In this video, the judge provided creative punishment instead of jail time for: the girl who didn't pay her cab fare, the man who solicited a prostitute, the teenager who stole from a pornography video shop,...

Freewriting Exercise
Write two or more paragraphs in response to the following:
What do you think about the judge providing these unusual punishments instead of jail time? Do you think they are good ideas? Please explain. For the cases in the video, can you think of better punishments than the ones the judge provided? Describe and explain your ideas for punishments in these cases. Can you think of circumstances (or types of cases) where these alternative punishments would not work and jail time should be required? Describe such circumstances where jail time should be required and explain why.

More academic lessons, life lessons, and other lessons at SpirFit.org

Feel free to join us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpirFit/141881909215772

Never Too Old to Live Your Dream (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 16:56:00 +0000

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Dan Clark writes about his experience in college when he met Rose, an elderly student. Rose’s vibrant personality along with her wisdom did not only appeal to Clark, but she was magnetically attracting attention everywhere on campus. Clark and the other students learned some very important life lessons from Rose such as the following

“If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will [just] turn twenty years old. If I am eight-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.” This is how you would become more and more miserable.

Just turning one year older doesn’t do anything. It’s when you change for the better having progress in some area; that’s what you need to do. If you just turn one year older year after year, with no improvement, no progress, and nothing to show for that year, you will not just be one year older, but you will be a little bit more miserable. If that’s the case year after year, the misery will multiply and you will end up a lot more miserable...

For the entire article on what Dan Clark and other students learned from Rose, go to - http://stanzo.blogspot.com/2016/03/never-too-old-to-live-your-dream-part-1.html

For online life lessons and academic lessons, feel free to go to SpirFit.org

For more interesting readings that will improve your career and your life, feel free to follow our SpirFit Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpirFit/141881909215772

Free ACT Reading Workshops at L219

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Mon, 14 Mar 2016 16:41:00 +0000

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Those of you who have not passed the ACT Reading Exam already know that you cannot go on to take many of your classes until you pass this exam. You also already know that the longer you go on not passing it, the more tuition money and financial aid money you would be using up (not to mention time).

We want to help you. FREE ACT Reading Workshops are now available at L219. You may still sign up for them. Sign up before it’s too late.

These workshops are small group workshops of two to three students. Therefore, you will receive more focused attention than you do in your English class (of fifteen to twenty students).

This approach effectively addresses your individual needs, whatever your English level. Although students in the same workshop may be at very different levels, the SpirFit educational approach is able to effectively address each student's needs by incorporating innovative educational methods of recent years brought about by game changers from Silicon Valley, MIT, and Harvard. In addition, the SpirFit educational approach includes pedagogy or teaching methodology encouraged by the English department, CAWS, CUNY Start, and others. The SpirFit teaching approach also includes unconventional methods from other professions and methods supported by science.

Current KCC students this semester, KCC Continuing Education students, CLIP students, and CUNY Start students are all eligible for these FREE workshops at L219. Since you have already paid for these workshops with your tuition, why not make use of them!

If you are not a student at KCC, but you need help with the ACT Reading exam, email me at healthsciencewriter@gmail.com and I'll see what I can do.
Shu's Workshops (ACT Reading Workshops)

Sign-up Location: L219 at Kingsborough Community College

For free academic lessons online in various subjects and life lessons, feel free to go to SpirFit.org

For more interesting readings that will improve your career and your life, feel free to follow our SpirFit Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpirFit/141881909215772

NYTimes Article of the Day (in English and Chinese): U.S. Extends Stay for Some Foreign Graduates

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Sat, 12 Mar 2016 20:30:00 +0000

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Here's our New York Times article pick of the day, in English and Chinese. (For Chinese students, read the English version twice before reading the Chinese version.)

The article is about the United States' new rules in extending the stay of foreigners after graduating from an accredited university in the United States.

http://cn.nytstyle.com/education-career/20160310/t10opt/dual/

For more interesting readings that will improve your career and your life, feel free to follow our SpirFit Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpirFit/141881909215772

For free academic lessons online in various subjects, go to SpirFit.org

Writing Practice: We Are What We Repeatedly Do

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 16:24:00 +0000

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Directions: Consider carefully the following statement(s) and the assignment below it.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit [or a set of habits].”

-Sophocles

Assignment: What do you think of the view that excellence or success results from our good habits day in and day out? For example, can you get in shape (or become fit) by exercising just once? Can you obtain a university degree by studying only for one day? In an essay, support your position by discussing an example (or examples) from literature, science, and technology, the arts, current events, or your own experience or observations.

SAT Writing Prompt, SAT Essay

CATW Practice - 3D Imaging May Improve Surgery and Medicine

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 16:00:00 +0000

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Assignment

Begin by reading the passage below.

Click here for the Printable PDF Version

3D Technology May Improve Medicine

3D imaging technology adopted from other industries (such as gaming and entertainment) is becoming a real game changer in medicine. The new 3D tools import MRI or CT scans and render these images into virtual 3D images, allowing the surgeons to plan in great detail before cutting open the patient.

Dr. James Chandler and Dr. Orin Bloch, neurosurgeons at Northwestern University, have started using such 3D endoscopic systems to more precisely remove brain tumors in patients. The 3D technology allows the surgeon to see more vividly, enabling them to remove all traces of the tumor and less non-cancerous tissue. The precision allows for less cutting and therefore, a speedier recovery for the patient after surgery. More importantly, the added precision is crucial in lowering the known risks in brain surgery, such as vision loss and coma.

For breast cancer patients, 3D imaging technology is beginning to improve detection and post-surgery outcome. With traditional 2D mammogram, tumors in hidden shadows are often undetected. “The problem of overlapping shadows has confounded breast cancer screening because mammograms don’t show cancers that are hidden by overlapping tissue,” says Dr. Kyle Myers, Director of FDA’s Division of Imaging, Diagnostics, and Software Reliability. The newer 3D technologies would enable the doctors to see the tumors in these hidden areas.

Even without expensive 3D imaging systems, some tech savvy doctors are exploring the use of consumer 3D technology to improve surgery outcomes. Take the case of a pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Redmond Burke of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, who used Google Cardboard to successfully operate on Teegan Lexcen, a baby with an abnormal heart. Dr. Burke used an app called Sketchfab to render the baby’s CT scans into 3D visuals on the iPhone. With the iPhone and Google Cardboard, he visualized the surgery in virtual reality. “I think about heart repairs in three dimensions,” said Dr. Burke. That surely can be expedited by 3D technology.

Other doctors had already concluded that Teegan was inoperable but 3D enabled Dr. Burke to successfully operate on Teegan by allowing him to plan out every incision and every step of the surgery in 3D. This lessened the time the infant stayed cut opened and it was crucial because the more time spent in heart surgery for a baby, the higher the chances of heart damage.

Despite the many reported cases of 3D technology producing favorable results, more studies still need to be done to quantitatively confirm improved surgery results from the implementation of 3D technology. However, it all looks very promising from what we’ve seen so far.

Adapted from article by Amadeo Constanzo, SpirFit.com, February 23, 2016. You may freely post and distribute this article if and only if you include this statement with the above link to the original article. More CATW practices and lessons are available at SpirFit.org

Writing Directions

Read the passage above and write an essay responding to the ideas it presents. In your essay, be sure to summarize the passage in your own words, stating the author’s most important ideas. Develop your essay by identifying one idea in the passage that you feel is especially significant, and explain its significance. Support your claims with evidence or examples drawn from what you have read, learned in school, and/or personally experienced.

Remember to review your essay and make any changes or corrections that will help your reader follow your thinking. You will have 90 minutes to complete your essay.

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Apple vs. U.S. Government (NY Times Article in English & Chinese)

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 23:29:00 +0000

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Here's our New York Times article pick of the day, about how Apple and other Tech giants are resisting the U.S. Government's demand for access to users' devices. This article is both in English and Chinese. For Chinese students, read the English version twice before reading the Chinese version:

http://cn.nytimes.com/technology/20160219/c19manjoo/dual/

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Writing Exercise: Syrian Father Loses Entire Family

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 16:50:00 +0000

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Escaping from the violence in Syria, Abdullah (a father) mourns the loss of his entire family at sea (including his two little boys).

Freewriting Exercise

Directions: After watching the brief video, write two or more paragraphs addressing one or more of the following:

Millions fled Syria’s civil war. Do you think this father’s story is an isolated case or do you think this is one of many? Explain, or provide support, for what you think and why you think so.

Abdullah now no longer wants to go to his original destination, Europe. “Now, all I want to do is sit by the grave of my wife and children,” said Abdullah. Do you sense what this father is feeling? Describe or explain how this father is feeling. Describe or explain how you would feel if you were in Abdullah’s shoes.

What do you think all the nations of the world should do regarding the Syrian refugees? What policies should they adopt? Explain.

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CATW Practice: Your Smell or Your Cellphone (with Sample Passing Essay)

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Sat, 21 Nov 2015 04:44:00 +0000

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This is a sample passing essay by a student in response to the CATW prompt Easier to Live Without: Your Sense of Smell or Your Cellphone. It is highly recommended that you first read that article and write your own essay in response before reading this sample student essay.

Sample Student Essay (Passing)

According to Easier to Live Without: Your Sense of Smell or Your Cellphone, most youths would rather lose their sense of smell than lose their cellphones and laptops if the youths were forced to make a choice. Technology and social networks are very important and have made revolutionary changes such as in the Middle East. However, your sense of smell is also important because you also lose your sense of taste if you lose your sense of smell (and you won't be able to savor that juicy piece of fillet mignon anymore.) Therefore, this choice is more difficult than it may seem. If I were forced to make a choice, I would choose to keep my sense of smell.

It really is a dilemma as smell and technology are both important. "It's a harder choice than you might think," as the author mentioned. Your smell is also a tool from nature to keep you alive. Without smell, you won't be able to detect smoke to keep you away from fire. You won't be able to smell the gas before the explosion. You see, your sense of smell is a survival tool from nature and not just for pleasure. Therefore, losing your sense of smell is actually more than losing the pleasure to taste that juicy steak.

Smell may also play an important role in relationships. Without smell, you won't be able to smell the other woman's perfume on your cheating husband. Therefore, your sense of smell may save you money that you would otherwise spend on a private investigator. It would save you the hassle of contacting the investigative team on Cheaters (the television show catching cheaters for suspecting spouses). Therefore, your sense of smell has many applications in life and it is a very important function to keep.

Although sense of smell is so important, technology is also very important. Technology such as smartphones and laptops has undoubtedly revolutionized our lives in the last ten years, from bringing down tyrants in the Middle East to changing education around the world. In the coming years, the poor in third-world countries will have access to a similar level of education as the well-to-do citizens of developed countries, as that is now more and more possible with the current development of educational technology (including social media and new media). Because of the importance of new media and technology in improving lives, it really is a dilemma if we have to choose between technology and sense of smell.

However, if you are ever in a situation where you have to make a choice, it is best to give up technology because losing access to technology would not likely be permanent. For example, one scenario where you might need to choose between smell or technology would be if you are captured by some crazy tyrant like the leader of North Korea. In such cases, it is most likely a temporary situation. On the other hand, if you give up your smell and have your nose removed, you will never get the senses back. Once your smell sensors are removed, it's most likely permanent. Even if bioengineers invent artificial noses, they will most likely be not anywhere near the capabilities of a natural nose. This has been true in the development of other body parts such as the artificial mechanical heart, which lasts only ten years. Therefore, it is best to keep your natural body parts and natural senses like smell.

Fortunately, we will probably never have to make such a tough decision in reality. However, if you must make a choice, always choose to keep your natural senses like smell. If you lose technology, it is unlikely to be permanent, but if you remove your natural smell sensors in your nose, it would most likely be a permanent loss. Technology or anything man-made can usually be replaced, not like body parts which are more complex and would not be the same even if replaced,

New York Times Article in English and Chinese

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 19:43:00 +0000

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Past, Present, and Future Progressive (Continuous) Tenses

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 20:43:00 +0000

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Printable PDF Copy

Reminder: The importance of grammar is in writing or expressing your thoughts clearly, correctly, and precisely.

Instructions: Answer each question in a complete sentence. (You will need to use your imagination for many of the questions.)

1. What is John doing right now? (Present Progressive)

2. What was Mary doing in the pool this morning? (Past Progressive)

3. What will you be buying your mother next year for her sixtieth birthday? (Future Progressive)

4. What is Miriam doing in the bookstore right now? (Present Progressive)

5. What were Sergei and Larry doing in the lab at Stanford University? (Past Progressive)

6. What will the kids be doing at the park later? (Future Progressive)

7. What are you doing at the library right now? (Present Progressive)

8. What will James be performing tonight on the talent show, America's Got Talent? (Future Progressive)

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Are You Going With the Majority? (Video and Writing Exercise)

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 21:45:00 +0000

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Watch the video or read the summary. Then free write according to the instructions below.

Summary of the Talk

* By the time Francis Chan was sixteen, his mom is dead, his step mom is dead, and his dad is dead. (His mom died while giving birth to Francis. His step-mother died in a car accident. His dad died of cancer when he was twelve.) Then his remaining guardians Uncle George and Aunt Sandra also died (in a murder suicide.) At a young age, Francis Chan had experienced more instability than most of us have.

* When things around us become unstable, we tend to play it safe, and we hug and straddle the balance beam [instead of performing on it] as Francis demonstrated in his analogy of Olympics’ gymnastics.

After experiencing some instability, we tend to think, "This is crazy. I'm just going to have my nice little family. We're going to keep to ourselves. We're going to live in a gated community. I'm going to home school my kids [and] make them wear helmets everywhere. I'm not going to let them outside because the sun has bad rays... You just live your life in this - I don't want to do anything crazy for God. I just want to go to church and give maybe 2%, and may be serve/help the nursery (because I feel guilty.) You do this your whole life. Your greatest prayer is, "God, I would love to die in my sleep and not even feel it, and I would love to go to heaven."

* Then you wake up in heaven and stand before the judge and you go - [Francis does a pose of victory that Olympic gymnasts normally do at the end of a routine.]

Imagine watching the Olympics and the girl just straddles and hugs the balance beam for several minutes throughout the whole routine, and then gets off the balance beam in a pose of victory. What is the judge supposed to do? "Wow, well done!" Is the judge going to say that? "Well done!" You lived the safest life possible. You didn't slip. You didn't fall." This is what the majority will do with their life. Do you want to go where the majority goes? Are you going the same way as the majority?

* I don't want to go where the majority goes.

Free-writing Exercise

Write two or more paragraphs addressing one or more of the following questions. Do you think you will be happy and fulfilled just pursuing a safe comfortable life with money, a nice house, a nice car, a nice family with kids, and nice vacations periodically? Is this typical pursuit really going to make you happy when you obtain all of it? For those who already have attained all of these, are they truly fulfilled and happy? Not that we shouldn’t have this comfort and security, but is there something else, something greater than yourself you should also pursue? Is there something greater you should pursue alongside working for these necessities and amenities of life? How can you pursue something greater that would ironically also provide all these necessities and security in the long run? How can going where the majority does not go, provide greater fulfillment (while also providing the lesser necessities and amenities most people pursue)? Are you currently going where the majority is going? Are you okay with that? If not, what do you need to do to change course?

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CATW Practice - Minding the Millimeter

noreply@blogger.com (Amadeo) — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 18:36:00 +0000

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Assignment

Begin by reading the passage below.

Click here for the Printable PDF Version

Are You Minding the Millimeter?

In any undertaking in life, it is important to mind the millimeter. What is minding the millimeter? To put it simply, it is minding (or attending to) the seemingly miniscule components in any type of work. However, the minor factors add up to (or multiply into) major problems. On the other hand, if you attend to the right small matters, they would multiply into major desirable accomplishments or outcomes.

The importance of minding the millimeter is apparent in the sport of bike racing. Mark Cavendish (professional cyclist and winner of many stages of major bike races such as the Tour de France and the Tour de Britain) is known to mind every small adjustment on his bike and in his training, down to the millimeter literally. According to 453 and a Half, "Cavendish is well known for being completely obsessed with every detail in his preparation, paying close attention to everything from his wattage output to adjusting his saddle position a fraction of a millimeter."

Similarly, Phil Jackson (the former basketball coach who had won ten NBA championships) taught his players this importance of not neglecting the details. He told them that a war is lost on a single nail of a ship. Apparently, this was programmed into the mind of Michael Jordan, the basketball legend coached by Jackson.

The principle of minding the millimeter also applies to computer programming and software development. For programmers, leaving out just a minor part of the code may result in major problems, such as the whole application not working at all. Therefore, they must be mindful of every millimeter.

Does attending to the millimeter lead you for certain to produce the desired outcome? No, it is not a guarantee, but it significantly improves your chances if you mind the millimeter. Nothing in life is a guarantee. An athlete training for the Olympics is not guaranteed to win the gold medal, but it would be foolish of him to neglect the training and neglect the millimeter adjustments just because there is no guarantee. Unfortunately, people have the foolish logic of not minding the millimeter in other areas of life just because there is no guarantee. Another reason for this common fallacy is that one minor adjustment in itself does not solve the problem and therefore, why bother. This logic is flawed. When you adjust for one millimeter here, a gram there, and another millimeter here, they will synergistically contribute toward the outcome you want.

Adapted from article by Amadeo Constanzo, life.SpirFit.com , September 14, 2015
(You may freely post and distribute this article if and only if you include this statement with the link or URL to the original article or website. More CATW Practices and lessons are available at SpirFit.org Send questions and inquiries to healthsciencewriter@gmail.com )

Writing Directions

Remember to review your essay and make any changes or corrections that will help your reader follow your thinking. You will have 90 minutes to complete your essay.

If you click "like" or if you tweet this page, it would encourage me to post more like it and more frequently. Because I teach these writing workshops in CUNY, I am among the first to get new information.

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