FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
Remarks by the President Before Meeting with Members of Congress on the Situation in Syria
Cabinet Room
9:51 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: I want to thank the leaders of both parties for being here today to discuss what is a very serious issue facing the United States. And the fact that I've had a chance to speak to many of you, and Congress as a whole is taking this issue with the soberness and seriousness that it deserves, is greatly appreciated and I think vindicates the decision for us to present this issue to Congress.
As I've said last week, as Secretary Kerry made clear in his presentation last week, we have high confidence that Syria used, in an indiscriminate fashion, chemical weapons that killed thousands of people, including over 400 children, and in direct violation of the international norm against using chemical weapons. That poses a serious national security threat to the United States and to the region, and as a consequence, Assad and Syria needs to be held accountable.
I've made a decision that America should take action. But I also believe that we will be much more effective, we will be stronger, if we take action together as one nation. And so this gives us an opportunity not only to present the evidence to all of the leading members of Congress and their various foreign policy committees as to why we have high confidence that chemical weapons were used and that Assad used them, but it also gives us an opportunity to discuss why it's so important that he be held to account.
This norm against using chemical weapons that 98 percent of the world agrees to is there for a reason: Because we recognize that there are certain weapons that, when used, can not only end up resulting in grotesque deaths, but also can end up being transmitted to non-state actors; can pose a risk to allies and friends of ours like Israel, like Jordan, like Turkey; and unless we hold them into account, also sends a message that international norms around issues like nuclear proliferation don't mean much.
And so I'm going to be working with Congress. We have set up a draft authorization. We’re going to be asking for hearings and a prompt vote. And I’m very appreciative that everybody here has already begun to schedule hearings and intends to take a vote as soon as all of Congress comes back early next week.
So the key point that I want to emphasize to the American people: The military plan that has been developed by the joint chiefs and that I believe is appropriate is proportional. It is limited. It does not involve boots on the ground. This is not Iraq and this is not Afghanistan.
This is a limited, proportional step that will send a clear message not only to the Assad regime, but also to other countries that may be interested in testing some of these international norms, that there are consequences. It gives us the ability to degrade Assad’s capabilities when it comes to chemical weapons. It also fits into a broader strategy that we have to make sure that we can bring about over time the kind of strengthening of the opposition and the diplomatic and economic and political pressure required so that ultimately we have a transition that can bring peace and stability not only to Syria but to the region.
But I want to emphasize once again: What we are envisioning is something limited. It is something proportional. It will degrade Assad’s capabilities. At the same time, we have a broader strategy that will allow us to upgrade the capabilities of the opposition, allow Syria ultimately to free itself from the kinds of terrible civil wars and death and activity that we’ve been seeing on the ground.
So I look forward to listening to the various concerns of the members who are here today. I am confident that those concerns can be addressed. I think it is appropriate that we act deliberately, but I also think everybody recognizes the urgency here and that we’re going to have to move relatively quickly.
So with that, to all of you here today, I look forward to an excellent discussion.
Q Mr. President, are you prepared to rewrite the authorization, and does that undercut any of your authority, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: I would not be going to Congress if I wasn’t serious about consultations, and believing that by shaping the authorization to make sure we accomplish the mission we will be more effective. And so long as we are accomplishing what needs to be accomplished, which is to send a clear message to Assad degrading his capabilities to use chemical weapons, not just now but also in the future as long as the authorization allows us to do that, I’m confident that we’re going to be able to come up with something that hits that mark.
Q Are you confident that you'll get a vote in favor of action?
THE PRESIDENT: I am. Thank you, guys.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
SECRETARY KERRY AND SECRETARY HAGEL ASK HOUSE PANEL TO SUPPORT STRIKES ON SYRIA
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DOD
Kerry, Hagel Urge House Panel to Support Syria Strikes
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2013 - Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today urged the House Foreign Affairs Committee to support President Barack Obama's plan to respond to the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons against its own people.
Joined by Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the two Cabinet officials explained the president's position, as they did yesterday at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Hagel acknowledged the gravity of the issue, describing the U.S. commitment to the use of force as "the most difficult and important decision America's leaders can make."
"The Department of Defense – our leaders -- have spent days and days going over every option, every contingency," he said.
The primary responsibility, he emphasized, is to ask the "tough questions" before making any military commitment. "The American people must be assured that their leaders are acting according to U.S. national interests with well-defined military objectives and with an understanding of the risks and consequences involved."
To better make an informed decision, Kerry said, the president and his national security team gathered facts following the Aug. 21 sarin gas attack by President Bashar Assad's regime.
"Our evidence proves that they used sarin gas, and it proves that they used some of the world's most heinous weapons to kill more than 1,400 innocent people, including at least 426 children," he said. "The risk of not acting is greater than the risk of acting."
Hagel said he shares Obama's sentiment that the use of chemical weapons in Syria is not only "an assault on humanity" but a serious threat to America's national security interests and allies.
The Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons poses grave risks to U.S. friends and partners along Syria's borders, including Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq, the defense secretary said.
"If Assad is prepared to use chemical weapons against his own people, we have to be concerned that terrorists groups like Hezbollah, which has forces fighting in Syria supporting the Assad regime, could acquire them and use them," he said, adding that the risk of chemical proliferation also creates a direct threat to U.S. personnel in the region.
"We cannot afford for Hezbollah or any terrorist group determined to strike the United States to have incentives to acquire or use these chemical weapons," Hagel said.
An emboldened Syrian regime, Hagel explained, portends possible erosion of the nearly century-old international norm against the use of chemical weapons, which has helped to protect U.S. forces and the homeland.
Weakening that norm could hearten other regimes to obtain or use chemical weapons, he said, citing North Korea's massive stockpile that threatens the South Korea, a treaty ally, and the 28,000 U.S. troops stationed there.
"Our allies throughout the world must be assured that the United States will fulfill its security commitments," Hagel said. "Given these threats to our national security, the United States must demonstrate through our actions that the use of chemical weapons is unacceptable."
Key partners and allies such as France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have pledge support for U.S. action in the region, he said.
Military objectives are not to put U.S. military "boots on the ground," Hagel said, but involve actions tailored to respond to the use of chemical weapons.
"We have made clear that we are not seeking to resolve the underlying conflict in Syria through direct military force," Hagel said. "A political solution created by the Syrian people is the only way to ultimately end the violence in Syria."
Chemical weapons, Hagel warned, "make no distinction between combatants and innocent civilians and inflict the worst kind of indiscriminate suffering."
U.S. forces will be ready to act when the president gives the orders, Hagel told the House panel.
"The word of the United States must mean something," Hagel said. "It is vital currency in foreign relations and international and allied commitments."
Kerry urged the representative to support the president's plan.
"This is not the time for armchair isolationism. This is not the time to be spectators to slaughter. This is not the time to give permission to a dictator who has already used these weapons the unfettered ability to continue to use them because we stepped back," he said.
Kerry, Hagel Urge House Panel to Support Syria Strikes
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2013 - Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today urged the House Foreign Affairs Committee to support President Barack Obama's plan to respond to the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons against its own people.
Joined by Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the two Cabinet officials explained the president's position, as they did yesterday at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Hagel acknowledged the gravity of the issue, describing the U.S. commitment to the use of force as "the most difficult and important decision America's leaders can make."
"The Department of Defense – our leaders -- have spent days and days going over every option, every contingency," he said.
The primary responsibility, he emphasized, is to ask the "tough questions" before making any military commitment. "The American people must be assured that their leaders are acting according to U.S. national interests with well-defined military objectives and with an understanding of the risks and consequences involved."
To better make an informed decision, Kerry said, the president and his national security team gathered facts following the Aug. 21 sarin gas attack by President Bashar Assad's regime.
"Our evidence proves that they used sarin gas, and it proves that they used some of the world's most heinous weapons to kill more than 1,400 innocent people, including at least 426 children," he said. "The risk of not acting is greater than the risk of acting."
Hagel said he shares Obama's sentiment that the use of chemical weapons in Syria is not only "an assault on humanity" but a serious threat to America's national security interests and allies.
The Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons poses grave risks to U.S. friends and partners along Syria's borders, including Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq, the defense secretary said.
"If Assad is prepared to use chemical weapons against his own people, we have to be concerned that terrorists groups like Hezbollah, which has forces fighting in Syria supporting the Assad regime, could acquire them and use them," he said, adding that the risk of chemical proliferation also creates a direct threat to U.S. personnel in the region.
"We cannot afford for Hezbollah or any terrorist group determined to strike the United States to have incentives to acquire or use these chemical weapons," Hagel said.
An emboldened Syrian regime, Hagel explained, portends possible erosion of the nearly century-old international norm against the use of chemical weapons, which has helped to protect U.S. forces and the homeland.
Weakening that norm could hearten other regimes to obtain or use chemical weapons, he said, citing North Korea's massive stockpile that threatens the South Korea, a treaty ally, and the 28,000 U.S. troops stationed there.
"Our allies throughout the world must be assured that the United States will fulfill its security commitments," Hagel said. "Given these threats to our national security, the United States must demonstrate through our actions that the use of chemical weapons is unacceptable."
Key partners and allies such as France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have pledge support for U.S. action in the region, he said.
Military objectives are not to put U.S. military "boots on the ground," Hagel said, but involve actions tailored to respond to the use of chemical weapons.
"We have made clear that we are not seeking to resolve the underlying conflict in Syria through direct military force," Hagel said. "A political solution created by the Syrian people is the only way to ultimately end the violence in Syria."
Chemical weapons, Hagel warned, "make no distinction between combatants and innocent civilians and inflict the worst kind of indiscriminate suffering."
U.S. forces will be ready to act when the president gives the orders, Hagel told the House panel.
"The word of the United States must mean something," Hagel said. "It is vital currency in foreign relations and international and allied commitments."
Kerry urged the representative to support the president's plan.
"This is not the time for armchair isolationism. This is not the time to be spectators to slaughter. This is not the time to give permission to a dictator who has already used these weapons the unfettered ability to continue to use them because we stepped back," he said.
TWO CAR DEALERS TO SETTLE FTC CHARGES OF FALSE ADVERTISING
FROM: FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
FTC Halts Two Automobile Dealers' Deceptive Ads
Two car dealers from Maryland and Ohio have agreed to settle the Federal Trade Commission’s charges that they falsely advertised the cost or available discounts for their vehicles. The settlements, part of the FTC’s continuing crackdown on deceptive motor vehicle dealer practices, prohibit the dealers from advertising discounts or prices unless the ads clearly disclose any qualifications or restrictions.
The FTC charged that Timonium Chrysler, Inc., of Cockeysville, Md., violated the FTC Act by advertising discounts and prices that were not available to a typical consumer. Ganley Ford West, Inc., in Cleveland, also is charged with misrepresenting that vehicles were available at a specific dealer discount, when in fact the discounts only applied to specific, and more expensive, models of the advertised vehicles.
“Buying a car is a huge financial commitment, and people often calculate what they can pay down to the penny,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “They should be able to depend on the dealers to provide truthful information, and they can depend on the FTC to enforce consumer protection laws on the lot.”
Timonium Chrysler’s website touted specific “dealer discounts” and “internet prices,” but allegedly failed to disclose adequately that consumers would need to qualify for a series of smaller rebates not generally available to them. The complaint further alleges that, in many instances, even if a consumer qualified for all the rebates, the cost of the vehicle was still greater than the advertised price.
Ganley Ford advertised its discounted vehicles on its website and in local newspapers, and it allegedly failed to disclose that its advertised discounts generally only applied to more expensive versions of the vehicles advertised.
The proposed orders settling the FTC's charges against Timonium Chrysler and Ganley Ford are designed to prevent them from engaging in similar deceptive advertising practices in the future. The two auto dealers cannot advertise prices or discounts unless accompanied by clear disclosures of any required qualifications or restrictions. The auto dealers are also barred from misrepresenting:
the existence or amount of any discount, rebate, bonus, incentive, or price;
the existence, price, value, coverage, or features of any product or service associated with the motor vehicle purchase;
the number of vehicles available at particular prices; or
any other material fact about the price, sale, financing, or leasing of motor vehicles.
The dealers must maintain and make available copies of all advertisements and promotional materials to the Commission for inspection upon request for the next five years, and they are required to comply with the FTC’s order for 20 years.
Consumers in the market for a new or used vehicle should read the FTC’s car ads and buying and owning a car.
The Commission vote to issue the administrative complaints and accept the consent agreement packages containing the proposed consent orders for public comment was 4-0. The agreement will be subject to public comment for 30 days, beginning today and continuing through October 3, 2013, after which the Commission will decide whether to make the proposed consent order final. Interested parties can submit written comments electronically for Timonium Chrysler and Ganley Ford or in paper form.
Comments submitted in paper form should be mailed or delivered to: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, Room H-113 (Annex D), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20580. The FTC is requesting that any comment filed in paper form near the end of the public comment period be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible, because U.S. postal mail in the Washington area and at the Commission is subject to delay due to heightened security precautions.
NOTE: The Commission issues an administrative complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. When the Commission issues a consent order on a final basis, it carries the force of law with respect to future actions. Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of up to $16,000.
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC's online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.
FTC Halts Two Automobile Dealers' Deceptive Ads
Two car dealers from Maryland and Ohio have agreed to settle the Federal Trade Commission’s charges that they falsely advertised the cost or available discounts for their vehicles. The settlements, part of the FTC’s continuing crackdown on deceptive motor vehicle dealer practices, prohibit the dealers from advertising discounts or prices unless the ads clearly disclose any qualifications or restrictions.
The FTC charged that Timonium Chrysler, Inc., of Cockeysville, Md., violated the FTC Act by advertising discounts and prices that were not available to a typical consumer. Ganley Ford West, Inc., in Cleveland, also is charged with misrepresenting that vehicles were available at a specific dealer discount, when in fact the discounts only applied to specific, and more expensive, models of the advertised vehicles.
“Buying a car is a huge financial commitment, and people often calculate what they can pay down to the penny,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “They should be able to depend on the dealers to provide truthful information, and they can depend on the FTC to enforce consumer protection laws on the lot.”
Timonium Chrysler’s website touted specific “dealer discounts” and “internet prices,” but allegedly failed to disclose adequately that consumers would need to qualify for a series of smaller rebates not generally available to them. The complaint further alleges that, in many instances, even if a consumer qualified for all the rebates, the cost of the vehicle was still greater than the advertised price.
Ganley Ford advertised its discounted vehicles on its website and in local newspapers, and it allegedly failed to disclose that its advertised discounts generally only applied to more expensive versions of the vehicles advertised.
The proposed orders settling the FTC's charges against Timonium Chrysler and Ganley Ford are designed to prevent them from engaging in similar deceptive advertising practices in the future. The two auto dealers cannot advertise prices or discounts unless accompanied by clear disclosures of any required qualifications or restrictions. The auto dealers are also barred from misrepresenting:
the existence or amount of any discount, rebate, bonus, incentive, or price;
the existence, price, value, coverage, or features of any product or service associated with the motor vehicle purchase;
the number of vehicles available at particular prices; or
any other material fact about the price, sale, financing, or leasing of motor vehicles.
The dealers must maintain and make available copies of all advertisements and promotional materials to the Commission for inspection upon request for the next five years, and they are required to comply with the FTC’s order for 20 years.
Consumers in the market for a new or used vehicle should read the FTC’s car ads and buying and owning a car.
The Commission vote to issue the administrative complaints and accept the consent agreement packages containing the proposed consent orders for public comment was 4-0. The agreement will be subject to public comment for 30 days, beginning today and continuing through October 3, 2013, after which the Commission will decide whether to make the proposed consent order final. Interested parties can submit written comments electronically for Timonium Chrysler and Ganley Ford or in paper form.
Comments submitted in paper form should be mailed or delivered to: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, Room H-113 (Annex D), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20580. The FTC is requesting that any comment filed in paper form near the end of the public comment period be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible, because U.S. postal mail in the Washington area and at the Commission is subject to delay due to heightened security precautions.
NOTE: The Commission issues an administrative complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. When the Commission issues a consent order on a final basis, it carries the force of law with respect to future actions. Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of up to $16,000.
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC's online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.
DIGITAL LEARNING
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Nature field trips go digital
Harvard researchers tame the next learning frontier with mobile phones, environmental probes and virtual reality
The buzz around the pond these days isn't coming from bees. It's coming from middle-school students on a data collection field trip to a local pond. But on this trip they've traded paper and pencil for mobile phones and environmental probes. With their smartphones, students access interactive media such as video, audio, 3-D models and animations to learn about the ecosystem they're visiting as well as answer specific and open-ended questions about their data collection activities. Their probes measure environmental variables that contribute to water quality.
This augmented reality experience is part of a pilot program called EcoMOBILE developed by researchers at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education (HGSE). Funded by NSF and Qualcomm's Wireless Reach Initiative, EcoMOBILE has two goals. The first is to learn how technology impacts learning and the second is to help students connect abstract science concepts learned in the classroom with real-world experiences.
"Technology in and of itself does nothing for learning, but it can be a catalyst," says the project's principal investigator, Christopher Dede, Timothy E. Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies at Harvard. "We're interested in why technology impacts learning as much as whether it does or not. We are always concerned with how effective we can make these technologies and what the limits are."
Augmenting reality
The EcoMOBILE curriculum includes a pre-trip classroom session, one or more field trips and follow-up class sessions. During the initial session, students learn about water quality variables such as pH, dissolved oxygen and turbidity. They also practice using the smartphones and measurement probes they'll use at the pond. During the field trip, students use the mobile phones to navigate to "hotspots" where they collect water samples. The phone software prompts students to make observations about the pond and its organisms; provides information about concepts such as dissolved oxygen; supplies step-by-step instructions for obtaining and testing a water sample; and delivers feedback on the just-completed measurement.
Back in the classroom, students share the observations they made at the pond. They compile their data, creating graphs and calculating the range and mean of each set of measurements. They then discuss their findings and explore why variations may have occurred.
During the EcoMOBILE experience, students proceed at their own pace, personalizing their experience. "This approach engages them to a different degree than other formats," says project co-director Amy Kamarainen, a limnologist (a scientist who studies inland waters). "Students take ownership of the data and experience a new level of responsibility for their work." She adds that the EcoMOBILE experience is like a mini-apprenticeship, allowing students to see science as a creative process. "It helps students enjoy what they're doing but also understand that ecology is a very analytic field."
The technology also helps students study the complex time and spatial scales characteristic of ecosystems. "Ecosystems can be hard to learn about because kids have a limited amount of time to study them," says Kamarainen.
While at the pond, students learn about change over decades by accessing a video that simulates a visitor from 1850 discussing the pond's history. Another activity allows students to view 3-D molecular simulations of ecosystem processes such as photosynthesis.
Simulating reality
EcoMOBILE complements EcoMUVE, a multi-user virtual environment for classrooms created five years ago by Dede and co-principal investigator Tina Grotzer, an associate professor of education at HGSE. "ECOMUVE is like a flight simulator. We can create experiences not found in nature," says Dede. "EcoMOBILE is like flying the plane. You can get very good in the simulator, but ultimately you want to get people to be effective in the real world."
In EcoMUVE students assume a specific role: Water chemist, naturalist, microscopic specialist or private investigator and for eight virtual days are responsible for monitoring and collecting data in their respective areas. Students work in teams to analyze the data and create a concept map that illustrates the cause and effect relationships found in the ecosystem.
Assessing reasoning patterns
EcoMUVE and EcoMOBILE offer an opportunity to assess how students approach situations requiring complex reasoning. "We can look at where kids go in EcoMUVE and what kinds of data they collect. We see that patterns of movement shift," explains Grotzer.
When students first enter the virtual pond their movements are random. After a fish kill, the initial movement patterns give way to more purposeful ones. The changes suggest that students' thinking has changed and they are attending to different features and data sources in the environment says Grotzer, who as director of the NSF-funded "Understandings of Consequence Project" for more than a decade has studied how students reason about complex causal patterns.
Refining the technology for the future
After several years of iterative design, EcoMUVE is available as a free download through a licensing arrangement with Harvard. EcoMOBILE, however, is still under development and available only for research purposes. Although the program, built on the FreshAiR platform, runs on both Android and iPhones, some of the 3-D simulations are only available using Androids.
"We want to be able to make EcoMOBILE customizable," says Shari Metcalf, project co-director. With time, the team anticipates creating a website that would include software templates teachers can download to tailor augmented reality scenarios to their own local ecosystems.
Seventh-grade teacher Allison Kugler has worked with the EcoMOBILE project for three semesters and thinks the technology is a good fit for middle school students. "They want to be challenged but not get frustrated," she says. In a comparison of EcoMUVE and traditional hands-on activities, Kugler found that students had an easier time understanding ecosystem concepts with EcoMUVE.
As applications software becomes more refined and mobile phones more sophisticated, Dede suggests student-directed learning tools like EcoMOBILE will become commonplace. "We can't just keep loading more topics into classroom learning. We need to focus on 24/7 learning," he says. "This is the next frontier."
Nature field trips go digital
Harvard researchers tame the next learning frontier with mobile phones, environmental probes and virtual reality
The buzz around the pond these days isn't coming from bees. It's coming from middle-school students on a data collection field trip to a local pond. But on this trip they've traded paper and pencil for mobile phones and environmental probes. With their smartphones, students access interactive media such as video, audio, 3-D models and animations to learn about the ecosystem they're visiting as well as answer specific and open-ended questions about their data collection activities. Their probes measure environmental variables that contribute to water quality.
This augmented reality experience is part of a pilot program called EcoMOBILE developed by researchers at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education (HGSE). Funded by NSF and Qualcomm's Wireless Reach Initiative, EcoMOBILE has two goals. The first is to learn how technology impacts learning and the second is to help students connect abstract science concepts learned in the classroom with real-world experiences.
"Technology in and of itself does nothing for learning, but it can be a catalyst," says the project's principal investigator, Christopher Dede, Timothy E. Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies at Harvard. "We're interested in why technology impacts learning as much as whether it does or not. We are always concerned with how effective we can make these technologies and what the limits are."
Augmenting reality
The EcoMOBILE curriculum includes a pre-trip classroom session, one or more field trips and follow-up class sessions. During the initial session, students learn about water quality variables such as pH, dissolved oxygen and turbidity. They also practice using the smartphones and measurement probes they'll use at the pond. During the field trip, students use the mobile phones to navigate to "hotspots" where they collect water samples. The phone software prompts students to make observations about the pond and its organisms; provides information about concepts such as dissolved oxygen; supplies step-by-step instructions for obtaining and testing a water sample; and delivers feedback on the just-completed measurement.
Back in the classroom, students share the observations they made at the pond. They compile their data, creating graphs and calculating the range and mean of each set of measurements. They then discuss their findings and explore why variations may have occurred.
During the EcoMOBILE experience, students proceed at their own pace, personalizing their experience. "This approach engages them to a different degree than other formats," says project co-director Amy Kamarainen, a limnologist (a scientist who studies inland waters). "Students take ownership of the data and experience a new level of responsibility for their work." She adds that the EcoMOBILE experience is like a mini-apprenticeship, allowing students to see science as a creative process. "It helps students enjoy what they're doing but also understand that ecology is a very analytic field."
The technology also helps students study the complex time and spatial scales characteristic of ecosystems. "Ecosystems can be hard to learn about because kids have a limited amount of time to study them," says Kamarainen.
While at the pond, students learn about change over decades by accessing a video that simulates a visitor from 1850 discussing the pond's history. Another activity allows students to view 3-D molecular simulations of ecosystem processes such as photosynthesis.
Simulating reality
EcoMOBILE complements EcoMUVE, a multi-user virtual environment for classrooms created five years ago by Dede and co-principal investigator Tina Grotzer, an associate professor of education at HGSE. "ECOMUVE is like a flight simulator. We can create experiences not found in nature," says Dede. "EcoMOBILE is like flying the plane. You can get very good in the simulator, but ultimately you want to get people to be effective in the real world."
In EcoMUVE students assume a specific role: Water chemist, naturalist, microscopic specialist or private investigator and for eight virtual days are responsible for monitoring and collecting data in their respective areas. Students work in teams to analyze the data and create a concept map that illustrates the cause and effect relationships found in the ecosystem.
Assessing reasoning patterns
EcoMUVE and EcoMOBILE offer an opportunity to assess how students approach situations requiring complex reasoning. "We can look at where kids go in EcoMUVE and what kinds of data they collect. We see that patterns of movement shift," explains Grotzer.
When students first enter the virtual pond their movements are random. After a fish kill, the initial movement patterns give way to more purposeful ones. The changes suggest that students' thinking has changed and they are attending to different features and data sources in the environment says Grotzer, who as director of the NSF-funded "Understandings of Consequence Project" for more than a decade has studied how students reason about complex causal patterns.
Refining the technology for the future
After several years of iterative design, EcoMUVE is available as a free download through a licensing arrangement with Harvard. EcoMOBILE, however, is still under development and available only for research purposes. Although the program, built on the FreshAiR platform, runs on both Android and iPhones, some of the 3-D simulations are only available using Androids.
"We want to be able to make EcoMOBILE customizable," says Shari Metcalf, project co-director. With time, the team anticipates creating a website that would include software templates teachers can download to tailor augmented reality scenarios to their own local ecosystems.
Seventh-grade teacher Allison Kugler has worked with the EcoMOBILE project for three semesters and thinks the technology is a good fit for middle school students. "They want to be challenged but not get frustrated," she says. In a comparison of EcoMUVE and traditional hands-on activities, Kugler found that students had an easier time understanding ecosystem concepts with EcoMUVE.
As applications software becomes more refined and mobile phones more sophisticated, Dede suggests student-directed learning tools like EcoMOBILE will become commonplace. "We can't just keep loading more topics into classroom learning. We need to focus on 24/7 learning," he says. "This is the next frontier."
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL TESTIFIED BEFORE THE SENATE ON SYRIA
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Hagel Urges Congress to Support Military Action Against Syria
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 3, 2013 - Emphasizing the need to protect U.S. national security interests, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today he supports President Barack Obama's decision to seek congressional authorization for the use of force in Syria.
Hagel joined Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in making the administration's case for the use of force in response to a large-scale sarin gas assault which the administration says was carried out by the Syrian government against its own people.
Explaining the rationale behind what he acknowledged was a difficult decision for the national security team, Hagel urged Congress to consider not only "the risks and consequences of action," but also the consequences of inaction.
Hagel reiterated the president's assertion that Syria's use of chemical weapons represents "a serious threat to America's national security interests and those of our closest allies." It poses a grave risk to partners along Syria's borders, including Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq, he said.
Even more concerning, he said, is the possibility that terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, which has forces in Syria supporting President Bashar Assad's regime, could acquire and use them.
"This risk of chemical weapons proliferation poses a direct threat to our friends and partners and to U.S. personnel in the region," Hagel said. "We cannot afford for Hezbollah or any terrorist group determined to strike the United States to have incentives to acquire or use chemical weapons."
Syria's actions risk eroding the nearly century-old international norm against the use of chemical weapons that has helped to protect the U.S. homeland and U.S. forces operating across the globe, the secretary said. Weakening that norm, he said, could embolden other regimes, such as North Korea, to acquire or use chemical weapons.
"Given these threats to our national security, the United States must demonstrate through our actions that the use of chemical weapons is unacceptable," Hagel said.
The military objectives in Syria would be "to hold the Assad regime accountable, degrade its ability to carry out these kinds of attacks and deter the regime from further use of chemical weapons," he said.
The Defense Department has developed military options to achieve these objectives and positioned U.S. assets throughout the region to successfully execute this mission, he reported. "We believe we can achieve them with a military action that would be limited in duration and scope," he told the Senate panel.
Hagel said he and Dempsey have assured Obama that U.S. forces will be ready to act whenever the president gives the order.
Meanwhile, officials are working with U.S. allies and partners, he said. "Key partners, including France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and [other] friends in the region have assured us of their strong support for U.S. action," he reported.
Hagel underscored that the military force would not be used to resolve the underlying conflict in Syria – an issue he said must be settled through a political solution by the Syrian people themselves. He noted that Kerry is leading international efforts to help the parties move toward a negotiated transition, and expressed a commitment to "doing more to assist the Syrian opposition."
Military actions being contemplated would be tailored specifically to the use of chemical weapons, he assured the panel. "Assad must be held accountable for using these weapons in defiance of the international community," he said.
In presenting the case for military action, Hagel urged the committee to recognize the consequences of not doing so.
"There are always risks in taking action, but there are also risks with inaction," he warned. "The Assad regime, under increasing pressure by the Syrian opposition, could feel empowered to carry out even more devastating chemical weapons attacks" that he recognized make no distinction between combatants and innocent civilians."
Refusing to act also would undermine the credibility of other U.S. security commitments, Hagel said, including Obama's commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
"The word of the United States must mean something," the secretary said. "It is vital currency in foreign relations and international and allied commitments."
Noting that he, Kerry and Dempsey all have served in uniform, Hagel said they have witnessed the "ugly realities" of conflict up close. "But we also understand that America must protect its people and its national interests," he said. "That is our highest responsibility."
Hagel called the decision to use military force "the most difficult decision America's leaders can make," and urged vigorous congressional debate on the issue.
"All of those who are privileged to serve our nation have a responsibility to ask tough questions before that commitment is made," he said. "The American people must be assured that their leaders are acting according to U.S. national interests, with well-defined military objectives, and with an understanding of the risks and consequences involved."
Hagel Urges Congress to Support Military Action Against Syria
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 3, 2013 - Emphasizing the need to protect U.S. national security interests, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today he supports President Barack Obama's decision to seek congressional authorization for the use of force in Syria.
Hagel joined Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in making the administration's case for the use of force in response to a large-scale sarin gas assault which the administration says was carried out by the Syrian government against its own people.
Explaining the rationale behind what he acknowledged was a difficult decision for the national security team, Hagel urged Congress to consider not only "the risks and consequences of action," but also the consequences of inaction.
Hagel reiterated the president's assertion that Syria's use of chemical weapons represents "a serious threat to America's national security interests and those of our closest allies." It poses a grave risk to partners along Syria's borders, including Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq, he said.
Even more concerning, he said, is the possibility that terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, which has forces in Syria supporting President Bashar Assad's regime, could acquire and use them.
"This risk of chemical weapons proliferation poses a direct threat to our friends and partners and to U.S. personnel in the region," Hagel said. "We cannot afford for Hezbollah or any terrorist group determined to strike the United States to have incentives to acquire or use chemical weapons."
Syria's actions risk eroding the nearly century-old international norm against the use of chemical weapons that has helped to protect the U.S. homeland and U.S. forces operating across the globe, the secretary said. Weakening that norm, he said, could embolden other regimes, such as North Korea, to acquire or use chemical weapons.
"Given these threats to our national security, the United States must demonstrate through our actions that the use of chemical weapons is unacceptable," Hagel said.
The military objectives in Syria would be "to hold the Assad regime accountable, degrade its ability to carry out these kinds of attacks and deter the regime from further use of chemical weapons," he said.
The Defense Department has developed military options to achieve these objectives and positioned U.S. assets throughout the region to successfully execute this mission, he reported. "We believe we can achieve them with a military action that would be limited in duration and scope," he told the Senate panel.
Hagel said he and Dempsey have assured Obama that U.S. forces will be ready to act whenever the president gives the order.
Meanwhile, officials are working with U.S. allies and partners, he said. "Key partners, including France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and [other] friends in the region have assured us of their strong support for U.S. action," he reported.
Hagel underscored that the military force would not be used to resolve the underlying conflict in Syria – an issue he said must be settled through a political solution by the Syrian people themselves. He noted that Kerry is leading international efforts to help the parties move toward a negotiated transition, and expressed a commitment to "doing more to assist the Syrian opposition."
Military actions being contemplated would be tailored specifically to the use of chemical weapons, he assured the panel. "Assad must be held accountable for using these weapons in defiance of the international community," he said.
In presenting the case for military action, Hagel urged the committee to recognize the consequences of not doing so.
"There are always risks in taking action, but there are also risks with inaction," he warned. "The Assad regime, under increasing pressure by the Syrian opposition, could feel empowered to carry out even more devastating chemical weapons attacks" that he recognized make no distinction between combatants and innocent civilians."
Refusing to act also would undermine the credibility of other U.S. security commitments, Hagel said, including Obama's commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
"The word of the United States must mean something," the secretary said. "It is vital currency in foreign relations and international and allied commitments."
Noting that he, Kerry and Dempsey all have served in uniform, Hagel said they have witnessed the "ugly realities" of conflict up close. "But we also understand that America must protect its people and its national interests," he said. "That is our highest responsibility."
Hagel called the decision to use military force "the most difficult decision America's leaders can make," and urged vigorous congressional debate on the issue.
"All of those who are privileged to serve our nation have a responsibility to ask tough questions before that commitment is made," he said. "The American people must be assured that their leaders are acting according to U.S. national interests, with well-defined military objectives, and with an understanding of the risks and consequences involved."
READOUT: U.S. DEPUTY SECRETARY CARTER'S MEETING WITH NORWAY'S DEFENSE STATE SECRETARY THORSHAUG
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Readout of Deputy Secretary Carter's Meeting with Norway's Ministry of Defense State Secretary Eirik Thorshaug
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little provided the following readout:
"Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Norwegian Ministry of Defense State Secretary Eirik Thorshaug met today at the Pentagon.
The two leaders exchanged views about the on-going violence in Syria. Deputy Secretary Carter reiterated the need for the international community to respond to the chemical weapon attacks that claimed innocent lives in Syria. They agreed on the importance of the norms surrounding the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons, and on the need for close consultation in the days ahead.
"Deputy Secretary Carter and State Secretary Thorshaug also discussed the positive developments in Afghanistan and the future of NATO post-2014. The two leaders underscored the need for enhanced focus on maintaining interoperability and readiness through training and exercises in the both the near and long term.
"The two leaders highlighted the close cooperation between the United States and Norway exemplified by current cooperation on the F-16 and the planned Norwegian procurement of the F-35. Deputy Secretary Carter and State Secretary Thorshaug also reaffirmed the continued cooperation in the Arctic as access and activity in the region increases.
Readout of Deputy Secretary Carter's Meeting with Norway's Ministry of Defense State Secretary Eirik Thorshaug
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little provided the following readout:
"Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Norwegian Ministry of Defense State Secretary Eirik Thorshaug met today at the Pentagon.
The two leaders exchanged views about the on-going violence in Syria. Deputy Secretary Carter reiterated the need for the international community to respond to the chemical weapon attacks that claimed innocent lives in Syria. They agreed on the importance of the norms surrounding the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons, and on the need for close consultation in the days ahead.
"Deputy Secretary Carter and State Secretary Thorshaug also discussed the positive developments in Afghanistan and the future of NATO post-2014. The two leaders underscored the need for enhanced focus on maintaining interoperability and readiness through training and exercises in the both the near and long term.
"The two leaders highlighted the close cooperation between the United States and Norway exemplified by current cooperation on the F-16 and the planned Norwegian procurement of the F-35. Deputy Secretary Carter and State Secretary Thorshaug also reaffirmed the continued cooperation in the Arctic as access and activity in the region increases.
DOL SAYS 1963 MARCH ON WASHINGTON CALLED FOR A HIGHER MINIMUM WAGE
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Myth: The main goal of the 1963 March on Washington was to eliminate racial discrimination.
Not true: While the march and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech in particular did call for racial equality and civil rights legislation, the event also had an economic component, including a call for a higher minimum wage. Organizers of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom also demanded a public works program and job training, and an end to discrimination in hiring, among other things.
Myth: The main goal of the 1963 March on Washington was to eliminate racial discrimination.
Not true: While the march and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech in particular did call for racial equality and civil rights legislation, the event also had an economic component, including a call for a higher minimum wage. Organizers of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom also demanded a public works program and job training, and an end to discrimination in hiring, among other things.
FORMER CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF CECO ENVIRONMENTAL CORP. CHARGED WITH INSIDER TRADING
FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
SEC Charges Former Chairman and CEO of CECO Environmental Corp. and API Technologies Corp. with Insider Trading and Other Violations
The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Phillip J. DeZwirek (DeZwirek), the former CEO, Chairman, and 10% beneficial owner of both CECO Environmental Corp. (CECO) and API Technologies Corp. (API), with insider trading on three separate occasions and engaging in hundreds of violations of the trade reporting and ownership disclosure rules of the federal securities laws. DeZwirek has agreed to settle the charges, without admitting or denying the allegations in the Commission's complaint, by, among other things, paying a total of over $1.5 million in disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, prejudgment interest, and a civil penalty. He also agreed to be barred from serving as an officer or director of a public company for five years.
The Commission's complaint, filed August 30, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that DeZwirek engaged in insider trading by purchasing CECO stock ahead of two press releases issued in March and October 2008 announcing new contract bookings. The Complaint further alleges that DeZwirek bought API stock before the company announced the acquisition of a privately held company in January 2011. The Complaint also alleges that DeZwirek failed to file amended Schedules 13D and Forms 4 and 5 disclosing 268 purchases and sales of CECO and API stock that he executed between 2008 and 2010.
DeZwirek has consented to the entry of a final judgment that permanently enjoins him from future violations of Sections 10(b), 13(d), and 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rules 10b-5, 13d-2, and 16a-3 thereunder. The final judgment also orders DeZwirek to pay disgorgement of $151,278, plus prejudgment interest of $11,714.50, a civil money penalty of $1,361,278, and imposes upon him a five-year officer-and-director bar.
The Commission acknowledges the assistance of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
SEC Charges Former Chairman and CEO of CECO Environmental Corp. and API Technologies Corp. with Insider Trading and Other Violations
The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Phillip J. DeZwirek (DeZwirek), the former CEO, Chairman, and 10% beneficial owner of both CECO Environmental Corp. (CECO) and API Technologies Corp. (API), with insider trading on three separate occasions and engaging in hundreds of violations of the trade reporting and ownership disclosure rules of the federal securities laws. DeZwirek has agreed to settle the charges, without admitting or denying the allegations in the Commission's complaint, by, among other things, paying a total of over $1.5 million in disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, prejudgment interest, and a civil penalty. He also agreed to be barred from serving as an officer or director of a public company for five years.
The Commission's complaint, filed August 30, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that DeZwirek engaged in insider trading by purchasing CECO stock ahead of two press releases issued in March and October 2008 announcing new contract bookings. The Complaint further alleges that DeZwirek bought API stock before the company announced the acquisition of a privately held company in January 2011. The Complaint also alleges that DeZwirek failed to file amended Schedules 13D and Forms 4 and 5 disclosing 268 purchases and sales of CECO and API stock that he executed between 2008 and 2010.
DeZwirek has consented to the entry of a final judgment that permanently enjoins him from future violations of Sections 10(b), 13(d), and 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rules 10b-5, 13d-2, and 16a-3 thereunder. The final judgment also orders DeZwirek to pay disgorgement of $151,278, plus prejudgment interest of $11,714.50, a civil money penalty of $1,361,278, and imposes upon him a five-year officer-and-director bar.
The Commission acknowledges the assistance of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
AGENCIES COMMIT TO HELP VETERANS TRANSITION TO CIVILIAN LIFE
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Agencies Commit to Transition Assistance Program
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2013 - The Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Labor, Education, the Office of Personnel Management and the Small Business Administration codified their continued commitment to help transitioning service members be "career ready" for civilian life by signing a statement of intent on Aug. 15.
"This [statement of intent] puts our shared commitment to our service members in black and white," said Dr. Susan Kelly, principal director of DOD's Transition to Veterans Program office.
Each of the military services was represented during the formal signing of the statement of intent, said Francine Blackmon, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for force management integration.
The services have aggressively implemented the various components of the redesigned Transition Assistance Program, Blackmon said.
Working elbow-to-elbow with the various partnering agencies, the services are ensuring service members are provided all the necessary tools to make a successful transition to civilian life, she said.
"The [statement of intent] strengthens our resolve for a concerted interagency effort working toward this common goal," Blackmon added.
More than 250,000 service members separate from active duty each year, and they face numerous challenges as they transition to civilian life. The statement of intent is a milestone for the interagency effort to redesign the 1990s-era transition assistance program model and help service members meet those challenges. The signing shows that the redesigned TAP is not a short-term effort but a set of greatly improved transition services that the partners will sustain for the long-term.
"Even in this time of budget constraints, each of the interagency partners and the services will sustain the effort to implement the redesign of transition assistance," Kelly said. This includes staff at installations to provide face-to-face information and new skills, as well as a virtual curriculum to build the same career readiness skills for service members and reservists in isolated and geographically separated locations, she added.
The statement of intent also establishes the objectives for the new governance structure and the foundation of the new TAP Executive Council, comprised of DOD, VA and DOL co-chairs, as well as senior executives from SBA, OPM, ED and the military services. The new TAP Executive Council will steer the collaboration and partnership efforts through 2016 and implement and modify the redesigned program as needed to meet changing needs of transitioning service members through the years.
Over the last eighteen months, the DOD and VA have led the efforts of the Veterans Employment Initiative Task Force interagency partners and the White House Economic and Domestic Policy Council staffs in redesigning the Desert Storm-era Transition Assistance Program to better prepare service members for these challenges as they leave the military and become veterans.
The redesigned TAP provides training that will build skills to enable transitioning service members to meet career readiness standards established by DOD. The training, known as Transition GPS (goals, plans, success), is comprised of interlinked curriculum, services, and processes conducted by numerous partners -- DOD, the military services, VA, DOL, SBA, and OPM.
Interagency partner Department of Education and the National Guard Bureau continue to serve in valued consultative and advisory roles.
Advancing their work together, the agencies will cultivate an interagency partnership that builds upon mutual respect, cooperation and shared goals to successfully transition career ready service members to the civilian sector.
Agencies Commit to Transition Assistance Program
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2013 - The Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Labor, Education, the Office of Personnel Management and the Small Business Administration codified their continued commitment to help transitioning service members be "career ready" for civilian life by signing a statement of intent on Aug. 15.
"This [statement of intent] puts our shared commitment to our service members in black and white," said Dr. Susan Kelly, principal director of DOD's Transition to Veterans Program office.
Each of the military services was represented during the formal signing of the statement of intent, said Francine Blackmon, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for force management integration.
The services have aggressively implemented the various components of the redesigned Transition Assistance Program, Blackmon said.
Working elbow-to-elbow with the various partnering agencies, the services are ensuring service members are provided all the necessary tools to make a successful transition to civilian life, she said.
"The [statement of intent] strengthens our resolve for a concerted interagency effort working toward this common goal," Blackmon added.
More than 250,000 service members separate from active duty each year, and they face numerous challenges as they transition to civilian life. The statement of intent is a milestone for the interagency effort to redesign the 1990s-era transition assistance program model and help service members meet those challenges. The signing shows that the redesigned TAP is not a short-term effort but a set of greatly improved transition services that the partners will sustain for the long-term.
"Even in this time of budget constraints, each of the interagency partners and the services will sustain the effort to implement the redesign of transition assistance," Kelly said. This includes staff at installations to provide face-to-face information and new skills, as well as a virtual curriculum to build the same career readiness skills for service members and reservists in isolated and geographically separated locations, she added.
The statement of intent also establishes the objectives for the new governance structure and the foundation of the new TAP Executive Council, comprised of DOD, VA and DOL co-chairs, as well as senior executives from SBA, OPM, ED and the military services. The new TAP Executive Council will steer the collaboration and partnership efforts through 2016 and implement and modify the redesigned program as needed to meet changing needs of transitioning service members through the years.
Over the last eighteen months, the DOD and VA have led the efforts of the Veterans Employment Initiative Task Force interagency partners and the White House Economic and Domestic Policy Council staffs in redesigning the Desert Storm-era Transition Assistance Program to better prepare service members for these challenges as they leave the military and become veterans.
The redesigned TAP provides training that will build skills to enable transitioning service members to meet career readiness standards established by DOD. The training, known as Transition GPS (goals, plans, success), is comprised of interlinked curriculum, services, and processes conducted by numerous partners -- DOD, the military services, VA, DOL, SBA, and OPM.
Interagency partner Department of Education and the National Guard Bureau continue to serve in valued consultative and advisory roles.
Advancing their work together, the agencies will cultivate an interagency partnership that builds upon mutual respect, cooperation and shared goals to successfully transition career ready service members to the civilian sector.
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