Sandra's blog

Chilean Education

2007-11-29T15:36:00.000-08:00

Creation of the “LOCE” (Constitutional Organic Law of Education)

The LOCE is a law that was born on March 10, 1990 under the command of
Augusto Pinochet, current president of Chile in that year. This was the door to get the free market in education like a business, because It does not allow monitor the quality of teaching. The “LOCE” took 10 years to be approved because there were different parties that were against the law, but the differences were resolved by an ideology not very clear one day earlier that Augusto Pinochet left his post.

Parliamentarians and important people of the state have tried to amend the law, at least in higher education, but everything has been nothing because the party on the right has always opposed. So, this has led some problems.

Problems of this Education

Quality of Education: “differences among schools”

Private colleges: These types of schools have the best education because students are paying for that. On the other hand, students are chosen to be part of the institution because they must have good marks and good behavior. Also, the infrastructure is better than other schools.

Colleges subsidized: Here, the state provides money to the institution to share costs to be sustained in conjunction with the students, but nobody cares to see that this money is used effectively in what they need. The director is not obliged to surrender what is done with that money, so there are families that have become millionaires with this.

Municipal schools: Here, the municipality of every estate is responsible to support institutions. The students do not have the best education and they are not chosen for enter in these schools.

In conclusion, if you want to have a good education you must have money and be a good student and if you do not you are lost.

Curriculum

This is other problem that has to do with subjects because all the schools have the same names about subjects, but the contents of these are different. For example, some schools pass the contents minimum mandatory while other schools give to students extra contents inside the school year. Obviously, this derives in some differences among students to give the PSU test.

Teachers poorly motivated and updated

This is one of the major problems in education because most people think that teachers, in this country, are few motivated and not updated on the new contents. This happens in many schools where teachers do not have vocation to teach students and they do not like that they are doing.

Finally, we as future teachers have to change the way to educate. We are responsible that students learn more and better contents inside the school. We have to study constantly to be updated and answer, in a good way, to the needs of students. We must love what we do because we are preparing people for the future.

“La Oreja de Van Gogh”

2007-11-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

“La Oreja de Van Gogh” is a pop band that was formed in San Sebastian in January 1996. It is composed of four men and a woman, guitarist Paul Venegas, bassist Alvaro Fuentes, keyboardist Xabi San Martin, drummer Haritz Garde and vocalist Amaia Montero. In the beginning, the guys knew each other from university and they spent their time playing songs of their favorite groups, but then they began to compose their own songs and realized that none of them had a special voice to interpret them. For that reason, they had to find a vocalist and were there when Amaia appeared. Pablo invited her to the band and she accepted.

At the beginning, they only played in pubs, since they decided to present at the fifth contest of pop rock in San Sebastián. They recorded a type and gave it to the jury, they did not have any award, but they got to be listened in the radio and their name started to be recognized. Before to the contest, they worked a lot and they presented again, but that time they won.

At least, Epic/Sony Music was interested in “La Oreja de Van Gogh” and they got to record their first album “Dile al Sol”, it was released on May 18, 1998. This album was very successful, reaching give 150 concerts. Even they got the prize for "best artist disclosure" in 1999.

They published their second album “El Viaje De Copperpot” on September 11, 2000. It was recorded in Madrid, France and London, and it was produced by Nigel Walker. This album has 12 songs and it shows musical growth of the band in all its aspects. Thus, it contains the song “La Playa” that was known all over the world, among others.

“La Oreja de Van Gogh” released its third album in April 2003, that was called “Lo que te conté mientras te hacías la dormida”. It includes fourteen songs and a bonus track. It was characterized for new records that the band had not used before.

The band published its fourth album “Guapa” in April, 2006. It is a special album because they celebrate their ten years of job together. It has twelve new songs with more hardness in the treatment of the letters. They did a careful work, with interesting compositions and arrangements. The album “Guapa” is “La Oreja de Van Gogh”, but with more energy.

Tsunami

2007-08-20T06:22:00.000-07:00

What is a Tsunami?

The term tsunami comes from the Japanese words, and its meaning are harbour and waves together. Tsunami are common from the Japanes history; in this country one hundred and ninety five events have been recorded. This events are recognized like series of waves pushed them upwards. Also, earthquakes(mass movements below water), volcanic eruptions, landslides, meteorite impacts could generate this types of naturals disasters. A tsunami pass unnoticed at sea, forming only a passing "hump" in the ocean. They have been referred as tidal waves and the Pacific Ocean is the most affected zone in the world because it is located in the fire's belt.

What is its cause?

the generation of a tsunami is when the layers of the land are abruptly and vertically displace under the water, earthquakes are effective in creating tsunami, too. These are formed after the earthquakes and normally they are as the displaced of water mass moves from the bottom of the sea. Also, this phenomena could be caused by explosive volcanic action and landslide. Besides,the last one could generate a "megatsunami" that might have ocean-wide impacts.

What are its consequences?

Scientifics say that sixty five years ago a meteorite fell inside of the ocean and it formed a tsunami that destroyed the world. Nowadays, some tsunami have destroyed the coast of some places in the countries.

Here, in Chile, in 1960 a tsunami was produced in Valdivia's city. The number of death people was about three thousand. The sea get gathered some minutes and, then, it went out devasting houses, animals and many human beings.

Possible warnings and preventions

Tsunami can not be prevented, but there are many systems being developed for reducing the damade from tsunami. In some parts of the world, wich are prone to Pacific Ocean tsunami, there are warning signs that advise people where to run if a tsunami is forming. Some scientifics are studying to animals because they are able to have a presentiment of a tsunami before us, the human beings. On the other hand, Japanese people have built "tsunami walls" of up to 4,5m high in front of populated coastal areas.

Problems in Venezuela

2007-05-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

The Venezuela's President, Hugo Chávez, won't renew the permission to the channel Globovisión for to be again in the television, because this channel had begin to criticize his politics. Since, the president said that this channel was not going to be open again, the universitaries students have gone out to the street to protest.

The students have qualified him as a copy of the Cuban President, Fidel Castro. The clashes between the students and the police has been terrible in the streets of Venezuela, the government has recognize more than fifteen injured men.

Hugo Chávez defends himself arguing that in his country there is freedom of expresion, but with the cancelation of the channel he has been demostrating the opposite. Today, there is not solution yet and the President does not want to change of opinion.

I hate write!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-05-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

I don't like writing because I don't have imagination.... I don't want to do this!!!!!!