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The twenty-first century is a world in constant change. In A New Culture of Learning, Doug Thomas and John Seely Brown pursue an understanding of how the forces of change, and emerging waves of interest associated with these forces, inspire and invite us to imagine a future of learning that is as powerful as it is optimistic. Typically, when we think of culture, we think of an existing, stable entity that changes and evolves over long periods of time. In A New Culture, Thomas and Brown explore a second sense of culture, one that responds to its surroundings organically. It not only adapts, it integrates change into its process as one of its environmental variables. By exploring play, innovation, and the cultivation of the imagination as cornerstones of learning, the authors create a vision of learning for the future that is achievable, scalable and one that grows along with the technology that fosters it and the people who engage with it. The result is a new form of culture in which knowledge is seen as fluid and evolving, the personal is both enhanced and refined in relation to the collective, and the ability to manage, negotiate and participate in the world is governed by the play of the imagination. Replete with stories, this is a book that looks at the challenges that our education and learning environments face in a fresh way. PRAISE FOR A NEW CULTURE OF LEARNING "A provocative and extremely important new paradigm of a 'culture of learning', appropriate for a world characterized by continual change. This is a must read for anyone interested in the future of education." James J. Duderstadt, President Emeritus, University of Michigan "Thomas and Brown are the John Dewey of the digital age." Cathy Davidson, Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Duke University "A New Culture of Learning may provide for the digital media and learning movement what Thomas Paine's Common Sense did for the colonists during the American Revolution- a straightforward, direct explanation of what we are fighting for and what we are fighting against." Henry Jenkins, Provost's Professor, USC "A New Culture of Learning is at once persuasive and optimistic - a combination that is all too rare, but that flows directly from its authors' insights about learning in the digital age. Pearls of wisdom leap from almost every page." Paul Courant, Dean of Libraries, University of Michigan "Brilliant. Insightful. Revolutionary." Marcia Conner, author of The New Social Learning "Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown portray the new world of learning gracefully, vividly, and convincingly." Howard Gardner, Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education "Thomas and Brown make it clear that education is too often a mechanistic, solo activity delivered to the young. It doesn't have to be that way-learning can be a messy, social, playful, embedded, constant activity. We would do well to listen to their message." Clay Shirky, author of Cognitive Surplus "Anyone who fears, as I do, that today's public schools are dangerously close to being irrelevant must read this book. The authors provide a road map-and a lifeline-showing how schools can prosper under the most difficult conditions. It is a welcome departure from all the school bashing." John Merrow, Education Correspondent, PBS NewsHour "American education is at a crossroads. By illuminating how play helps to transform both information networks and experimentation, and how collective inquiry unleashes the power of imagination, A New Culture of Learning provides an irresistible path to the future." Joel Myerson, Director, Forum for the Future of Higher Education.

Soy and its coproducts are rapidly emerging as one of the most prominent sustainable plastics of the 21st century. The relative abundance of soy and its functional and thermoplastic properties, low cost, and biodegradable characteristics have made it a material of great interest for widespread use in the plastics industry. As most of the functional properties of the final products are directly related to the physico-chemical properties of the raw material, a detailed knowledge of the inherent characteristics of soy-based materials is essential for understanding and manipulating their properties for better end-user applications.This book summarises in a most comprehensive manner the recent technical research accomplishments in the area of soy-based bioplastics. The prime aim and focus of this book is to present recent advances in the processing and applications of soy-based biopolymers as potential bioplastics. It reflects recent theoretical advances and experimental results, and opens new avenues for researchers as well as readers working in the field of plastics and sustainable materials.The different topics covered in this book include: structural analysis of soy-based materials; soy/biopolymer blends; films, fibres, foams, and composites; and different advanced applications. In addition, several critical issues and suggestions for future work are comprehensively discussed in the hope that the book will provide a deep insight into the state of the art of soy-based bioplastics. The book is unique, with contributions from leading experts in the bioplastics research area, and is a useful reference for scientists, academics, research scholars, and technologists.

Ideally suited for Guided Reading and proven highly successful in Reading Recovery and similar early intervention programs, the 169 Carousel Readers were conceived and created by teachers and teacher trainers. The Carousel Big Books contain the same text and illustrations and are ideal for shared reading. Teacher's Cards for each title provide comprehensive support.

The Staff Report for the 2011 Article IV Consultation found the macroeconomic performance of the Central African Republic (CAR) satisfactory despite its below-average growth compared with other countries of the region. The report has identified lack of resources, institutional frailties, overdependence on external assistance among other factors responsible for the tardy economic growth and increase in poverty. However, the report has observed that the economy is poised for a medium-term recovery with budgetary discipline and transparency, and effective management of public debt.

Electromagnetic Scattering is a collection of studies that aims to discuss methods, state of the art, applications, and future research in electromagnetic scattering. The book covers topics related to the subject, which includes low-frequency electromagnetic scattering; the uniform asymptomatic theory of electromagnetic edge diffraction; analyses of problems involving high frequency diffraction and imperfect half planes; and multiple scattering of waves by periodic and random distribution. Also covered in this book are topics such as theories of scattering from wire grid and mesh structures; the electromagnetic inverse problem; computational methods for transmission of waves; and developments in the use of complex singularities in the electromagnetic theory. Engineers and physicists who are interested in the study, developments, and applications of electromagnetic scattering will find the text informative and helpful.