Computer Scientists for Disaster? - presentation in ICS699

Presentation I will do on this coming Thursday, at ICS699.

The slide with video, image and datas will be shared after the presentation.

Thanks again for the supporting and encouraging. I really appreciate that a lot!
Mahalo!

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What can Computer Scientists do for Disaster preparedness and relief?
1. What is the disaster for geeks
Virus and hacker!

What do we do for the disaster?
Back up plan,
Anti-virus software,
Firewall,

2. A metaphor
Back up plan, -- Disaster Relief
Recover -- Disaster resilience
Anti-virus software/ Firewall -- Disaster Preparedness

3. Timeline of the complexity of different disasters


4. What can we do ONE
GIS and Disaster
NASA: now and future

5. what can we do TWO
Disaster modeling and strategic plan

6. what can we do THREE
Education and online counseling after disaster

7. What can we do FOUR
Building the online alarm voting system,
-- To coordinate and cooperate among different research centers around the world.

8. what is that mean for Hawaii
Tsunamis,
Volcanoes,
Earthquake,

Cross cultural counseling.

9. Deal with it
Prepare in education
React with coordination
Relief as preparation
Rebuild for resilience

Book Review: Ethnocultural Perspectives on Disaster and Trauma

This paper will review the book: “Ethnocultural Perspectives on Disaster and Trauma’ by Anthony J. Marsella, Jeannette L. Johnson, Partricia Watson and Jan Gryczynski. Generally, this book discusses the issues concerning the recognition of diversity of the people’s groups during the disaster relief. It gives insights on the cultural context of working with ethnic minority communities during disasters, gives readers a framework for improving disaster policies and practices by “calling attention to the cultural background and personal uniqueness”. It paints a giant picture of disaster relief for humanitarian mental health workers and cross-cultural consultants.

Summary

The book can be served as a cultural information book for the front line humanitarian workers who may be encountered with cross-cultural counseling after disaster. As a cross cultural client hilariously speaking, I recommend all clinicians to read them before going into the field, it gives a very general idea about a behavior of the group of people and the reason of their certain behavior, and the authors interpreter the behavior in a respectful way.

This is the overview of the book content:

At the beginning book, Marsella analyzes the complexity of the disaster in the first chapter; as well as gives an in depth conception of culture. While giving a sharp insight of the potential conflict a cross-cultural communication may lead to, the author also argues that simply applying “western” relief may create more problems other than resolving them. Then it emphasizes the cultural consideration in six phases of disaster relief cycle. At the end, by quoting from The New South Wales Institute of Psychiatry’s Disaster Mental Health Response Handbook that a large range of victims need to be given consideration, it brings the awareness of the indirectly affected victims. In conclusion, it gives the seven symptoms of a disaster victim during the disaster cycle and raises the awareness of the complexity of disaster, and acknowledging and mediating variations rather than denying or distorting may help solve the problems. Here, by agreeing with the complexity of culture, I would like to share the iceberg culture model as a metaphor to understand a cultural is not to see the outlook, but to see through the under beneath the surface.

Picture 1. Cultural Iceberg (Princeton, NJ, 1992)

From raising the awareness of the diversity and complexity, Norris and Alegria give an overview of ethnic-minority individuals and communities in North America, and some difficult situations and stigma in mental health services. It argues that the data & the research from the past are helpful to understand the post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the diversity group, but it’s also inadequate due to the complexity of diverse subgroup. The clinicians may also make impropriate medical decisions due to the bias or stereotyping (Takeuchi & Uehara, 1996) . Some studies show that the congruence between therapist and client plays a significant role in therapy (Sue, 1998) , and it quotes from Sue that when a clinician encounters a client from an uncertain cultural background, he/she is suggested to use hypotheses to test rather than make premature conclusions. Though there is no formulary to advise cross-cultural treatment, with the scientific mindedness as Sue suggested, the cross-cultural treatment programs need to address language needs, physical care as well as offering the mental health services with competent bilingual clinicians (Kinzei, 2001 ). Then, the authors show the emotional statues are related with socially engaged emotions (feeling of closeness), socially disengaged emotions (pride) and generic emotions (happiness), where the findings between Japan as an collectivism culture and United States as individualism culture are quite different (Kitayama, Markus, and Matsumoto, 1995), nevertheless, the treatment needs to be “embed the individual into a broader familial, interpersonal, and social context.” Finally, it gives the Solomon’s study that by minimizing the intervention for self-help while providing for basic needs, and empowering the victims to participate in their own recovery efforts so as to regain controlling over their lives and the future.

In the next nine chapters, it develops useful information concerning culture in different ethnocultural groups, which is list in the Table 1. As the author suggests, this is not the formulaic information but the references to assist the clinicians to make their own decision.

	African Americans	American Indians	Arab Americans	Asian Indians	Caribbean Island Black population	Chinese Americans	Hawaiians	Hispanic	Vietnamese
Population demographics
Historical events
Communication styles
Valid assessment instruments
Special disorder considerations
Special therapies and healing considerations
Medications and therapies
Disasters and trauma insights
Special recommendations for improving the services

Table 1. Chapter 3 – Chapter 11

In conclusion, the next chapter from Wilson offers an implication of the trauma experience, and again, some insights of the complexities of trauma across cultures. It finally raises serious questions about the cultural variations in trauma and “the necessity of using care and sensitivity when treating people from different cultural traditions”.

Critiques

All in all, it’s a very insightful book for mental health humanitarian workers in disaster relief and cross cultural consultants. Here are the bricks I think it’s important to be considered.

1. Application is very subtle in terms of groups. Though it gives a global view of application in the last chapter, the real applications in different minority groups looks as helpless as the situation of the minority groups. It might bring some social justice issue as well. Successfully addressing the problem, but to solve the problem, it's a long way to go.

2. Since the book is written by the psychology therapist (western), it will be good if it directly invite the therapist/healers/clinicians from different cultures, or even nations, countries, to share the similar disaster relief cases. (It actually did quite a lot of research and works in the book)

3. Other researches on the model of building a strong personality in each cultural tradition, to empower the victims recovering from PTSD as well as rebuilding the destroyed community.

4. Translation of the book, since it's cross culture and language.

5. Coordination and cooperation with other dimensions of disaster relief organizations, communities and programs. The disaster relief is not only humanitarian mental health service, but also the community re-building, society policy, facilities recovering and so forth. It will be great if the book can invite or cooperate with the different dimensions of the disaster relief.

6. Target on the trend indicator of each culture. Although, the philosophy of the people’s group is rooted from the history, as the economics developing and historical events happening, a trend indication is a very interesting topic to research into. From my perspective, in China, people go to counseling service is not a “wrong” thing to do, though the awareness of mental health is not high enough, the change of the value, the rapid civilization and the vanishing of the spirituality do make people go the counseling office.
7. Target on social justice issue + minority

8. Target on other international scholar and students are facing the cultural shock as well as not getting support from their own sub-cultural group; they are in need of the mental health support in a personal cultural disaster. To solving the problem: a. Selectively choose the international students and scholars in an authentic way. b. It’s not only to train the professional councilors and bring the awareness of mental health among this group of people, but also train those who understand the cultural disorder and cultural shocks, to counsel or help in a non-official level, as well as to offer the proper professional networks for this group of people.

Proposal: PBL for Disaster Relief -- School Model & K-12 Curriculums

Proposal: PBL for Disaster Relief:

-- School Model & K-12 Curriculums

LuLu

Introduction

The Forever Eden (HTTP://www.ForeverEden.ORG) will serve as an international education resource website for disaster relief. For administrators, it offers educational community rebuilding tool/model after-disaster, based on culture, population, family and society value, local relationships and funding. For educators in disaster area, it shares up-to-date curriculums for K-12 teachers for disaster release with the purpose of teaching knowledge, and healing the students from the suffering. For educators out side of the disaster area, it’s an online community to contribute and share the curriculums as well as connects with the world; for students out side of the disaster area, it’s an opportunity to access the primary source to understand the disaster and life value, understand sharing knowledge and engaging life from the friendships through internet collaboration as well as learning through different people in this unlimited world. Potentially, it will be an international NGO registered in different countries and serve the educators and students in disaster area, with the associated NGOs, schools, educators and students.

The mind map with related resource is shown in the following link. http://www.mind42.com/pub/mindmap?mid=51e29c15-e6e8-4df2-bdd9-453d712fb198

Picture 1. Snapshot of the screen, click the link above to see more information about developing map.

Resource List

The Forever Eden is a K-12 school policy, school model and curriculum collaborative website for the NGO for disaster relief

The resource for the will include:

• Natural Disaster Deference Database
http://ndrd.gsfc.nasa.gov

• Special Site on Development Research Center of the State Council
http://www.drcnet.com.cn/DRCNet.Channel.Web/subject/subjectIndex.aspx?chnId=4024

• Red Cross Disaster Relief for Education
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/eduinfo/

• The Disaster Database Project
http://learning.richmond.edu/disaster/index.cfm

• Dealing with Disasters
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/dealing_disasters/

• Asian Disaster Reduction Center
http://www.adrc.or.jp/index.php

• Sentinel-Asia Project – Disaster Management Support System
http://arrs.adrc.or.jp/adrc/MyMap/adrc/index.jsp?AUTHORIZED=yes&USERPROFILEKEY=1132191860541&ACTIONKEY=RefreshAction&MAPDIR=401&lang=en

• Emergency Events Database
http://www.emdat.be/Database/terms.html

• Friendship Site and Assistantship
http://www.inquiry.uiuc.edu/index.php

TODO List

l School policy and model for disaster relief: student centered education policy instead of the traditional achievement-timeline system. The creativity, culture and art will be specially emphasized. From Standley’s high Tech school in Alaska, there is no F for any students and students are encouraged to teach and share with other students to get an A. The school is a community, all students are sisters and brothers taking care of and sharing with each other.

l The peer program is building the friendship and assistantship in the global wide.

l Curriculum for K-12: All curriculums are under the Creative Common copyright protection. It’s a Blog style; everyone can contribute, everyone can rate and comment for each other. We are trying to build the network for the teachers have a devotional heart to support the children and schools. The world is without boundary.

l Associated NGO: The associate NGOs and related

Why We start the Forever Eden for Disaster Relief

• There are researches on the disaster relief, database on the disaster rebuilt, but the practice of the research and the feedbacks of the curriculum were few (need do more research on what have been done in history). There is no way for human-being to prevent and avoid the natural disaster within the natural power, but there will be a hope for all if the world classroom becomes flat with the technology and internet.

• Risk for children who experienced the natural disaster:
A number of psychological symptoms have been observed in children following disasters, including fears, sleep problems, depression, separation anxiety, somatic complaints, and conduct problems (Delamater & Applegate, 1999). As Delamater & Applegate said and I am quoting here, “when the concept of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been applied to children, studies have found symptoms of PTSD in children following natural disasters (Lonigan, Shannon, Finch, Daugherty, &Taylor, 1991; Pefferbaum, 1997; Vogel & Vernberg, 1993). For example, recent studies have shown a high rate of PTSD symptoms in school-age children following exposure to a severe hurricane (La Greca, Silverman, Vernberg, & Prinstein, 1996; Vernberg, La Greca, Silverman, & Prinstein, 1996). There is also evidence of PTSD among children exposed to other types of severe trauma such as sniper attack (Pynoos, Frederick, Nader, Arroyo, Steinberg, Eth, Nunez, & Fairbanks, 1987), kidnapping (Terr, 1983), witnessing violence (Kinzie, Sack, Angell, Manson, & Rath, 1986; Saigh, 1989), and sexual abuse (Kiser, Ackerman, Brown, Edwards, McColgan, Pugh, & Pruitt, 1988). Available studies of children suggest that symptoms of PTSD are related to degree of exposure to life threat (Pynoos et al., 1987) and levels of parental distress (McFarlane, 1987), and may persist for long periods after the disaster (Galante & Foa, 1986; Kinzie et al., 1986; Terr, 1983).”
From Delamater & Applegate, their research found the 18 months delay of PTSD if the children were from minority, single-parent families or social stressors. They are in higher risk for some delays in their development and healing.

• Different background of children, or disaster area need different model and policies.
A significant percentage of children were rated by their mothers as having delays in their overall development: 31% at 12 months post-hurricane and 15% at 18 months post-hurricane. While these numbers seem fairly high, they may not be elevated for the population of children attending Head Start programs, who are more likely to be from minority, single-parent families experiencing a variety of economic and social stressors. Children growing up in such stressful environments may be at risk for some delays in their development. According to the result above, the school policy should be various in terms of area and the website will offer different model and policy, depends on the disaster area, general social level in nation wide, the development plan and human resource management.

• Different students needs different education plan. Recent school system is timeline based for the achievement and the new Forever Eden schools will focus on students’ personal achievement to decide their timeline of education. No one will fail and everyone is going to be prepared for the leadership and life-long learner.

Action Plan

1. Research on what have been done in disaster relief in education field; specially pay more attention to the technology and internet for knowledge and education.

2. Build the collaborative website

3. Register an NGO in Hawaii and recruit and promote

4. 1^st Fund raising – through internet

5. Keep the Blog growing and Develop the network and connection with the people who are interested or already contributed to the similar area.

6. Put into action: the school model and education concept will be practiced in Chengdu, China. The initial connection is built and the leader in local DOE approved the research team to enter and coach with the ESL and interview.

7. Develop the network: contact with ChinaCare, World Vision, YWAM and related legal international NGOs active in Mainland China or Hong Kong.

8. 2^nd fund raising (different languages) – through internet and if it’s possible, will consider the conference

9. Develop the team.

10. Research team go to Sichuan, interview, survey for the research data collection as well as the video resource; (Storyboarding for the video)

11. Produce the Video series;

12. International Conference

Evaluation

Being pro-active, I evaluate myself by action. All steps above without action will be counted 0. The Fund raising is will be transparent to the board members and donators. Step 1 to 7 is predictable if the action is made. The rest of the steps will be various and adapted to the reality.

Reference

Standley, M. & Hutchings, K. (2000). Global Project-based Learning with Technology. Visions Technology Publications.

Delamater, M. A., & Applegate, A. M. (1999). Child Development And Post-traumatic Stress Disorder After Hurricane Exposure. Traumatology. Vol. 5, No. 3, 20-27. SAGE Publications

Lonigan, C., Shannon, M., Finch, A., Daugherty, T., & Taylor, C. (1991). Children’s reactions to a natural disaster: Symptom severity and degree of exposure. Advances in Behavior Research and Therapy. 13, 135-154.

Vogel, J., & Vernberg, E. (1993). Children’s psychological responses to disasters. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology. 22, 464-484.

La Greca, A., Silverman, W., Vernberg, E., & Prinstein, M. (1996). Posttraumatic stress symptoms in children after Hurricane Andrew: A prospective study. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 64, 712-723.

Vernberg, E., La Greca, A., Silverman, W., & Prinstein, M. (1996). Prediction of posttraumatic stress symptoms in children after Hurricane Andrew. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 105, 237-248.

Pynoos, R.S., Frederick, C., Nader, K., Arroyo, W., Steinberg, A., Eth, S., Nunez, F., & Fairbanks, L. (1987). Life threat and posttraumatic stress in school-age children. Arch. General Psychiatry. 44, 1057-1063.

Terr, L. (1983). Chowchilla revisited: The effects of psychic trauma four years after a bus kidnapping. American Journal of Psychiatry. 140, 1542-1550.

Kinzie, J. D., Sack, W. H., Angell, R.H., Manson, S., & Rath, B. (1986). The psychiatric effects of massive trauma on Cambodian children: I. The children. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 25, 370-376.

Kiser, L.J., Ackerman, B.J., Brown, E., Edwards, N.B., McColgan, E., Pugh, R., & Pruitt, D.B. (1988). Post-traumatic stress disorder in young children: A reaction to purported sexual abuse. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 27(5), 645-649.

McFarlane, A.C. (1987). Posttraumatic phenomena in a longitudinal study of children following a natural disaster. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 26, 764-769.

Galante, R., and Foa, D. (1986). An epidemiological study of psychic trauma and treatment effectiveness for children after a natural disaster. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry. 25, 357-363.

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Galante, R., and Foa, D. (1986). An epidemiological study of psychic trauma and treatment effectiveness for children after a natural disaster. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry. 25, 357-363.

Writing and Planning - The Art of the Start

Writing and Planning - The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasak

It seems like his book is useful at this moment for Lulu..;)
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jan2008/sb2008017_014641.htm

Thank God for the HIM email updating.
http://www.himonline.org/index.php?page=con_st

Project/ Problem Based Learning Hawaii

Project/ Problem Based Learning Hawaii

(Draft) Lulu

Why Project/ Problem Based Learning Hawaii:

1. Importance of Project/ Problem based learning and side effect of timeline based learning.

2. Hawaii special location: diversity, division, indigene, immigration, drug, homeless, military, etc.

3. John Burns School and NASA program are focusing on natural sciences, with a space for creativities in Art and social sciences.

Potential Research Direction:

Qualitative Data Analysis in Cross-Cultural

Future Studies

Curriculum for Documentary Production (K6-12)

Computer Society/ Computers and Education

Students Government

Purpose

Develop the PBL Curriculums for recent social problems/ injustice in communities in Hawaii

Promote the PBL in k-12 in Hawaii, as well as to the Asian/Pacific region.

Develop online PBL curriculum website, with Google translation engine, RSS news automatic update from the PBL frontier around the world, Web 2.0 implication to MySpace and FaceBook for networking.

Social Networking through website

Promote University of Hawaii - Student Government in State of Hawaii

Research on Computer Society, Computers and Education, Education system Modeling

1. Documentary as Problem/ Project Based Learning (K6-12):
Why documentary/filming?

a. oral history documentary

b. discovery the truth and history through experiencing

c. Involves in writing, drawing, communicating, researching, leadership, managing, public speaking, interviewing, video tapping, editing and marketing, etc.

d. Critical thinking

e. solving social problems with the power from younger generations

Doable documentary project right now:

1) Sovereignty issue:

(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/03/us/03hawaii.html?ref=us )

Working as group, student will interview local Hawaiian to explore the history of Hawaii, make documentary for the sovereignty issue, speak out the bitterness and injustice through the documentary, as well as to make peace as and communicate as an intercessor. As presenting in front of communities and schools, the group will be evaluated with the feedback form created by them.

2) Poverty: homeless

Working as group, student will interview the homeless, donate the food and clothes, have conversation with homeless, explore the various reasons of the poverty, explore the deeper understanding of life and society and make documentary for the homeless people. As presenting in front of communities and school, the group will be evaluated with the feedback form created by them.

3) Interview Successful Women Leaders – Annual International Women Leadership Conference at Oahu can be the best resource

Working as group, student will interview the successful women leaders in different area, and make a film of Island Success. As presenting in front of communities and school, the group will be evaluated with the feedback form created by them.

4) Drug Issue

Most of Homeless are with drug addiction history. Working as group, students will interview the people who have been in addiction and successfully conquered drug addiction. Student will explore the reason people take drugs and the consequence of drug addiction. . As presenting in front of communities and school, the group will be evaluated with the feedback form created by them.

Other potential topics: Women Leaders, NASA, immigrants, abuse centers, success business people, senators …

2. Teach and Lead - It’s not the dumbest generation!

It’s just a sad to see most of administrators consider MySpace, blogger and other web 2.0 are evil. ETEC is the program to equip school to educate, but it will be easier to let the students to teach teachers and teachers’ job is to teach students to teach and lead.

Conference: Equip ETEC Educators to teach students how to teach using myspace, blog, and other web 2.0 tools.

PBLHI will develop the models, recourses, curriculums for attendees to equip students to teach and lead, focus on Web 2.0. (“Will offer” means I believe there are recourses out there but I need to research and collect a.s.a.p.)

3. Online Project/problem based learning curriculum developing.
E-learning pedagogy.

4. Global projects for global citizens.

5. Life long learning and communities.

NASA:http://www.higp.hawaii.edu/kaams/enter.html

Other PBL NGOs

State Government

Book Resource:

Bain, Ken. (2004). What The Best College Teachers Do. Cambridge, Mass : Harvard University Press

Dufy, Thomas M. and Kirkley, Jamie R. (2004) Learner-centered theory and practice in distance education : cases from higher education. Mahwah, N.J : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Kee, V. S. (2004). Teaching & learning through inquiry: A guidebook for institutions and instructors . Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Kember, David. (2000) Action learning and action research : improving the quality of teaching and learning . London : Kogan Page ; Sterling, VA : Stylus Pub.

Savin-Baden, M. (2000). Problem-based learning in higher education: Untold stories . Philadelphia: Open University Press.

Savin-Badin, M. (2003). Facilitating problem-based learning: Illuminating perspectives . Philadelphia: Open University Press

Savin-Baden, M. & C. H. Major. (2004). Foundations of Problem-based learning. Philadelphia: Open University Press.

Schwartz, P., Mennin, S., & Webb, G. (2001). Problem-based learning: Case studies, experience and practice. Kogan Page.

Torp, L., & Sage, S. (2002). Problems as possibilities: Problem-based learning for K-16 education (2nd ed.) Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Web Recourses

http://www.bie.org

http://pblmm.k12.ca.us/index.html

http://www.qla.com.au/ : (Australia)

http://www.langfordlearning.com/ :

http://www.asdn.org/index.html : (Alaska Staff Development Network_

http://www.thedirectorintheclassroom.com/ : resource for filming and teaching

http://www.makeamovie.net/index2.html : resource for filming and teaching
http://www.highlandtech.org/ : PBL public school in Alaska
http://www.reinventingschools.org/

Universities with PBL centers:

University of Delaware’s PBL: http://www.udel.edu/pbl/

Maastricht University: http://www.unimaas.nl/pbl/

Stanford University CTL Center: http://ctl.stanford.edu/Newsletter/index.html

University of New Mexico TED center: http://hsc.unm.edu/som/TED/

Problem-Based Learning at the University of Cincinnati: http://www.uc.edu/pbl/index.shtml

PBL for Faculties in UCI: http://www.pbl.uci.edu/

Recourses in Hawaii:

http://ome.hawaii.edu/asia.htm

http://www.higp.hawaii.edu/kaams/enter.html

Annotations: PBL for Disaster Relief

Annotations : PBL for Disaster Relief

forevereden.org

Lulu

Standley, M. & Hutchings, K. (2000). Global Project-based Learning with Technology. Visions Technology Publications.

With years of experiences on PBS, this book gives manual details for using technology to create powerful culturally diverse learning environments that encourage students to explore, solve problems, and learn how to work with others.

Delamater, M. A., & Applegate, A. M. (1999). Child Development and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder after Hurricane Exposure. Traumatology. Vol. 5, No. 3, 20-27. SAGE Publications

This paper examines child development in relation to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the hurricane. The study subjects were 175 three to five years old minority children enrolled in Head Start programs. Results indicated that 16.5% of exposed children met DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for PTSD at 12 months, and 11.6% had PTSD at 18 months post-hurricane. The findings indicate that children with PTSD are at risk for delays in their overall development. Further studies are needed to specify how PTSD may interfere with normal child development.

Galante, R., and Foa, D. (1986). An epidemiological study of psychic trauma and treatment effectiveness for children after a natural disaster. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry. 25, 357-363.

This paper examines an epidemiological study of psychic trauma and treatment effectiveness for children after a natural disaster. The findings of the research indicate the presence of PTSD places young children at increased risk for failure to achieve normal development in cognitive, social, and emotional skills.

Evans. L., & Oehler-Stinnett. J., Children and Natural Disasters. School Psychology International, Vol. 27, No. 1, 33-55 (2006)

This article presents an overview for school psychologists of the literature on children in natural disasters. Worldwide children are impacted by natural disasters, including hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires, landslides and sandstorms, winter and severe storms, heat waves, volcanoes and tsunamis. School psychologists should understand natural disaster effects, such as economic loss, relocation and health concerns and mental health issues. While most children are able to cope, a significant minority develops severe symptoms and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). School psychologists should gain trauma mental health training through the American Psychological Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, and the International School Psychology Association. They can also be involved in school and community prevention, mitigation and educational programming.

Natural Disaster Deference Database http://ndrd.gsfc.nasa.gov

The Natural Disaster Reference Database (NDRD) is a bibliographic database on research, programs, and results which relate to the use of satellite remote sensing for disaster mitgation. The NDRD was compiled and abstracted from articles published from 1981 though January 2000. Major sources for the contents of this database were the NASA RECON and ISI Current Contents databases. This database focuses on the nexus of hazards and satellite remote sensing as well as models and process studies through which these can be brought together. Although the NDRD is no longer updated, it remains on-line as a useful resource for disaster researchers worldwide and as a legacy web site of the Earth-Sun Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center located in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA.

Special Site on Development Research Center of the State Council. http://www.drcnet.com.cn/DRCNet.Channel.Web/subject/subjectIndex.aspx?chnId=4024

Website for Earth Quake relief on May 12th, 2008 from the from Development Research Center of the State Council in China. The Information Website of Development Research Center of the State Council (or "DRCnet") is a distinguished service platform for gathering professional economic information.

Red Cross Disaster Relief for Education. http://www.redcross.org/disaster/masters/facingfear/

Facing Fear is a website materials for educators and caregivers of children for helping children cope in uncertain times. The curriculum is under the project Masters of Disaste, children's natural hazard safety curriculum. The format and components are similar, including ready-to-go lesson plans, activities and demonstrations that can be incorporated within core subject areas. Lessons are aligned with national health, social studies, and language arts standards.

Dealing with Disasters. http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/dealing_disasters/

This is the resource website for the background information of natural disasters. There are case study material and lesson plans helping teachers for the classroom. The activities cover floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and famine. The vision of the website is to educate the students for a global citizen. The materials and projects are helpful for both disaster relief, disaster education and project based learning.

Asian Disaster Reduction Center. http://www.adrc.or.jp/index.php

The Asian Disaster Reduction Center was to build disaster resilient communities and to establish networks among countries through many programs including personnel exchanges in this field. It addresses issues from a global perspective in cooperation with a variety of UN agencies and international organizations/initiatives.

Sentinel-Asia Project – Disaster Management Support System. http://arrs.adrc.or.jp/adrc/MyMap/adrc/index.html

It’s an online database system for the latest disaster reported by Asian Disaster Reduction Center. Everyone can contribute in this site.

Emergency Events Database. http://www.emdat.be/Database/terms.html

Emergency Events Database is a database system, as well as data analysis, and policy advising.EM-DAT provides and objective basis for vulnerability assessment and rational decision-making in disaster situations. It helps policymakers identify disaster types that are most common in a given country and have had significant historical impacts on specific human populations.

PBL-Online. http://pbl-online.org/

PBL-Online is a rich, multi-level resource for PBL teachers, both experts and those new to PBL. The site provides, introduces, and explains Project Based Learning using both text and video. In addition, it guides users through the planning of a standards-focused project using the proven method described in the BIE Project Based Learning Handbook.

Checklists to support Project Based Learning and evaluation. http://pblchecklist.4teachers.org/

To help you start using PBL, we've created age-appropriate, customizable project checklists for written reports, multimedia projects, oral presentations, and science projects. The use of these checklists keeps students on track and allows them to take responsibility for their own learning through peer- and self-evaluation.

BIE Website http://www.bie.org/

The Buck Institute for Education (BIE) is a non profit research and development organization creates curriculum and training materials, provides professional development, and conducts and disseminates research. It’s a resourceful website for Project based learning, project based learning school models and political policies.