TNCT (Trends Network and Critical Thinking in

the 21st Century)
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So
cial trends have been a part of life since the beginning of time. Society reacts to certain stimuli,
whether it is a type of music, fashion or activity. These trends are not always created by the majority,
but the majority of society does typically follow.

The 1980s brought leg warmers, neon-colored clothing and big hair, whereas the 1960s saw social
trends like bell-bottom jeans, peace signs and protests against war. Every era offered social trends
that seemed to fade away as the new decade began. As technology progresses, the changes in social
trends do as well. For instance, beepers and cordless phones were once all the rage but were
eventually replaced with cell phones and iPads.

Facebook and Twitter introduced a new social trend by introducing a new way to connect with people
from far and near. Social networking began a long-lasting type of social trend unlike some shorter-
lived trends like tennis shoes with built-in roller blades and disco music.

Social trends are constantly changing, and many companies use their ability to anticipate the social
change as part of their business marketing campaign.

In the world of fashion, styles always seem to be changing. What is trending one season may be passé
the next. In fact, some styles don’t seem to last longer than a month, and navigating the world of
jewelry is no different. It may feel impossible to stay stylish without breaking the bank by aimlessly
following every trend to hit the market. However, a deeper understanding of the differences between
fads, trends and classics, will enable you to put an end to the fashion fueled guessing game.

FAD , TREND: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE ?

1) Fads
The easiest way to categorize a fad is one word: short-lived. Typically, fads last for a total of one
season, but they can also last less than a month. Fads are novelty driven fashion choices. A fad is often
referred to as “catching on” with the larger population, but will often fade as quickly as it appeared.
The easiest way to remember a fad is through a simple alliteration: fads fade. Although engaging in
fads can be fun, they are often not worth investing a large amount of money or time.

2)Trends

Trends have a much longer lifespan than fads. In fact, they can continue to be fashionable for years
and even decades. The primary difference between a trend and a fad is that trends have the potential
to be long-term influencers on the market. In addition, trends often involve altered classics. For
example, specific colors can be declared “trendy.” For 2014, the colors orange and blue garnered a lot
of attention. However, orange and blue are classic colors; in other words, a classic piece has been
declared a “trend.” Trends can be much more difficult to track, but the best rule of thumb when
considering whether a piece is a classic or a trend, is to ask yourself: “Will I still love this in five
years?” If the answer is a resounding “Yes,” then chances are that the piece is either a classic or an
updated classic, both of which will age beautifully.

Understanding of LAN (local area networking) 

LAN describes a network that reaches a limited area, such as a single office building, where the
computer that has network is physically adjacent to one another. A large LAN for example on an office
or corporate complex, where it can be separated into multiple workgroup to further facilitate
manejemennya. In this case, a workgroup comprised of user who do share the same resources, such as
files, printers and application programs. For example, on a LAN of a company you can create a
workgroup to different departments, such as sales, finance, human resources. The distance is
approximately up to 10 km. Advantages jaingan LAN is 
1. Exchange of files (file sharing) 

2. Use the printer can be done by all clients (printer sharing) 

3. The data files can be stored on the server, so it can be accessed from any client securities according
to the authorization of all employees, which can be made based on the company’s organizational
structure so that data security is assured. 

4. Data files in / out from / to the server can be controlled 

5. The process of backing up data quick and easy

6. The risk of losing data by a computer virus becomes very small 

7. Communication between employees can be done using email and chat

Strategy Development: Social Network Analysis
ToolkitsJanuary 2009

Social Network Analysis (SNA)

 – is a research technique that focuses on identifying and comparing the relationships within and
between individuals, groups and systems in order to model the real-world interactions at the heart of
organisational knowledge and learning processes. Whereas an organisation chart shows formal
relationships of function and responsibility, SNA aims to illuminate informal relationships: ‘who
knows whom’ and ‘who shares with whom’. This allows leaders to visualise and understand the
diverse relationships that either facilitate or impede knowledge sharing. ‘Because these relationships
are normally invisible, SNA is sometimes referred to as an ‘organisational X-ray’ – showing the real
networks that operate underneath the surface organisational structure’ .
After social relationships and knowledge flows become visible, they can be evaluated, compared and
measured. Results of SNA can then be applied at the level of individuals, departments or
organisations to:
Identify those (individuals and groups) playing central roles (thought leaders, key knowledge brokers,
information managers, etc).

Identify bottlenecks and those isolated.

Spot opportunities to improve knowledge flow.

Target those where better knowledge sharing will have the most impact.

Raise awareness of the significance of informal networks.

Detailed description of the process

The SNA process involves information collection by means of questionnaires and/or interviews. Data
targeted are those regarding relationships within a defined group or network of people. Then, using a
software tool designed for the purpose, responses are mapped. Analysis of data arising from the
responses can go on to offer a baseline. Using this baseline, it is then possible to plan and prioritise
changes and interventions geared towards improving social connections and knowledge flows within
the group or network.
There are various key stages involved:
Identification of the target network (e.g. team, group, department).

Background data collecting, obtained through interviewing managers and key players regarding
specific needs and problems.

Outlining and clarifying objectives and scope of analysis, and determining the level of reporting.

Formulating hypotheses and questions.

Developing the survey methodology and the questionnaire.

Using these tools to interview the individuals in the network to identify relationships and knowledge
flows.

Using a mapping tool to map out the network visually.

Review of the map and of problems and opportunities highlighted, by means of interviews and/or
workshops.
Design and implementation of actions to bring about desired changes.

Mapping the network again after an appropriate period of time.

Key points/practical tips

It is important that SNA involves knowing what information to gather in the first place. As a result, it
is vital to put a great deal of thought into the design of the survey and questionnaire. Effective
questions typically focus on a variety of factors, such as those that follow:
Who knows whom and how well?

How well do people know each others’ knowledge and skills?

Who or what gives people information about a specific theme/relationship/process?

What resources do people use to find information, get feedback/ideas/advice about a specific
theme/relationship/process?

What resources do people use to share information about theme/relationship/process?

Example: SNA in Mozambique humanitarian relief 

In February 2000, Mozambique suffered its worst flooding in almost 50 years: 699 people died and
hundreds of thousands were displaced. Over 49 countries, 30 INGOs and 35 local organisations
provided humanitarian assistance. A team of researchers used SNA methods to examine the structure
of inter-organisational relations among the 65 NGOs involved in the flood operations. The results
showed a correlation between the central role of an organisation in the social network (i.e. the number
and strength of connections with other organisations) and the numbers of beneficiaries served,
specifically during the emergency period immediately following the flooding. This association was
shown in turn to be affected by other factors, such as NGO type, sector of engagement and provincial
presence. As an example, with the exception of the Mozambican Red Cross (which was the most
central member of the network), local NGOs in general remained peripheral to the coordination
processes. This suggests that local civil society capacity for responding to future disasters had not
been developed over the course of the crisis, and that the response may have increased dependence on
INGOs. Interestingly, the association between network position and beneficiary numbers did not hold
during the post-emergency recovery period, a fact which was linked to the observed reduction of
coordination levels during this phase.
By using social network analysis to determine how the network structure affects inter-organisational
coordination and humanitarian aid outcomes, the study showed that the success of humanitarian aid
operations ultimately depends on the ability of organisations to work together, and that working
together was built on knowledge sharing, joint operations and projects, in an appropriate inter-
organisational network structure.

GLOBAL NETWORK :Labor and Migration

Globalization – is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world
views, products, ideas, and other aspects of culture. Advances in transportation (such as the steam
locomotive, steamship, jet engine, and container ships) and in telecommunications infrastructure
(including the rise of the telegraph and its modern offspring, the Internet and mobile phones) have
been major factors in globalization, generating further interdependence of economic and cultural
activities. Though many scholars place the origins of globalization in modern times, others trace its
history long before the European Age of Discovery and voyages to the New World,

GLOBAL MIGRATION
a situation in which people go to live in foreign countries, especially in order to find work: Most global
migration is from developing countries to developed ones. global migration patterns.

(Types of Migration)

Internal migration. 

This refers to a change of residence within national boundaries, such as between states, provinces,
cities, or municipalities. An internal migrant is someone who moves to a different administrative
territory.

International migration. 

This refers to change of residence over national boundaries. An international migrant is someone who
moves to a different country.

Planetary Networks:Climate Change

Climate change, also called global warming, refers to the rise in average surface temperatures on
Earth. An overwhelming scientific consensus maintains that climate change is due primarily to the
human use of fossil fuels, which releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the air.

Effects of Climate Change.

Global climate change has already had observable effects on the environment. Glaciers have shrunk,
ice on rivers and lakes is breaking up earlier, plant and animal ranges have shifted and trees are
flowering sooner.

Effects that scientists had predicted in the past would result from global climate change are now
occurring: loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise and longer, more intense heat waves.

Change will continue through this century and beyond

Global climate is projected to continue to change over this century and beyond.
Global climate is projected to continue to change over this century and beyond. The magnitude of
climate change beyond the next few decades depends primarily on the amount of heat-trapping gases
emitted globally, and how sensitive the Earth’s climate is to those emissions.

Temperatures will continue to rise

Because human-induced warming is superimposed on a naturally varying climate, the temperature
rise has not been, and will not be, uniform or smooth across the country or over time.
Because human-induced warming is superimposed on a naturally varying climate, the temperature
rise has not been, and will not be, uniform or smooth across the country or over time.

Frost-free season (and growing season) will lengthen.

The length of the frost-free season (and the corresponding growing season) has been increasing
nationally since the 1980s, with the largest increases occurring in the western United States, affecting
ecosystems and agriculture

The length of the frost-free season (and the corresponding growing season) has been increasing
nationally since the 1980s, with the largest increases occurring in the western United States, affecting
ecosystems and agriculture. Across the United States, the growing season is projected to continue to
lengthen.

In a future in which heat-trapping gas emissions continue to grow, increases of a month or more in
the lengths of the frost-free and growing seasons are projected across most of the U.S. by the end of
the century, with slightly smaller increases in the northern Great Plains. The largest increases in the
frost-free season (more than eight weeks) are projected for the western U.S., particularly in high
elevation and coastal areas. The increases will be considerably smaller if heat-trapping gas emissions
are reduced.

Changes in precipitation patterns

Average U.S. precipitation has increased since 1900, but some areas have had increases greater than
the national average, and some areas have had decreases

Average U.S. precipitation has increased since 1900, but some areas have had increases greater than
the national average, and some areas have had decreases. More winter and spring precipitation is
projected for the northern United States, and less for the Southwest, over this century.

Projections of future climate over the U.S. suggest that the recent trend towards increased heavy
precipitation events will continue. This trend is projected to occur even in regions where total
precipitation is expected to decrease, such as the Southwest.

More droughts and heat waves

Droughts in the Southwest and heat waves (periods of abnormally hot weather lasting days to weeks)
everywhere are projected to become more intense, and cold waves less intense everywhere.

Droughts in the Southwest and heat waves (periods of abnormally hot weather lasting days to weeks)
everywhere are projected to become more intense, and cold waves less intense everywhere.

Summer temperatures are projected to continue rising, and a reduction of soil moisture, which
exacerbates heat waves, is projected for much of the western and central U.S. in summer. By the end
of this century, what have been once-in-20-year extreme heat days (one-day events) are projected to
occur every two or three years over most of the nation.  

Hurricanes will become stronger and more intense

The intensity, frequency and duration of North Atlantic hurricanes, as well as the frequency of the
strongest (Category 4 and 5) hurricanes, have all increased since the early 1980s

The intensity, frequency and duration of North Atlantic hurricanes, as well as the frequency of the
strongest (Category 4 and 5) hurricanes, have all increased since the early 1980s. The relative
contributions of human and natural causes to these increases are still uncertain. Hurricane-associated
storm intensity and rainfall rates are projected to increase as the climate continues to warm.

Sea level will rise 1-4 feet by 2100

 Global sea level has risen by about 8 inches since reliable record keeping began in 1880. It is
projected to rise another 1 to 4 feet by 2100

Global sea level has risen by about 8 inches since reliable record keeping began in 1880. It is projected
to rise another 1 to 4 feet by 2100. This is the result of added water from melting land ice and the
expansion of seawater as it warms.

In the next several decades, storm surges and high tides could combine with sea level rise and land
subsidence to further increase flooding in many of these regions. Sea level rise will not stop in 2100
because the oceans take a very long time to respond to warmer conditions at the Earth’s surface.
Ocean waters will therefore continue to warm and sea level will continue to rise for many centuries at
rates equal to or higher than that of the current century.

Arctic likely to become ice-free

The Arctic Ocean is expected to become essentially ice free in summer before mid-century.
The Arctic Ocean is expected to become essentially ice free in summer before mid-century.
Democratic Intervention

The Democratic Intervention is a Portuguese left-wing political association founded in order to

promote and defend socialist ideas in Portugal and other countries . Members of it take part as
independents in the electoral alliance Unitary Democratic Coalition, along with the Portuguese
Communist Party and the Ecologist Party “The Greens”.

IMPORTANCE OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, & GOVERNANCE TO

DEVELOPMENT

Human welfare is defined not only in terms of freedom from hunger and poverty but also respect for
individual dignity. 

USAID recognizes that long-term, sustainable development is closely linked to sound democratic
governance and the protection of human rights.  We view the democracy, human rights, and
governance (DRG) sector not in isolation but as a critical framework in which all aspects of
development must advance together. 

Our projects in health, education, climate change, and food security will not be effective and
sustainable unless we work to:

Support legitimate, inclusive and sound governance.

Protect the basic rights of citizens.

Support stable and peaceful democratic transitions.

Former USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah called for a “united approach” to integrate democracy,
human rights, and governance considerations with socio-economic sectors in pursuit of broader U.S.
development objectives. 

The Administrator recognized that inclusive, accountable, and democratic governments are necessary
and critical for ensuring that communities can withstand conflict and/or other shocks and that
development gains are not lost, as well as creating stable partners for the United States. 
DRG goals in politically restrictive countries can often be more effectively advanced through
integrated programming led by other sectors.  Integrated programs are not intended to replace core
DRG programming or to dilute the efforts of socio-economic sectors.  Rather, they are intended to be
complement and reinforce. 

An integrated approach is rooted in existing Agency practices throughout the program cycle.
Moreover, integration is consistent with a number of key policy documents:

Domestically, with the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), National Security
Strategy, and Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development.

Internationally, with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, the Accra Agenda for Action, and the
Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation. 

Integration further promotes the principles of USAID Forward’s Implementation and Procurement
Reform for increased engagement of host-country systems and local capacity development. 

The Administrator signed a new policy to include democracy, human rights, an governance
integration in program-cycle guidance and practices and to establish an Integration Fund in support
of an Agency-wide staff trained in democracy, human rights, an governance cross-sectoral
approaches.

We are investing in collaborative efforts in democracy, human rights, and governance because strong
institutions and democratic participation, and well-trained staff and a solid evidence base, are
essential to the long-term success of our work in areas such as global health, climate change, and food
security.

Information and communications technology

Information and Communications Technology (ICT)

 is an extended term for information technology (IT) which stresses the role of unified
communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals),
computers as well as necessary enterprise software, middleware, storage, and audio-visual systems,
which enable users to access, store, transmit, and manipulate information. 

The term ICT is also used to refer to the convergence of audio-visual and telephone networks with
computer networks through a single cabling or link system. There are large economic incentives (huge
cost savings due to elimination of the telephone network) to merge the telephone network with the
computer network system using a single unified system of cabling, signal distribution and
management.

However, ICT has no universal definition, as “the concepts, methods and applications involved in ICT
are constantly evolving on an almost daily basis.” The broadness of ICT covers any product that will
store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or receive information electronically in a digital form, e.g.
personal computers, digital television, email, robots. For clarity, Zuppo provided an ICT hierarchy
where all levels of the hierarchy “contain some degree of commonality in that they are related to
technologies that facilitate the transfer of information and various types of electronically mediated
communications”.Skills Framework for the Information Age is one of many models for describing and
managing competencies for ICT professionals for the 21st century.

Advantages of Using ICT in Learning-Teaching Processes. Information and Communication

Technologies have recently gained groundswell of interest.

With the aim to draw evidences regarding the advantages and benefits of ICT in schools
achievements. It seeks to measure the impact of ICT on students’ outcomes

DISADVANTAGE..

1) Cost 

More and more resources are being put into ICT in schools – the cost of laptops, wireless broadband,
projectors for example contribute a large percentage of the school’s budget.
A $850 million Standard ICT Operating Environment (SOE) system has begun in 2012, enabling
students to tap onto wireless networks in their schools with speeds up to 1Gbps to do their school
online assessments or research for their projects – particularly in the secondary and tertiary levels of
education.

2) Misuse of ICT
Instead of using their laptops or tablets for their studies and online tests, more often than not
students stray away and visit social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter.

Then, listening to the teachers in lessons are no longer their main priority – they would be too focused
on playing games or visiting social networking sites. 

This would result in lower academic grades. However, should the student be focused to their studies,
such activities may not play out and that would mean ICT is an advantage to them.

 Picture

A student using Facebook in class.

3) School Bags + Laptops?

Crescent Girls’ School, one of the 5 FutureSchools in Singapore, requires each student to own a
laptop. Coupled with heavy textbooks, notes and homework, the laptop is quite a burden to the
students’ back. 

An average laptop weighs about 2.0kg. Although homework is online, there are often times that the
homework is to be printed out and handed in. 

Schools are becoming more dependent on e-learning (learning on the internet) but textbooks are
mostly print publications. Hence, the weight of this laptop, textbooks, and homework may bear health
consequences in the near future.

Neural and social networks.

neural network

In information technology, a neural network is a system of hardware and/or software patterned after
the operation of neurons in the human brain. Neural networks — also called artificial neural networks
— are a variety of deep learning technologies. Commercial applications of these technologies generally
focus on solving complex signal processing or pattern recognition problems. Examples of significant
commercial applications since 2000 include handwriting recognition for check processing, speech-to-
text transcription, oil-exploration data analysis, weather prediction and facial recognition.

social networking
Social networking is the practice of expanding the number of one’s business and/or social contacts by
making connections through individuals, often through social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter,
LinkedIn and Google+.

Based on the six degrees of separation concept (the idea that any two people on the planet could make
contact through a chain of no more than five intermediaries), social networking establishes
interconnected online communities (sometimes known as social graphs) that help people make
contacts that would be good for them to know, but that they would be unlikely to have met otherwise.

Depending on the social media platform, members may be able to contact any other member. In other
cases, members can contact anyone they have a connection to, and subsequently anyone that contact
has a connection to, and so on. Some services require members to have a preexisting connection to
contact other members.

While social networking has gone on almost as long as societies themselves have existed, the
unparalleled potential of the Web to facilitate such connections has led to an exponential and ongoing
expansion of that phenomenon. In addition to social media platforms, the capacity for social
interaction and collaboration is increasingly built into business applications.