From volunteer to Museum Manager

[17 September 2009 - National Museum Wales] Dai Price chosen to lead the team at the National Roman Legion Museum. He started his career as a volunteer at Ceredigion Museum; spent six years as Gwern the Celt at St Fagans: National History Museum's Celtic Village; developed Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales' education programme on the Romans; and now Dai Price from Aberystwyth has been appointed as the National Roman Legion Museum's Manager. More

The Learning Revolution - Enhancing Informal Adult Learning for Older People in Care Settings

[28 September 2009 - The Learning Revolution - UK] As part of the discussion on enhancing informal adult learning for older people in care settings, an online discussion area within the "learning revolution" collaborative site has been set up by Becta.  You are now invited to join this group, which will host debate, ideas and issues around this topic. More ... Plus, check out the main Learning Revolution site, designed to gather views from interested people and to share progress to develop a culture of learning for all adults.

UK retirement age challenge fails

[25 September 2009 - BBC News] The High Court has upheld the law that allows UK employers to force workers to retire at the age of 65. In the UK, a worker can see their employment end at the age of 65 without any redundancy payment - even if they do not want to retire. More

Healthy Brain Aging: Why We Need to Retool "Use It Or Lose It"

[July/August 2009 - The Journal of Active Aging] By now you have probably heard about brain plasticity, the lifelong capacity of the brain to change and rewire itself in response to the stimulation of learning and experience. The latest scientific research shows that specific lifestyles and actions can improve the health and level of functioning of our brains, no matter our age. Of particular importance to maintaining cognitive functioning through life are the hippocampus (deep inside the brain, part of what is called the limbic system), which plays a role in learning and memory; and the frontal lobes (behind your forehead), which are key to maintaining decision-making and autonomy. Is there a way to physically protect these parts of the aging brain? Yes. But the right answer is far from "do one more crossword puzzle" or "do more X" (whatever X is). The key is to add significantly different activities to ensure a flow of novelty, variety and challenge, combining physical and mental exercise while not ignoring factors such as stress management and balanced nutrition. We need, in other words, to retool our
understanding and practice of “Use it or lose it.” We must focus on the importance of getting out of our physical and mental routines and activities to get the
benefits of real exercise -- physical and mental." More