Education Tips

Life Is About Evolution

2011-07-29T05:14:00.000-07:00

by: Dee Gibson

If you truly want to be a person of influence you first have to embrace evolution. Wisdom will always let you know that fighting change is definitely a losing battle so it is imperative that you move towards being a more evolved enlightened human being. One of the great principle of life is stated this way; "Freedom and happiness are found in the flexibility and ease with which we move through change."

If you truly want to transition or transform from someone who moves through life unconsciously to a person who becomes the wealthy individual who's completely aware of and completely at ease with all things around him or her then you must embrace change. It doesn't matter at all where you are from or what you've done in the past, you're never trapped in any circumstance, relationship, cycle, or situation unless you say and/or believe you are. It's always better to take each and everyday and treat it just as it is; a new day with new opportunities to do what's right.

If you're at a point in your life where you realize you're going in the wrong direction which means you're producing the wrong results then simply in most cases do the opposite of what you're doing right now. Trust me this will make a world of difference and you'll almost see small and/or big result quickly. I know this is easier said then done but when you add courage and persistent practice to your constant thought pattern that's saying "it's time to make the necessary changes" then I'm absolutely sure you'll make great progress in living a more happy and fulfilled life.

About The Author
I'm a man that loves to empower everyone on how to become better.
The author invites you to visit:
http://www.imperfectchristians.com

History of the Hebrew Language and How Best To Translate It

2011-05-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

The Hebrew language is a traditional Semitic one, used in the time of the Old Testament. Biblical Hebrew is frequently known as Classical Hebrew and has been traced back to the tenth century BC to the dominions of Judah and Israel.

Hebrew wasn't spoken much over the centuries, although it was used extensively as a literary language and as the liturgical language of Judaism. Many dialects of Classical Hebrew (sometimes called Medieval Hebrew) existed at the time, including the Midrashic Hebrew of the third century BC.

Employed in the Mishna and found in the Dead Sea Scrolls corresponding to the Hellenistic and Roman Periods before the annihilation of the Church in Jerusalem. The Babylonian Gemorrah, written about this time, was usually drafted in the Aramaic language and utilized a certain quantity of Greek words as well.

It was only at the start of the 19th century that Modern Hebrew became the written and spoken language of the Jewish folk. It is easy to understand how troublesome it can be to interpret Hebrew into any other language. The modern kind of the language is an accumulation of different dialects and colloquialisms. It includes words from plenty of other languages eg the romance languages of French, Spanish and Italian as well as Greek, Yiddish and Arabic. Additionally, during the past century, many English words became an important part of both written and spoken Hebrew. The Hebrew language is always developing, with new words being added when required. Additionally, Modern Hebrew has many local ideas and terms that maintain their meaning just when employed in the right context and will otherwise lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations. As an example, many years back, when the film industry in Israel was first taking off, the Hebrew flicks used subtitles in one or two languages in order to appeal to as many different motion picture goers right now.

These subtitles were customarily inaccurate and completely reduced the dialog of the characters in the flick.

An automatic translation software programme, while quicker and cheaper, will successfully interpret only the words of the text and will leave out a lot of the true personality of the Hebrew words and sentences. A manual translator, ideally one who has lived in Israel, who is accomplished in the 2 languages, will inject the true nature and flavour of the language into his interpretation. Yes, it is more expensive, but if precision is needed, manual translation is the only possible way to go.

How To Finance Your Way Through College

2010-12-27T21:34:00.000-08:00

Choosing which college to go to is not as hard as figuring out how much money you'll need and where you're going to get it from. Now if you come from rich family than you might have your college funds tucked away in a bank however if you're like the rest of us then you're going to worry about where you'll find your college funds from.

If you're thinking of studying and getting a part time job to cover your college fees, you should really think again. How can you get top marks and stay up late at night working at restaurants or retail jobs?

Getting A College Loan.
You can always apply for a college loan to help you with your annual fees and expenses. However you'll need to consider a few things before you get yourself a college loan. Firstly you have course fees, books and equipments. Then you have living expenses, rent, food, social life, and it goes on. Once you've figured out how much you need look for the best college loan you can find.

Federal Loans For Students.
If you apply for a federal student loan you're entitled to apply for a subsidized or unsubsidized loan. Subsidized loans are really helpful because the government will pay for all the interest that you accumulate on your student loan. However to apply for a subsidized loan you need to prove to the government that you're in desperate need of a loan and you have no financial help. Last but not least unsubsidized loans are available for anyone.

Can I Get More Than One Loan?
Yes you can get as many college loans as you want but you'll have to pay them back. The trick is not to get too many loans however if you've already got more than one loan then you should know that you're repayments are very high at the moment.

For everyone who has more than one student loan, there is a way to save money on your repayments. It's called Consolidating your student loans. To consolidate your student loans you'll need to talk to a lender who specialises on the topic. How it works is really simple. When you consolidate your student loans, you're putting all your loans with different lenders and combining them with one lender.

Can Consolidating My College Loan Save Money?
If you're monthly repayments is around $250 at 5% interest, once you consolidate your loan you can save up to 50% of your repayments. So you're new repayments should be around $130 a month.

You can also take up to 20 years to pay of your newly consolidated college loan. Now you know the risk and rewards of consolidating your student loans, your financial future is up to you. Good luck with the rest of the year and I hope it's a profitable one soon.

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How To Overcome Procrastination

2010-11-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

Procrastination is unfortunately something that a lot of us suffer from regularly, whether it's just an occasional ‘put off ‘til tomorrow' or a recurrent lack of drive and motivation. Procrastination can often hold us back from what we really want in life, and unfortunately, it's something that can crop up at any time of life, no matter who you are. A lot of people often assume that procrastination is simply being lazy, but this isn't always the case. Often, feelings of tiredness, hopelessness, panic or even depression can cause us to put things off and avoid reality completely.

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Procrastination is a trap, and once we've fallen in it can be very difficult to get back out, so why do we do it? Well for many people, procrastination is simply a way of coping with emotions and physical symptoms that often come with depression, often caused by panic. The unfortunate truth is that often, a ‘snowballing' effect can happen, you may be stressed and under pressure at work, then causing you to panic, which may then trigger depression which in turn can make thing very difficult for you to do. However it happened, it's important you get out of it, otherwise you may find that nothing will ever get done because you're too miserable and negative to bring yourself to do it.

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There are 5 main ‘style's of procrastination, you may feel that you fall under one mains style, or a mixture.

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Organization and keeping track of things is very difficult
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You fear people disapprove of you, or fear disapproval itself
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Important tasks seem futile, and so overwhelming it feels stupid to even attempt them
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Hostile feelings towards someone, and punishing them by putting things off
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Routines and Schedules cause you to feel rebellious

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These styles of procrastination can often also overlap in one of four different themes: Self Doubt, Discomfort Dodging, Guilt Driven and Habitual. Self Doubt is people who feel that there are rigid standards about how certain things need to be done and often fear they will fail, they often second guess themselves and will delay taking action against procrastinating. Discomfort dodging is when a person will avoid activities that will cause them anxiety, discomfort or even distress, however, often by dodging the activity, feelings and tension don't go away, and instead mount due to the avoidance. Guilt driven people often feel extreme guilt when tasks go done, but instead of acting on their guilt and working, they instead procrastinate, avoiding the issue and the guilt completely. And finally, Habitual people are people who have found procrastination to be an automatic response within their lives, they have put things off so often, that they feel it is just a part of them now, and there is nothing they can do to change it.

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But there are things you can do to change it, and get out of your procrastination cycle once and for all. The first thing is a simple idea, but it works all the same – make a list! It sounds ridiculous, but it does actually work. Just go to your local stationary store and get yourself a large notebook, and make lists and plans for yourself to stick to, prioritize everything on your list in order of importance, and allocate times for these tasks to be done (1 hour, 2 hours etc). The key to battling procrastination is organization, by allocating specific times; you're ensuring that you have enough time to do everything and get it done! If a task is particularly big, then split it up into manageable time slots, making sure that progress is steady, and you're not giving yourself too much to do.

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However, you also need to create some time for yourself, or ‘reward time'. Reward time gives you an incentive to get things done, because you know once it's done you can have a break and reward yourself for your hard work. Procrastination is a tough mountain to climb, but once you reach the top you're free to reap the rewards of an organized, healthy and happy lifestyle, as well as the true relief and satisfaction that comes with having nothing weighing you down!

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/motivational-articles/how-to-overcome-procrastination-1986368.html#ixzz145W62cTu
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

Mind Management

2010-11-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

Root cause of tension....

In the present world all are talking about the work pressure, tension etc which all can be avoided if we are able to understand the root cause.

If we analyze all the cases in detail that are causing this so called "tension", "pressure" etc, we alone are the culprit. But then we are taken away by the materialistic point of view & simply putting the blame on others.

Our human body is the most complex where in no one is able to understand how all the functions are synchronized with in no time. We all are gifted with decision making capabilities, but then still when it comes to critical situations at which a decision has to be taken; we try to play a safe game so to avoid criticism. The saddest part is not escaping from the game, but commenting on the action behind the scene.

We are all hung up in the head. This is the main problem & the one & only solution for that is get down from the head into the heart & all problems disappear. All the problems are created by the head. Mysteries remain but problem will disappear.

All the experiences that happen in life are like the small clouds; they come & go& are not worth paying much attention to. One should always remember that they are the sky, the clear blue infinite sky & then no clouds can distort you. Take no notice of such small clouds & they will never come uninvited.

We should be able to live our life in such a way that nobody is harmed neither by our actions nor by our words. We should live in a creative way, with skill & art. Live in a sensitive way & never become attached.

Root causes of all depressions are expectation & anxiety. The only solution is to remain detached.

The example of bee is worth mentioning here in this context.

The bee gathers honey from all kinds of flowers but it remains unattached. It will go the rose, to the marigold, to the lotus etc. It will move from flower to flower gathering honey, but it is not attached, it does not cling.

Another beauty is that, although the bee gathers honey from many flowers, it never destroys any flower. It collects what so ever it needs, but in such an artful way with such skill that the flower remains absolutely the same.

Life is never static; it is in a constant moment. So if we cling to anything, it will bring misery. When there is a beautiful sunset, let us all enjoy that, but do not cling on to it. It will soon disappear while watching itself. Then the night will fall, but let us not worry about that, the night has its own beauty. (Shining stars will decorate the sky).

So if someone has been attached to the beauty of the sunset, they will be crying because it is no longer there, & in that crying they will miss the beauty of shining stars appearing the sky.

We all are living in a world surrounded with anger, with jealousy, with possessiveness, with ego. One should refrain from all these gross elements because all these are destroying so much energy, wasting many good opportunities. All these energies should be transformed into good actions by helping others & serving the society there by adding more joy leading into peace.

There is a systematic process which is ongoing in whatever actions we perform.

Step 1- Creating a feeling:-

This is the basic step & naturally all the actions that are following us are because we have creating a feeling towards the object in the very first glance. That is why the famous statement "First impression is the best impression" holds always true at all times. But then there will be lots of questions in all your mind that will be against this logic. Let's wait & see……..

For example:-

When one person appears for the interview, & if he is directed neatly from the front desk, he automatically creates a feeling in his mind that this place will provide a good working atmosphere. But then in reality it might not be appealing to all. Still if the mind has created a positive feeling in the first moment it will really help to perform well in the interview too.

Another example:-

When i see a flower in the garden, i am creating a feeling that this is the most beautiful flower & is adding value to the garden as such. This feeling is re-emphasized many times & our mind accepts that feeling. Even there can be situations that this plant might be in the garden from a very long time; still we might not have noticed the same. But once the mind creates a feeling it will strongly keep on hold.

Step 2 – Thought:-

Once our mind accepts that feeling, it encourages us to think more. We will start to compare the color, look, appeal, fragrance etc of the flower with other & re-assures that this is the best flower in the entire lot. This thought strengthens the idea that this is the most beautiful flower. Even this is very much applicable at all our daily life.

We might be planning to buy some clothes for birthday & we will create a feeling that, I should buy both cool denim and a sexy check shirt. Now even in the statement itself how can I state that denim is cool and check shirt is sexy? Because I have created a feeling in my mind that this will be the best & is in fashion. Now this thought will be literally bothering me all the time & i will be thinking as to from which store I should purchase? Which brand will be better? How good I will be in that and all.

Whatever matter you take all these plays the same role. It can be anything starting from setting a wakeup call in the morning to choosing your better half.

Step 3- Attitude

This thought really shapes our attitude towards that object or the idea that we have already conceptualized. We always feel & compare whatever we see & feel with that of the idea which has been framed in our mind.

Step 4- Habits

These attitudes will be clearly reflected in our habits. This can be better explained with an example.

Example:-

If a person has created a feeling in his mind that alcohol consumption will help him/her to relieve from all his tensions, then that feeling will create a thought in his mind that drinking is the only option for a stress free life. This thought will be inscribed deeply into his mind & he/she will have an attitude that all drinkers will be tension less beings. Even in the reverse dimension, all non-drinkers will have a stress full life. Even we can very often hear from many people that "Life is a waste if you are not drinking. You will not enjoy the beauty of life". If we seriously analyze that statement, does that add any value? Such attitude frames his habit & he/she will feel that daily will be so boring if at least two pegs are not consumed.

The enjoyment that they are proclaiming is purely again a feeling that we are creating in the mind. Even if such a comfort is felt, that is purely for a short time.

Step 5- Personality

Such habits form part of our personality. The habits are not evolved suddenly; we have made up our mind so strongly that it takes a very long time to unwind the bad habits & re-learn the good ones.

This can be explained with an example (positive dimension).

Example:-

If a kid has been brought up in a family where they used to help the deserving persons, it helps the kid to have an understanding that service to mankind should be our primary duty. This will not be grasped by the kid in a day or a week's time. The parents or the elderly members will be explaining as to why they are doing such good deeds and all. During the course of time, the kid grows & in his mind a feeling might have come across that like his parents he should also help the needy with in his limit & capacity. Such a feeling will lead to thinking & he will indulge in a thought process as to how he can help the needy. This will create a frame work & his attitude towards life will change & his mind always wishes to do good things. This clearly can be depicted from his personality. He will be approachable to all & always will have a helping mind at all times.

Conclusion:

Most of us live our lives in the world of time, in memories of the past & anticipation of the future. Only very rarely do we touch the timeless dimension of the present- in moments of sudden beauty or sudden danger, in meeting with a lover or with surprise of the unexpected.

Everybody is trying to remain a separate entity: trying to protect themselves, defend themselves. We are not separate, no man is an island. We are part of the continent, so it's baseless & useless to fight with the continent.

Let us all dissolve into the whole, drop the ego. We have to forget ourselves that we are separate, let us make ourselves a part of the whole & feel & visualize how beautiful & sweet it is.

Hell & heaven is within oneself. We can be the hell & we can be the heaven, it is always us & it is our decision. Heaven is not somewhere else; we have to create it just as we create hell. It is a psychological state. Once we release that we are the creator there is great freedom.

We are ready to travel miles & miles in search of bliss. We make ourselves ready to visit many pilgrimage & temples that are very very far off & that prayer is nothing other than a business or a trade. In that sense we all are traders. We always expect something in return. We go to the temple & pray & give donations, but in return we pray to the god to give this & that. This is nothing other than a trade. We are business minded.

The temples & sacred places are having positive vibrations & is a good place for meditation. These places will help us to uplift our mind-set to a higher level. But for that the temples will only guide us, we only have to make our mind & proceed on with the journey.

A true seeker is not after knowledge, he is after knowing. He wants to learn the very process of learning. He is not at all interested in arriving at the conclusions. He is not interested in goals. But he is very much interested in the journey as such itself.

The very idea of a goal is created by the lazy mind so that one can rest once it is achieved. The people who are interested in goals always will be interested in short cuts. A true seeker has no desire, no ambition. He will be interested in this moment, & will enjoy every now & here.

The ego is the only problem & then it creates & thousand & one problems. It creates greed, lust, anger, jealousy so-on & so forth. The people will go on fighting with greed, with anger, with lust. But it's futile. Unless the root is cut, new branches will be coming up in geometric progression.

We all have to serve the mankind without any expectation & the dissolution of the ego is the greatest revolution. If we service the needy one's now, it is pretty sure that we will get the return of all the good deeds at a later point of time. But let us not work for that with such expectation.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/stress-management-articles/mind-management-2474082.html#ixzz145VXJZ9E
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

What Is Earth Science

2010-09-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

Earth science

Earth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the study of the earth and of the universe around it, making it a wide scientific discipline covering all facets of how the earth works. It is a special case in planetary science as the earth is the only known life-bearing planet. Earth Science is also known as the Earth Sciences, Geoscience, and the Geosciences.

There are four major disciplines in earth sciences, namely geography, geology, geophysics and geodesy. These major disciplines use physics, chemistry, biology, chronology and mathematics to build a quantitative understanding of the principal areas or spheres of the Earth system.

Let me give you a brief idea about the various disciplines of earth science. Soil science is the study of soil as a natural resource on the surface of the earth including soil formation, classification and mapping; physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soils; and these properties in relation to the use and management of soils

Geography is the study of the Earth and its lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". Our historical traditions in geographical research are the spatial analysis of natural and human phenomena (geography as a study of distribution), area studies (places and regions), study of man-land relationship, and research in earth sciences.

The stratosphere is the second major layer of Earth's atmosphere, just above the troposphere, and below the mesosphere. It is stratified in temperature, with warmer layers higher up and cooler layers farther down.

Geodesy, also called geodetics, a branch of earth sciences, is the scientific discipline that deals with the measurement and representation of the Earth, including its gravitational field, in a three-dimensional time-varying space.

Well, above is a description about earth science and its' major branches. The study of Earth Science is vital to understand our "Mother Earth" properly and to develop a responsibility for preserving and maintaining the biodiversity and natural habitat.

Autism and Anxiety

2010-08-23T18:31:00.001-07:00

Children with Autism are known to be more naturally ‘anxious' than their non-ASD peers. The challenges presented by the 5 characteristics of Autism (social impairment, communication impairment, sensory sensitivity, repetitive behaviours and difficulty with change) potentially make their world a confusing and frightening reality. Add anxiety to the mix and you may have a child who is anxious and worried 100% of the time. Anxiety and stress over sustained periods of time is shown to lead to exhaustion, the development of allergies and illness.

Children with Autism demonstrate their anxiety through a variety/combination of behaviours:-

* Physical symptoms (stomach pains; headache; racing heart; sweaty palms; constricted chest; tight muscles; insomnia)
* Avoidance desire
* Inattention and
* Irritability

Anxiety in children with Autism can be triggered unconsciously; when this is coupled with their inability to verbalise effectively it compounds the effects of anxiety – the child with Autism can be extremely anxious, and unable to tell you why (they may not know themselves). They may be able to tell you they have a stomach ache, or don't wish to go to Joey's birthday party, but not know why.

Children with Autism are known to have ‘perfectionist' attitudes towards many areas of their lives, and this can be witnessed through their ‘obsessive/compulsive' behaviours, their repetitive patterns of behaviour and their difficulty coping with change. This self-imposed ‘perfectionist' attitude can contribute to their anxiety and ‘pressure to perform'. In other words, children with Autism usually place extreme/unrealistic demands on themselves. It's important to remember this when dealing with an anxious ASD child.

Some useful techniques for supporting an anxious child with Autism include:

* Redirection/distraction
* Physical energy ‘burn' (physical activity such as running, bike riding, jumping on a trampoline, swimming etc)
* ‘Whole-body' activities (tug-of-war; monkey-bar; rolling on floor/ground)
* Body brushing/massage
* Deep pressure activity (lying under a heavy blanket/cushions/mattress)
* Chewing/sucking (relieves pressure in the jaw)
* Listening (hearing what the child can tell you)

Anxiety levels in children with Autism are ‘cyclic' in nature, making it more difficult for parents/teachers/carers to identify anxiety triggers. Cycles vary from 4-6 weeks (often linking with lunar cycles). What causes the ASD child mild anxiety one week, may cause extreme anxiety ( and/or avoidance desire) the next.

When our son with Autism was 9 he progressed from a child who was slightly more anxious than his peers, to a child who was extremely anxious, paranoid and agitated in the space of 6 months. Various methods of dealing with anxiety were introduced by the many therapists/professionals treating our son, much of them with conflicting advice. All of them failed to acknowledge the physical symptoms our son with Autism experienced, tending to present the attitude that the anxiety was "self-imposed", and "if he's not going to speak about what's causing the anxiety, then we can't help him dispel the physical symptoms of that anxiety".

Our son with Autism is now nearly 16, and in the last year has begun to verbalise much more about his experience of that time. He tells us he was very frightened by his physical symptoms, and most of the time he didn't know what it was about a situation or event that was causing him anxiety, he just knew that the thought of participating sent him into panic. The ‘fight or flight' response occurred almost immediately (before he'd had a chance to process the feeling of panic) and he felt he had no control over his world.

He also says we should've listened to him more. For example, if he said didn't want to go to Joey's birthday party, we should've understood that he:-

a) knew birthday parties were fun
b) liked eating party food
c) liked singing Happy Birthday
d) knew all the other kids were going
e) wanted to be like all the other kids

We should've understood that if there was any way he could've coped with the party, he would go. At that point he'd already tried 100 things in his head to talk himself into going. In saying he didn't want to go, his real message to us was "I can't cope with that today".

As you support your child with Autism to cope with their anxiety be mindful of ‘hearing' them – not all avoidance desire is ‘manipulative' behaviour. Yes, children with Autism can be manipulative, but their desire to not be ‘different' together with their ‘perfectionist' attitudes is a strong, internal force that drives them to be all they can be.

www.autismchild.org
©Nelle Frances 2005

The Quran School Online

2010-08-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

Quran is the Holly Book which revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).Literally meaning of Quran "A reading or reciting".However, the "Quran" has been historically used specifically to refer to the book which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).Quran is a literary masterpiece which the world has seen, nothing can be compared to the Holy Quran millions have become muslims upon simply hearing a verse from this amazing book, yet still the majority of humanity don't know much about it.

The Quran is the final and the last revolution from Allah Almighty to his creation.It was revealed in the year 610 AD to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and completed round about 23 years.These 23 years of revolution resulted in a book which comprised of 114 chapters and more than 6000 verses.All from this Quran is the primary source of law to live and die by for the whole mankind.The Quran preserved into original language.The contents of this amazing book are stored in the hearts of millions of muslims worldwide.Childern and adults have memorized the entire Holy Quran.There is no other religious scripture on earth which is orally preserved by so many and over such a period of time,without having been any changing somewhere along the line.Through out history many have tried to find out any mistake and error in Holy Quran to this day but no one has been able to bring any proof showing that this book is not from Allah Almighty.Quran spreading his light day by day and guiding the humanity to the rightous path.
http://www.teachingquran.com/registration.php

The history of umbrellas

2010-08-23T18:26:00.000-07:00

The umbrella was invented in China. It appeared for the first time in China 3500 years ago. There are several popular legends about the invention of this famous accessory, including the most sent out, concerning Luban. According to the text "Eclats de Jade", the umbrella was invented by the wife of Luban, Yun, who was both very attentive and anxious for her husband who worked hard all the day. According to the folklore, it always rained when Yun brought Luban his daily meal. Therefore Luban built shelters on the way of his wife in order to keep her dry. Then inspired by children who used leafs of lotus to protect them against the rain, Luban contrived the first umbrella creating a bendable structure covered-up with fabrics.

In Ancient China, the umbrella was not only a common daily accessory but it also had a sociological meaning. A the end of the Wei dynasty, the umbrella was used for official ceremonies and rites. It was named the "Luo umbrella". According to the Zuo Zhuan, Jin book, the Luo accessory was the symbol of both the dignity and status, as was the official gown. For instance, the official members of the Han dynasty used green umbrellas and the Emperor of the Song dynasty used red and yellow ones. Emperors and officials used this accessory to show that they protected their nation.

As the umbrella pointed to both the fortune and the honour, it was often used during wedding ceremonies in China. It was also used for opera, song, dance and acrobatic art.

With the increase of exchanges with others countries, umbrellas gradually spread in the whole world. For example, under the Tang dynasty, Japan dispatched nineteen groups of missionaries to learn about the Chinese civilisation. Thus, the technical of umbrellas conception were introduced in Japan. At the middle of the 18th century, English businessman brought back umbrellas after their trip in China, which caused an important "revolution" in the United Kingdom. Nowadays, this famous accessory is indispensable for Great Britain …

Currently, in China, umbrellas may be the most common accessory with bikes. More than 90% are made in this country and then exported all around the world. Chinese use them when it rains as well as sunny days. They have created bikes and motorbikes with a support behind the saddle or on the handlebars, in order to fix their favourite accessory on their vehicles. Thus they can go everywhere whilst being protected against the rain and the harmful sun's rays. You can find in China many different and amazing models of "brollys" as they are used as fashionable accessories for the inhabitants of the country. That is why they provide a wide range of the famous products with many shapes and colours. The most common umbrella in Japan is transparent, made of transparent plastic and you can buy it almost everywhere, in kiosks and supermarkets. The traditional one, named wagasa, is made of bamboo and Washi, a Japanese paper. It is a really beautiful accessory which can be used to protect you against the rain as well as an object of decoration for your house. There are also the wagasa parasols, which are non oil-applied but which are as nice as the other ones and more durable
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We can love Math!

2010-08-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

Many people consider math the curse of educaiton, the bane of learning, and most have a love hate relationship with it. Sure math can be difficult, but circumstances are definitely a defining factor. How math is presented makes a huge difference in how it is received.

Math is what we call a core subject. That means that math study is an integral part of all education. Math develops critical thinking skills, abstract concepts, process logic, and helps us put order to our thinking. Yes, it does involve numbers and number concepts, and even the manipulation of those numbers… but it is so much more than that. When students study math – it prepares them for many other school subjects along the way. Math helps them develop the crucial skills they need in order to think in an abstract manner. Many high school level courses require abstract understanding, logic, and critical thinking skills as a foundation for success, and all of these come from learning math.

Math is obviously very important, but this still doesn't change the fact that many people HATE math. The best advice to conquer this negative feeling toward math is to pull the old "switcheroo." When teaching a math concept the math challenge should always be present in an interesting manner as a puzzle. This frequently alleviates the stress that the student has put on themselves. Almost everyone loves a puzzle, and when we see a subject as something fun it definitely becomes less intimidating and more appealing! Making math fun, or at least interesting is the key to making it less hated! There are many ways to teach math painlessly from math flash cards to interactive math programs. There are limitless tools out there through curriculum and internet resources that will help you - help your child begin to LOVE math.
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Character Education Can Help Avoid Embarrassment

2010-08-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

Ever happened to be in a store or restaurant where a child starts misbehaving and he is having a fit or his parents trying to discipline him thus catching everyone's attention? Throwing tantrums, whining, power struggles and yes, the list is endless. It's enough to drive every parent crazy. Moreover, those spectators tend to assume that parents are responsible for the child's bad behavior or character. Almost all of us seeing such a child should have definitely hoped that our own child should never behave as worse as that. It is teenagers or older children who very often receive the brunt of blame for their ill behavior even after their parents who had shaped their behavior and character. Who is to be blamed here? Is it the children who are to some extent capable of choosing their own behavior or is it their parents who are to a great degree have an influence on their character and behavior?

People often fail to question what bad behavior is. Why does this happen. A child whining or creating tantrums can simply be a sign that the parent is not properly attending to the child's needs and this can lead to an escalation of the misbehaviors and seldom fails to corrects them permanently. They do lack the training, experience, and understanding needed to behave properly in any given circumstance. Good behavior is usually determined by whether it's socially, culturally or developmentally appropriate. Knowing your child's expectations at each stage will definitely help you to decide whether his or her behavior is normal or not.

Parents should try different strategies for character education among their wards. And, it should begin when they are calm and the best place to begin is at home, the most secure place to practice proper discipline and character such as timeouts and denial to the likes of toys and treats. As mentioned above, home is the most secure place to start character education as parents won't receive any negative attention for teaching their children and moreover, children don't get distracted by the chaotic nature of public places. On the other hand, if a child misbehaves in a public space, he needs to be punished by the parents but only after removing him or her way from the public until proper behavior is observed. And, this is not a task that can be done as easy as it being said. Hence, they must aim to arrange situations where they can teach or punish their misbehaving children by removing them from a public arena. It is also imperative that parents implement age appropriate character education to correct their children's poor behavior before their children leave their influence and head out to adulthood.

As said above character education should start at home and it should only start from home even though it is included in the teaching curriculum at your child's school. Character education has a major role to play in molding your child's future and career. Character education often offers a child, simple, eloquent and even fun filled techniques to manage his or her aggressive behaviors. Character education helps to build self-esteem, resolve conflicts peacefully, encourages diversity tolerance and also practice core values.

So, the next time you see a child throwing tantrums at a store or at a restaurant, think the value of character education and the value that it brings. At least you can impart those values in your child and maybe you yourself can avoid being in an embarrassing situation as the parent of the child at the store.

By: Francis David

Character Education Making the World a Better Place to Live

2010-08-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

Surviving has always been a challenge in this competitive world. To win in all circumstances and be successful seems to be on everyone's mind. Being successful is generally synonymous to being famous or financially independent. But to be able to contribute to the society positively, we need individuals who believe not only in personal growth but growth of the entire society.

A couple of day's back I happened to be in a department store. A senior citizen had finished his shopping and was billing at the counter. He found a mistake in the bill, thus requested the staff to recheck. The young lad was extremely rude and did not apologize for the mistake. The old man was very upset and put across his grievance and left. I'm sure the shop owner would not have expected his staff to be so complacent. This shows the character of his staff; plainly insensitive.

Let us look at a positive example of character. This is an incident that has not washed away easily from my memory. While boarding a train I accidently dropped my wallet. When I realized it, it was too late. I assumed that I will never get it back. After almost a month, I found two young lads at my door. I didn't know them. I asked them, who they were and they said they had come to return the wallet. They had traced my address and had taken the pains to get it home for me. I was so touched.

We in our daily lives come across positive and negative examples of character. Why is building character so important even in today's competitive world? The rule of the jungle should not prevail if we claim that the society today is civilized. For a civilized, peaceful and prosperous society we need to build our future which has talent accompanied with character.

Developing character among children has been an integral part of growing up. Character was a result of the environment at home, at school, and interaction among peers. Now it is a part of formal education. Character education is developing character that is socially desirable and responsible. Character education is to develop positive emotions of altruism, and compassion. To train, to empathize, understand the power of forgiveness and learn to be grateful to the society, for the contribution that it has made towards individual growth. It helps to use our creative imagination through visualization.

We all want to be successful at what we do, and success brings happiness. But with the right character we develop the right attitude to tackle failures, because mistakes and failures are an integral part of learning.

May it be elders or children, we strive to be happy and character education helps to achieve all of this. Character education lays the foundation among children to develop beliefs that will benefit them all their life. We need to take ethical decision and set an example for our future. Trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship, are the six pillars of character. School education has made these pillars an integral part of their curriculum. Schools are training children to develop these values in their lives and we can see a future that has talent, creativity and character. All of this will lead to a peaceful and prosperous society.

By: Francis David

he Benefits of Online Learning

2010-08-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

Spell there are all kinds of benefits that are associated with learning and furthering your educational goals there are still statesman benefits to those who wish to react online acquisition in prescribe to succeed those goals. I comic you instrument hear that more of these benefits are quite enlightening and carefully count whether or not online acquisition for your collateral education needs will be in your superfine interests.

1) Lavatory. This is a speech we are quite usual with. Paw along with instant gratification. We are a gild of group who get lived with road thru banking and prestissimo nutrient and are apace flaring in the instruction of aim thru pharmacies and dry cleansing. We elastic in a swift paced experience and when we can touch activity into our laboring schedules and on our own damage we undergo that this is something we run to like a lot. I suggest that you timepiece for a more their degrees and their careers.

2) Malleability. You can necessitate these classes or do the work during your meal occurrence, patch the kids are practicing football, or spell cookery dinner (depending of series on how excavation you multitask). You do not necessity to be in the schoolroom every nighttime at 6:00 pm for the incoming quint eld in organisation to get the very grade of instruction. This by no means indicates that you leave not know to do the energy. The process give not replace nor will th

dead the production. What gift alter is that you will get the deciding of doing the work in the greeting, afternoon, or after those 2 a.m. feedings when you can't seem to get hindmost to period.

3) Activity. There isn't sufficiency that can really be said some this. Online activity comes to you wherever you befall to be healthy to unite to the Cyberspace. Whether you are at base, at energy, or your challenger Cyberspace caf

4) Little Dear. No author suitability meals, service expenses, or gas guzzling trips to a college campus that cardinal minutes departed. You can now savor in your own institution the benefits of an activity without many of the business hardships that are oft associated with present college. Net operation seems like specified a littlest terms to pay when compared with all the reasons mentioned above.

5) Expect it or not, online courses refrain you brush up your online abilities. Earnestly. You gift be advisable at dealing with email, bulletin boards, online explore, and you will larn infinite opposite skills along the way that you probably never realized had anything to do with the courses you are actually taking-because they don't. In else line, you are deed much of an activity than you bargained for when it comes to online learning.

6) Particular attention. Online students ofttimes have writer one on one interaction with their professors than students in a schoolroom. The online classroom is virtual and compatibility through email is basal in this particular acquisition environment. For this reason it is quite possible that your professors gift pair writer near you and your learning patterns and needs than they instrument hump active most of the students they see two or triplet nowadays a period in their classrooms.

Piece these are retributive a few of the benefits of taking online classes you should carefully count the benefits with the things that may be questionable virtually this item write of acquisition state before you the start. Acquisition is a long process but if you are hunting a qualification you do not essential to menace that by winning a way that will not accost your specialised learning needs. If you feel positive that you can be undefeated in this part identify of acquisition environment than I conceive you will really bask the see and the malleability it brings to the educational transmute.

é you can possess the toilet of winning your operate with you and enjoying the surround in which you are completing your transform.
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Emotional Intelligence - Wow!

2010-08-23T18:18:00.000-07:00

Emotional Intelligence Aint Common Sense

If you are involved in leading executive teams, the sale of product

or services, or teaching, you need the knowledge in a 15 year old book called Emotonal Intelligence, by Daniel Golemen.

So What

Fact: decision-making is only 20% logical and reasonable, and 80%

emotional. If you have not connected with the feelings of the person

you want to influence, persuade or convince – you fail.

Fact: decision-making requires seeing in your mind's eye owning and

enjoying the new product or service. Mental movies involve your right-

hemisphere – the seat of emotions and pattern recognition. No picture,

then no – Yes-decision.

The brain operates chemically and decides through mental imagery (pictures)

using our Limbic System (emotions).

Name Memory

If you want to alienate clients, avoid new social relationships and make enemies,

just mispronounce or fail to remember their name. It is a high-order insult.

Most of the memory tricks to remember names is too complicated for folks who

have a life. Here are a few that are easy-as-pie and really work in the real world.

1. Affirmation: if you mentally repeat three-times – "I Am Remembering

the names of people I meet today because it is important to my career,"

your attention is fixed on this goal.

Enter the room and quickly repeat 3x – "I am remembering the names of people I meet today because it is important to my career." Your non-conscious mind doubles your concentration to enhance this behavior.

1. As-If: If you Think-Feel-Act As-If you have a great working memory,

your brain accepts the challenge and makes it a reality. Thinking and feeling

so, in fact helps make it so. You activate your attention and concentration.

Make-believe you are an Actor and choose to influence and convince others.

1. Crazy but true: imagine the name of the person you meet Printed on their

forehead in large-sized letters. Repeat it silently as you read it from his/her

forehead – three-times and you own it.

1. Rhyming-Simon: John F. Kennedy used this memory trick to recall the names of folks he met daily. The name of his speed reading teacher was
2. Elton Y. Mears. He associated the name Elton with Elvis, Y with the symbol for a question, and he mentally imagined the professor with Big Ears! He whispered mentally (internal dialogue) "Professor Mears has Dumbo's big-ears!"

He never forgot Dr. Mears' name because he associated it with Disney's

character – Dumbo's gigantic ears. The rhyme makes it easy and fun.

Seven Ways to Get Folks to Hate You – Forever

First off, figure out how to remember these dangerous characteristics.

a) Blaming b) bribing c) complaining d) criticizing e) nagging

f) punishing g) threatening

Answer: put them in alphabetical order – B comes before C etc. Next,

create a simple, baby-easy mental picture of each negative tactic.

Example: "You did it. It is your fault. You're guilty!" Blaming.

Bribing: picture patting someone on the back and smiling at them, when

you would rather strangle them. We bribe others by false praise, not just

with filthy lucre.

See yourself filing a report Complaining about their behavior. Create your

own imagery (mental-pictures) with the last four. It is easy will stick like glue.

Remember this, when someone says to you, "please tell me the honest truth

about my article, speech or talent, folks will never, I mean NEVER, forget or

forgive your Criticism – especially if it is true. They will hate you forever.

If you are a parent and tell the truth (negative criticism) to your child,

it will require five-years of therapy from a certified psychiatrist to wipe

out their anger and hatred.

School

In a recent research study of attitudes toward school – in excess of 90%

admitted they HATED almost every day in class, and each of their teachers.

You are not supposed to admit you hate school because it is a principle of

faith in our left-brain Knowledge Economy that all you have came through

education. Maybe not, I would be bet on experience.

Why do we hate school and remember it as torture? Answer:

We were always in a subordinate, inferior, submissive position. How do you

like feeling humble and being controlled?

The teacher is the dominant person, top-dog, and master. That make us the

slave, subordinate and controlled, right?

So What

When we have negative feelings and moods our ability to learn and remember

is reduced up to 25%. How do you feel in an adult situation when others are

judging you leading to a positive or negative review?

Emotional intelligence requires a self-understanding and a powerful under-

standing of how others react to you. Mood and emotions are formed based

on how we see others treating us: we see their facial expressions, gestures,

posture and body language.

We copy what we see in others. Emotions are like a virus or the flu, it is

"catching". When we smile and are outgoing – it affects others in how they

react to learning and memory.

Endwords:

There is more practical, useful knowledge in the book Emotional Intelligence

than two more college degrees. Check it out.

---

Would it give you a competitive advantage to read-and-remember three (3)

books, articles and reports in the time others can hardly finish one?

Would it affect you studies and career?

Request our free –no strings attached report on Speed Reading. It can change

your life for the better.

See ya,

copyright © 2010 H. Bernard Wechsler

Learning and communicative strategies

2010-07-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

Introduction

Communicative strategies are systematic techniques employed by a speaker to express his meaning when faced with some difficulty and the difficulty here refers to the speaker's inadequate command of the language used in the interaction (Faerch & Kasper, 1983:16). On the other hand, the term learning strategies has been defined as "the higher-order skills which control and regulate the more task-specific or more practical skills" (Nisbet & Shucksmith,1986:26). Based on the previously mentioned definitions, it could be said that learning and communicative strategies refer to language learning behaviors that contribute directly or indirectly to learning. I am not very concerned here with the definition of the two terms as much as I am concerned with the fact that most if not all non-native speakers and second-language learners use these strategies throughout their second/foreign language learning journey. They tend to use them to compensate for their lack of sufficient language knowledge and to get themselves out of troubles when interacting in the target second/foreign language. These are only some of the short term benefits of using learning and communicative strategies. In fact, the successful use of these strategies can promote longer term language development.

In the first part of this paper, I will provide examples on some of the commonly used strategies and at the same time, I will focus on the ways in which these strategies promote the language learning process and the development of the learner's speaking skill. I will also highlight the short and long tem benefits of using both learning and communicative strategies in learning and developing speaking skill. In the second part of the paper, I will show how the knowledge of learning and communicative strategies has influenced me to change my old style of teaching the speaking, and how it has encouraged me to adopt a set of new methods of teaching that make utmost use of these strategies. Finally, I will give examples on some of the speaking activities that are based, in some ways, on these strategies, and are designed to promote and develop the learner's speaking skill.

Part One:

Teaching writing skill has been given the priority over teaching speaking skill in almost all educational syllabus and plans and the case in my country, Oman, is no exception. Writing skill has been considered the most important especially in the area of second/foreign language teaching. On the other hand, speaking skill has neither been given sufficient focus in our teaching syllabi nor has it been represented fairly in our classrooms as opposed to the other skills. In my context, most people in general and educationalists in particular, seem to have taken this skill for granted; maybe because they think it is an easy one and that almost everyone can speak. Speaking is, however, a skill which deserves much more attention in both first and second language. I have chosen to write about this skill because I know very well how important it is as a means of communication especially, for second/foreign language learners. Throughout my teaching of English as a foreign language, I noticed that speaking was the area of weakness for the majority of my students. On the part of teachers, not so much time was devoted to teach this skill, and on the part of the curriculum designers, not so much effort was exerted to promote the development of this skill. Consequently, speaking was regarded by the students as an obstacle in the way of learning English rather than as an important skill. In the following sections, I will attempt to show how this problem can be addressed by the use of some strategies.

1/ Examples on some learning and communicative strategies used by ESL and EFL students

So many studies and research have been conducted in both areas learning strategies and communicative strategies, and many researchers and linguists have been involved. Consequently, different definitions and classifications of strategies have been stated. However here, I will focus on the classification of communicative strategies suggested by Faerch and Kasper (1983), and on the classification of learning strategies suggested by Wenden and Rubin (1987). I will also show how each set of strategies are used by ESL and EFL learners. I have chosen the previous classifications because they confirm with the knowledge of strategies I acquired throughout my teaching experience.

Faerch and Kasper suggest that communicative strategies are classified into two categories each of which is classified or comprised of other subcategories. The first category is avoidance behavior and this consists of formal reduction and functional reduction strategies. Formal reduction strategies could be phonological, morphological, syntactic and lexical strategies. Learners tend to use formal reduction strategies either to avoid making errors and/or they want to increase their fluency (Faerch& Kasper 1983: 40). On the other hand, functional reduction strategies include reduction of speech act and reduction of propositional context and these two are used by learners to reduce their communicative goals in order to avoid problems in interactions (ibid: 43). Achievement strategies are also called compensatory strategies and they consist of code switching, inter/intralingual, cooperative and non-linguistic strategies. These strategies are used by learners to expand their communicative resources in interactions (ibid:45). The following figure has been designed based on what was mentioned above:

Wenden and Rubin classified learning strategies into cognitive strategies and metacognitive strategies. Cognitive strategies are used by learners when they deal with steps, operations, or problem-solving that require direct analysis, transformation, or synthesis of learning materials (Wenden & Rubin,1987:23) and these strategies include clarification/verification, guessing/inductive inferencing, deductive reasoning, practice, memorizing and monitoring. On the other hand, metacognitive strategies are used when the learner deals with knowledge about cognitive process and regulation of cognition. These strategies consist of choosing, prioritizing, self-management, advance preparation, advance organization, directed attention, selected attention and delayed production. The following figure has been designed based on the information mentioned above:

2/ The short term benefits of training learners on the use of learning and communicative Strategies

Research and theory in second language learning strongly suggest that good language learners use a variety of strategies to assist them in gaining command over new language skills. In her study of five Chicano students who were learning English, Wong-Fillmore as quoted in Wenden & Rubin, (1987:27), identified some learning strategies used by successful language learners. Wong-Fillmore found that by using a few well chosen strategies, learners could continue to participate in speaking activities (ibid: 21). Moreover, O'Malley (1983), reports on an experiment in which students received training on the use of learning strategies with three language tasks; vocabulary, listening skill and speaking. His major conclusion was that strategy training was effective for listening and speaking, but not for vocabulary.

One of the major short term benefits of the use of learning strategies is the fact that they help learners to compensate for their lack of adequate language knowledge. Bygate (1987), states that the use of these strategies can bridge the gab between knowledge of the rules and the students' ability to express their own meaning. In other words, these strategies help learners to practice using acceptable language with reasonable fluency and reasonable ability to convey meanings and express opinions. On that basis, it could be inferred that training learners on using these strategies would help them a lot in their language learning. Language learners will not be hesitant or afraid of being involved in an interaction where they do not have sufficient language knowledge for it. Bygate adds that being trained to use learning strategies helps the learner to succeed in autonomous interaction. According to this, using such strategies in learning represents a transitional process where control of learning is moved from teacher to learners, leaving the learner with responsibility for his own thinking and learning. In addition, Wenden& Rubin (1987), mention that learning strategies help learners to better utilize the experience they bring to their language class. As a result, learners grow appreciation of their power ability and become critically reflective of the conceptual context of their learning.

The efficiency of communicative strategies training in learning languages has been proved in so many occasions. For instance, Spilka (as cited in Faerch & Kasper 1983:10), points that some trained French learners tend to use specific phrases in order to avoid liaison in French; to avoid French partitive en, the learners may produce the specified form J'ai trios pommes, rather than J'en ai trios. So, the French learners are making use of the avoidance strategy which is one of the communicative strategies. In another occasion, Kasper (1983:43), gave some examples of how trained German learners of English reduce their IL performance with respect to politeness making. Moreover, Faerch (1983:43), gave other examples of speech act reduction, in which learners in conversation with native speakers often do not use initiating acts (reduction strategy). Based on all that has been mentioned, we could say that strategies be they learning or communicative ones, are important for language learning for they are tools for active, self-directed involvement, which is essential for developing communicative competence. I shall now move to discuss the long term benefits of the use of learning strategies.

3/ The long term benefits of training language learners on the use of learning and communicative strategies

As we have seen previously, there are so many short benefits for training learners on using learning and communicative strategies. Likewise, there are other long term benefits for strategy training as well. Faerch and Kasper (1986:189), report the findings of a study where an attempt was made to train learners to use interaction strategies (some of the communicative strategies). They were Danish learners of English and the training for strategy use lasted for three months. The findings were that:

a) Middle proficiency level learners made considerable progress in using interaction strategies.

b) Low and high proficiency learners made less progress.

g) The general attitude in the class towards errors and towards risk-taking had changed. More learners accepted the need to make an attempt even if they did not get the right answer.

Based on the findings of this study, we could say that training learners to use communicative strategies raises their confidence and encourages them to participate in different communicative interactions even when they don't have enough language for it (e.g. when they don't have the answer for a question). In another study, Knowles (1975), finds that training learners to use these strategies helps them to develop the attitude that language is a lifelong process and to acquire the skills of self-directed learning. Most importantly, he points out that communicative strategies help learners to be equipped with the skills necessary to continue learning on their own when they leave formal education experience.

Many other studies have been carried out by different researchers and the long term benefits of communicative and learning strategies training have been proved. For instance, O'Malley and Chamot (1990) looked at learning strategies used both by ESL and EFL students and they found that training students to use these strategies helped them become more aware of the whole process of learning a second language. Based on the findings of one of their studies, Wenden & Rubin (1987), state that training learners to use learning strategies helps learners to better utilize the experience they bring to their language class and help them as well, to become critically reflective of the conceptual context of their learning.

Part Two:

1/ The influence of learning strategies on my teaching style of speaking

I have previously mentioned that speaking is an undervalued skill in Oman. All focus and emphasis are placed on the other skills as if the speaking skill does not exist or as if acquiring it has been taken for granted. Out of my own experience as an English teacher, I have noticed that the Omani students' biggest difficulty when learning English falls in the area of speaking. As teachers, we have not been working so much on this skill due to the fact that there are no formal speaking tests in the whole low-intermediate, intermediate and high-intermediate levels of teaching English in most of the academic institutions in Oman in general and in the Language Centre at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in particular. We were basically preparing our students to be able to pass the final test which normally contained listening, reading and writing only. Personally, I used to rely on specific activities in my speaking classes and these activities were not always suitable for my students' levels of English. However, since it was "the speaking skill", I did not bother to search for more activities or even try to design a simple syllabus for teaching it.

Having read about learning and communicative strategies and having known about their crucial role in promoting and developing the learning process in general and the verbal interaction skills in particular, I have decided to adopt a new teaching approach that makes full use of these strategies. I have realized that the new teaching capacities should include identifying students' learning and communicative strategies, conducting training on these strategies, and helping learners become more independent. That is because when students take more responsibility in the speaking activities, more learning occurs, and both teachers and learners feel more successful and satisfied. Teachers including me, (especially when teaching speaking) should attempt to discover what strategies their students are already using by interviewing them or questioning them about the strategies employed for specific language learning tasks (Wenden & Rubing, 1987). And then, they could direct them to utilise learning and communicative strategies for a variety of speaking activities. Metacognitive strategies such as self-management and self-monitoring can be practised in communicative situations in which the learner wishes to gain the maximum amount of comprehensible speech from others (ibid). Moreover, teachers can provide students with practice in useful strategies for the negotiation of conversational encounter outside of class. They can also suggest alternative strategies for organising and storing information and they can encourage students to consider which strategies work best for them. O'Malley and Chamot (as quoted in Macdonough,1995:122) summarise what has been previously mentioned by stating that the Cognitive Academic Learning Language Approach consists of five phases:

1/ Preparation: develop student awareness of different strategies.

2/ Presentation: develop student knowledge about strategies.

3/ Practice: develop student skills in using strategies for academic learning.

4/ Evaluation: develop student ability to evaluate their own strategy use.

5/ Expansion: develop transfer of strategies to new tasks.

According to these phases, teachers should go through several steps while teaching speaking tasks in order to make sure that students would get benefits from them and would develop their speaking skill. We should base our explanation of the tasks as well as our instructions on the students' communicative and learning strategies, and we should try focus our activities on developing these strategies. Furthermore, we could provide students with various activities that would enable them to use their strategies in new speaking tasks and to evaluate their use of these strategies.

Macaro (2001:176) gave another way of training students on using and developing their strategies. The following figure shows the sequence of steps that are to be followed by teachers in order to best utilise their students' learning and communicative strategies while teaching English skills in general and speaking in particular.

Another important aspect every teacher should take into account is materials and syllabus design. In Oman, both syllabus and curriculum design are prescribed by the Ministry of Education (for schools), or the Ministry of Higher Education for some colleges and universities. Teachers have an almost passive role in that process. On the other hand, researchers and educational inspectors play the major role and impose their ideas and opinions which are not always in favor of the learning process, learning situations and students. Teachers are not allowed to innovate or create additional materials and they are severely penalized if they deviate from the prescribed curriculum. It is really a hard task for the teacher to change or at least modify this traditional curriculum but is not impossible. Teachers should attempt to change such curriculum gradually and they should have their role in the curriculum design task. They should be creative, eclectic and adaptive in terms of producing educational materials. Educational authorities on the other hand, should take into consideration that aspects of learning and communicative strategies are to be incorporated in each and every syllabus or curriculum. Finally, it really makes a great difference in teaching and learning if teachers bear in mind the fundamental knowledge of learning and communicative strategies while teaching.

2/New teaching approach and examples on some speaking activities

In Oman, most if not all the teaching approaches adopted by teachers seem to be teacher oriented. Teachers are doing all the work; they teach, explain, ask, provide answers and help students. The students' role is passive in one way or another; they are being spoon-fed throughout the academic year without being asked to contribute to their studying activities or even being taught how to do it. Being a teacher in that country, my teaching style was influenced to a great extent with the teaching methods used there. For instance, in my speaking class, I used to do all the talk, control activities, come up with ideas, and choose the suitable speaking tasks. I did not use to allow students to express their ideas and if I did, it would be to a very limited extent. Even when my students were giving a presentation or performing a dialogue, I used to interfere either by giving my own opinion or by correcting them every now and then. It is only now after knowing about learning and communicative strategies that I have realised the pressing need for some teaching strategies especially in the area of speaking. I have realised also that it is the turn of the students to do most of the talking in the speaking class, while the teacher's main function is to provide them with maximum amount of meaningful practice. In this section, I will attempt to give some examples on speaking activities and show how they are best taught taking into account the students' learning and communicative strategies.

a/ Dialogue and negotiation

Dialogue and negotiation present the language as directly in the contexts in which they are most commonly used, and permit the learners to practise it in the same way, thus establishing a firm link between language and situation (Byme, I976:2 I). My teaching of dialogue was a kind of memorisation task; I used to type the dialogues or negotiation task and give copies to the students. All that they had to do was to read them, memorise them and present them in front of the class. Taking the students' learning and communicative strategies into account, I should do some pre‑speaking activities and prepare the learners in terms of vocabulary items and tenses that are going to be used throughout the dialogue/negotiation. This will direct their attention to the task and will help them operate their planning strategies so that they are ready to some extent to tackle the task. During the task, I would interfere where possible to provide the learners with suggestions and to give some alternatives. I would not focus so much on correcting their mistakes since I am concerned in the first place with developing their communicative abilities. I would rather compliment and praise the good performance in order to create a stimulus and motivation for the rest of the learners to improve their work. I guess this way would work well with my students since they are very afraid of making mistakes and they are easily motivated by praise, compliments and marks.

b/ Imaginary situation

I did not really make use of this task although it is very important in developing the students' ability to be involved in problem‑solving tasks, to improvise, guess and brain storm. I was not really aware of it and of its role in promoting speaking skill. However now, after realising the importance of this task, I would try to prepare and design some imaginative tasks that are culturally appropriate and related to the learners' day to day life. For instance, I might ask them to imagine that there is a specific problem in their village (e.g. water is getting salty due to overuse) that needs to be solved and then, will ask them to come up with solutions and to try to talk about their own solutions in front of the class. Since the topic represents a very serious problem due to the scarcity of water sources in Oman, most of the students will be involved and will participate in the discussion. I might ask them to discuss it together in groups or I might ask individual students to talk about and justify their opinions. Of course, there are so many other exciting and relevant tasks (to the students' daily life activities) that could be made use of in order to hook the students' attention, sustain their interest in the subject and appeal to their needs and desires.

c/ Role‑play and Narration

I taught this task before and I noticed that students liked very much especially when it is incorporated in a narrative task. I used to give my students a story and ask them to play the roles of the different characters; it was really very simple and fun. Actually, it was another way to train them to memorise some language phrases. If I am to do this task now, I would ask the students to compose their own story (in an attempt to focus on past tense for example), and then to act it out in front of their colleagues. I strongly think that this task would work very well with most of the students even the weak ones because they would be working in groups and they will have the chance to choose the role that they really like and that suits their linguistic ability. While performing this task, the learners will be practising speaking, prioritising and choosing their role, and memorising some language chunks. In other words, they will be practising the language and developing their learning and communicative skills.

Conclusion

The research evidence that has been mentioned throughout this paper proves to some extent the short and long term benefits of using strategies in learning second/foreign language. It also suggests that some learners are using more strategies more effectively than others. For this reason, teachers and researchers should work closely together to discover the role of motivation in learner strategy use (Macaro, 2001). It has also been shown that strategy training is effective in promoting a great predisposition towards language learning and a framework which enables the learner to take more responsibility for their learning in the immediate, medium and long term. In this regard, policy‑makers should be closely involved in supporting teachers' effort by facilitating local and national programs of strategy training. They should not set up learning frameworks (curriculum, syllabus) which place obstacles in the way of teachers to adapt their teaching to the strategy-related needs of their learners. They should rather allow teachers some freedom so that they can be creative in terms of designing tasks and activities that would appeal to their students because teachers are the ones who are in direct contact with the students and therefore, they should be the ones who know exactly what their students need. On the hand, teachers should bear in mind that the strategies which plan and evaluate learning and the strategies assumed by the learners who go out and make contact with language outside the classroom are the ones that teachers should increasingly tum their attention to (ibid).

Bibliography

Bygate, Martin.(1987). Speaking. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Faerch, Clans & Kasper, Gabriele.(1983). Strategies in Interlanguage Communication. London: Longnnan,

Byrne, Donn.(1976). Teaching Oral English. London: Longman

Faerch, G. and Kasper, G.(1986).Strategic competence in foreign language teachin. Aarhus University: Aarhus University Press.

Knowles, M.(1975).Self Directed Learning: A Guide for Learners and Teachers. Chicago: Association Press.

Macaro, Ernesto.(2001). Learning strategies in foreign and second language classroom. Great Britain: CPD, Ebbw Vale

Macdonough, Steven H.(1995). Strategy and Skill in Learning a Foreign Language. London: Edward Arnold, a division of Hodder Headline PLC.

Nisbet, John & Shucksmith, Janet.(1986).Learning Strategies. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Plc.

O'Malley, IM & Russ, R.P, et al.( 1983). A study of Learning Strategies for Acquiring Skills in Speaking and Understanding English Language. Rosslyn, Va: InterAmerica Research Associates.

O'Malley, J.M and Chamot, A.U.(1990).Learning Strategies in Second Language Acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Wenden, Anita & Rubin, Joan.(1987).Learner Strategies in Language Learning. Cambridge: Prentice Hall International.

Rivers, Wilga M. (1972). Speaking in Many Tongues, Essays in Foreign‑language Teaching. Cambridge: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge.

Wong‑Fillmore, L.(1976).The Second Time Around. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Stanford University.

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What is Good Teaching ?

2010-07-26T18:10:00.000-07:00

All students must have had hundreds of teachers in their lifetimes. A very few of these teachers they would remember as being exceptionally good. What are the qualities that combine to create an excellent, memorable teacher? Why do some teachers inspire students to work three times harder than they normally would, while others inspire students to avoid their class? Why do students learn more from some teachers than others?

Here I have focused on the four essential qualities that distinguish exceptional teachers:

* Knowledge,
* Communication skills,
* Interest, and
* Respect for students.

An Experiment

Here's an experiment I had done in one of my earlier assignments. The results may surprise you. Go into one of the classes you are teaching and have your students take out a sheet of paper. Ask them to list for you the qualities they feel are important in a good teacher. Ask them to identify the qualities they admire in the best teachers they have had. Then give the students enough time to think about it and write something down. Five minutes is good, but ten might be better. Let them answer the questions anonymously if they desire.

What you will get if you combine all of the responses is a fascinating collage of ideas. I have found that most of the responses fall into two specific categories:

1) a set of "core qualities" that students recognize in good teachers, and

2) a set of "specific skills" that are developed by good teachers.

"Core qualities" are the essential characteristics needed to be a good teacher. I would like to concentrate on these core qualities in this article as under.

1. Knowledge

Students have consistently and clearly targeted as the number one quality of a good teacher exactly what you would expect: knowledge of the subject. You must be an expert in your field-both theoretical and practical –preferably with an industry interface
and experience if you are going to be a good teacher in a Management college or Business School. This is a prerequisite.
2. Communication

The second core quality that good teachers possess is the ability to communicate their knowledge and expertise to their students. You may be the greatest expert ever in your field, but what would happen if you lectured in a style and language the students are not able to comprehend clearly? How much would your students learn?

It is a common misconception at the College level that knowledge of a subject is all that's required to be a good teacher; that the students should be willing and able to extract the meat from what you say- regardless of how it is delivered (even if it is delivered in a incomprehending language or different style). This might be true at the post graduate level, but elsewhere it is definitely untrue. It is especially untrue at the undergraduate level. The teacher's job is to take advanced knowledge and make it accessible to the students. A good teacher allows students to understand the material, and to understand what it means (because it is one thing to understand how nuclear bombs work, but quite another to understand what nuclear bombs mean).

A good teacher can take a subject and help make it crystal clear to the students. A bad teacher can take that same material and make it impenetrable. Or a bad teacher can devote so little time and effort to preparation that the material presented is intrinsically confusing and disorganized. A good teacher is willing to expend the effort needed to find innovative and creative ways to make complicated ideas understandable to their students, and to fit new ideas into the context available to the student. A good teacher can explain complicated material in a way that students can understand and use.

There is a saying, "Give me a fish and I eat for a day, teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime." This is the philosophy of a good teacher. Give your students an answer and they can solve one problem, but show students the techniques needed to find the answer for themselves and they can become self-sufficient in the field. Students need to be shown how to apply the new techniques you teach to problem solving.

3. Interest

A good teacher starts with a firm knowledge of the subject, and builds on that with a clarity and understanding designed to help students master the material. The best teachers then go one step further. Because good teachers are interested in the material being taught, they make the class interesting and relevant to the students. Knowledge is worthless unless it is delivered to the students in a form they can understand. But the effort expended making the material understandable is wasted if the students are disinterested when it is delivered, or if the students can see no point in learning the material.

Good teachers recognise this, and work hard to make their material relevant. They show students how the material will apply to their lives and their careers. Bad teachers make material "relevant" by threatening students with failure on a test. Good teachers go far beyond this: they make students want to learn the material by making it interesting.

This is one of the things that makes industry and business examples so important and vital to learning in a business school or college.Industry interface and practical real life examples make the ideas discussed in class exciting and important to the teacher, as well as to the students. If the teacher isn't interested in what's being taught, then why should the students be?

4. Respect

Good teachers always possess these three core qualities: knowledge, the ability to convey to students an understanding of that knowledge, and the ability to make the material interesting and relevant to students. Complementing these three is a fourth: quality: good teachers have a deep-seated concern and respect for the students in the classroom. Why else would a teacher put in the time and effort needed to create a high quality class?

The creation of a good class requires an immense amount of work. You don't simply come up with clear explanations,industry cases and examples and experiments for the class off the top of your head. You don't create fair, consistent, high quality tests
,questionaires and homework assignments (read "learning experiences") five minutes before you hand them out. You don't figure out ways to integrate new materials and research into a class in an understandable way on your way to your college or institute in the morning. You work at this sort of quality all the time. You spend time with your students so you can learn about holes in their understanding. You read and write and create to build an exciting and interesting class every day. The only thing that would drive you to do that is a concern and respect for the students in your classroom.

Conclusion

When you strive and work to become a good teacher and to create a good class, the four core qualities are essential:knowledge,the skills to convey that knowledge,the ability to make the material you are teaching interesting and relevant,and a deep-seated respect for the students.Without these four core qualities,good teaching will just not exist and take place.

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How to Find the Volume of a Cube,rectangular Solid Or Cylinder

2010-07-26T18:03:00.000-07:00

After reading this you'll be able to Define Volume, Explain how volume is computed and find the volume of basic figures and objects in the 3 dimensional world. You will also find out about a common mistake concerning volume denominations.

So, here we go:

Volume refers to the total space contained within a three-dimensional figure.Volume is expressed in cubic denominations, such as cubic feet or cubic inches.

[Rectangular Solid]
The volume of a rectangular solid found by multiplying the Length by Width and then by the Height. You can also think of volume as taking the area of the rectangle:

(L x W) and multiplying by the H. So the formula is:

V = [Rectangular Solid's Width] x [Rectangular Solid's Length] x [Rectangular Solid's Height]

V = L x W x H

[Cube]
A cube is a rectangular solid whose edges are all equal. And since all the edges are equal (L=W=H) the formula can be simplified as follows:

V = [Cube's Width] x [Cube's Length] x [Cube's Height]

V = L x L x L (or L in the third power)

[Cylinder]
A Cylinder is an object that has a circle for its base, but it also has height. To find the volume of a cylinder, use the formula below which is the area of the circle multiplied by the height of the cylinder:

V = [Area of circle] x [Height of cylinder]

V = (π x R x R) x H

There are many useful applications of the volume formulas. Home builders may use volume to determine such things as how much concrete to purchase or how much cubic living space will be present in the completed house.

Cubic living space is found by finding the total living area and then multiplying by the height of the ceilings in the house. Amount of cubic living space is important. For example, it is important to purchase an air conditioning unit that is neither too large or too small for your home. A unit that is too large will waste energy and as well as money.

[Don't let this happen to you!]
A very common mistake is to say that, since there are 100 centimeters in a meter, then there must be 100 cubic centimeters in a cubic meter. That's
wrong! Let's see how this works:

1 liter = 1000 cm3 X (1 m3/100 cm3) = 10 m3

Since a cubic meter is the volume of a cube 1 meter on a side, and a meter is just a little more than a yard, then it should be obvious that there is no way that a liter (just a little more than a quart, remember?) is the same as TEN cubic meters!

This example illustrates the dangers of trying to convert units after using an equation. As a general rule of thumb, always convert units before plugging in to an equation!

Meaning of variables:
V=Volume
L=Length
W=Width
H=Height
R=Radius; Length of a line segment from the center of a circle to the circle's edge.
π=Pi; constant approximately equal to 3.14; used in determining the area of a circle.
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Learning And Communicative Strategies

2010-07-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

Learning and communicative strategies

Introduction

Communicative strategies are systematic techniques employed by a speaker to express his meaning when faced with some difficulty and the difficulty here refers to the speaker's inadequate command of the language used in the interaction (Faerch & Kasper, 1983:16).

On the other hand, the term learning strategies has been defined as "the higher-order skills which control and regulate the more task-specific or more practical skills" (Nisbet & Shucksmith,1986:26). Based on the previously mentioned definitions, it could be said that learning and communicative strategies refer to language learning behaviors that contribute directly or indirectly to learning. I am not very concerned here with the definition of the two terms as much as I am concerned with the fact that most if not all non-native speakers and second-language learners use these strategies throughout their second/foreign language learning journey. They tend to use them to compensate for their lack of sufficient language knowledge and to get themselves out of troubles when interacting in the target second/foreign language. These are only some of the short term benefits of using learning and communicative strategies. In fact, the successful use of these strategies can promote longer term language development.

In the first part of this paper, I will provide examples on some of the commonly used strategies and at the same time, I will focus on the ways in which these strategies promote the language learning process and the development of the learner's speaking skill. I will also highlight the short and long tem benefits of using both learning and communicative strategies in learning and developing speaking skill. In the second part of the paper, I will show how the knowledge of learning and communicative strategies has influenced me to change my old style of teaching the speaking, and how it has encouraged me to adopt a set of new methods of teaching that make utmost use of these strategies. Finally, I will give examples on some of the speaking activities that are based, in some ways, on these strategies, and are designed to promote and develop the learner's speaking skill.

Part One:

Teaching writing skill has been given the priority over teaching speaking skill in almost all educational syllabus and plans and the case in my country, Oman, is no exception. Writing skill has been considered the most important especially in the area of second/foreign language teaching. On the other hand, speaking skill has neither been given sufficient focus in our teaching syllabi nor has it been represented fairly in our classrooms as opposed to the other skills. In my context, most people in general and educationalists in particular, seem to have taken this skill for granted; maybe because they think it is an easy one and that almost everyone can speak. Speaking is, however, a skill which deserves much more attention in both first and second language. I have chosen to write about this skill because I know very well how important it is as a means of communication especially, for second/foreign language learners. Throughout my teaching of English as a foreign language, I noticed that speaking was the area of weakness for the majority of my students. On the part of teachers, not so much time was devoted to teach this skill, and on the part of the curriculum designers, not so much effort was exerted to promote the development of this skill. Consequently, speaking was regarded by the students as an obstacle in the way of learning English rather than as an important skill. In the following sections, I will attempt to show how this problem can be addressed by the use of some strategies.

1/ Examples on some learning and communicative strategies used by ESL and EFL students

So many studies and research have been conducted in both areas learning strategies and communicative strategies, and many researchers and linguists have been involved. Consequently, different definitions and classifications of strategies have been stated. However here, I will focus on the classification of communicative strategies suggested by Faerch and Kasper (1983), and on the classification of learning strategies suggested by Wenden and Rubin (1987). I will also show how each set of strategies are used by ESL and EFL learners. I have chosen the previous classifications because they confirm with the knowledge of strategies I acquired throughout my teaching experience.

Faerch and Kasper suggest that communicative strategies are classified into two categories each of which is classified or comprised of other subcategories. The first category is avoidance behavior and this consists of formal reduction and functional reduction strategies. Formal reduction strategies could be phonological, morphological, syntactic and lexical strategies. Learners tend to use formal reduction strategies either to avoid making errors and/or they want to increase their fluency (Faerch& Kasper 1983: 40). On the other hand, functional reduction strategies include reduction of speech act and reduction of propositional context and these two are used by learners to reduce their communicative goals in order to avoid problems in interactions (ibid: 43). Achievement strategies are also called compensatory strategies and they consist of code switching, inter/intralingual, cooperative and non-linguistic strategies. These strategies are used by learners to expand their communicative resources in interactions (ibid:45). The following figure has been designed based on what was mentioned above:

Wenden and Rubin classified learning strategies into cognitive strategies and metacognitive strategies. Cognitive strategies are used by learners when they deal with steps, operations, or problem-solving that require direct analysis, transformation, or synthesis of learning materials (Wenden & Rubin,1987:23) and these strategies include clarification/verification, guessing/inductive inferencing, deductive reasoning, practice, memorizing and monitoring. On the other hand, metacognitive strategies are used when the learner deals with knowledge about cognitive process and regulation of cognition. These strategies consist of choosing, prioritizing, self-management, advance preparation, advance organization, directed attention, selected attention and delayed production. The following figure has been designed based on the information mentioned above:

2/ The short term benefits of training learners on the use of learning and communicative Strategies

Research and theory in second language learning strongly suggest that good language learners use a variety of strategies to assist them in gaining command over new language skills. In her study of five Chicano students who were learning English, Wong-Fillmore as quoted in Wenden & Rubin, (1987:27), identified some learning strategies used by successful language learners. Wong-Fillmore found that by using a few well chosen strategies, learners could continue to participate in speaking activities (ibid: 21). Moreover, O'Malley (1983), reports on an experiment in which students received training on the use of learning strategies with three language tasks; vocabulary, listening skill and speaking. His major conclusion was that strategy training was effective for listening and speaking, but not for vocabulary.

One of the major short term benefits of the use of learning strategies is the fact that they help learners to compensate for their lack of adequate language knowledge. Bygate (1987), states that the use of these strategies can bridge the gab between knowledge of the rules and the students' ability to express their own meaning. In other words, these strategies help learners to practice using acceptable language with reasonable fluency and reasonable ability to convey meanings and express opinions. On that basis, it could be inferred that training learners on using these strategies would help them a lot in their language learning. Language learners will not be hesitant or afraid of being involved in an interaction where they do not have sufficient language knowledge for it. Bygate adds that being trained to use learning strategies helps the learner to succeed in autonomous interaction. According to this, using such strategies in learning represents a transitional process where control of learning is moved from teacher to learners, leaving the learner with responsibility for his own thinking and learning. In addition, Wenden& Rubin (1987), mention that learning strategies help learners to better utilize the experience they bring to their language class. As a result, learners grow appreciation of their power ability and become critically reflective of the conceptual context of their learning.

The efficiency of communicative strategies training in learning languages has been proved in so many occasions. For instance, Spilka (as cited in Faerch & Kasper 1983:10), points that some trained French learners tend to use specific phrases in order to avoid liaison in French; to avoid French partitive en, the learners may produce the specified form J'ai trios pommes, rather than J'en ai trios. So, the French learners are making use of the avoidance strategy which is one of the communicative strategies. In another occasion, Kasper (1983:43), gave some examples of how trained German learners of English reduce their IL performance with respect to politeness making. Moreover, Faerch (1983:43), gave other examples of speech act reduction, in which learners in conversation with native speakers often do not use initiating acts (reduction strategy). Based on all that has been mentioned, we could say that strategies be they learning or communicative ones, are important for language learning for they are tools for active, self-directed involvement, which is essential for developing communicative competence. I shall now move to discuss the long term benefits of the use of learning strategies.

3/ The long term benefits of training language learners on the use of learning and communicative strategies

As we have seen previously, there are so many short benefits for training learners on using learning and communicative strategies. Likewise, there are other long term benefits for strategy training as well. Faerch and Kasper (1986:189), report the findings of a study where an attempt was made to train learners to use interaction strategies (some of the communicative strategies). They were Danish learners of English and the training for strategy use lasted for three months. The findings were that:

a) Middle proficiency level learners made considerable progress in using interaction strategies.

b) Low and high proficiency learners made less progress.

g) The general attitude in the class towards errors and towards risk-taking had changed. More learners accepted the need to make an attempt even if they did not get the right answer.

Based on the findings of this study, we could say that training learners to use communicative strategies raises their confidence and encourages them to participate in different communicative interactions even when they don't have enough language for it (e.g. when they don't have the answer for a question). In another study, Knowles (1975), finds that training learners to use these strategies helps them to develop the attitude that language is a lifelong process and to acquire the skills of self-directed learning. Most importantly, he points out that communicative strategies help learners to be equipped with the skills necessary to continue learning on their own when they leave formal education experience.

Many other studies have been carried out by different researchers and the long term benefits of communicative and learning strategies training have been proved. For instance, O'Malley and Chamot (1990) looked at learning strategies used both by ESL and EFL students and they found that training students to use these strategies helped them become more aware of the whole process of learning a second language. Based on the findings of one of their studies, Wenden & Rubin (1987), state that training learners to use learning strategies helps learners to better utilize the experience they bring to their language class and help them as well, to become critically reflective of the conceptual context of their learning.

Part Two:

1/ The influence of learning strategies on my teaching style of speaking

I have previously mentioned that speaking is an undervalued skill in Oman. All focus and emphasis are placed on the other skills as if the speaking skill does not exist or as if acquiring it has been taken for granted. Out of my own experience as an English teacher, I have noticed that the Omani students' biggest difficulty when learning English falls in the area of speaking. As teachers, we have not been working so much on this skill due to the fact that there are no formal speaking tests in the whole low-intermediate, intermediate and high-intermediate levels of teaching English in most of the academic institutions in Oman in general and in the Language Centre at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in particular. We were basically preparing our students to be able to pass the final test which normally contained listening, reading and writing only. Personally, I used to rely on specific activities in my speaking classes and these activities were not always suitable for my students' levels of English. However, since it was "the speaking skill", I did not bother to search for more activities or even try to design a simple syllabus for teaching it.

Having read about learning and communicative strategies and having known about their crucial role in promoting and developing the learning process in general and the verbal interaction skills in particular, I have decided to adopt a new teaching approach that makes full use of these strategies. I have realized that the new teaching capacities should include identifying students' learning and communicative strategies, conducting training on these strategies, and helping learners become more independent. That is because when students take more responsibility in the speaking activities, more learning occurs, and both teachers and learners feel more successful and satisfied. Teachers including me, (especially when teaching speaking) should attempt to discover what strategies their students are already using by interviewing them or questioning them about the strategies employed for specific language learning tasks (Wenden & Rubing, 1987). And then, they could direct them to utilise learning and communicative strategies for a variety of speaking activities. Metacognitive strategies such as self-management and self-monitoring can be practised in communicative situations in which the learner wishes to gain the maximum amount of comprehensible speech from others (ibid). Moreover, teachers can provide students with practice in useful strategies for the negotiation of conversational encounter outside of class. They can also suggest alternative strategies for organising and storing information and they can encourage students to consider which strategies work best for them. O'Malley and Chamot (as quoted in Macdonough,1995:122) summarise what has been previously mentioned by stating that the Cognitive Academic Learning Language Approach consists of five phases:

1/ Preparation: develop student awareness of different strategies.

2/ Presentation: develop student knowledge about strategies.

3/ Practice: develop student skills in using strategies for academic learning.

4/ Evaluation: develop student ability to evaluate their own strategy use.

5/ Expansion: develop transfer of strategies to new tasks.

According to these phases, teachers should go through several steps while teaching speaking tasks in order to make sure that students would get benefits from them and would develop their speaking skill. We should base our explanation of the tasks as well as our instructions on the students' communicative and learning strategies, and we should try focus our activities on developing these strategies. Furthermore, we could provide students with various activities that would enable them to use their strategies in new speaking tasks and to evaluate their use of these strategies.

Macaro (2001:176) gave another way of training students on using and developing their strategies. The following figure shows the sequence of steps that are to be followed by teachers in order to best utilise their students' learning and communicative strategies while teaching English skills in general and speaking in particular.

Another important aspect every teacher should take into account is materials and syllabus design. In Oman, both syllabus and curriculum design are prescribed by the Ministry of Education (for schools), or the Ministry of Higher Education for some colleges and universities. Teachers have an almost passive role in that process. On the other hand, researchers and educational inspectors play the major role and impose their ideas and opinions which are not always in favor of the learning process, learning situations and students. Teachers are not allowed to innovate or create additional materials and they are severely penalized if they deviate from the prescribed curriculum. It is really a hard task for the teacher to change or at least modify this traditional curriculum but is not impossible. Teachers should attempt to change such curriculum gradually and they should have their role in the curriculum design task. They should be creative, eclectic and adaptive in terms of producing educational materials. Educational authorities on the other hand, should take into consideration that aspects of learning and communicative strategies are to be incorporated in each and every syllabus or curriculum. Finally, it really makes a great difference in teaching and learning if teachers bear in mind the fundamental knowledge of learning and communicative strategies while teaching.

2/New teaching approach and examples on some speaking activities

In Oman, most if not all the teaching approaches adopted by teachers seem to be teacher oriented. Teachers are doing all the work; they teach, explain, ask, provide answers and help students. The students' role is passive in one way or another; they are being spoon-fed throughout the academic year without being asked to contribute to their studying activities or even being taught how to do it. Being a teacher in that country, my teaching style was influenced to a great extent with the teaching methods used there. For instance, in my speaking class, I used to do all the talk, control activities, come up with ideas, and choose the suitable speaking tasks. I did not use to allow students to express their ideas and if I did, it would be to a very limited extent. Even when my students were giving a presentation or performing a dialogue, I used to interfere either by giving my own opinion or by correcting them every now and then. It is only now after knowing about learning and communicative strategies that I have realised the pressing need for some teaching strategies especially in the area of speaking. I have realised also that it is the turn of the students to do most of the talking in the speaking class, while the teacher's main function is to provide them with maximum amount of meaningful practice. In this section, I will attempt to give some examples on speaking activities and show how they are best taught taking into account the students' learning and communicative strategies.

a/ Dialogue and negotiation

Dialogue and negotiation present the language as directly in the contexts in which they are most commonly used, and permit the learners to practise it in the same way, thus establishing a firm link between language and situation (Byme, I976:2 I). My teaching of dialogue was a kind of memorisation task; I used to type the dialogues or negotiation task and give copies to the students. All that they had to do was to read them, memorise them and present them in front of the class. Taking the students' learning and communicative strategies into account, I should do some pre‑speaking activities and prepare the learners in terms of vocabulary items and tenses that are going to be used throughout the dialogue/negotiation. This will direct their attention to the task and will help them operate their planning strategies so that they are ready to some extent to tackle the task. During the task, I would interfere where possible to provide the learners with suggestions and to give some alternatives. I would not focus so much on correcting their mistakes since I am concerned in the first place with developing their communicative abilities. I would rather compliment and praise the good performance in order to create a stimulus and motivation for the rest of the learners to improve their work. I guess this way would work well with my students since they are very afraid of making mistakes and they are easily motivated by praise, compliments and marks.

b/ Imaginary situation

I did not really make use of this task although it is very important in developing the students' ability to be involved in problem‑solving tasks, to improvise, guess and brain storm. I was not really aware of it and of its role in promoting speaking skill. However now, after realising the importance of this task, I would try to prepare and design some imaginative tasks that are culturally appropriate and related to the learners' day to day life. For instance, I might ask them to imagine that there is a specific problem in their village (e.g. water is getting salty due to overuse) that needs to be solved and then, will ask them to come up with solutions and to try to talk about their own solutions in front of the class. Since the topic represents a very serious problem due to the scarcity of water sources in Oman, most of the students will be involved and will participate in the discussion. I might ask them to discuss it together in groups or I might ask individual students to talk about and justify their opinions. Of course, there are so many other exciting and relevant tasks (to the students' daily life activities) that could be made use of in order to hook the students' attention, sustain their interest in the subject and appeal to their needs and desires.

c/ Role‑play and Narration

I taught this task before and I noticed that students liked very much especially when it is incorporated in a narrative task. I used to give my students a story and ask them to play the roles of the different characters; it was really very simple and fun. Actually, it was another way to train them to memorise some language phrases. If I am to do this task now, I would ask the students to compose their own story (in an attempt to focus on past tense for example), and then to act it out in front of their colleagues. I strongly think that this task would work very well with most of the students even the weak ones because they would be working in groups and they will have the chance to choose the role that they really like and that suits their linguistic ability. While performing this task, the learners will be practising speaking, prioritising and choosing their role, and memorising some language chunks. In other words, they will be practising the language and developing their learning and communicative skills.

Conclusion

The research evidence that has been mentioned throughout this paper proves to some extent the short and long term benefits of using strategies in learning second/foreign language. It also suggests that some learners are using more strategies more effectively than others. For this reason, teachers and researchers should work closely together to discover the role of motivation in learner strategy use (Macaro, 2001). It has also been shown that strategy training is effective in promoting a great predisposition towards language learning and a framework which enables the learner to take more responsibility for their learning in the immediate, medium and long term. In this regard, policy‑makers should be closely involved in supporting teachers' effort by facilitating local and national programs of strategy training. They should not set up learning frameworks (curriculum, syllabus) which place obstacles in the way of teachers to adapt their teaching to the strategy-related needs of their learners. They should rather allow teachers some freedom so that they can be creative in terms of designing tasks and activities that would appeal to their students because teachers are the ones who are in direct contact with the students and therefore, they should be the ones who know exactly what their students need. On the hand, teachers should bear in mind that the strategies which plan and evaluate learning and the strategies assumed by the learners who go out and make contact with language outside the classroom are the ones that teachers should increasingly tum their attention to (ibid).

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Getting Quality Distance Learning Education

2010-05-31T23:10:00.001-07:00

It may seem like a legend, but you actually can get quality education without being completely hassled and scammed by these "diploma mills" that pump out courses after courses of useless information that are apparently supposed to give accredited diplomas to graduates. Instead, a quality distance learning education can actually get you the full diploma that you need from your own home with the quality instruction of paid teachers and interaction with other students through a variety of multimedia sources and components. This allows you to grasp as much of the educational experience as possible.

In order to decide if a distance learning education is the right path for you, you should determine if you have the learning style that would benefit from such an education. If you are good at motivating yourself to do well and to complete assignments on time, you will do well at distance learning. You are your own accountability weapon, so you need to ensure that you will work hard to get the projects and assignments done on time. If you are not good at self-motivation, you may want to select traditional schooling so that a teacher can instruct you with some of techniques to get motivated.

Success At Distance Learning

Distance courses are great ways to pick up a little bit of extra learning if you are unable to attend a traditional school or if you are busy. You can gain advanced training this way and can pick up some additional courses or credentials for your resume through a distance learning education. These courses can also be very effective for first-time students that are a little unsure about their future in education as they might provide an adequate snapshot of the educational process. It can be a great help for those that need specialized training for their jobs, too.

There are many reasons to pursue distance learning education courses. You should find out how this may work for you so that you can reap the benefits of an online, distance education and discover a whole new way to learn. The best part about these classes is that you can set your own hours and set up your own learning plan to help accommodate your busy life and introduce time management skills to your repertoire. You never know what skills you could learn in organizing your education through a distance learning education and these skills could be helpful in the rest of your life.

Source: Free Articles

Encouraging Your Loved One To Finish Their High School Education

2010-05-31T23:09:00.000-07:00

Regardless of the situation, it is hard to watch a loved one throw their future away.

When you see a loved one end their high school education, it is a difficult thing to watch. Especially when it is your child. Many young people may not understand the importance of a high school education to their future and can only see the difficulty it may cause in their current daily life. It may be they don't get along with other students or even the teachers. Regardless of the situation, it is hard to watch a loved one throw their future away.

A high school education does not need to be received in the traditional high school setting. With today's technology, there are many ways in which to get an education. One of the best means of receiving a high school education is to participate in an online education program. Many are low-priced and offer choices to the participating student.

Online high school education provides the student access to as many classes as they need to receive their high school diploma. Whether the student needs credit in science, social studies, English, math, or a foreign language, an online education program will have them available. These online high school education classes also allow the student to learn at their own pace. If the student is working during the day, they can access their classes in the evening. The fact is online education makes it easy and convenient for the student.

When helping your loved one to choose an online high school education program, you'll want to make sure it is accredited. This means the school has been officially recognized as a qualified education program and your student will receive a quality education from it. You'll also want to make sure that your loved one has all the details and understands how the program works. You don't want them to feel frustrated again and quit halfway through their program. Providing all the details up front is important.

If your loved one has not received their high school education, provide them with the opportunity and support they made to finish out their high school education. It may be they are simply too scared or lacking the confidence to continue. When you give them the encouragement, they will thank you for it and greatly appreciate all of the support you gave them.

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Disadvantages of Home Schooling

2010-03-11T23:20:00.000-08:00

If you are concerned about the education your child is receiving at either a public or private school, you may have considered the option of home schooling. There are many advantages to home schooling that are easy to think of, but in making your decision you must also consider the disadvantages. Yes, despite all the bonuses you can think of in home schooling your child, there are many disadvantages to the process.

Home schooling is a process that requires a massive amount of time and dedication. If you want to home school your child you must be present for a large part of the day. Kids are kids. Depending on how motivated by academic success your child is, he or she may not require constant supervision. However, in many studies, parental supervision is the key behind the success of home schooling programs.

Parents must also possess instructional skills or access to someone who can teach effectively. Simply putting your child in a room with textbooks will most likely result in home schooling failure. In addition, you will have to purchase materials that public and private schools provide for students.

There is also the need to be able to serve as guidance counselor as your child may require specialized instruction due to a learning disability. Public and private schools usually provide these services with qualified individuals.

One important benefit of an academic institution is the opportunity for children to become properly socialized. Attending school with other children from all walks of life leads to the development of social skills. One of the disadvantages of home schooling is the relative isolation children have from their peers.

Many parents find comfort in blaming the educational system for the shortcomings in their child's academic performance. If you choose to home school you will be accepting full responsibility for the outcome of your child's education. This is more of a burden than it seems. Studies have shown that many home schooling ventures fail due to the fact that the home generally lacks qualified educators. Many parents have gripes about teachers, but the fact is that they generally have to teach large classes filled with children with diverse learning needs. In addition, certified educators have taken teaching classes and have passed state examinations to receive their teaching certificates.

When you approach the issue of home schooling you must examine both sides. Sure, there are plenty of advantages, but if you forget to look into the disadvantages, you may be setting yourself up for failure.
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If you need more information visit http://www.citizenschool.com to learn about Home Schooling GED and a High School Diploma or if you prefer phone 1-800-736-GRAD (4723) or email studentservices@citizenschool.com. Internet Marketing done by Crackmarketing.com.

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How to wear a Graduation Hood?

2010-03-11T23:19:00.000-08:00

Each level of degree has different hoods. Degree holder person wear different hoods of different color and in different style like MA degree holder wear Black silk, lined with white silk, BA degree holder wear Black silk, edged with orange silk and bordered inside, within the orange edging, with white cloth 12mm wide and PhD degree holder the Doctor's Scarlet cloth gown distinguished by white silk facings and sleeve linings. Sleeves will have a white tassel and button, and John Knox Cap.

Academic Regalia Guide- There are many resources where you can get much knowledge about the academic regalia guide. Look at some of the pictures of faculty like Arkansas, Harcourt, Calvin, Wisconsin, Cornell and D.M.A academic regalia. How to wear academic regalia hoods:- Academic dress today generally consists of a gown also known as academic choir robes or choir robe gowns quail with a (usually separate, unattached) hood, and sometimes a cap. When wearing academic dress, it is usual to dress formally and soberly beneath the gown; so, for example, males would typically wear a dark suit with a white shirt and tie or military or national dresses, and females would wear equivalent attire.

How to Wear a Hood - The hood should be placed over your head so that it drapes off your shoulders and over the back of your gown. The velvet border should be on the outside as shown in the pictures. Be sure the lining of the hood is turned out so that the color(s) identifying the institution which conferred your degree are prominently displayed. This can be done by turning the velvet trim to the out side at the back just below your shoulders. The cord on the back of your hood will keep your hood in place. The cord in the front of your hood is provided to keep the hood away from your neck, fasten the cord to a dress button or the gown zipper.

Protocol for wearing Academic Hoods- A custom established in the 14th century, modern-day scholars display their academic achievements by wearing academic graduation hoods commencements and other important academic ceremonies. All university regalia strictly comply with the guidelines set forth by the Committee on Academic Customs and Ceremonies, appointed in 1959 by the American Council on Education.
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Influence of Television on a Person

2010-03-11T23:17:00.001-08:00

In the twenty first century technology is developing very fast. Advanced technological wonders still surprise us and make us wanting more and more comfort that they create. One of them is television that became popular all over the world now and there is no country, region or village where people donâ€™t know what a TV is. It is also considered that Television has both advantages and disadvantages and for one it is very difficult to decide what to watch and if to watch at all. Certainly, television is the main source of information.

Daily people listen and watch a short news sequence that provides us with the necessary information and keeps informed during the day. Also, no doubt, television is the way to entertain oneself, for it offers a variety of possibilities to have fun sitting on your couch and relaxing. Another way to capture peopleâ€™s minds on a live TV screen is advertisement. Commercials have become inseparable part of broadcasting and live coverage. Even favorite movies are interrupted by short ad. Though commercials are what holds television together and thereâ€™s nobody who can prove this wrong. Besides there have to be some ways to show what lies on the shelves at supermarkets. When it comes to disadvantages one may prepare for a long story, but after all, despite these trifles we continue to do it, no matter what we are said.

It is harmful to stay in front of the TV for a long time. It spoils our eyes and health, doctors say. But the same thing happens when we read articles or interesting narrative essays for a long time. Same story with the computer, nothing harms our sight this much. As for the information that we constantly see on TV, it is a miracle how one can watch it without getting crazy. Indeed, if to watch three or more reality shows in a row it makes you at first confused than frustrated and then constantly unsatisfied and angry. It is also same story with movies. It is almost impossible to find a movie without blood spilling around and angry man fighting for God knows what. Of course a nice narrative essay can be put aside when something similar comes up. Now movies are rated, but who pays attention to that little geometric figure in the corner of your screen? As soon as movie is good, nobody cares to think about its influence on their children.

Television makes people physically inactive. It is impossible to stand up and go for a walk when your favorite soap opera is coming up. You leave everything undone and rush to see what happens next and stay glued to the screen till itâ€™s over. Then another are another comes and you slowly but surely turn into a couch potato with health problems as in mental, as in physical field. What makes us glue ourselves to the TV screen and go to bed with a TV on? Itâ€™s quite time to break the habit and start reading something useful, for example, the article about harm and advantages of watching TV.
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Learning How to Arc Weld is Fun and Easy

2010-03-11T23:15:00.000-08:00

Learning how to weld is really not that difficult. Most welders learn arc welding first. The easiest way to start welding is simply by practicing. You can pickup a cheap arc welder from somewhere like harborfreight tools. It will cost you under $120.

You will also need a welding helmet, welding gloves, a heavy jacket and some welding rods. Take my advice, spend the extra money and get an auto darkening helmet. It will make learning so much easier. You will also want to get a supply of scrap steel to practice on. This can be picked up at a scrap yard.

Now that you have all the supplies, its time to weld. Find an appropriate area, somewhere outdoors, without anything flammable around. Secure your scrap steel to some kind of table at a comfortable working height. Attach the ground to the steel. Place the welding rod in the other clamp. Put on your heavy jacket, gloves, helmet and thick pants. Turn on the welder, set it at somewhere around 80 amps to start with.

To start the arc you want to jab the electrode at the steel, then slightly pull back. If it sticks, break it free and try again. If it continues to stick, turn the amps up.

Once you have an arc going you will need to feed the electrode into it to maintain the arc. You want it about 1/4 of an inch from the metal. When it is at the right distance it will make a crackling noise. If it is too far away it will be more of a popping noise, with sparks and metal flying in all directions. If it is too close, it will stick to the metal.

The first thing you want to practice is simply laying a bead on a single piece of metal. Once you have that down, you can move on to connecting two pieces of metal together.

Remember, when learning how to weld safety comes first! You can instantly cause permament eye damage from looking at the arc without a helmet on. Also welding fumes are highly toxic. Be sure any bystanders are aware of this.

If you are interested in learning welding as a career or a hobby, "The Welding

Bible" is an excellent resource. It explains in detail everything you need to go from beginner to pro.

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About the Author

If you are interested in learning welding as a career or a hobby, "The Welding

Bible" is an excellent resource. It explains in detail everything you need to go from beginner to pro.

(ArticlesBase SC #261455)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - Learning How to Arc Weld is Fun and Easy

Celebrities with Learning Disabilities

2010-02-08T17:50:00.000-08:00

If your child has just been diagnosed with a learning disability, he or she may be feeling a little bit iffy about their self-esteem. This may be due to the overwhelming (but untrue) notion in our society that scholastic difficulties severely limit a person's possibility of success in the work world. Of course, this is quite simply not true. There are plenty of well-known individuals with learning problems who have gone on to accomplish great things in their careers. Here are a few such examples who just might provide the encouragement and inspiration that your child needs to look to the future with optimism:

1. Whoopi Goldberg
Until she explained her difficulties with reading to a perceptive teacher as an adult, Goldberg had no idea she was dyslexic. She was then able to learn the strategies necessary that would allow her to make sense of written language. Goldberg went on to become an incredibly successful actress and comedienne. She is one of the few people in the world to have been awarded an Oscar, an Emmy, a Tony, and a Grammy. Goldberg is also the only woman to have ever hosted the Academy Awards. Her radio show, Wake Up With Whoopi, premiered on Clear Channel Radio at the end of July 1006. She has several upcoming movies slated for release, including It's Under My Skin and The Last Guy on Earth.

2. Tommy Hilfiger
Growing up in New York during the '50s and '60s, Hilfiger struggled with school because of his dyslexia. While reading proved difficult for him, he developed a keen eye for what lines and shapes suited the body. Hilfiger's sharp fashion sense and entrepreneurial drive helped him to launch his own label in 1982. Since then, his business has branched out to design not just men and women's wear, but children's clothing, shoes, home furnishings, and personal fragrances. Hilfiger has experienced continued success with an ever-increasing celebrity clientele, new store openings around the globe and company revenues in the hundreds of millions.

3. Jamie Oliver
This young, hip chef has made cooking cool for a new generation of Food Network viewers. While dyslexia problematized reading for Oliver as a student, he made it a point to finish every cookbook from the well-known Bay Area French restaurant, Chez Panisse. Oliver's learning disability has not stood in the way of his achievements; he has been the host of several popular cooking television programs, such as The Naked Chef and Oliver's Twist, and has written seven cookbooks, including the bestselling Jamie's Dinners. His latest television series-Jamie's School Lunch Project-documents his quest to revamp the menu of a British elementary school through the introduction of healthier cooking methods and the incorporation of organic foods.
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Is your Child under STRESS?

2010-01-07T17:39:00.001-08:00

Childhood is believed to be stress free. We think that children do not experience stress. The bad news is that we are wrong. Children worry a lot although the causes of their tension might be trivial for us. Competition is stiff these days. Children have to compete with their classmates to get good marks, to become the football/basketball captain, or even to impress the most beautiful girl/guy in the class! Therefore, your child must have the skills to deal with such situations.

Children, especially young ones, have the habit of keeping things to themselves unless probed. Moreover, they expect their parents to ‘understand’ their problems on their own. Sometimes, kids are too scared to express their issues to their parents. How to deal with all this? Doctors say that if children develop this habit of not expressing their problems, they grow up as individuals having low self-confidence.

There are numerous ways to help your child in this context. Reflect on the questions given below:

Do you listen to your Child?

Many times, parents ignore what their children are saying. This can make kids feel ignored. Kids do not speak like adults- concise and to the point. Instead, they speak in long sentences. It takes a little patience to understand their problems. Do not interrupt while your child is speaking something. Let him complete his point and then speak. A word of advice- Do not be judgmental.

Do you Show Interest?

Children would not like talking to someone who does not show interest in their stories and conversations. Hence, parents should express their interest while talking to their kids.

Do you motivate your Child?

When was the last time you pat the back of your child? Even animals love being loved and motivated, let alone humans. The next time your child scores in a football match, make sure you pat his back and buy him a piece of chocolate.

Is your Child your Friend?

Children hesitate expressing their problems in front of someone whom they do not know properly. Many parents unintentionally create a distance from their kids due to lack of time or ignorance. Ensure that you spend some time daily with your child. Take him to a baseball game or a movie. Read him a bedtime story. Talk to him over dinner. The idea is to make your child feel comfortable with you.

Do you interact with teachers?

Often, parents do not talk to their kid’s teachers. Next to home, children spend the most time at school. It can be a possibility that teachers can tell you about some trait of your child that you haven’t noticed. Never miss attending parents-teachers meet or annual days. Occasions like these allow parents and teachers to interact with each other in order to find out better ways of teaching kids.

Do you have pets?

Studies have shown that children who have pet animals like dogs and cats at their homes are more affectionate to others. Keeping a dog, for example, can help develop compassion, kindness and love ion your child.

Stress Management is not an overnight affair. It takes years to develop this. Why to delay?
shashanks

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About the Author:

The Author brings over 6 years of e-learning and online tutoring experience. Having a deep understanding of pedagogy and child psychology, the writer has developed numerous strategies to improve e-learning and online tutoring for Grades K-12 and higher through various techniques that question the conventional ways of instructing.

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Paying Attention For Success

2010-01-07T17:33:00.001-08:00

TB Wright The One Penny Millionaire!(tm)

There is a success we can attain that goes far beyond simple material success. This deep of success is attained only through the giving up our attachment to being "right" about all the illusions we have surrounding what it means to be successful. In the online seminar I do with participants, we work a lot on processes that assist us in giving up the energy wasting practice of attachment. Attachment to illusions usually! Once we claim this energy that we already have, and are already using, back again, we can then designate its use toward the achievement of goals other than ones that are impossible to accomplish, such as trying to make an illusion real. Let's instead, make our dreams real!

Ask anyone, and they will certainly tell you their answer as to what it means to lead a successful life, and if anyone asks you, you might even come up with a few choice details yourself. If there are six billion or more people on the planet, and each one of them has very specific formulas for what constitutes success, then who is right? The obvious answer is that they all are. How can this be so? Pay attention, be here now, and focus here: they are all right because for each and every one of them, it isn't in achieving the details that they believe will make them successful, that make them a success, it's in the feel of it that any one of them attains success. What does this mean?

What this means is that we are hard wired to believe that success is somehow outside of ourselves, (another illusion) and since so many billions of details exist outside of ourselves, every single person on the planet can make up a new game for which the achievement of a certain combination of details adds up to their feeling successful. I know I do this, and there isn't anyone who I know who doesn't. But just because we all do something, doesn't mean that there isn't a place to aim for that evolves beyond where we are now at. Why desire to evolve? We desire to evolve because anyone with any sort of compassionate heart can easily look around them, and observe that the human race has an enormous potential that it just isn't using right now. Maybe even, that it's ever used. War, crime, hatred, racism, makewrong, judgments, complaints, lack of integrity, lying, deceit, and billions of people living disconnected from their own body-mind-heart triad that is so important to the living of a whole, complete, life, a life that is quite within reach of any one of us, because it's a life that exists within each one of us. We live this life when we drop away any attachment to our many illusions as we shift our energy over from what doesn't work, to what does work, for the achievement of our greatest and highest good.

We live this life when we walk, work, and wend our way around the paths we have chosen for our lives, how they turn out and burn out, in every moment that we live. To so live isn't to live anything different from what we're living right now, but to live with all of what we're living right now. All of what we desire, and do not desire. To live all of life, as messy as it gets, which means to work to close the gap between life as it is, and life as we would like it to be. We close the gap through telling the truth about how it is, and then committing to how we would then like it to be. Why do this? Because to live that authentic a life, to live life more and more of our time on Earth in the moment, is to live truth. Truth is, all of us are born with one life, not knowing where we came from and not really knowing where we are going, with endless speculation on each of these areas, speculation designed to make us feel better about what is inevitable. Feel better about what is inevitable? Hold on there! What craziness have we so bought into, that we have worked ourselves up into a froth over resisting through so many colorful distractions, what's inevitable anyway! Distractions of entertainment, war, anger, upset, makewrong, finger pointing, complaints, and any and all preoccupations that get between us, and really paying attention to our lives; what they are, what they feel like, where we are, and where we are heading. Fear, the ever present companion of modern man, may have taken over our hard wiring, for whatever reasons we have allowed it to dominate and control us, but that doesn't mean that we have to leave it in charge, not once we discover this truth.

Truth is, given our enormous potential for living evolved lives based on love, not fear, we all have this potential for being hugely successful, and right now. Truth is, there really is only one success we desire and only one: to feel better and better than we now feel in this present moment, regardless of how we feel. Including ecstatic! Just think about it. What happens when something extremely joyful occurs out of the blue for us? We immediately want more of how that feels. Given this is our hard wired relationship to success, we might as well live life as it is, and accept all the truths related to that, and all other inevitable facts, and then seek to be, do, and have, that which will allow us to live the richest lives possible emotionally. Because after all, that emotional richness, the feeling better in each now moment, is the real thing we desire as successful human beings, and so is what we are truly after. Not the relationships, not the cash, and not the accolades. Whew! Did that upset you? I know finding out about this initially upset me!

But we don't have to stay upset over the truth. Because the good news relating to this authentic of success, is that right now, in this moment, if we pay close enough attention to our thoughts, our desires, and our actions, the realization that feeling better and better can occur, and that it's an inside job, will dawn on us. The wholly immutable fact that we can evolve right now is so in front of our faces, that most people, if not all, miss this fact, and all the time. Think of it like the Earth. It's so present under our feet, such an accepted fact of life, so taken for granted, that it's taken many generations for us to simply become aware that yes, we live on it, and that, yes, our actions do affect the quality of our lives upon it. Whew, again!

So what does all this have to do with our success? The thing is this. If we are conscious of the real reasons we seek relationship, money, family, love, fame and fortune, which is to in any one now moment, to feel better than we are now feeling, regardless of how we feel, then the option of pursuing these things with a joyful heart opens up for us. And in pursuing the accomplishment of the details of our lives with a joyful heart, all that we do becomes that which we can then call successful, because we will be already feeling good about ourselves as we go along simply living our lives, rather than pointing to some chimera out there and labeling it as that which will make us feel better some day. Because the second truth is, it won't. Anything out there won't, because the second we attain anything, oh, yes, maybe a little longer than a second at times, we will want something else. And that's what it means to be a human being. Yet if we consider success being to fulfill our immutable desire to feel good inside about ourselves, first, then our journey becomes not a seeking after that which fulfills, but a living out of that which in and of itself, is fulfilling. In every second, right here and right now, of every moment that we live. And then there you go, authentic real success, and best of all, right now! Here's to yours!

TB Wright

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About the Author:

TB Wright is the coursework creator of The One Penny Millionaire!™ a thirty week online seminar designed for your success. www.onepennymillionaire.com

A short video on useful affirmation work can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhFZ1C6uC-4

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How To Find Work At Home Job Options

2010-01-05T18:18:00.000-08:00

Do you wish to work at home? Well, this is a question which will undoubtedly be answered positively by most of the people who are currently stuck with their regular office jobs. It is so because while working at home, there is no boss to supervise your work. Again, these jobs enable you to work according to your convenience. That’s why more and more people are adopting them as their major income source worldwide. However, there are some people who claim that these jobs are scams. If you really wish to avoid such circumstances, given below are some guidelines which you must keep in mind.

Overcome The Misconceptions

Usually, online jobs are considered as an immense source of income
for everyone, but the fact is that they are not the same. However, those who are completely dedicated towards their work are still making the most out of these jobs. Therefore, forget the rumor that these jobs offer you higher payouts and that too without putting lots of efforts from your side.

Check Whether Your Talent Is Viable

When it comes to evaluate the fact what you can do easily, most of the people find themselves ready with a huge list. But, are they all correct at their end? Absolutely not! It may be possible that you are an out of the box person and that’s why you can do many of the work more precisely such as cooking food, writing, painting etc. But, do all of them hold importance in online market? Surely not! Therefore, try to find out your talent which is feasible with these online jobs.

Get Known To The Market Conditions

During the past few years, recession ruined the economy all across the world. Due to this phase of economy, many people lost their jobs. But, still there were some people who were successful in saving their jobs as they were quite familiar with the market situations. The same stands for these online jobs. Make sure the job opportunity that you are interested in depends how much on the market conditions. It will provide you a rough estimate of the scope of your job and how limited it is.

Have Faith In Yourself

Now, this is a point which requires you to have some patience. In current tough economical conditions, it is possible that you may not acquire proper work at home opportunities initially. But it doesn’t mean there is no ray of hope. The internet is full of money for you to grab. The only thing you need to do is to do proper research before jumping into the online jobs.
Alan Lim

About the Author:

Do you wish to known the benefits of Work At Home jobs? If yes, then visit the website at http://www.goodinternetmoney.com and get known to all of them.

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What Is Homeschooling

2010-01-05T17:46:00.000-08:00

The term 'homeschooling' basically refers to the process in which one or more children of not more than 2 families are instructed by parents or legal guardians, or a member of either household. The laws that define homeschooling vary from State to State. The legal requirements for establishing a homeschool also vary with the State.

For most children, the actual process of learning begins much before school. Many children already know their alphabets, the names of animals, colors and other more complicated stuff before they reach school. This is mostly due to the hard work of a member of the family who has taken the time to teach the child. Homeschooling is just a natural progression from here. Instead of sending their children to a public school, parents make their own curriculum and teach their children in ways that best suit the child. This is homeschooling, in its most simplistic form.

Before you decide to go in for homeschooling, there are certain important matters for consideration. First off, meet with parents of other homeschoolers. Find out the pros and cons of homeschooling. Then ask yourself why you would want to adopt this method. This is a very important aspect, as the success of the program depends on the clarity and sincerity of your purpose.

Next, it is time to consider the expenses of homeschooling. It may cost anywhere between a few hundred dollars to a few thousand every year. More importantly, you are also effectively shutting out any job opportunity for one of the parents. It is only obvious that one parent will have to stay at home full time to manage the homeschool. A home-based business however is a great alternative.

Are you qualified to take on homeschooling for your children? Teaching is a continuation of your own learning process. With the advent of the internet, information is aplenty. There are various books and resources for those interested in homeschooling. Go through the various methods of homeschooling and choose one that is most suited to you. It helps if you know what kind of learning style your child has. Also, find out what your child feels about homeschooling before you start.

Every state has its own laws regarding homeschooling. For instance, in North Carolina, you must first file a 'Notice of Intent' to start a home school. In this you have to mention if the school is a 'Private church' school or a 'qualified non-public school'. The persons providing the education are required to have at least a high school diploma. You have to maintain an annual record of the child's attendance and disease immunization. Every year, the child is required to undergo a standardized test. Each student attending the eleventh grade has to take a nationally standardized test. These are the requirements in North Carolina, but it is enough to give you a good idea of what homeschooling entails.

Homeschooling may seem like a lot of fun and freedom from the outside. However, things are seldom as simple as they seem. Homeschooling is a lot of added responsibility and hard work. But, if successful, it will forge a strong bond of love and respect between parent and child, while providing your child with the best form of education he needs.

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The Need For After School Activities

2009-11-17T18:19:00.000-08:00

When children are literally up to their gills with the learning and sport activities in school, it may seem superfluous to enroll them for after school activities. In spite of this, after school programs are sprouting up in large numbers and most of these are booked full. This shows that there is a real need for after school activities.

The unavailability of parental supervision is the leading cause for the surge in after school programs. It is seen that many children spend about 20-25 hours a week unsupervised and alone at home. And as the saying goes, "An idle mind is a devil's workshop". Children who are left alone to contend with too much free time invariably fall into the wrong company. Drug abuse, alcohol, tobacco and crime come knocking at their doors sooner rather than later. Parents enroll children to various after school programs to keep them occupied in a productive manner. This way, the kids are free to enjoy themselves in a supervised activity.

Crime is considered to be at its peak during the after school hours, between 3- 4 p.m. During such a time, children need protection. Getting the children together under one roof and encouraging them to participate in a group activity is protection enough. It diverts the children from ennui too.

Obesity is a matter of growing concern in this country. It is noticed that more and more children are becoming couch potatoes. After school, many of them relax on the sofa with packets of chips, cool drinks or chocolates while they watch T.V. 30 % of the kids below the age of 19 are considered overweight, and about 15% of these are obese. An after school program ensures that the child shakes off his lethargy and keeps himself busy. This also helps to reduce the child's fascination for T.V and computer games.

After school activities that promote social awareness develop the individual's sense of social responsibility. It is seen that these sorts of programs not only keep kids out of trouble, but also help to produce responsible citizens. To that extent, they are valuable building blocks in a child's personality.

Times are changing and parents want their children to excel in academics as well as in other activities. This may be a reflection of the parent's unfulfilled desire to excel - a remnant from his own childhood. Whatever the reason, parents today encourage their children to enroll themselves in various programs and develop the various facets of their individuality. Children too seem to be comfortable learning many things at the same time, and gain satisfaction from this.

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10 Secrets Of A Successful Homeschool

2009-10-07T00:27:00.001-07:00

1. Have fun. Attitude is everything with home learning. Enjoy learning and your kids will enjoy it. Make it drudgery and they will respond as well. Try to make even boring tasks, pleasant at least. This is not to say that everything must be a 3-ring circus, but if you have a fresh, upbeat attitude even with times tables and spelling tests, this will reflect well on your children's enjoyment and learning potential.

2. Limit interruptions. My biggest interruption is the phone. Get a good answering machine and use it during regularly scheduled learning time. Or use voice mail. Record a message that states from this time to that time we are home educating and will get back to you after we are finished. Tell friends and relatives that this is the case, and eventually they will learn to respect this. This also means well meaning drop in visits and babysitting for friends, etc. Keep your children's learning time sacred and your family will benefit from this.

3. Dedicate your time to their learning. If you are doing 101 things while your children are trying to do bookwork, how can you expect them to concentrate and finish tasks at hand? Keep your focus on them, it is a priority that rewards!

4. Keep it simple. Be careful not to fall into the "Curriculum of the Month" club. Trying and swapping and changing your education plans with every new program that breezes by will kill your children's spirit. This is not to say that you should stay with something that is not working, just be careful not to flit about like a butterfly in a field of flowers. Your children will quickly learn that all it takes in a bit of whining and they'll have a new book, workbook or system in no time. Also, simplify your life. Too many commitments and outside activities and responsibilities can really wreck havoc with your schedule. Try to keep your life simple and you will be rewarded.

5. Have FAITH! In yourself, your kids and in God. If you are doing the best you can, you will be rewarded. How can you do any worse than an overworked, underpaid public school teacher with only 6 hours and 24 - 30 children to teach? Overcome your own shortcomings with help, tutoring assistance and your own re-education. Don't count yourself short. Children learn in any environment even the slums of Calcutta! Provide them with your time and enthusiasm, good basic materials and faith and you will do as well if not better than that poor teacher can. You have the best interest of your children in your heart. Let it work for them.

6. When in doubt READ! If the washing machine is flooding, the baby is sick, your toddler is fussy and lunch is burning don't just give up, get reading. Reading is the best way for your kids to learn and retain. Gather up the brood and snuggle on the couch with a good classic. Reading aloud is a wonderful activity for your family. Even experienced readers will love to hear a story aloud, especially when they don't have to sound out each word and get through those they may not know. There is a rhyme and rhythm to books read aloud that delights even little ones. Make it a drama performance, use voices change the sound levels of your voice, and discuss the plot. You can even tape record your story time so that pre-readers can listen again and again and enjoy the story while you worry about that washing machine!

7. Surround yourself with home school mentors. Whether it's an online group, or a support group, or just a great mom you met at church or at the library, keep in touch with these people! Ask questions; ask for helpful advice, most likely, they will be happy to help, because someone in their life helped them. Don't do this alone. Even a good home education magazine will help you in your quest. Read home education books when you are in need of a little boost.

8. Use the Library! What a wonderful resource most public libraries are. Not only books of any and every subject but reference books, video tapes, audio tapes, learning materials, computer accesses, computer software and so much more. With just a notebook and some pencils, I truly believe you could educate your children with just a library at hand! Don't spend a fortune on all these reference books for home. Use the libraries! And the librarians love homeschoolers

9. Take frequent break days. If you are sick, or some family obligations make a day difficult, take a day off. Instead of great big weeks off or even the whole summer, take frequent days off through the year to refresh and empower you. The children will be pleased and you will get a chance to regroup. Just make sure they aren't every other day!

10. Watch for outside time stealers! Field trips and social outings and classes for this and that are important, just make sure you are not overdoing it. Too many errands and outings can kill a day's learning and overwhelm your schedule. Remember that you are home schooling not car schooling! Try and schedule a day that is busy and three or four days that are not. Your family will appreciate this!

copyright © 2006 by Sherri L. Chekal

Sherri Chekal is the art director at Westvon Publishing. She is the editor of the popular www.TheParentTeacher.com and the www.TheHomeschoolShop.com websites, as well as offering her graphic talents to several bands through websites, promotion and writing skills. She plays with the Fulton County Bluegrass band in Ohio. She homeschools her two daughters and is quite the Renaissance woman of talents and skills. She is the art director for the bluegrass newspaper, www.TheBluegrassJournal.com

Homeschooling And The Family

2009-10-07T00:25:00.000-07:00

According to the National Center For Education Statistics, almost 1.1 million children underwent homeschooling in 2005 alone. That's a lot of children. Once upon a time, homeschooling used to be a radical statement - something like a declaration of independence. It was the conservative Christians who advocated homeschooling in the '80s and legalized it in every State. But the typical homeschooler of the day is not religiously motivated.

Recent surveys indicate that parents are actually quite fed up of the public school systems where much of the learning is superficial and compulsory. They are also concerned about negative school environment ranging from drugs and abuse to negative peer pressure. As a result, we have a surprising mix of people who form the homeschooling world of today. They cut across all religious and regional borders. Their main aim is providing meaningful and productive learning through a method that strengthens the bond between the various members of the family.

All these families have one thing in common - a long enduring commitment to the sanctity of childhood. The children in these families are accorded a primary position. Many believe, and rightly so, that homeschooling allows parents to bring up children in a more natural and nurturing environment. Public schools can make one nervous, diffident and downright mean. Children who get schooled at home are protected from these damaging negative influences till they reach an age where they can handle it.

Homeschooling draws the whole family into the almost religious task of schooling. Everyone is put to work. The parents together form a bond with the children. Any experience can be turned into an educational experience. Both the parents are aware of exactly what is going into their child's head. Parents also have greater control on the kind of religious and moral values that the child imbibes. Even watching a movie together can become a learning experience. Trips to the libraries and other places become educational as well as recreational.

A homeschooling family is primarily dependent on the income of one earning member. That means that often spending has to be curtailed and proper planning of expenditure is a must. This helps to bring the family members together and everybody gets involved in the process of saving money.

Having a parent at home to supervise, to nurture and care for the children brings with it a lot of love and caring. Even your husband chips in and there just is no room for boredom. Yes, problems do crop up, and there are a lot of misgivings in your mind. But when you know that your kids can always count on you, and your kids know it too, then homeschooling becomes a richly rewarding experience.

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Family Values: Are you sacrificing your family for your career?

2009-10-07T00:24:00.001-07:00

Do you want to know what the worst feeling in the world is to a man or women who is working hard to create a better life for themselves? It is when we take a step back from our work and realize that what we consider to be the most important element in life, our family, is getting pushed down the list of important things and being ignored altogether. When this situation has been going on for a long time, virtually undetected, some family relationships get ripped at the seams.

I will never forget the night that this very same realization happened to me some years ago. I was spending days, even weeks, on the road working hard to close bigger and bigger accounts for my sales position. One night on the road I was in my motel and received a call from my wife. She was reminding me to be home early the next day to attend my daughter's big play at her local junior high school.

There was just one problem. The next day was my chance to close a huge deal that I was working on for months. I was sideswiped when my prospect called me back that very night, before I talked with my wife. The client wanted to meet and I was in his area by chance working on another deal.

I couldn't pass it up. It meant earning an extra thousand dollars per month if I got this sale and I felt that my family was just too important to pass it up. I'm getting to the worst part now, and that is that I lied to my wife and daughter on the phone when I said that I would be there. I already knew that my work was going to come first by signing up this big account, but I didn't have it in me to tell them over the phone. I knew that I was going to sign the deal, make a lot of money, miss my daughter's big day, and then make up an excuse why I was not there.

Now considering that I was already doing very well and considered pretty successful at the time, that night was a very low point in all areas of my life. I realized then and there that I was putting aside what matters to me the most, my family. And they were loosing faith in me, not expecting me anymore, not caring, breaking away...

The next morning I woke up and realized that I wouldn't have been able to live with myself had I gone through with the appointment and missed my daughter's special event. Money cannot replace love and family. I phoned my appointment and totally expected this man to hang up on me and find another company to do business with. However, I told him the truth. I explained that my family needed me and that I understand if he wants to do his business elsewhere with someone that is more reliable.

That was the day that I made the right decision to put my work aside and be there for my family, and risk loosing the “big account” that I was after. Needless to say the business man that I had to cancel on respected what I had to say, and he even rescheduled the meeting. One week later I successfully signed the deal. Moral of the story? Put your family first, work hard in between, and success in all areas of your life will follow.

This free article is provided by the FreeArticles.com Free Articles Directory for educational purposes ONLY! It cannot be reprinted or redistributed under any circumstances.

Boring After School Activities

2009-09-09T00:18:00.000-07:00

Why does Lisa grumble when it is time for her to go for her piano lessons? How come Johnny abhors the sight of his skates now? After all, these children were very enthusiastic about the programs when they started off. What happened? Parents are often confused by the disturbing and often incongruous signals they receive from their children. One day the kids are excited about the new theatre class and in just a few short weeks they wail and moan when it's time to go.

The first thing a family should do when a child begins resisting a previously loved activity is to listen and investigate. Do not jump into conclusions. A little bit of intelligent sleuthing is required. Ask your child what he or she does in the class. Find out what exactly is the cause of the problem. Then ask the teachers the same questions. Compare notes. You may stumble on some important clues. Usually, children start out on an activity thinking it's all fun. But when they realize that they cannot just hang out and that they need to follow rules etc, they begin to resist. Your child may feel stifled if the program is too structured. If the discipline is too rigorous or the activity too painful (like a karate class) some children balk. Use your own instincts. Does the program feel like fun? Would you want to attend it yourself? Are they offering enough motivation to keep the child interested?

The teacher-to-child ratio is also an important factor. Children need attention. If the number of teachers is just enough to handle a class, it is possible that your child is not receiving enough attention. State recommendations usually specify that there must be 1 teacher for 15 children.

Children try to avoid problems they cannot solve. If there are no perceivable problems with the class and the teachers, perhaps you need to have a chat with your child. If your judgment says that the place is good and the activity engaging enough, then it's time to work with your child. More often than not, social pressures may be at work here. Does your child have friends there? If she is lonely or miserable because of the lack of friends, help her find a friend. If she finds a friend, she will get more involved in the activities

If your best efforts do not pay off, and your child still resists that fantastic guitar classes, then it's time to let go. Shift your child to some other program. If he or she still retains interest in guitars, you can take it up after a few months. Never force the child, especially when it comes to extra-curricular activities. Since they are 'extra', they must bring in extra happiness and extra enthusiasm too.
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Bluetooth Technology

2009-08-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

Bluetooth Technology

What is Bluetooth?

Bluetooth technology is a type of the wireless technology that eliminates the need for the number of inconvenient cables and devices that are used to connect the computers, mobile phones, digital cameras, handheld devices and new digital appliances. Bluetooth enables the users to connect to a wide variety of telecommunication and computing devices easily, without cables.

It makes rapid ad hoc connections, automatic unconscious connections between two or more digital devices. Bluetooth provides the opportunity of using the mobile data in different applications. Bluetooth makes wireless communication between the two devices in a localized area of a room of office or home very easily. Bluetooth technology uses radio-based links and all the connections between the devices and invisible and instantaneous.

By Bluetooth technology your laptop can send print request to a printer in your next room. Bluetooth is actually a standard for wireless communication between the devices in a relatively small area and it is therefore works fine in the personal area network (PAN) using radio frequency.
Any two devices that follow the Bluetooth standard can communicate with each other. A number of the Bluetooth devices like digital camera, mobile phone and handheld pc can form a network. You can send emails to your mobile phones from your laptop without any physical connect between your laptop and your mobile phones.

Features of Bluetooth technology
• Bluetooth technology uses radio waves for communication in 2.4 GHz
• It supports multipoint communication not just point to point.
• Bluetooth works in a small area of 10-15 meters.
• Bluetooth offers speed of 1-2 Mbps.
• Bluetooth chipsets are less expensive though more expensive than IrDA.

How Bluetooth Technology Works

Bluetooth is a high speed wireless link technology that uses the radio waves. It is designed to connect the mobile phones, laptops, hand held devices and portable equipments with almost no work by the end users. Unlike infrared Bluetooth does not require line of sight between the connecting units. Bluetooth technology is a modified form of the current Wireless LAN technology and it’s more acceptable for its relative small size and low cost.

The current circuits are contained on a circuit board of 0.9 cm square and a much smaller single chip version is in development and soon it will be in use. The cost of the Bluetooth device is expected to fall rapidly. Bluetooth chip has to be equipped in many devices. In Bluetooth technology, small and inexpensive transceivers have been placed in the digital devices. The radio waves operate at 2.45 Ghz band on the Bluetooth devices. Bluetooth supports the data speed up to 721 Kbps and 3 voice channels. The Bluetooth chip can either be built into the devices or it can be uses as an adapter. In computer it can be used with the USB port. Each Bluetooth device has a 48 bit address from the IEEE 802 standards and the Bluetooth connections can be either point to point or multipoint. Bluetooth range is 10 meter but it can be extended up to 100 meters by increasing the power.

Bluetooth devices are protected from the external interference because they change their frequency up to 1600 times in a second. Bluetooth radio technology provides the bridge between the existing data network. Bluetooth guarantees security at the bit level and the authentication is controlled by the end user by using 128 bit key. An important face of the Bluetooth technology is that it instantly forms a network when two or more devices come closer in the range of each other.

Bluetooth Technology Benefits

Bluetooth technology is a convenient choice of communication in a wire free, short range environment. Bluetooth is a globally available standard for connecting the devices like mobile phones, digital cameras, laptops, MP3 Players, cars, stereo headsets etc. Bluetooth enable devices do not need to install any drivers. The key benefits of the Bluetooth wireless technology are its built-in-security, low cost, easy of use, robustness, and ad hoc networking capabilities.

The Bluetooth wireless technology is available globally. Many manufactures from the different companies are busy to implement the technology in their products. Bluetooth technology operates in the 2.4 Ghz, one of the unlicensed, industrial and scientific radio band. Bluetooth technology is a free of charge service but your mobile phones set should support the GSM and CDMA technology.

Today mobile phones have built in capabilities and Bluetooth functionalities in them. Bluetooth technology is available in the different range of the devices like mobile phones, automobiles, medical devices, industries and enterprises etc.

Due to the key features of the Bluetooth technology like low power consumption, low cost and wireless features make it more popular. Bluetooth technology does not require any fixed infrastructure and it is very simple to install and setup.

No wires are required to connect the Bluetooth devices. You can connect to other Bluetooth enabled devices anytime if they come in your range. Bluetooth wireless technology is widely supported and is secure wireless standard today. Bluetooth devices has built-in security features such as 128 bit encryption and pin code authentication when Bluetooth devices identify themselves they use the pin code when they first time connect.

Bushra Bashir
http://www.networktutorials.info

About the Author:

Bushra Bashir

http://www.networktutorials.info

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Bluetooth Technology

Negative effects of modern day technology

2009-08-13T17:57:00.000-07:00

Since the industrial revolution, society has become more and more dependent on technology. So much so that we sometimes lack the willingness to think before we act. We become impatient if it takes more than a few seconds to download a copy of the morning news paper. We expect immediate responses to our email, and we expect someone to answer their cell phone whenever and wherever we call. “Industrialization resulted in rapid and sustained economic growth and a massive increase in consumer goods. But at the same time, for many people it meant a thoroughly unpleasant work environment.”1

People in today’s society are always looking for ways to improve their lifestyles and in some way help deal with their physical environment. Agriculture; Farming and cattle herding led to the growth of large, settled human populations and increasing competition for productive lands, touching off organized warfare. The need for transportation brought vehicles into the market. The need for employees brought mechanical robots into society. Battles over land brought on the need for sophisticated weapons. The agricultural system brought on a revolution.

The invention of the television has brought all forms of entertainment into our houses with video and audio combined. Before 1950, newspapers and radio were the only ways to bring media or entertainment into the house. Mass production and other job opportunities brought many people from the rural areas and farms into the city. Society is more reliant on technology than ever before. While technologies have their advantages there is a negative effect to all this technology as well. Technology can actually harm society rather then help it. Competition between companies or even cities can sometimes make our lives for even worse. When a city builds more roads to attract tourists, the result is more traffic, not less. Even things we take for granted such as the automobile have negative effect on us. Because the automobiles cause pollution and that can surely harm us slowly.

Technology is making us so bust that we can cant even find time to spend with our closed one’s.it would be surprising to know that people are in contact through chat and online messaging though they are in same city .because they think its more faster and effective but they are forgetting that meeting personaly can never replace online chatting.

Before the advent of television and internet, people had ways of having fun together every day .many of these primitive methods of fun have almost disappeared in the morden world .people used to actually talk with each other ,they would play games with each other but now they play games with computer giving no reaction at all making people drift away from one other.

In many ways modern technology had the opposite effect of making us worker harder and faster just to stay in the same place.

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Real Estate Education

2009-07-30T23:48:00.000-07:00

Real estate education according to it very basic description refers to education about real estate. Indeed, there are many things to learn about in real estate. In many developed countries, real estate education is a highly developed field. There are entire institutes that are developed for this profession. Also, there are many regulations that apply to this field. Therefore, it can be said that there are two branches of learning that essentially apply to real estate education; one is the legal face of real estate, and the other include the technical aspect.

The technical aspects of real estate education are many. There are indeed many things to learn about in this field. This is because of the specialization brought to this field. Indeed, the real estate field has become increasingly specialized for more than one reason. Not only has it been refined because of technological advancement, but also because of the importance that is now given to customer service. Like many other fields, customer service has affected the real estate field. A great many real estate deals often depend on customer service, and this is why a lot of attention is now being paid to it.

Whenever real estate business have new ideas to implement, customer service is always given due consideration. In real estate education, students are taught about paying attention to the importance of customers whenever they come up with an idea.

Apart from real estate education involving awareness development for customer service, there is a myriad of other important aspects. These aspects include ideas like market demand, which in itself includes aspects like convenience in a locality.

Most real estate education centers will teach you about the ‘convenience’ factor. This convenience refers to how close a residence may be to shopping centers, hospitals, schools, etc. http://education.ixs.net People are most likely to select homes that allow them to reach such important places at their convenience and in the shortest possible time. Some of these places need to be reached on a daily basis. For examples, children need to attend schools at least 5 times a week. Families are more likely to purchase or rent homes that can facilitate them in this way.

Real estate education also teaches students about the cost factor as well. The cost of a home is most likely to correspond with the type of locality it is in. This is because homes that are considered to be in convenient locations are high in demand. This demand factor is what pushes the value of homes higher. However, there is a limit placed on how much a home may cost in most developed countries. This is where the legal aspects come into action.

The legal aspects in real estate education allow a student to learn about various important issues. Some of these issues include the costs of homes. They may also include learning about the formal paperwork for homes, which is a very important process in real estate business.

Indeed, the legal side of real estate education is quite extensive, and this side influences a great deal of a real estate agent’s business. In a real estate agent’s daily dealings, legal aspects apply. Therefore, the importance of it cannot be emphasized more.

Real estate education, as we have briefly seen above, is an interesting field. It allows students to learn about the entire industrial setup of the real estate industry. This includes the technical aspects as well as the legal aspects.

Real estate education is now a specialized field, and it is becoming focused as time progresses. While technological advancement has played a role in this, so has customer service awareness has had a tremendous impact. Therefore, a lot of the specialization that a student learns about in real estate education is influenced by customer service awareness.

There are many real estate education centers available to students who want to learn about this field and make their careers in it. These centers provide complete training and short courses that prepare individuals to act efficiently in this field. There are also online courses available for those who do not have the time to physically attend classes. All teaching materials and instructions are supplied online. While one may think that this is not a feasible way to learn, it is actually a way of learning that is growing more and more popular. Hence, real estate education can also be availed online too.

For more information about Real Estate Education Visit: http://education.ixs.net/content/Real-Estate-Education.php

Careers In Education

2009-07-30T23:44:00.000-07:00

Jobs within education are often seen as rewarding and extremely satisfying. They require huge amounts of dedication and are laborious in nature but offer the chance nourish talent and knowledge. The old adage of "those who can't, teach" could not be further from the truth, we all remember a good teacher and someone who was capable of relating ideas effectively. The sector also has a variety of roles and finding the right one to suit you is certainly possible.

With education today extending from infancy to adulthood the jobs in this area are extremely diverse. Teaching can take the form of traditional school education, home tutoring and higher education. It is my hope to present jobs within these definitions and give a glimpse of the experiences you can expect in this wide sector.

Tackling the subject of education jobs chronologically, it is best to start at the primary school level. Teachers in primary schools have a wide variety of tasks. At the heart of the job is the ability to foster relationships with pupils and create a fun but productive learning environment.

By directing classroom tasks and activities it is the primary teacher's job to ensure that youngsters start their education in the right way, effective use of teaching aids and projects can convince pupils to enjoy education. This is fundamental to easing children through the education system that they will be in for the next eleven years.

Secondary education has a different role altogether and the job requires specific expertise in an academic subject. Unlike primary school teachers who must possess knowledge of the entire curriculum, secondary teachers are afforded the luxury of having a defined subject to teach; although today often one or two areas of expertise are required.

Always working to a set of generic national standards, teaching secondary education does allow the freedom to construct lesson plans and teaching methods that can be individual. The heavy workload of examinations for older pupils however does mean there is an element of pressure in these jobs, although the pleasure of seeing pupils receive good results due to your teaching is very rewarding.

Higher education jobs offer the most academic freedom by far, without losing the job satisfaction. Lecturers primarily teach through seminars, practical exercises and lectures and despite having set standards, the choice of content for modules is that of the lecturer.

The freedom to teach a chosen subject and set interesting questions for your students can be more work than following a curriculum although ultimately more rewarding. University lecturers also have the opportunity for research sabbatical and are free to further their academic studies, perfect for the scholarly types who make up the numbers of university professors.

Other education jobs include home tutors, who can be either specialist or more general. Often well paid, this role includes travelling to clients homes and instructing students on a one to one basis. Without the rigours of school life this can be preferable however anti-social hours are usually part of the job.

Special education teaching jobs are a worthy alternative well suited to people who can communicate effectively, as the job can be frustrating at times, it is infinitely rewarding when a breakthrough is made.

Education jobs are clearly some of the most rewarding jobs in the employment market. The ability to nurture a gift and bring out the best in pupils is a rare skill, possessing this skill is reason alone to teach. Teachers have access to children during the forming stages of their lives, as a teacher you have the ability to create articulate, educated young adults ready to enter the world.

Like parenthood it is a job full of pride and considered by many to be a vocation. For those who wish to undertake jobs in education the rewards are infinite, despite the workload, a career in education is well worthwhile.

About the Author:

Recruitment expert Shaun Parker helped many applicants to find education jobs in schools and colleges. To find out more please visit Need a Job

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Careers In Education

A SUCCESSFUL TEACHER

2009-07-12T20:51:00.000-07:00

By Sri Aurobindo

1. Complete self control not only to the extent of not showing any anger, but remaining absolutely quiet and undisturbed under all circumstances.
2. Above all, must have the knowledge that the Teacher himself must always progress if he wants his students to progress, must not remain satisfied either with what he is or with what he knows.
3. Must not have any sense of essential superiority over his students, nor preference or attachment whatsoever for one or another.
4. Must know that all are equal spiritually and instead of mere tolerance must have a global comprehension or understanding.
5. Should always be punctual and come to the class a few minutes before it begins.

6. Always properly dressed.

7. Know thoroughly what you have to teach. Try to get a good understanding of your students and their particular needs.

8. Be very calm and very patient; never get angry; one must be master of oneself in order to be a master of others.

9. Children must be educated in an atmosphere of love and gentleness. No violence, never. No scolding, never.Teacher must be the living example of the virtues the child must acquire.

10. Teacher must be their best friend who gives them the example of the qualities they must acquire.

11. It is absolutely forbidden to hit the children-all blows are forbidden, even the slightest little slap or the so called friendly punch. Blowing a child indicates a lack of self control and it is harmful for both teacher and student.

12. Disciplinary measures may be taken if necessary, but in complete calm and not because of a personal reaction.

13. Never demand from a child an effort of discipline that you do not make yourself .Calm, equanimity, order, method, absence of useless words, ought to be constantly practiced by the teacher if he wants to instill them into his pupils.

Compiled by Harekrushna Behera

Raebareli, UP

About the Author:

Qualification-
M.Phil,B.Ed,Vedanta

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - A SUCCESSFUL TEACHER

Can children learn to meditate?

2009-07-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

As meditation becomes more and more popular among adults, teaching meditation to children is being promoted as a way to create centeredness and focus at a tender age. Yet many teachers and parents recognize the difficulty of a young child to silence the mind and sit still. As a result, a variety of "children's meditations" are being invented that often use imagination, focusing on the breath or trying to find stillness within. Unwittingly, these practices have been introduced to children without any track record of success and little if any scientific research on the effects they may have on a child's brain and development.

Some parents may wonder: should children be taught to discipline their minds or channel their imagination for specific purposes? At what age is it appropriate for my child to meditate? What kind of practice is safe and effective for children? Is there any tradition, precedence or scholarly authority behind the practice of children's meditation? Is meditation something I can teach my child, or do along with them? The ancient, venerated Vedic Tradition of meditation prescribes different practices at specific stages of development in the child's life. Because very young children are still integrating their inner world with the outer world around them, they may find it difficult to practice a meditation that requires them to sit still or inhibits their natural inclination to know and discover. Attempts to settle a child through directing their attention to breathing or trying to create inner silence may instead cause strain and frustration for the exuberant, growing child.

One technique of meditation that has been successfully introduced to many middle and high schools throughout America and around the world is the Transcendental Meditation technique. Based on the broad spectrum of scientific research on the effectiveness of the TM technique for students, [1] educators have felt confident that the Transcendental Meditation program is a safe and reliable practice to help children cope with stress and improve learning ability [2] and behavior [3]. Over 140,000 school children around the world have learned the TM technique in the past three years.

Science has looked at what happens in a the brain during the practice of the TM technique. Findings indicate a healthy development of coherence and balance between all parts of the brain, with increased activation of the pre-frontal cortex [4], the part of the brain responsible for discrimination and higher reasoning. Notably, this type of holistic brain functioning is not found while a child is studying, playing, watching TV, or listening to music; nor does this balanced, holistic brain functioning come about through other types of meditation exercises, such as minding the breath, visualizing, or directing the imagination. All such activities activate specific areas of the brain. Only the meditative state associated with 'transcending' during TM practice has been found to activate the entire brain in this holistic way.

Practice of the TM technique not only stimulates brain development and learning ability in children, but also provides natural relief from stress, anxiety, [5] depression [6] and fatigue. “One of the best-documented ways to address anxiety in children is to teach them to deeply relax themselves. Children and adolescents often encounter stress at home and at school” says Dr. William Stixrud, clinical neuropsychologist and faculty at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.. “If you can effectively treat a child's anxiety problems, you significantly decrease the likelihood that they’re going to develop depression, or addictive behaviors, or other kinds of mental health problems. Transcendental Meditation becomes a very important tool, not only in the treatment of children with anxiety problems, but also in the prevention of anxiety disorders.”

Reducing stress [7] and increasing inner happiness increases flexibility, social abilities and self esteem. Children who find approval from within rather than needing it from the outside, are less influenced by peer pressure. Cultivating the practice of meditation can become a valuable tool that a child uses as he matures, preparing him to meet the stresses and challenges of adulthood.

What is the appropriate time in a child's development to sit and practice eyes-closed meditation? According to the tradition of the Transcendental Meditation program—the Vedic Tradition—no sooner than ten years of age. Starting with just a few minutes morning and afternoon, children ten and older find the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique easy to master because it doesn't require focus, concentration or that they sit still. Even children with ADHD are able to practice this meditation successfully [8].

What about children under ten? A special practice appropriate for the developmental stage of early childhood it is the Maharishi Word of Wisdom technique. This eyes-open meditation can be learned by children starting at ages three to four.This practice strengthens the mind and stabilizes the emotions of the young child. The children's TM technique is practiced a few minutes each day with eyes open, while the child is quietly engaged in easy, natural activities such as walking or coloring. The children’s technique has been found to promote balance in mind and body and integrate the child's nervous system. [9] The child grows in stability in relation to the outer world and does not become introverted or withdrawn by attempting many such meditative practices that would be unatural for them.

Children benefit most from meditation when their parents are also meditating. A family that meditates together typically finds that their home life grows more harmonious and blissful. There's more time for nourishing interactions when stress is released during meditation instead of outbursts and arguments.

So what will it be for your children, zoning out in front of the TV, or a few minutes of daily meditation?

1. Broader comprehension and improved ability to focus Perceptual and Motor Skills (39: 1031–1034, 1974) Increased calmness Physiology & Behavior (35: 591–595, 1985) Improved Academic Performance. Education 107 (1986): 49–54; Education 109 (1989): 302–304; Modern Journal of Social Behavior and Personality 17 (2005): 65–91.

2. Nidich S.I., et al. School effectiveness: Achievement gains at the Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment. Education 107: 49-54, 1986. Fergusson L.C. Field Independence and art achievement in meditating and nonmeditating college students. Perceptual and Motor Skills 75: 1171-1175, 1992.

3. Barnes V.A., et al. Impact of stress reduction on negative school behavior in adolescents. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 1:10, 2003.

4. Increased EEG Coherence during Transcendental Meditation. International Journal of Neuroscience 14: 147–151, 1981.

5. Dillbeck M.C. The effect of the Transcendental Meditation technique on anxiety level. Journal of Clinical Psychology 33: 1076-1078, 1977.

6. Decreased depression and Transcendental Meditation Journal of Counseling and Development (64: 212–215, 1985)

7. Barnes V. A., et al. Impact of Transcendental Meditation on cardiovascular function at rest and during acute stress in adolescents with high normal blood pressure. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 51, 597-605, 2001.

8. Use of the Transcendental Meditation technique to reduce symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) by reducing stress and anxiety. Current Issues in Education: Volumn 10, 2008. 9. Alexander C.N., et al. Effect of Practice of The Children’s Transcendental Meditation Technique on Cognitive Stage Development: Acquisition And Consolidation of Conservation, Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 17, 21-46, 2005.

About the Author:

Jeanne Ball earned a Ph.D from Maharishi European Research University and has over 35 years of experience in teaching Transcendental Meditation to children and adults of all ages and backgrounds, specializing in ADHD, ADD, addiction recovery, anxiety, depression, hypertension and other stress related disorders. The David
Lynch Foundation., Doctors
on Meditation, TM.org

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Can children learn to meditate?

Math and Chess workbooks help child diagnosed with ADHD, ADD or dyslexia

2009-07-12T20:32:00.000-07:00

Math and Chess workbooks help child diagnosed with ADHD, ADD or dyslexia

Frank Ho

Founder of Ho Math and Chess

www.mathandchess.com

Chess has been known to be an useful tool in raising math marks and problem-solving skills.

At Ho Math and Chess, we have created a very unique and scientific proven teaching method that is to teach math and chess at the same time by using a truly math and chess integrated workbooks.

This set of workbooks is to raise children's math ability by taking the boredom out of doing repetitive math drills and also foster a fun yet educational environment. Children learn best while having fun. This is an incredible chess workbook for children.

Our own anecdotal evidence suggests that our unique math and chess integrated workbooks can be an effective teaching method in helping child diagnosed with ADHD or ADD or child with learning difficulties such as dyslexia. The results are most significant when the child is placed in an education environment of one-on-one tutoring.

Many findings have supported that pupils who find it hard to maintain concentration on a single activity are able to improve this focus on playing chess.

Ho Math and Chess has invented a series of workbooks which truly combines math and chess and a child can learn math using chess knowledge on a variety of puzzle-like problems. These type of problems includes visual image (not just pure numbers), chess symbols, abstract chess values and chess directions and all these are stimuli to kids and keep their interests high while working on computational problems. This also gives children ample opportunities to think visually. Most of the time, the computational questions themselves are not written for children to work on immediately but for children to "create" themselves and these questions have to be actually "hunted" by following directions and chidren love the hunt (puzzles).

Ho Math and Chess workbooks magically keep children's attention span longer than a typical math workbook could. Children become more engaged and focused when working on math and chess integrated workbooks than on traditional computation workbooks.

By providing math and chess truly integrated workbooks, Ho Math and Chess allows children playing chess while working on math in a fun and also educational setting. The end results are children get to strengthen their working memory and improve their problem solving ability. Doing something children like, they are able to concentrate and improve their ability to focus and allow themselves to immerse in the activity longer.

Ho Math and Chess truly integrated workbooks may be just one of the very effective teaching model for a child with problems of ADHD, ADD, or dyslexia.

About the Author:

Amanda is a very experienced math teacher with B.Sc degree. Her specialty is in teaching math and chess integrated teaching as well as the integrated teaching of science and math.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Math and Chess workbooks help child diagnosed with ADHD, ADD or dyslexia

What is ADHD

2009-07-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: What Is ADHD?
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is also known as hyperactivity or attention deficit disorder (ADD). ADHD is a common condition that affects both children and adults.
Children with ADHD generally have problems paying attention or concentrating. They can't seem to follow directions and are easily bored or frustrated with tasks. They also tend to move constantly and are impulsive, not stopping to think before they act. These behaviors are generally common in children. But they occur more often than usual and are more severe in a child with ADHD.
The behaviors that are common with ADHD interfere with a child's ability to function at school and at home

What are ADHD symptoms in children?
Symptoms of ADHD in children are generally grouped into three categories: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness.
Inattention -- A child with ADHD:
is easily distracted
does not follow directions or finish tasks
does not appear to be listening when someone is speaking
does not pay attention and makes careless mistakes
is forgetful about daily activities
has problems organizing daily tasks
avoids or dislikes activities that require sitting still or a sustained effort
often loses things, including personal items
has a tendency to daydream
Hyperactivity -- A child with ADHD:
often squirms, fidgets, or bounces when sitting
does not stay seated as expected
has difficulty playing quietly
is always moving, such as running or climbing on things (In teens and adults, this is more commonly described as a sense of restlessness)
talks excessively
Impulsivity -- A child with ADHD:
has difficulty waiting for his or her turn
blurts out answers before the question has been completed
often interrupts others
Whether or not your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, there are a number of ways you can help to manage their behaviors:
Understand the symptoms of ADHD to try to avoid punishing your child for having ADHD. Predetermine how you will react in situations to avoid overreacting and then dismissing a punishment. Be as consistent as possible.
When giving directions or instructions, keep them simple. Keep them to one instruction at a possible and give directions in one sentence. Children with ADHD are often forgetful. Rather than becoming frustrated, let your child complete one part of the instruction at a time, then give another.
Keep eye contact with your child. If necessary, gently hold their chin so that they are looking at you when you speak. Children tend to listen more closely when they are looking at you as you speak.
Structure your day as much as possible. Keep nap times, meal times and dinner times at the same time each day. Having the day predictable for the child will help them cope better. Let them know any disruptions that may happen and what to expect. Let them know what you expect of the
them plenty of time to release energy. Set up times during the day for them to run or release energy. Make daily trips to the playground or play outside. If stuck in the house, use a radio or CD and have them dance.
Choose toys carefully. Children with ADHD can be emotionally immature. Allow toys that will benefit them developmentally and also provide toys to stretch their intelligence. (Children with ADHD do not have a lower intelligence level.)
Integrate learning techniques. Use as many as the senses as possible when teaching a new skill. If you are teaching your child colors find items they can touch, eat, or smell. Have them draw with crayons. Having learning become interactive will help them learn more quickly.
Create an environment to help them succeed. Accept they may be accident prone and put away items you don’t want broken. Use simple organizational structures they can use to put away toys. Use pictures on drawers to help them know what is inside.
Choose behavioral management techniques that are immediate. A child will have a hard time relating a consequence to an action if they do not happen simultaneously. Make rewards immediate as well. Give praise often when your child behaves correctly.
difficult for your child. If they will need to sit for extended periods, bring along small activities, drinks and snacks to keep them occupied. If you are going to be in a high stimulus area, be prepared to remove your child for a few minutes to help them calm down and then return to the activity.
For things your child must remember, use rhymes or songs. Have them help you make up the rhymes and songs to make this even more successful. (This works well for learning to spell their name or remember their phone number.)
Find what your child does well. If they are creative (and many children with ADHD are) supply items that will encourage their talents.
Be consistent. Consistency is the most important part of behavioral management when working with children with ADHD. The more consistent you are, the more they will know exactly what to expect and be able to follow your rules.

About the Author:

The author continues to shed light on this over diagnosed problem.
WEB- MD

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - What is ADHD

Home Schooling and Tutoring: Do They Mix?

2009-07-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

If you're thinking of homeschooling your child, or have already been doing it for years, you're to be applauded. You are taking on a role that many will not or cannot handle. However, even the parents who are fully prepared for all home schooling requires may not know everything. In other words, you might need help from time to time.

It probably seems a bit strange to think about bringing in tutoring assistance when you're the teacher, but it's not uncommon. So let's take a closer look at why you might need tutoring, and where you can find some great resources.

The Basics of Homeschooling

There are a number of reasons that you might feel it's best to pull your child out of school and teach at home, or begin your child in a homeschooling environment. You may be displeased with the both the increased regulations and slashed budgets of your local public school system and feel your child will not receive the appropriate education as a result. You also may feel that it's extremely important that your child receive daily one-on-one instruction, which is difficult in a school setting.

Whatever your reason is for homeschooling, you are making a decision to take on quite a job. You will be solely responsible for the academic well being of your child. However, it's good to know that there are tons of resources and elaborate lesson plans available to help you teach specific subjects. Also, you can find great books and resources in the library, which can help you cut back on personal costs.

Why You Might Need the Assistance of a Tutor

As previously mentioned, the job of homeschooling your child is a big one. This is especially true when you consider that your child will likely have strengths and weaknesses pertaining to certain subjects. If you're not equipped to dig deeper with your child to help him understand the subject then you may need to bring in additional help to deliver the message more effectively.

Tutors are usually equipped to handle specific subjects and have a wealth of knowledge and resources in one area. So while the tutor is helping your child, you can gain more knowledge in this particular area as well. The more help you're willing to bring in for your child, the better chance your child has of excelling as you hoped he would.

Online Tutoring Resources

When you think of working with a tutor, you probably automatically picture a person coming to your home to do their job. However, there are tons of additional resources available - particularly online - that can help you fulfill your role as a teacher more successfully.

For instance, there are online tutoring sites that allow you to work with tutors one-on-one, via chatting capabilities, from the comfort of your home. What's great about most online tutoring services is that you can schedule appointments 24/7. Also, you can download worksheets and take advantage of practice problems right over the Internet.

If you were unsure whether home schooling and tutoring mixed, now you know that they do. It's just a matter of finding the right tutoring environment for your child based on your schedule and your child's needs. Once the right formula is found, your child can have the success you've always desired.

About the Author:
TutorsAnywhere.com is a complete online resource that compares tutoring services and products offered by top online companies. If you need to find a tutor for your child, find the best solution for your family at http://www.tutorsanywhere.com/.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Home Schooling and Tutoring: Do They Mix?

Degree in Fire Science - The Quick appraisals at the workplace

2009-07-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

There are few good fire science degree programs available at the fire science schools, which are accredited and sponsored by authorities. For those people, who are currently providing their services in this industry, there is an online fire science degree available to upgrade their skills. The degrees are not conferred to the candidates without knowledge but there are fire science classes that are held online. It certainly gives the potential graduates an ease and flexibility to pursue the degree as per their convenience.

The education and training in fire science is for the benefit of the public, and hence, has a low tuition fee. Be it studying the analytical approach to fire protection or application of fire research, each subject evolves personnel into thorough fire professional. The whole curriculum has been devised to meet the modern world challenges related to prevention and cure of inferno. And when we talk about modern day fire science, it comprises of subjects like fire investigation and analysis, Political and Legal Foundations for Fire Protection, and Managerial Issues in Hazardous Materials. Such subjects develop an understanding of the cause and effect relationship of fire.

The colleges with fire science degrees often organize contact sessions for the student professionals. The presence of well learned faculty members at the fire science college has become extremely important for the clarity of subjects. It is not about giving simple drills related to fire extinguishing but it is altogether the integration in one’s approach towards fire prevention, organization and management. Not everyday you come across fires but when you do, it has to be dealt with precise knowledge to control the disaster.

The Fire Science has emerged as a lucrative discipline ever since the mankind has valued the disaster control activities. But then, there has to be firm knowledge applied to fight and control displeasing situations. In this regard, a Degree in Fire Science has become an inevitable qualification to serve this industry. The fire science training tells you a lot about the measures that help you prevent a premises or an object from conflagration.

About the Author:

The Author is a professional writer, presently writing for Fire Science Bachelors

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Degree in Fire Science - The Quick appraisals at the workplace

Stress Management: Change the Labels

2009-07-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

From a very young age we are taught to label our experiences as either good or bad. If a situation made us feel stressed we labelled it as bad. If it made us feel happy and cheerful we labelled it as good. This article focuses on one important stress management tool that of being mindful of the label we place on people and situations.

Labelling our experiences as either good or bad sets up a mindset of polarity thinking. This means that we think in opposites: black and white; right and wrong; happy or sad; positive and negative. The problem with this kind of thinking is that it only gives us two choices in which to think about a situation. It’s either one or the other. There is no grey and because we so often default to thinking negatively the chances are we will, more often than not, choose the bad label. In doing so, we sabotage our stress management ability.

We never really know when something is a good thing or a bad thing. Can you know for certain which of your experiences will be good or bad upfront? How often have you labelled an experience as bad and it turned out to be favourable in the end?

We rarely know how things will turn out and by preemptively labelling something we take the risk of either becoming stressed for no reason or being disappointed down the track. Our stress management takes another knock.

When you label something as bad, your focus and attention is directed to all the negative aspects of the situation and your outlook becomes bleak. The same goes for your emotions and the creation of stress. The irony of labelling something as bad is that you may cause the outcome of the situation to be negative by focusing your attention on creating that scenario. If you take a more unbiased view of your situation by refusing to label it you become objective and reduce the possibility of derailing your stress management opportunity.

To help ensure that your stress management is on the right track you need to change the labels you give your experiences. Stay away from labelling things as good or bad and try using different terminology, such as interesting, unique challenging, exciting, different, transforming, etc.

Putting your stress management technique it into practise

Take a moment to think about a situation you’re in right now that is causing you to feel stressed.

Step 1: Check to see if you have placed any labels on it. Are you calling the situation bad, stressful, hopeless, irritating, depressing, frustrating, etc?

Step 2: Once you have identified the label recognise that it is responsible for the way you are feeling.

Step 3: Change the label. Think of terminology you can use to describe the situation in a more positive way. Choose the label that best describes the way you would like to feel about the situation.

Step 4: Talk about the situation using the new label.

Step 5: Check your levels of stress.

What a wonderful way of looking at the world and what a powerful technique that will enhance your stress management success.
David Nalin

About the Author:

InnerCents specialised in stress management, leadership training and executive coaching.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Stress Management: Change the Labels

2012 - Sun Storms and Cosmic Radiation

2009-06-24T21:50:00.000-07:00

This finding started immediate worldwide speculation about a forthcoming polar reversal. In an instant, modern science lined up with the predictions of scientists of a far-distant past. This cannot be a coincidence! Thousands of years ago, priests were able to calculate that the magnetic field of the Earth would collapse at the end of 2012, at the zenith of the catastrophe. And now, eons later in time, one person comes up with an identical idea. Only the present scientists still do not realize what the consequences will be: they think that electronic equipment will experience some problems, that the migration of many animals will be disturbed, and that there might be a problem with radiation. They do not expect much more than that. But this is diametrically opposed to what the Maya and the Old Egyptians predicted.

In the books from Patrick Geryl, he has clearly described the disastrous effects of a pole shift. However, he hardly dealt with one issue: radioactive radiation and wondered worriedly what effect this will have on the Earth? Are people and animals able to handle this? And what can we do to guard ourselves against it?

Given his knowledge of astronomy, he got quickly clear answers. It is known that particles coming from the stars and our sun collide with the magnetic field of the Earth. Highly charged, energetic cosmic particles are hardly hindered by the magnetic field—they just pass through it, and it doesn't matter whether their charge is neutral, positive or negative. However, in the Earth's atmosphere they collide with oxygen and nitrogen molecules, which render them less harmful. Low energy cosmic radiation is normally deflected to the poles. When the magnetic field is pressurized and disappears, you will not have this tunnel effect anymore and the particles will fall randomly on Earth. The effect of this is small and does not imply a threat for plants, animals or humans. Therefore, at first he thought we would not have much to fear from harmful radiation. Then he started to study the situation a bit more carefully; it appeared he had somehow underestimated the consequences. A first deduction was not so difficult to make.

Ultraviolet Radiation
Everybody knows that you can get severely burnt while in high mountains and that you need to protect yourself well against the solar radiation. The higher you are, the more intense the radiation is. No doubt about that. You only have to ask mountain climbers who use protection factors of twenty or more. Close to the fatal date, a lot of us who plan to survive will be at an altitude of three kilometers (9000 feet) or more. Under normal circumstances there would be no problem. However, at the peak of the catastrophe, the light intensity of the sun will increase tremendously. An all-scorching light will be sent in the direction of the Earth. The intensity of ultraviolet radiation, which is responsible for the degradation of the ozone layer, will rise quite spectacularly. You can guess the consequences: you will risk burning unprotected skin, making it as black as carbon in this radiation inferno.

Just one solution will remedy the situation: wear protective clothing that stops the ultraviolet radiation as much as possible. It is the only way to prevent fatal burns. This is an essential part of the planning. Those who take their chances with boats will have fewer effects from the radiation, because the atmosphere absorbs a lot. Although they will be subjected to a minimal amount of the exposure compared to those in the high mountains, they still need to be careful. Direct exposure to the solar radiation for a short time is possible, but surely not for too long. However, the others in the high mountains will have to be extremely careful. They will have to protect themselves to the utmost against radiation. In most cases, wearing a good sunscreen, thick clothes and a hat will be sufficient to protect them.

Well, this was good reasoning, but in the meantime his thoughts went on. What else could be of importance? What other surprises does the sun have in store for us? Could it be worse?

Read more in Patrick Geryl's book "How to survive 2012" at http://store.2012pro.com.

Parenting in islam

2009-06-24T21:44:00.000-07:00

Parenting in Islam

Newborn Child in Islam

The importance of writing about this topic springs from the importance of these manners which can be summarized in the following points:

* All of the manners for welcoming the new-born are taken from the guidance given by the chosen Messenger Muhammad (SAW) in his Sunnah, so applying them with one's children is a form of worship which draws one nearer to Allah - the Most High - and is a revival of the Sunnah in this matter.

* Greeting the new-born with these rites at the start of their lives is an outward sign distinguishing the children of this Ummah from the children of other nations in their upbringing, and their behavior, just as it gives the sense of dignity of attachment to this Deen, and it gives them a distinguishing character from the first moments of their lives.

Allah says in the Quran in Soorat al-Baqarah, Aayah:138 , the meaning of which is:

"Our 'Sibghah' (religion) is] the 'Sibghah' (religion) of Allah (Islam) and which 'Sigbhah' (religion) can be better than Allah's. And we are His worshippers." [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]

* These manners have their effect upon the child's education and development and his correct development is closely tied to this, and what can be greater for the father than seeing that his son is honest and good, and is developing righteously - this will indeed be a great pleasure for him.

* That welcoming the new-born with these manners by the parents is a fulfillment of part of their duty towards the child, and of their good treatment of it - which will also lead if Allah wills to the child in turn treating its parents well, since as is said: "Treat your children well and your children will treat you well".

* These manners of welcoming the new-born which are to be quoted are by a large number of points of wisdom and benefit derived the Sharee'ah, social life, the field of education and nature, which will be of benefit to the child, its parents and to their society in and the future. This will become clearer when the topic is entered into large number of errors that people fall into in these matters due either to negligence or lack of knowledge.

About the Author:

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - parenting in islam

Secrets of Success - Live Out Your Dreams

2009-06-24T21:41:00.000-07:00

We all have dreams that at one time in our lives, we really believed that we could somehow achieve or accomplish. Over the years, the monotony of our daily routines, the struggles that we go through, and everything else can kind of detach us from manifesting desires and keep us from really experiencing the level of success that we were meant to have. Could there be a secret of success that you NEED to know?

Well, for one, you have to be able to get yourself back in touch with those dreams and not only that, but back into believing that all things are possible. The more that you can feel and think in this way, the harder it will be to shake the feeling and the desire to really make it happen for yourself.

When you can feel a certain level of inspiration and motivation, you are almost compelled to go after the things that you desire no matter what. When you can do this, you are almost guaranteed to experience success in some way or another. Succeeding is not always about talent, it is also about the levels of desire, motivation, and inspiration that you can tap into as well.

Sometimes we think that success secrets are something that are out of reach for most people. That somehow only a select group of people are really privileged to this kind of information. But, having the right amount of inspiration, motivation, and desire can push you forward into the life that you dream about.

Would you like to learn more?

About the Author:

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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Secrets of Success - Live Out Your Dreams

Importance of the Sun

2009-06-16T00:08:00.000-07:00

The Sun is the main source of energy for earth. It gives us heat and light and helps us to remove darkness and bring light all around the world. The Sun rises in the east and sets in the west. In olden days people use to worship Sun as God because it was the only visible powerful thing. In the early morning, birds welcome the Sun with a lovely and chirping song and this gives an indication to the mankind about the arrival of the new day. In the early morning, the sunrays helps us by providing Vitamin D which is essential for our skin. Some people are seen basking in the sunshine to get useful Vitamin D and get tanned as well.

The Sun helps the plants in preparing their food through its light by a process called as photosynthesis. Thus, Sun is also essential for plant because if there were no Sun, plants would not have been able to prepare their food and survive. Human beings get their food from plants and so in the absence of the sunlight human also would have died. In this modern world conventional sources of energy like coal, petrol, diesel and gas are being used extensively and so their stock are getting reduced. Scientists are worried that with this speed, these conventional sources of energy will be fully exhausted and so they are trying to harness the Sun by using its energy for solar batteries, solar heaters, and for running cars as well.

Sunlight also helps to stop the growth of bacteria, insects and thus prevent the spread of diseases like malaria, typhoid, etc. If there were no sun there would have been severe cold all around and no human beings, birds, and animals and plant could have survived. The Sun is the centre of solar system and all the nine planets revolve around its fixed orbit. During a solar eclipse, the Sun, Earth and Moon come in a straight line such that moon lies in between the Earth and the Sun. We should not see the Sun with our naked eyes because the rays emerging out are harmful for our eyes. The ozone layer above the atmosphere prevents the harmful ultraviolet rays from entering into the earth's atmosphere and thus protect the mankind from the harmful rays of the Sun.

About the Author:

The author likes to write text messages and advises for internet and social networking content like twitter backgrounds and myspace graphics. He also writes quizzes on subjects like career, personality, etc.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Importance of the Sun

Quran and Science of Meterology

2009-06-16T00:03:00.000-07:00

QURAN AND SCIENCE OF METEOROLOGY
Quran Treats the phenonomenon of Rain and Hail
By
Allama Muhammad Yousuf Gabriel
www.oqasa.org
shaukatawan@rocketmail.com

The Quran has claimed not once but twice in most explicit terms to contain all knowledge that concerned humanity. And has challenged the world to bring a chapter like it, when I was asked that Quran was not the book of science, it was only the book of religion. How therefore, the treatment of the subjects like atomic science, the atomic bombs and atomic radiations could be expected in a book of religion. My answer to this was and is that the Quran is a book of a religion indeed, but it is the book of a religion that is perfect and complete and may be expected to provide answer to every question that was concerned with the humanity. If the destruction of the habitations of Sodom and Gomorrah received a mention in it, while these habitations were no larger than a negligible part of a modern city, how then the mention of a destroyer which would not leave so much as a blade of grass unburnt from one end of the world to the other, could be ignored without damaging the claim to universality. The Quran must be expected to give an answer to the question of atomic annihilation of the world. Again it may be asked whether the Quran contains the outcome of the research of modern science of meteorology. The answer to this question is yes it does. Quran shows this in one sign (Ayat) of about forty words. Read the following from the Quran regarding the phenomenon of rain and hail:-
" Hast thou not seen that Allah gently driveth forward the clouds and gathereth them together, and then layeth them in heaps? Thou also seeth the rain which falleth from the midst thereof, and Allah sendeth down from heaven, from mountains wherein there is hail, He striketh therewith whom he pleaseth, and turneth the same from whom He pleaseth, the brightness of His lightening wanteth but little of taking away the sight".
( Quran XXIV - 43 )
" Have you not seen that God drives the clouds, then joins them together and puts them fold on fold. Then you see the rain fall through them; and He sends down hail from the sky where there are mountains of it, and strikes those with it whom. He will, and wards it off from whomsoever He pleaseth. His lightning could snatch away their eyes".
(Quran - An-Nur-43 The Light)

You have read it now, or you have heard it. And if you pen to be a meteorologist, how much of the science of modern meteorology you have discerned in it, so that after we have explained it, you might compare. To most of the readers of the Quran it is merely a matter of common observation which has been mentioned by the Quran ; whether in the translation or in the original Arabic text of the Quran. Let this be remembered, however, that the mysteries are revealed only in the original Arabic text and never in the translations. It is the Arabic text of the Quran that reveals the essence of the modern science of meteorology about the phenomenon of rain and hail. Read the Quran -An Noor-43 )
In the first sight there appears to be no scientific facts of the modern research, but by the grace of Al-mighty Allah there are scientific facts to be revealed to those possessed of knowledge, and sincere in their faith in the Quran. The original Arabic text of the Quran has miracles to reveal. Most complex, intricate and perplexing facts of science and philosophy may be found in the words and mysteries discovered. To a knowledgeable reader the world of the Quran appears like kaleidoscopic world. The words changing their forms and clows and assuming new forms and colours, astonishing and perplexing the poor human intellect. During my forty-year long research in the Quran more than once I went to sleep with satisfaction that I had exhausted the meanings of a certain sign. But next morning to my surprise I saw the same sign blossoming with fresh flowers that had exchanging colours and delightful fragrance.
Let it be remembered that the modern science of meteorology is of recent origin, while the Quran was revealed fourteen centuries ago. If therefore the discoveries of the mo dern meteorology are found in the Quran, there remains no doubt about the divine original of the Quran, and the Quran deserves to assume a unique place among the divine scriptures.
We will now interpret the sign (Ayat) of the Quran in the light of all the latest discoveries of science in the field of meteorology. It is generally observed by the Non-Muslims, that whenever a discovery of science appears, the Muslims prop up the Quran saying, Lo! here is it written in the Quran, why the Muslims cannot find these facts from the Quran before the discovery is declared by science. The answer to this objection is, that firstly the Quran is not the text book of science to teach the people the technique of producing the things that are produced by the science, rather the Quran observes and regulates the entire life of humanity, every aspect of it. Therefore the Quran has its own style of treating the subject of pure science. Secondly, the Quran would not like the appearance of certain things or their wrong use in order to keep the humanity safe from the noxious effects thereof. Therefore the Quran treats such subjects of science in its peculiar manner. For instance the Quran has treated the atomic science, the entire essence of the subject, but has not taught to build the atomic bombs. Thirdly, if the Quran had explained the inventions of science as we see them today and had used the terms as we hear them today, it is not difficult to imagine that the hearers of that time, would have stampeded away thrusting their fingers in their ears, yelling, " How impossible, how nonsensical, away, away to your rational creed, the creed of our fathers". The fate of Islam was thus no hidden secret. And it was a miracle of the Quran, to say a thing comprehensible and appealing to its first hearers, and conceal within the same language that could answer all that was to come in time in any form, scientific, philosophic, economical, social. Yet let it be understood that the corroboration of the Quran and science is a topic fraught with imminent dangers. Science changes while the Quran is constant. Once said, for-ever said. The corroborator therefore must have thorough knowledge of science, to discern the established facts from more theories and hypotheses, and should at the same time have the thorough knowledge of the Quran to its real mind. Otherwise there is a great possibility of wrecking the reputation of the Quran, and making this word of God about of ridicule, unrecking at the same time the doom of the corroborator himself. I have seen many a corroborator that blundered in this field and fell from the cliffs to the vale of ignominy. God save us from such a doom. I myself am a corroborator, but I weigh a thing a hundred times and pass many a sleepless nights before I find courage to pen a single fact or to bring it on record. Yet I pray to Allah, the Merciful to guide me aright in this hazardous field and let me have no personal or other consideration, and forgive any slip of fall. I am obliged to take to this field for no other reason than that it has become the inevitable necessity of these days. Otherwise the early authentic commentators of the Quran have left no point unambiguous.
Now let us revert to our topic in the name of Allah the Benign, the Merciful. Allah says:-
"(Alam Tara). Has thou not seen?" This question was first posed to the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) and his contemporary Arabs. Now it could be posed to the meteorologist. This is the marvellous feature of the All-time and eternal Quran.
Then :-
"(Annallaha Yuzji). That is God drives". It is to contradict the view of those who think that the laws of nature work on their own, or that the whole affair of creation is accidental only. Here the God asserts his complete control of the Phenomenon.
Then (Yuzji Sahaban). (Sahab) means a cloud, but the derivatives formed on its root (sahaba) give the meanings as, to drive along, to drag along, to withdraw, to recall, to retract etc. The modern meteorological science on this point says, " Previous to a thunderstorm, the clouds are in great commotion. Great masses being torn asunder, others uniting together. These clouds being electrified, some more some less strongly, act inductively on one another, and if a piece happens to be torn away with more than its fair share of electricity that has been induced into it, it may soar away intensely electrified, several such pieces may unite to form a big cloud".
Then The Quran says:-
" (Thumma Yuallifu Bainahu). That is thereafter affects between the different parts of the cloud a harmony and achieves affinity between them. Generally it is translated as " and gathereth them together". In order to know what sort of harmony and affinity is affected and achieved between the various parts of the cloud, let us read the following from the science of meteorology.
" To achieve the coalescence of the minute spherules of water into fallable rain drops, a proper electrical affinity, between a particle and a particle within the cloud and further, within the cloud and the earth has to be achieved. In the presence of a strong positive charge in the cloud the SPHERULES WOULD TEND TOWARDS SEPARATION, EXCLUDING ANY POSSIBILITY OF THEIR COALESCENCE. A charge of milder sort in the vicinity has been found to be helpful for the desired coalescence for the spherules into rain drops. The necessity of the ELECTRIC POTENTIAL and hence the electricity itself, having thus been established a slight ACIDIFICATION of the cloud water is to be UNDERSTOOD as a means to impart conductivity to the water, which in a state of its purity is a bad conductor of electricity".
Let the great masters of Chemistry read these chemical processes explained by the Quran.
Then the Quran says:-
" (Thumma Yajaluhu rukaaman)". That is then "layeth them in heaps". Let us read what the modern meteorological science says about the heaping up of the cloud. It says:-
" When the vapour in the air is condensed not through contact with cold bodies, but through the cooling of a mass of vapour -ladden air, then a cloud is formed. A cloud consists of fine drops of water. if it be near the ground it is called mist or fog. It would at the outset seem impossible to classify or account for the myriads of forms of the cloud, but when we come to observe and watch them closely, two main types of cloud-forms assert themselves. Those which appear in fillowy well-defined shapes, and those which spread over the heavens in a layer thick or thin, partial or complete. The former of these is called CUMULUS, a Latin word meaning HEAP, the latter STRATUS, a Latin word meaning A LAYER. These names are due to LUKE HORWARD (1802) and have been used by all cloud observers since his time. The meteorological science is of recent origin. It developed within the centuries of this modern age. Luke Horward (1802) first used the Terms CUMULUS and STRATUS".
The Quran has anticipated him by centuries. The word Rukaaman which the Quran has used means exactly the CUMULUS. So far as the Term STRATUS is concerned, the Quran has used it in another sign (verse) about the very same topic. The sign is as follows:
That is : " Allah is He who sendeth the wind so that they raise clouds, and spreadeth them along the sky as pleaseth Him. And forms them in layers, and thou seest the rain downpouring from within them".
( Quran XXX - 48 )
" It is God who sends the breezes that raise clouds, then spreads them over the sky as He please, fold on fold, then you see the drops of rain issue from between them. When He sends it down to those of His creatures as He will, they are filled with joy".
(Quran The Romans, 48)
The actual word is (Kisafan) which means to lay in layers, to stratify, to lay layer upon layer. It is exactly the term STRATUS, the term of Luke Horward. Though generally it is translated as, "causeth them to break". It is surprising to note, that the Quran anticipated Luke Horward (1802) by centuries. The words of the Quran thus are not only scientific but also prophetic.
Then the Quran says:-
(Fataral Wadaqa Yakhruju min khilaalihi). That is : Thou seest the rain which falleth from the midst thereof. Actual word is (Min Khilaalihi), that is the rain is pouring from the (khilal) of the cloud. The meaning of this word is pin, skewer, spit. The root of this word is (khallala) which means to acetify. "Khal" means vinegar. Now the necessity of the acidification of the cloud water we have already narrated in the previous pages. A charge of milder sort is essential to achieve the coalescence of the spherules. The charge necessitates electricity. But pure water is a bad conductor of electricity. It is necessary therefore to acetify the water to endue water with the quality of conductivity. Thus the role of the word (khilal ) in the phenomenon becomes clear, to mean that no (khilal) meant no rain, and therefore no life on earth.
The Quran further says:-
(wa yunazzilu min assamaae min jibaalin fiha min bardin). That is:- " And Allah sendeth down from heaven, from mountains wherein there is hail". First imagine a cloud like a mountain of hail. How beautiful is the mountain of white pearls and how exact but novel is the simile. But the point which attracts our attention is hidden in the word (jibaal) which means mountains. The root of this word is (jabala) which means to kneed. Perhaps the most astonishing discovery of the modern meteorological science is that no mist nor fog could be formed, unless there were present in the vapour-laden air particles of dust or sand to act as the nucleus for the spherules of water that constitute the fog. This has been proved, since air filtered through cotton wool, has no tendency towards fog formation. The hail pellets likewise have been found to have been built around a spec of dust acting as their Nucleus, a process in distinction from that of the formation of snow. Now let us see the word (jibaal) that is mountains used by the Quran. The word Jibaal has been derived from the root-verb (jabala) which means to kneed. Then imagine a cloud of rain or of hail, wherein every spherule has a spec of dust or sand though invisible to naked eye. Certainly the cloud appears like a mountain made of dust particles kneeded with water. Remarkable also is the role of mountains in the formation of rain.
Now in the end it may be asked that the Quran in this phenomenon has made no mention of the great role played by the air. It is the air that carries the moisture, and it is the air that wafts the clouds. without the air no rain would have been possible. The question takes our thought to another sign (Ayat) of the Quran which is identical with the sign which we are discussing, and has mentioned the role of air. In the previous pages we have alluded to sing just read:-
(Quran-Alarum -48)
(Allah-u-lazi yursilu-arriaha fatuseeru sahaban). That is, " He is Allah who sendeth the winds, so that they raise clouds".
( Quran XXX-48 )
The Quran's challenge, "Bring ye a chapter like unto it" stands good for every age, including this age of science. The knowledge of science shown by the Qruan is such that no scientist will ever think of being an equal to or like the Quran, the amazing word of Allah, the God of the worlds.

Using Toys for Education

2009-06-09T23:32:00.000-07:00

Kids love playing with toys. They are fun, they come in bright colors, different shapes and sizes, have different textures and material, and most importantly they allow kids to be imaginative and creative. Not only are toys used just for fun, but they are also educational. A lot of children’s toys are designed to focus on memory, matching, colors, the alphabet, and imagination. Young children are very interactive and observant, and most of what they learn is from what they see around them. This is known as being a tactile learner.

Tactile learners, which most young children are, learn from life experiences such as taste, touch, and smell. There are learning toys designed especially for tactile learners. Activity tables usually include three of the best tactile learning toys that your child will benefit from. Three great tactile toys are: an abacus, busy beads, and manipulatives. Activity tables usually include all three types of toys, but they can also be purchased separately. Manipulatives are also easy to make on your own with supplies from your home.

An abacus is used for counting and simple math problems. They are similar to busy beads, but are used mostly for counting. They also look very different because an abacus is a frame with straight wires used to move the beads from one end to the next. This is why they are also called counting frames. The abacus has been used for centuries to teach children how to count and use basic arithmetic. It was invented before there was a standard numeral system. Not only is the abacus a great learning toy for young children, it is still used in different parts of the world by merchants.

Busy beads are designed to improve children’s dexterity skills, or hand and eye coordination. Busy beads are used by moving the patterns of beads around to other areas of the toy. The wires that the beads are on move in different directions, and aren’t vertical like the abacus. Young children can be entertained for hours by moving the beads around; it is a hands on experience. The toy is engaging because the beads make different patterns from their bright colors and different arrangements.

Manipulatives are also used to learn basic math, like the abacus. However, you can make almost any item a manipulative. Puzzles are also categorized as manipulatives because children have to use their hands to place the pieces in the correct places. A manipulative is any toy that requires a child to manipulate the toy in some way with their finger and hand/eye coordination.
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About the Author:

Jim Ford is the President of KinderMark, a family owned and managed business which sells waiting room toys and waiting room furniture used in doctor’s offices, hospitals, auto dealers, dentists offices and libraries. Preschool toys such as an activity table and learning toys are favorites for pediatric offices. For more information, visit www.kindermark.com .

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Using Toys for Education

Multicultural Education in Your Classroom

2009-06-09T23:28:00.000-07:00

America has always been referred to as a melting pot, but ideally, it's a place where we strive to invite everyone to celebrate exactly who they are. As the US population is becoming increasingly diverse and technology makes the world feel increasingly smaller, it is time to make every classroom a multicultural classroom.
What is Multicultural Education?

Multicultural education is more than celebrating Cinco de Mayo with tacos and piñatas or reading the latest biography of Martin Luther King Jr. It is an educational movement built on basic American values such as freedom, justice, opportunity, and equality. It is a set of strategies aimed to address the diverse challenges experienced by rapidly changing U.S. demographics. And it is a beginning step to shifting the balance of power and privilege within the education system.

The goals of multicultural education include:

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Creating a safe, accepting and successful learning environment for all
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Increasing awareness of global issues
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Strengthening cultural consciousness
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Strengthening intercultural awareness
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Teaching students that there are multiple historical perspectives
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Encouraging critical thinking
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Preventing prejudice and discrimination

Advantages of Multicultural Education

According to the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME), multicultural education:

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Helps students develop positive self-image.
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Offers students an equitable educational opportunity.
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Allows multiple perspectives and ways of thinking.
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Combats stereotypes and prejudicial behavior.
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Teaches students to critique society in the interest of social justice.

Road Blocks to Implementing Multicultural Education

Contrary to popular belief, multicultural education is more than cultural awareness, but rather an initiative to encompass all under-represented groups (people of color, women, people with disabilities, etc) and to ensure curriculum and content including such groups is accurate and complete.

Unfortunately, multicultural education is not as easy as a yearly heritage celebration or supplemental unit here and there. Rather, it requires schools to reform traditional curriculum.

Too often, students are misinformed and misguided. Not all textbooks present historical content fully and accurately. For instance, Christopher Columbus is celebrated as the American hero who discovered America. This take on history completely ignores the pre-European history of Native Americans and the devastation that colonization had on them. Some history books are being revised, but often, it’s much easier to teach that “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.”

Most curriculums also focus more on North America and Europe than any other region. Most students have learned about genocide through stories of the Holocaust, but do they know that hundreds of thousands of people are being killed in places like Darfur and Rwanda? Despite our close proximity to Latin America, American schools typically spend little time reading Latin American literature or learning about the culture and history?

Thus, multicultural education is most successful when implemented as a schoolwide approach with reconstruction of not only curriculum, but also organizational and institutional policy.

Unfortunately most educational institutions are not prepared to implement multicultural education in their classrooms. Multicultural education requires a staff that is not only diverse, but also culturally competent. Educators must be aware, responsive and embracing of the diverse beliefs, perspectives and experiences. They must also be willing and ready to address issues of controversy. These issues include, but are not limited to, racism, sexism, religious intolerance, classism, ageism, etc.
What You Can Do in Your Classroom

Just because we’re facing an uphill battle doesn’t mean we shouldn't take those first steps. To integrate multicultural education in your classroom and your school, you can:

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Integrate a diverse reading list that demonstrates the universal human experience across cultures
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Encourage community participation and social activism
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Go beyond the textbook
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By supplementing your curriculum with current events and news stories outside the textbook, you can draw parallels between the distant experiences of the past and the world today.
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Creating multicultural projects that require students to choose a background outside of their own
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Suggest that your school host an in-service professional development on multi-cultural education in the classroom

Favorite Lessons in Multicultural Education

Analyze issues of racism through pop culture.

Example: Study the affects of WWII for Japanese Americans through political cartoons, movies, photography, etc.

Analyze issues of socioeconomic class through planning and development.

Example: Design a development project with solutions to the needs of those living in poverty stricken communities.

Analyze issues of sexism through media.

Example: Make a scrapbook of stereotypical portrayals of both men and women. Compare both positive and negative stereotypes and determine the struggles they face as a result of these stereotypes.
Recommended Resources:

Books

Becoming Multicultural Educators by Geneva Gay

Beyond Heros and Holidays by Enid Lee

Lies My Teachers Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James Loewen

Professional Development

Teaching Diversity: Influences and Issues in the Classroom

Customize for Your School

Courses & Seminars in Your Area
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About the Author:

E.K. Garcia is a writer for www.TeachHUB.com-- a new, free online resource center specific to the needs of K-12 students and educators. This stand-alone resource center has made thousands of classroom-tested and teacher-approved strategies, tools and recommendations available in one convenient location.

For more professional development opportunities, and classroom resources relating to multicultural education and all other topics within the K-12 education world as well as other articles by E.K. Garcia, please visit www.TeachHUB.com.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Multicultural Education in Your Classroom

Why study English?

2009-06-09T23:24:00.000-07:00

There are people who find it quite easy to learn new languages, but they are very few indeed. Most of us have to work hard to develop good fluency in a new language. So why do we do it?

By far the most important reason is, in the end, financial.

We invest our time and our effort in order to achieve a real long-term benefit. Maybe our immediate objective is to get an international job, or to get a place at an English-speaking university. But in both these cases the real long-term goal is to improve our chances of earning a high salary over the rest of our life, or for a period in our life.

Like any investment, the balance between investment, risk and reward has to be right, or we will not spend the time and money.

Clearly therefore the potential cost of an English course, in terms of the price we have to pay and the time and effort we shall have to devote to it, has to be weighed against the benefits we expect. The actual price we shall have to pay is not the most important factor here. Most important is the difference between total cost and total benefit expected, because this provides motivation, and every language trainer in the world will tell you that motivation is the real secret of language learning.

But motivation is not a fixed quantity. It varies. A motivated student can become quickly demotivated if he or she starts to feel that they are not making visible progress. They can become demotivated if their tutor is unimaginative in their approach, or does not respond properly to their needs. Quite suddenly the effort they need to put into the learning process starts to feel like a burden they cannot carry, and their long-term goal looks unattainable.

A good tutor in a good school will build up their students’ motivation week by week. They will encourage the student to levels of effort and achievement the student did not imagine possible. The school will provide materials and equipment that help reinforce the tutor’s work, and the student will find that their studies move along quickly, and enjoyably. The long-term goal comes visibly closer, and motivation soars.

belajar bahasa Inggris

Finally, here are three tips to bear in mind when deciding to study English.

1. Be clear about your long-term goal, and the steps you will take to achieve it.
2. Look for a school that has tutors who know how to motivate their students.
3. Work hard…no one should ever expect to find English an easy language!

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About the Author:

English training

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Why study English?

Best of the Web’s Teachers’ Resources

2009-06-09T23:22:00.000-07:00

If you are currently in a teaching career, the internet was built for you! In a job where armfuls of ideas, resources, plans and creativity are necessary (and changeable) by the hour, the opportunity to browse, trade and learn is invaluable. If you have specific subject or query in mind, then Google really is the teachers pet. Here is a collection of some of my favourites, and what you can find when you log on:

Teacher Planet (www.teacherplanet.com) - A bang up to date resource featuring Spring & Summer Season lessons, plans, worksheets, tools, certificates and more.

UsingEnglish.Com (www.usingenglish.com) - Free English teacher resources for of all levels including hundreds of printable handouts, PDF lesson plans, online quizzes, jobs, articles, teacher discussion forum and more...

TES Connect (www.tes.co.uk) - The online version of The Times Educational Supplement. TES is an invaluable resource for industry news, views and ideas, reports and opinions; covering primary, secondary and further education.

The Foundation Stage Forum (www.foundation-stage.info) - This UK based site focuses on the early year’s education sector and those involved in education with children aged 3 to 5 years. The site provides resources and information and other materials that have been identified via needs discussed in the active forums.

Primary Resources (www.primaryresources.co.uk) - Containing those all important lesson plans, work and activity sheets. This site is suitable for teachers of all curriculum subjects; English, Maths, ICT, Science, Geography, History, Music, Languages and Art.

50 Must-Read Up and Coming Blogs by Teachers (www.teachingtips.com/blog/2008/06/30/50-must-read-up-and-coming-blogs-by-teachers/) - Find, browse and read blogs by other teachers like you!

TeacherLingo (www.teacherlingo.com) – It’s an online community for teachers to share thoughts and ideas and to discuss current events. Members can start a free teacher blog and more.

And finally

TeacherNet (www.teachernet.gov.uk) - This UK site lists literally hundred s of intelligent teaching resources, whatever your level or discipline.
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About the Author:

Kellie Whitehead writes job related content for TheEducationProfessionals.Com Education Recruitment the number one online resource for those seeking an education career in Dubai and the Middle East.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Best of the Web’s Teachers’ Resources

The History of the Earth Crammed into One Day

2009-06-09T23:19:00.000-07:00

Try to think way, way, way, way outside the box for a minute, try to squeeze the 4,500 million years of the Earth’s history into a single day, twenty-four little hours. Difficult isn’t it? But if you can, this is how the world has progressed - the first signs of life began creeping around just after four o’clock in the morning, it consisted of simple, single-celled organisms and that was it for the next sixteen hours! The day was almost completely wasted until just before eight-thirty in the evening when the first sea plants made a belated appearance. At ten minutes to nine that night the jellyfish pops up it’s bizarre head along with many of it’s diploblastic (only two layers of tissue, as opposed to the more streamlined three layers which all of us ((humans and animals)) bear today) Ediacaran buddies. Just after nine o’clock, the Alien resembling (the Sigourney Weaver type, not the extra-terrestrial sort) trilobites emerged onto the scene.

In a comparative glut of activity, the very odd and very diverse creatures of the Burgess Shale followed close on their heels. There was no stopping life now, just before 22:00, plant life began to flourish, encouraging at long, long last the first land creatures to make their debut. They were blessed, as there followed a warming of planet Earth which accommodated them and others - there followed a proliferation of the great carboniferous forests, as well as the emergence of winged insects. The famous dinosaurs materialised at 23:00 and held sway for three-quarters of an hour, vanishing in an instant, being replaced by mammals. Then, in the dying gasp of the day, humans rocked onto the scene with just one minute and seventeen seconds left!

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About the Author:

Russell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring Ireland, the leading specialists in customised, private escorted tours, escorted coach tours and independent self drive tours of Ireland. Article source Russell Shortt, http://www.exploringireland.net
http://www.visitscotlandtours.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - The History of the Earth Crammed into One Day

Math Problems

2009-06-09T23:16:00.000-07:00

The key to a good math education starts very early at the elementary years period. Nevertheless, it has been found out that students are not learning math in a way which will help them love it, hence often times, they try to look for help with math.As a consequence, it is not unusual that students simply turn their back to math, and don't end up assimilating basic mathematical skill which would help them tremendously in the professional careers, in almost every field.

One of the main reasons why some people hate numbers and would probably scour for help with math is that it has been taught differently during their early years. One capital mistake is the tendency to entice memorization instead of critical math reasoning, which certainly leads to failure, since memorization doesn't provide the reach that true mathematical understanding does. Using this kind of teaching method, it does not help the students that much with math. Take for example the case of Pythagoras Theorem.

The Pythagorean Theorem in geometry states that, in a triangle with which one angle is a right angle (having 90 degrees or also known as a right angle), the square of the length of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the two other sides of the triangle. In equation form, it is often expressed as a2 +b2 = c2

In this example, instead of just asking the students to memorize a formula, the teacher should be able to discuss on how the formula came about. The teacher should go for a historical contextualization of why the theorem is true and why how it was developed. Kids would probably find more appealing a historical reference than the mere memorization of it. As we probably have experienced before, a good story usually makes it up for a difficult concept, because it makes math much more enjoyable

Another fun way of educating kids in mathematics is through online games. There are quite a number of websites which offer interactive games that help your kid understand the concepts of mathematics while at the same time, making learning an enjoyable experience. You can also acquire education materials that are readily available in book stores, computer shops, and electronic stores. This will surely help you with your math challenges.

In today's world it is clear that not all the responsibility of math learning is on the teachers. As a matter of fact, parents may even have a more important role, because they have access and decide on the external tools the kids will use which could make the difference between learning and not learning. There is this story about a parent who was trying to teach her kid about the value of different money denominations. Using her imagination, she created a game about an imaginary toy store, where she would need to buy toys from her little sister. . This creativity and ingenuity did not only allow the kid to learn fast, but also made her understand the idea far better than the typical classroom scenario.

For mathematics to be exciting, and to assist you deal with math with your kids, mathematics should be introduced in such a way that kids would remember the concepts and formulas easily. The major challenge for educators is to entice and appeal to the exciting side of math.
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About the Author:

Robert is one the senior members from MathTrench, a company that provides math problems online

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Math Problems

teaching autistic students

2009-06-09T23:13:00.000-07:00

Making the hard decision to educate your autistic child in mainstream education is never going to be an easy one.

Generally speaking a lot of the methods used in mainstream education will not necessarily suit an autistic youngster.

For example most normally developing children will be able to learn using various methods like for example visually, kinesthetically and using auditory learning.

Where as with the autistic child this may not be the case and there for certain conditions within the mainstream classroom should be taken into account before the autistic youngster starts school.

For example teaching students with autism can be helped by remembering most autistic children will be visual learners and will respond better to lessons that are taught visually.

So by adding pictures, images and visual cues or prompts to lessons especially those lessons that involve class teaching will improve the chances of the autistic student understanding and staying focused.

Most autistic children if in mainstream education will have the ability to cope with the education aspect of mainstream school but will probably struggle with the social, communication, imagination and interaction aspects of a normal classroom.

These are the main areas of difficulty for most autistic youngsters. They lack the social and communication abilities of their normally developing peers, which can lead to social isolation and at times even bullying.

Therefore when making preparations for teaching students with autism autistic educators would be well advised to remember this. As well as making the appropriate changes or modifications to the classroom.

An autistic educators can gain an advantage by taking certain aspects into consideration like making the classroom visually more suitable for the autistic student, by this I mean adding appropriate visual aids and prompts around the class, like a picture of the toilet over the bathroom a coat above their coat peg and so on by doing this you will relieve a lot of the anxieties the autistic student may have.

Another good idea would be the introduction of autism visual aids for the autistic youngster like visual schedules and social skills stories.

Both the visual schedule and social skills stories will help the autistic student find repetition, instruction, and structure all things an autistic student will need to be able to learn effectively.

The autism social stories will act as a guide, friend, instruction and coping method. Evidence proves autism social skills stories are well placed in the autism classroom and can provide clarity to those situations like recess, break time, dinner time and lessons that the autistic student may struggle to cope with.

To download autism social stories for helping autistic students and for helping prepare for teaching autistic students visit:

www.autismsocialstories.com/school and download 48 autism classroom social stories for autistic students.

Or for other autism social skills stories and resources visit:

www.autismsocialstories.org.uk
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About the Author:

All social skills stories for autism classrooms as well as other social skills stories and resources can be downloaded and implemented with our full support from www.autismsocialstories.org.uk

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - teaching autistic students

A look at the Fire Science College

2009-06-09T23:10:00.000-07:00

Fire Science College was setup in order to provide the service people with a complete degree in fire prevention or administration. The college offers a great deal of skills to those who want to emerge as the future fire preventions and mechanisms expects. This college offers a wide range of courses that are to be followed and supervised by well experienced members in the filed. The distance learning program is one of the advantages that have been brought about by the college. The courses are also taken in block releases and students are given resident courses for a short period where they learn closely with the experienced fir chiefs. This makes the students learning a whole much easier as they get to have some practical experience in the fire and administration sectors.

The college is one of the 7 DDP consortium schools in the USA. This makes it possible for students at the college to earn the NFA certificates with ease depending on their credit or merit score. You will also be able to walk away with your BS in fire at the fire science college. The college brings you closer to the best in the fire industry and soon you will be amongst them in no time. The fire science college provides students with not only information about fire prevention but with also the adequate experience needed in the fire sector.

The applications to the college can be done online meaning that you don’t have to go through a long series of hand written applications. The study packs can be downloaded online making it very much easy to study and follow the courses online. Since the courses are taken over the internet it can help those people already in the fire sector to advance in their fire knowledge and positions. This certainly entitles you to get into those departments in the fire academy that you have always wanted.
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About the Author:

The Author is a professional writer, presently writing for Fire Science Classes and the fire science degrees.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - A look at the Fire Science College

Where You Can Get Teacher Certification

2009-06-09T23:03:00.000-07:00

There are many ways for you to get teacher certification. There are always mail order or even online classes that a person can take. The most common way though is to go to a college. Some people prefer smaller community colleges but pretty much any college will have a teaching degree offered. Colleges however can always offer a little more.

Many people get teacher certification through the mail. There are many programs that have been set up so that you can get all of your class materials and homework assignments through mail. Many people take advantage of mail order teacher certification for various reasons. People that do not have the ability to go to a conventional learning institute find that mail order classes are especially attractive. Some people have disabilities that do not allow them to go out. Other people may have a schedule that is too complicated to go to a school for classes. Some people may make the choice to take classes at home through the mail because they do not have Internet to take classes that way.

Although you can order materials through the mail, most people prefer to take classes at home online. This can be a great way to get your teacher certification. Again, it is especially valuable to people that cannot easily leave their homes. Online classes though have the added bonus of actually seeing your teacher. There are many different hands on class activities that you can take advantage of in an online course. Also when there are tests and quizzes, they are taken care of much faster. Many traditionally taught classes often take advantage of having online interactive materials. In general, getting teacher certification online is much faster than through the mail. Many people even choose to take online classes while they are in school because of things like scheduling.

Although there are many advantages to taking classes at home, most people prefer to get teacher certification through traditional class work. There are many advantages to taking classes at a college. Smaller colleges offer a more personal environment. The professors know who you are and are more accessible for one on one teaching. In large colleges, although you do not get the more personal help, there are often a more varied array of classes and other opportunities that you can take part in. All colleges that offer teacher certification also offer hands on teaching opportunities in the community. Although teaching certification can be a valuable thing, without the experience in actual teaching, you may feel incomplete. Many colleges offer not just hands on teaching opportunities but also fellowships. This can be very valuable to both the student and the school.

About the Author:

Darren Ferguson is an expert on teacher certification and qualifications. He provides useful information about to become a teacher in your state. If you want to know more about Teacher certificate, Illinois Teacher Certification and New York teacher certification then visit http://certificationmap.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Where You Can Get Teacher Certification

Landmark Education on Communication

2009-06-09T02:17:00.000-07:00

Everyone at some point has experienced an impasse in communication; those frustrating occasions when it all breaks down and people want to get up and walk out. Just look at a sample of recent headlines: “Peace Talks Breakdown” or “Labor Negotiations at a Stalemate” or “Negotiations Fail to Result in an Accord”. When the stakes are high and people are afraid they have something to loose communication becomes strained and people stop listening to one another. Usually this is while claiming that the people on the other side of the table are actually the ones who are not doing the listening. We get so concerned and fearful about getting other people to hear what we have to say, we become unwilling to hear what they have to say.

Indeed, listening seems sometimes as if it is a rare happening among human beings. We can’t really listen to another person speaking if we’re preoccupied, or if we’re trying to decide what we’re going to say when the other stops talking, or if we’re debating about whether what is being spoken is true or relevant or agreeable. Listening, in other words, is being accessible and open to what is being said.

At Landmark Education we contend that listening has an amazing power. It gives life to what is being spoken. You might even say it is with the listener that both the speaker and what is spoken exist and come alive. Think of how inspired and enlivened the elderly can become when you sit down and have an extended conversation with them. Think about what happens when someone is really listening to you. Ever notice that you become funnier and more playful when someone laughs at your jokes? What about when a child recognizes that adults are actually listening to them? Their whole demeanor shifts. In the programs of Landmark Education, you find yourself with a new ability to listen to others. You find yourself inspired by the people you have in your life. When you truly listen to people you discover the best of what they have to offer.

Speaking, meanwhile, can be something more than talking, more than the exchange of symbols or information, more than saying what you really think. In speaking we can share ourselves; we can evoke experience in others. Speaking is where our ideas become clear and possible. It is where others are expanded by our time spent with them. It allows for the futures we create. Speaking lives in poetry, in the appreciation of another, in idle conversations that pass the time, in great theories and books that give rise to wonder and thought.
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Speaking allows for "who" and "how" we "are" in the world. It is what gives voice to all that is possible in being human. In our ability to speak and share we have the ability to shape the world we live in.

In the courses of Landmark Education you find that true communication is creation. It has the power to shape, determine, and alter the course and quality of our lives. It moves people. It generates experience in others. It not only delivers information to others, it actually transforms their ability to hear. True communication transforms both the speaker and listener.

The Landmark Forum suggests that what it is to be human has its own domain and that domain is one of language—of communication, of conversation. Through communication —the realm of language, of conversation—each of us has complete access to ourselves, to others, to the very essence and possibility of what it means to be human.

This is the essence of what Landmark Education is about and what The Landmark Forum provides.

Learn How to Learn, Then Teach yourself What You Want to Learn

2009-06-03T02:26:00.000-07:00

They are not teaching my child enough in school (K-12)."
"School (K-12) is boring."
"I don't like my major, but my parents are forcing it on me because they believe this field is where all the good jobs are."
"I need to pass this course, even if I have to cheat so that I can finish my degree and get a job."

"I know people with college degrees that can't even find a job."

These are some of the statements that people make when they are either feed up, confused, or disinterested in the education they or their children are receiving. While their concerns may seem legitimate to them, the act of drudging through school or dropping out of school before completing a bachelors degree is becoming more costly to the average American as the rest of the world surpasses us in the educational arena and becomes more marketable and competitive in the global marketplace. More and more, American CEOs are complaining on Capital Hill that America's young people do not have the required skills and training to meet the demands of the ever-changing business world. CEOs like Bill Gates, have used these claims to widen the door for the ever-increasing outsourcing of American jobs to more educated talent pools in poorer countries like India.

Now, I would like to address this issue by discussing the need for Americans to rethink how we go about educating ourselves, because our educational process has gotten caught up in the web of capitalism and has become a product for sale rather than an intellectual enrichment process that lasts as well as benefits us throughout our life. Contrary to what many may believe, education is not simply a gateway to a job. And while our government has created and "maintained" our educational system through our tax dollars, it is not solely their responsibility to provide us with a quality education that meets our individual needs and satisfies our unique curiosities. We have to begin taking some initiative in our own education and that of our children if we want to remain marketable and competitive on the world stage as well as develop intellectually as human begins. This requires educational leadership in the form of shifting our thinking from simply being educated because society says so, my parents say so, or because I need a job, to retraining ourselves to learn how to learn so that we can begin shaping and controlling our future endeavors.

What do I mean when I say learn how to learn? Well, learning how to learn means that one goes into the educational process ready to absorb the material from the standpoint of sheer curiosity. Whatever peaks your interest is what you as a learner should focus on. Now, I understand that schools (K-12) and colleges have curriculums, but the idea here is to identify you learning style (such as visual, audio, or hands-on) through learning the basics in K-12 (reading, writing, and mathematics) and then use this knowledge as a spring board to teaching yourself any and everything that interests you as you move through your life. You may be asking, how can I teach myself or learn anything without formal training? The truth is that everything that we learn intellectually is rooted in reading, writing, and mathematics. Therefore, your level of mastery in these three disciplines will play a large role in determining your intellectual prowess as well as ability to teach yourself new things. This is why you must master reading, writing, and mathematics in K-12, so that you can supplement your formal education with informal education (which includes utilizing the wealth of knowledge available at libraries, museums, art galleries, and the information-rich Internet). The key to the informal education is that you identify and explore things that you are naturally curious about and use the knowledge you gained in your formal educational training to facilitate this learning process.

You see, when you begin to learn how to learn, you can teach yourself almost anything if the natural curiosity is there. That gives you great power and can turn you into a life-long learner (which is becoming very necessary in this competitive world). Speaking from the vantage point of someone who has mastered the skill of learning how to learn, here are viable responses to the statements made at the beginning of this piece:

One is not simply relegated to saying his/her child is not being taught enough in school (K-12), because one realizes that there are many venues outside of the formal school setting where he/she can supplement his/her child's learning.
School (K-12) is no longer seen as boring, because one realizes the foundation (reading, writing, and mathematics) for all supplemental and future learning begins here.
It becomes difficult for others (such as parents, friends, or teachers) to impose their will upon you in regards to your education, because you have taken control of your learning. In life, it is your own, not someone else's natural curiosity or interests that will make you great in whatever you choose to do or be.
Cheating becomes unnecessary, because you realize that by doing so you would be hurting your intellectual development in the long run. By cheating, you would be learning very little if anything for use in your future endeavors.
Lastly, having a college degree by itself guarantees nothing. There is much more that makes up a person's level of employability such as work ethic, punctuality, or diligence. Nevertheless, education is very important, not only for career development but for self and intellectual development. Don't use others failures as an excuse for you to fail as well.

Dr. Barrett has an earned PhD in applied management and decision sciences, with a specialization in leadership and organizational change. He also holds a MS in organizational leadership and a BS in organizational management. In addition to these degrees, Dr. Barrett has completed several executive certificates focusing on various areas of management and leadership development.

Dr. Barrett is proud of his academic accomplishments, as they are the product of his long and sometimes difficult journey out of poverty. Along his journey, Dr. Barrett served honorably in the U.S. Air Force, participating in several vital overseas operations in the Middle East and Europe. He has also taught organizational leadership courses at the graduate degree level at Mercy College. This desire to develop leadership whether it be in myself or others is what drives Dr. Barrett. Dr. Barrett currently lives in NYC, where he runs The Barrett Center for Leadership Development, LLC (www.TheBarrettCenter.com). The Barrett center offers workshops, seminars, caoching, consulting, and speaking engagements focused on the leadership and organizational principles developed by Dr. Barrett. You can find his current leadership model (The Barrett Leadership Model) in his new book Leading from the Inside-Out.

The Barrett Center's Mission: To help clients develop their leadership from the inside-out.
The Barrett Center's Vision: Uplift the human condition by teaching individuals and organizations how to lead their existence from the inside-out.

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About the Author:

Dr. Barrett has an earned PhD in applied management and decision sciences, with a specialization in leadership and organizational change. He also holds a MS in organizational leadership and a BS in organizational management. In addition to these degrees, Dr. Barrett has completed several executive certificates focusing on various areas of management and leadership development.

Dr. Barrett is proud of his academic accomplishments, as they are the product of his long and sometimes difficult journey out of poverty. Along his journey, Dr. Barrett served honorably in the U.S. Air Force, participating in several vital overseas operations in the Middle East and Europe. He has also taught organizational leadership courses at the graduate degree level at Mercy College. This desire to develop leadership whether it be in myself or others is what drives Dr. Barrett. Dr. Barrett currently lives in NYC, where he runs The Barrett Center for Leadership Development, LLC (www.TheBarrettCenter.com). The Barrett center offers workshops, seminars, caoching, consulting, and speaking engagements focused on the leadership and organizational principles developed by Dr. Barrett. You can find his current leadership model (The Barrett Leadership Model) in his new book Leading from the Inside-Out.

The Barrett Center's Mission: To help clients develop their leadership from the inside-out.

The Barrett Center's Vision: Uplift the human condition by teaching individuals and organizations how to lead their existence from the inside-out.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Learn How to Learn, Then Teach yourself What You Want to Learn

Boring After School Activities

2009-05-24T00:20:00.000-07:00

Boring After School Activities
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Why does Lisa grumble when it is time for her to go for her piano lessons? How come Johnny abhors the sight of his skates now? After all, these children were very enthusiastic about the programs when they started off. What happened? Parents are often confused by the disturbing and often incongruous signals they receive from their children. One day the kids are excited about the new theatre class and in just a few short weeks they wail and moan when it's time to go.The first thing a family should do when a child begins resisting a previously loved activity is to listen and investigate. Do not jump into conclusions. A little bit of intelligent sleuthing is required. Ask your child what he or she does in the class. Find out what exactly is the cause of the problem. Then ask the teachers the same questions. Compare notes. You may stumble on some important clues. Usually, children start out on an activity thinking it's all fun. But when they realize that they cannot just hang out and that they need to follow rules etc, they begin to resist. Your child may feel stifled if the program is too structured. If the discipline is too rigorous or the activity too painful (like a karate class) some children balk. Use your own instincts. Does the program feel like fun? Would you want to attend it yourself? Are they offering enough motivation to keep the child interested?The teacher-to-child ratio is also an important factor. Children need attention. If the number of teachers is just enough to handle a class, it is possible that your child is not receiving enough attention. State recommendations usually specify that there must be 1 teacher for 15 children. Children try to avoid problems they cannot solve. If there are no perceivable problems with the class and the teachers, perhaps you need to have a chat with your child. If your judgment says that the place is good and the activity engaging enough, then it's time to work with your child. More often than not, social pressures may be at work here. Does your child have friends there? If she is lonely or miserable because of the lack of friends, help her find a friend. If she finds a friend, she will get more involved in the activities If your best efforts do not pay off, and your child still resists that fantastic guitar classes, then it's time to let go. Shift your child to some other program. If he or she still retains interest in guitars, you can take it up after a few months. Never force the child, especially when it comes to extra-curricular activities. Since they are 'extra', they must bring in extra happiness and extra enthusiasm too.
This free article is provided by the FreeArticles.com Free Articles Directory for educational purposes ONLY! It cannot be reprinted or redistributed under any circumstances.

10 Secrets Of A Successful Homeschool

2009-05-24T00:19:00.000-07:00

1. Have fun. Attitude is everything with home learning. Enjoy learning and your kids will enjoy it. Make it drudgery and they will respond as well. Try to make even boring tasks, pleasant at least. This is not to say that everything must be a 3-ring circus, but if you have a fresh, upbeat attitude even with times tables and spelling tests, this will reflect well on your children's enjoyment and learning potential.2. Limit interruptions. My biggest interruption is the phone. Get a good answering machine and use it during regularly scheduled learning time. Or use voice mail. Record a message that states from this time to that time we are home educating and will get back to you after we are finished. Tell friends and relatives that this is the case, and eventually they will learn to respect this. This also means well meaning drop in visits and babysitting for friends, etc. Keep your children's learning time sacred and your family will benefit from this.3. Dedicate your time to their learning. If you are doing 101 things while your children are trying to do bookwork, how can you expect them to concentrate and finish tasks at hand? Keep your focus on them, it is a priority that rewards!4. Keep it simple. Be careful not to fall into the "Curriculum of the Month" club. Trying and swapping and changing your education plans with every new program that breezes by will kill your children's spirit. This is not to say that you should stay with something that is not working, just be careful not to flit about like a butterfly in a field of flowers. Your children will quickly learn that all it takes in a bit of whining and they'll have a new book, workbook or system in no time. Also, simplify your life. Too many commitments and outside activities and responsibilities can really wreck havoc with your schedule. Try to keep your life simple and you will be rewarded.5. Have FAITH! In yourself, your kids and in God. If you are doing the best you can, you will be rewarded. How can you do any worse than an overworked, underpaid public school teacher with only 6 hours and 24 - 30 children to teach? Overcome your own shortcomings with help, tutoring assistance and your own re-education. Don't count yourself short. Children learn in any environment even the slums of Calcutta! Provide them with your time and enthusiasm, good basic materials and faith and you will do as well if not better than that poor teacher can. You have the best interest of your children in your heart. Let it work for them.6. When in doubt READ! If the washing machine is flooding, the baby is sick, your toddler is fussy and lunch is burning don't just give up, get reading. Reading is the best way for your kids to learn and retain. Gather up the brood and snuggle on the couch with a good classic. Reading aloud is a wonderful activity for your family. Even experienced readers will love to hear a story aloud, especially when they don't have to sound out each word and get through those they may not know. There is a rhyme and rhythm to books read aloud that delights even little ones. Make it a drama performance, use voices change the sound levels of your voice, and discuss the plot. You can even tape record your story time so that pre-readers can listen again and again and enjoy the story while you worry about that washing machine! 7. Surround yourself with home school mentors. Whether it's an online group, or a support group, or just a great mom you met at church or at the library, keep in touch with these people! Ask questions; ask for helpful advice, most likely, they will be happy to help, because someone in their life helped them. Don't do this alone. Even a good home education magazine will help you in your quest. Read home education books when you are in need of a little boost. 8. Use the Library! What a wonderful resource most public libraries are. Not only books of any and every subject but reference books, video tapes, audio tapes, learning materials, computer accesses, computer software and so much more. With just a notebook and some pencils, I truly believe you could educate your children with just a library at hand! Don't spend a fortune on all these reference books for home. Use the libraries! And the librarians love homeschoolers9. Take frequent break days. If you are sick, or some family obligations make a day difficult, take a day off. Instead of great big weeks off or even the whole summer, take frequent days off through the year to refresh and empower you. The children will be pleased and you will get a chance to regroup. Just make sure they aren't every other day!10. Watch for outside time stealers! Field trips and social outings and classes for this and that are important, just make sure you are not overdoing it. Too many errands and outings can kill a day's learning and overwhelm your schedule. Remember that you are home schooling not car schooling! Try and schedule a day that is busy and three or four days that are not. Your family will appreciate this!copyright © 2006 by Sherri L. Chekal
Sherri Chekal is the art director at Westvon Publishing. She is the editor of the popular www.TheParentTeacher.com and the www.TheHomeschoolShop.com websites, as well as offering her graphic talents to several bands through websites, promotion and writing skills. She plays with the Fulton County Bluegrass band in Ohio. She homeschools her two daughters and is quite the Renaissance woman of talents and skills. She is the art director for the bluegrass newspaper, www.TheBluegrassJournal.com

7 Good Reasons To Learn A Foreign Language

2009-05-24T00:17:00.000-07:00

Learning a foreign language is naturally a process that requires effort and time, much or not, depending on the capability of an individual. Current technology makes learning a second language more flexible and easier. You can learn it anywhere you like, in your car while trapped in traffic jam, while waiting for commuter to arrive or fishing at Lake Garden, by means of many types of medium such as cassette, CD and the Internet, such as at www.malaylanguage.mypositivemoney.com where you will find a good resource of foreign languages. Below are just a few reasons why you should learn another language:1. Most significant yet simple reason – Eliminate the language barrier that you may face, easier for you to deal with other people when you go traveling or have to work in another country. The majority of native people probably do not know how to speak English fluently or do not know how to speak English at all, so knowing some key phrases will help you a lot. Moreover, you will want to know what people around you are talking about while you're shopping, waiting for taxi, or having dinner at a restaurant.2. Local people tend to be friendlier with you since you speak the same language as them. You also can get friends easily, which in return can help you greatly in dealing with certain troubles that you may encounter, and you may not know how to cope with, such as problems related with customary law. Locals also will believe you more than people who cannot speak their language, which is a good point when you are in a foreign land.3. Knowing a foreign language really helps when you are lost in a remote area where you can hardly find people who can speak English except local language. 4. Giving you chances to understand the exotic local traditions and way of living easier and deeper. This priceless experience is absolutely an opportunity not be missed for anyone who love to travel. You can share beautiful moments having fun with locals on occasions and understand the meaning behind it, which in the same time, gives you knowledge. 5. Improve your memory skill resulting from activity of reading, learning and memorizing. Open up your mind to be more acceptable to other people’s differences. Your thinking will be more maturely and sensibly.6. This is reality, guys: According to Kwintessential, people who learn a foreign language are wealthier, happier and are regarded sexier than those who can speak only English.7. From a survey conducted in Britain involving 270 dating agencies, the result shows that people who speak or learn a foreign language are more attractive, intelligent and sexier to the opposite sex.Hopefully some of the reasons above will give you some ideas on how important it is to learn an additional language. Continuous learning for life leads to success and wisdom.
Tarmizi Ramly is a native Malay with years of experience in language learning offering free online Malay language resources of common Malay words, phrases for anyone and daily Malay language newsletters. He also included audio tools for correct pronunciation, all for free. Visit his website at http://www.malaylanguage.mypositivemoney.com . Any queries please send them to 1.)faizal.nordin@gmail.com or 2.)jijigren@jumpa.ws

Easy to Learn Math Tricks

2009-05-18T00:37:00.001-07:00

Have you ever wanted to teach your child some simple math tricks that you learned many years ago but can't seem to remember them? Well you are not alone! With the amount of math tricks that are out there, it can be hard to remember all of them. Here are a few to help refresh your mind for you.

A lot of children tend to get scared when they begin multiplication for 10 and up, but you can actually make things a little less scary for them. Usually by grade two a child is beginning to learn how to multiply things by the number eleven and many struggle, so teach your child this little trick and they'll love you forever for it.

Let go through an example so you can visually see by what I mean when I say you can literally multiple anything by eleven. Let's use the following equation:

11 x 45

Now with the numbers you are multiplying eleven with separate them with a space so you are now given the individual numbers 4 & 5. Now add these to numbers together which will get you 9. Now here comes the easiest part ever. Where you placed the space between the numbers 4 & 5 place the number 9 and you'll now have the total of 11 x 45= 495

Now if your child gets caught with a double digit number teach them this nifty little trick:

11 x 78

You will once again add these two numbers together which will give you 15. Let me show you what you'll need to do.

11x78 > 7 (7+8) 8 > 7 15 8 ... Now you will take the number 1 and add it onto the 7 which will then give you the answer of 858 for your answer. This trick is very simple and can let anyone truly get a better feel of doing their eleven times tables.

Now that you've learned how to do your eleven times table let's back track to the nine times table. This trick happens to be one of the most simplistic tricks anyone could ever learn and help a child really start out with their math.

When you are given a multiplication problem where you are multiplying 9 by 6 hold up both your hands in front of you, then you will begin counting from your left hand to the right hand till you hit the 6th finger, which would be your thumb. When you lower you thumb look at the fingers you have left on each hand. On your left hand you have 5 and on your right hand you have four. Place these two numbers together side by side and you'll have the answer of 54.

As you can see by using these two tricks you can really start your way to successfully starting your child's understanding of math. When a child finds that they are not struggling with math they are more likely to enjoy it, so teach them these two simple tricks and be on your way to have a child who loves participating in math.
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About the Author:
For more information on math tricks revealed, visit www.shuiguo168.com. It is a comprehensive resource for math games and tricks, magic tricks, and much more.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Easy to Learn Math Tricks

Women's Education

2009-05-18T00:16:00.000-07:00

Women's Education is very essential in this world. People are giving importance for women’s education nowadays. More steps should be taken to improve education among women not only those who are in urbun but also in rural areas.

World Education has a long history of successfully working with local partners to design, execute, manage and evaluate participatory, community-based initiatives to advance the conditions of girls and women. World Education's programs help girls enroll and stay in school and help women gain access to or create new educational, financial, and social resources in their communities. World Education programs help girls and women improve their own lives, the lives of their families and the conditions in their communities. For parents - and especially mothers - this means creating conditions that ensure their daughters have equal access to basic education, are able to make informed decisions about their futures, and are able to protect themselves from trafficking, sexual exploitation, HIV and AIDS, for example.

By improving educational opportunities for girls and women, World Education helps women develop skills that allow them to make decisions and influence community change in key areas. In turn, these programs have a positive impact on some of the most profound issues of our time: population growth, HIV and AIDS, peace and security, and the widening gap between the rich and poor.

Education in India is only one among various other elements that have captured the attention of the world. While the United Nations is worried about the presence of a large number of illiterates, various other countries are amazed by the quality of some of the human resources that the Indian education system has produced.

The growth of the Indian economy in the recent past and the compulsion to sustain it is also forcing the Indian government to accelerate the process of developing all the branches of the Indian education system. Therefore, it would be very interesting to understand and analyze the various structures of education in India, its present condition and future developments.

The leaders of our freedom movement realized the importance of girls’ education and had put it as a prime agenda for national development. However, when India attained independence some 60 years ago, it was a formidable challenge that the new government had to face Social and cultural barriers to education of women and lack of access to organized schooling, had to be addressed immediately.

Education has been regarded as the most significant instrument for changing women's subjugated position in the society. It not only develops the personality and rationality of individuals, but qualifies them to fulfill certain economic, political and cultural functions and thereby improves their socio-economic status.

In India, the increase in the educational facilities and opportunities for women and the removal of traditional bars on entry of women to particular branches and levels of education came to be supported by all champions of women's emancipation from the 19th Century onwards. However, the Indian reformers of the 19th Century wanted to educate women to perform their role as good wives and mothers and not to make them as direct active participants in the process of national development of the country. The colonial authorities generally supported this limited view-point of women's education. The expansion of education and health services in the 20th Century, however, precipitated a need for women teachers and doctors which resulted in the incorporation of these two vocations in the programs of women's education.

In spite of the constitutional provision of equality and the recommendations of the committees and commissions about the provision for the same type of education for women as for men, the traditional limited view point of women's education, with a separate role of women in the society. has had a great influence on the planning for women's education.

Thus women’s education should be taken as a serious issue and take steps to develop it among every woman both in urban and rural.

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About the Author:

Im a house wife and im also interested in women's welfare

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Women's Education