But we don’t live in 1996 anymore. We are now in the era where everything is possible and acceptable. Just like studying outside the school, in front of your computer at the very comforts of your home. This is called online schooling.

Thinking of entering online schooling can arouse discomfort for some. This is quite understandable since it is not the usual way of learning just like those people who have tried airplane as a way to travel for the first time. However, with the reputation online schools are gaining, the way students learn is transforming in an “unconventional way”.

If you are one of those students who are considering this relatively new form of learning, here are the things you should know- the pros and cons of online schooling:

Pros

• No time wasted on travelingWhether you live in the most remote town in the United States (provided you have an internet connection) or at the top of the tallest building in your city, you can always be on time to study your lessons. Online schooling eliminates the time you have to prepare to dress up for school. It also removes the time you have to spend sitting on the taxi or waiting for the green light. With online schooling, your home and your classroom are the same.
• Can attend home needs anytimeFor people who need to attend important things around the home, online schooling works best. For instance: you have a baby to take care of or you have a several things that must be done around the house. If before you have to find ways to squeeze all the items in your “to-do-list” for one whole day, now online schooling will give you more time on other things as it eliminates the time you have to spend on preparation for school.
• No more classmates to mindWhen you get online schooling, the classroom is all yours. You don’t have to fight on your seat, you don’t have to get along with a group, and you don’t have to be nice or rude to others.
• Cons
• Online school competenceThere are many online schools to choose from. The question is: would you be able to land on a job after you have spent all your time and money on your chosen online school? One advice is: do research on the competency of several online schools and consider the credit they can give once you step into the working world.
• Personal competenceCan you learn on your own or should you require a board and a talking professor to absorb the lesson? There are some students who are better studying alone. There are some who are not. If you think you are capable of learning without the need of the actual classroom discussion, then you can consider online schooling.
  
• Environment cooperationIs your home fit for studying? Can you concentrate with all the destructions you can get in your home? Many homes are not fit to become a school. It may be because there are children around, or the neighborhood’s dogs are always barking, or your home is simply not conducive to learning.
• All these only say one thing: home schooling is not for everyone. Do more research and consideration before entering home schooling program. If you think you are fit and you can benefit more on home schooling, then it is all up to you.

Pros and Cons of Online Schooling is a post from: Cairo Forum 2010 Education Site

Methane and Potential Impacts on Global Warming

Methane is fairly common gas found in nature. It is produced from both natural elements of the biomass cycle and artificial industrial sources. Methane is classified as a greenhouse gas and is believed to contribute to global warming.

Methane (CH4) is a problematic greenhouse gas for a variety of reasons. First, it has a long life once it is in the atmosphere, to wit, it will remain suspended in the upper atmosphere anywhere from nine to 15 years depending on climatic conditions. Second, methane is much more lethal when it comes to trapping heat in the atmosphere, being as much as 20 times better at doing the job than the much discussed carbon dioxide.

The unique chemical makeup of Methane is what makes it a problem. Once it gets situated in the upper atmosphere, it acts as a sponge for infrared radiation being reflected from the planet towards space. By doing so, it acts as a gas coat around the planet, heating us up as time passes. Since we can count on it sitting in the atmosphere for roughly 10 years, massive accumulations of methane can have a devastating impact over time.

There is nothing we can do to stop natural methane sources. On the industrial side, however, there are a lot of areas that can be addressed. The production of methane through our actions is primarily through natural gas, petroleum, agricultural, coal mining, waste water reclaiming and landfill systems. All produce methane to a certain degree, some on a very large scale.

Modifying our behavior on methane production is actually a win-win situation. Unlike carbon dioxide, methane can be used as an energy source in and of itself. The technology is complex and the gas can be unstable, but we have certainly accomplished far more difficult tasks. The bigger point is that we don’t have to stop any activity that produces methane, just modify such activities to make use of the methane.

Global warming is a controversial topic. There is little doubt it is occurring. The real question is what it will mean as temperatures increase. Nobody really seems to know. What is clear is our current climatic situation is fairly calm. If you agree, why risk moving to a more chaotic one?

Methane and Potential Impacts on Global Warming is a post from: Cairo Forum 2010 Education Site

Once enrolled in the class, the student is able to enter the online classroom anytime they want. Here you complete assignments, quizzes, and puzzles related to paralegal work. These assignments will have due dates, and it is the responsibility of the student to meet the deadlines.

The progress of students will be measured using student assessment and other charts, which allow students to see their progression throughout the course. Classes may often be held during the spring and fall seasons, and intensive courses are usually offered during the summer.

Each course may take up to eighteen weeks to complete, and upon completion the student will be awarded with three credits towards their degree. The summer courses are much shorter, only lasting about 6 weeks instead of 18.

When taking online courses, students pay per class instead of all at once in a large lump sum. This is excellent for people who work full time but don’t have a lot of money. They can save up money from their job, and pay for their classes individually.

The cost of online paralegal classes is very attractive to many students. Some online colleges charge as littles as $78 per class, much lower than what you would pay attending a traditional institution.

Some paralegal online classes use distance education software. This is basically open source software that numerous colleges have chosen to use, and it lowers the costs in taking the classes. This software creates an interface, which is easy for students to navigate. They also have discussion forums and email, which is easy for students to use.

The students can get feedback from the instructor for each project they complete, and their grades can electronically be sent to them. Group areas of the course can be built where a number of students get together and work on various projects.

A lot of multimedia is used in online paralegal courses. Students may be able to log in and watch uploaded videos of their instructors giving lectures and explaining assignments. Students often have the option of taking fully online courses or taking some classes online while physically attending the college to take other courses.

Paralegal students may also purchase ebooks for their classes and download them onto their computers. Because the books are electronic, their costs are much lower. A student can expect to spend between 2 or 300 dollars for books required for 12 classes. This is very cheap compared to traditional hardback college books, which individually may cost over 100 dollars.

Online classes have excellent advantages over their traditional campus counterparts, and as the Internet continues to advance, online paralegal courses will become much more interactive.

How An Online Paralegal Class Works is a post from: Cairo Forum 2010 Education Site

Here are some very simple practice ideas that can help your kids learn French words more easily. First of all, the use of flash cards is rule number one among the ways to learn French words for kids. Then you can ask kids to name the objects in the room or even count them, if it be the case, thus also being able to teach them the numbers. Remember that learning methods for French as for any other languages need to be adapted to the group age and the knowledge level.

The best way to make kids learn French words is to make them forget that they are actually learning. Playing is the best way to learn French words for kids. Repeating new vocabulary items in pronunciation exercises often causes boredom and lack of interest on the part of children. This is why a teacher should turn to playing and the use of multimedia devices to help the little students acquire the French language skills naturally.

You will be surprised to find out how easily it is for a child to learn a foreign language. Thus, learn French words for kids methods don’t need to be extremely complex. On the contrary, they need to be simple, but fun. As they play and use a new language, the children internalize it and learn it actively. A good teacher knows that interaction, variation and constant dynamism are the golden rules of teaching a foreign language.

If you are a teacher or a parent then you should offer your students or children the opportunity to acquire second language skills without an effort. Audio devices, flash cards and videos are some of the best means to learn French words for kids. Their immense success comes not only from their being appealing to the children, but especially from the impact they have on the child’s intellect.

All The Ways To Learn French Words For Kids is a post from: Cairo Forum 2010 Education Site

You can help your child acquire a love of math by turning everyday activities into learning opportunities.

According to Dr. Andrea Pastorok, education psychologist for Kumon Math and Reading Centers, fostering a child’s love of math should be fun and stress-free. “Children have a natural ability to reason and problem solve. Parents who show enthusiasm for math will help build these important skills needed for life,” says Pastorok.

Here are some simple activities that can make learning seem more like child’s play:

• Draw a large number on a piece of paper and encourage your child to transform the number into his favorite animal, food, person or imaginary character.

•Involve your child in measuring ingredients when you cook or in figuring out if a container is big enough to hold her toy cars and blocks.

•Ask your child to count each apple slice or pretzel while dividing snacks onto two plates to share with a sibling or friend.

• When you ask for something, ask for a certain number. (“Can I please have five crayons?”)

• Count together daily; count cars, trees, homes, stoplights. Each day, add a few numbers to your child’s vocabulary.

• Teach fractions by cutting a whole sandwich in half and then in fourths, showing the relationship between “whole, half and fourths” -and then have your child put the sandwich together as a whole.

• Hands should be washed for a minimum of 10 seconds. Have your child count to 10 or 15 each time he washes his hands.

• Teach the logic of adding numbers. As she progresses, teach your child to count by twos, fives and tens.

• Talk about the shapes on a tiled floor. If you look at them one way, they’re squares; if you look from a different angle, they’re diamonds.

• Help him to see counting as a pattern and predict what comes next by asking such questions as, “We’re reading page six in our book now. What will the next page be? What was the page we just read?”

These easy activities can build the foundation for an appreciation of numbers. In addition, you’ll be delighted to see your child demonstrate creative reasoning, knowing you have stimulated it.

Making Math Fun With Everyday Activities is a post from: Cairo Forum 2010 Education Site

In the movie “Shattered” (1991), Dan Merrick survives an accident and develops total amnesia regarding his past. His battered face is reconstructed by plastic surgeons and, with the help of his loving wife, he gradually recovers his will to live. But he never develops a proper sense of identity. It is as though he is constantly ill at ease in his own body. As the plot unravels, Dan is led to believe that he may have murdered his wife’s lover, Jack. This thriller offers additional twists and turns but, throughout it all, we face this question:

Dan has no recollection of being Dan. Dan does not remember murdering Jack. It seems as though Dan’s very identity has been erased. Yet, Dan is in sound mind and can tell right from wrong. Should Dan be held (morally and, as a result, perhaps legally as well) accountable for Jack’s murder?

Would the answer to this question still be the same had Dan erased from his memory ONLY the crime -but recalled everything else (in an act of selective dissociation)? Do our moral and legal accountability and responsibility spring from the integrity of our memories? If Dan were to be punished for a crime he doesn’t have the faintest recollection of committing – wouldn’t he feel horribly wronged? Wouldn’t he be justified in feeling so?

There are many states of consciousness that involve dissociation and selective amnesia: hypnosis, trance and possession, hallucination, illusion, memory disorders (like organic, or functional amnesia), depersonalization disorder, dissociative fugue, dreaming, psychosis, post traumatic stress disorder, and drug-induced psychotomimetic states.

Consider this, for instance:

What if Dan were the victim of a Multiple Personality Disorder (now known as “Dissociative Identity Disorder”)? What if one of his “alters” (i.e., one of the multitude of “identities” sharing Dan’s mind and body) committed the crime? Should Dan still be held responsible? What if the alter “John” committed the crime and then “vanished”, leaving behind another alter (let us say, “Joseph”) in control? Should “Joseph” be held responsible for the crime “John” committed? What if “John” were to reappear 10 years after he “vanished”? What if he were to reappear 50 years after he “vanished”? What if he were to reappear for a period of 90 days – only to “vanish” again? And what is Dan’s role in all this? Who, exactly, then, is Dan?

II. Who is Dan?

Buddhism compares Man to a river. Both retain their identity despite the fact that their individual composition is different at different moments. The possession of a body as the foundation of a self-identity is a dubious proposition. Bodies change drastically in time (consider a baby compared to an adult). Almost all the cells in a human body are replaced every few years. Changing one’s brain (by transplantation) – also changes one’s identity, even if the rest of the body remains the same.

Thus, the only thing that binds a “person” together (i.e., gives him a self and an identity) is time, or, more precisely, memory. By “memory” I also mean: personality, skills, habits, retrospected emotions – in short: all long term imprints and behavioural patterns. The body is not an accidental and insignificant container, of course. It constitutes an important part of one’s self-image, self-esteem, sense of self-worth, and sense of existence (spatial, temporal, and social). But one can easily imagine a brain in vitro as having the same identity as when it resided in a body. One cannot imagine a body without a brain (or with a different brain) as having the same identity it had before the brain was removed or replaced.

What if the brain in vitro (in the above example) could not communicate with us at all? Would we still think it is possessed of a self? The biological functions of people in coma are maintained. But do they have an identity, a self? If yes, why do we “pull the plug” on them so often?

It would seem (as it did to Locke) that we accept that someone has a self-identity if: (a) He has the same hardware as we do (notably, a brain) and (b) He communicates his humanly recognizable and comprehensible inner world to us and manipulates his environment. We accept that he has a given (i.e., the same continuous) self-identity if (c) He shows consistent intentional (i.e., willed) patterns (“memory”) in doing (b) for a long period of time.

It seems that we accept that we have a self-identity (i.e., we are self-conscious) if (a) We discern (usually through introspection) long term consistent intentional (i.e., willed) patterns (“memory”) in our manipulation (“relating to”) of our environment and (b) Others accept that we have a self-identity (Herbert Mead, Feuerbach).

Dan (probably) has the same hardware as we do (a brain). He communicates his (humanly recognizable and comprehensible) inner world to us (which is how he manipulates us and his environment). Thus, Dan clearly has a self-identity. But he is inconsistent. His intentional (willed) patterns, his memory, are incompatible with those demonstrated by Dan before the accident. Though he clearly is possessed of a self-identity, we cannot say that he has the SAME self-identity he possessed before the crash. In other words, we cannot say that he, indeed, is Dan.

Dan himself does not feel that he has a self-identity at all. He discerns intentional (willed) patterns in his manipulation of his environment but, due to his amnesia, he cannot tell if these are consistent, or long term. In other words, Dan has no memory. Moreover, others do not accept him as Dan (or have their doubts) because they have no memory of Dan as he is now.

Interim conclusion:

Having a memory is a necessary and sufficient condition for possessing a self-identity.

III. Repression

Yet, resorting to memory to define identity may appear to be a circular (even tautological) argument. When we postulate memory – don’t we already presuppose the existence of a “remembering agent” with an established self-identity?

Moreover, we keep talking about “discerning”, “intentional”, or “willed” patterns. But isn’t a big part of our self (in the form of the unconscious, full of repressed memories) unavailable to us? Don’t we develop defence mechanisms against repressed memories and fantasies, against unconscious content incongruent with our self-image? Even worse, this hidden, inaccessible, dynamically active part of our self is thought responsible for our recurrent discernible patterns of behaviour. The phenomenon of posthypnotic suggestion seems to indicate that this may be the case. The existence of a self-identity is, therefore, determined through introspection (by oneself) and observation (by others) of merely the conscious part of the self.

But the unconscious is as much a part of one’s self-identity as one’s conscious. What if, due to a mishap, the roles were reversed? What if Dan’s conscious part were to become his unconscious and his unconscious part – his conscious? What if all his conscious memories, drives, fears, wishes, fantasies, and hopes – were to become unconscious while his repressed memories, drives, etc. – were to become conscious? Would we still say that it is “the same” Dan and that he retains his self-identity? Not very likely. And yet, one’s (unremembered) unconscious – for instance, the conflict between id and ego – determines one’s personality and self-identity.

The main contribution of psychoanalysis and later psychodynamic schools is the understanding that self-identity is a dynamic, evolving, ever-changing construct – and not a static, inertial, and passive entity. It casts doubt over the meaningfulness of the question with which we ended the exposition: “Who, exactly, then, is Dan?” Dan is different at different stages of his life (Erikson) and he constantly evolves in accordance with his innate nature (Jung), past history (Adler), drives (Freud), cultural milieu (Horney), upbringing (Klein, Winnicott), needs (Murray), or the interplay with his genetic makeup. Dan is not a thing – he is a process. Even Dan’s personality traits and cognitive style, which may well be stable, are often influenced by Dan’s social setting and by his social interactions.

It would seem that having a memory is a necessary but insufficient condition for possessing a self-identity. One cannot remember one’s unconscious states (though one can remember their outcomes). One often forgets events, names, and other information even if it was conscious at a given time in one’s past. Yet, one’s (unremembered) unconscious is an integral and important part of one’s identity and one’s self. The remembered as well as the unremembered constitute one’s self-identity.

IV. The Memory Link

Hume said that to be considered in possession of a mind, a creature needs to have a few states of consciousness linked by memory in a kind of narrative or personal mythology. Can this conjecture be equally applied to unconscious mental states (e.g. subliminal perceptions, beliefs, drives, emotions, desires, etc.)?

In other words, can we rephrase Hume and say that to be considered in possession of a mind, a creature needs to have a few states of consciousness and a few states of the unconscious – all linked by memory into a personal narrative? Isn’t it a contradiction in terms to remember the unconscious?

The unconscious and the subliminal are instance of the general category of mental phenomena which are not states of consciousness (i.e., are not conscious). Sleep and hypnosis are two others. But so are “background mental phenomena” – e.g., one holds onto one’s beliefs and knowledge even when one is not aware (conscious) of them at every given moment. We know that an apple will fall towards the earth, we know how to drive a car (“automatically”), and we believe that the sun will rise tomorrow, even though we do not spend every second of our waking life consciously thinking about falling apples, driving cars, or the position of the sun.

Yet, the fact that knowledge and beliefs and other background mental phenomena are not constantly conscious – does not mean that they cannot be remembered. They can be remembered either by an act of will, or in (sometimes an involuntary) response to changes in the environment. The same applies to all other unconscious content. Unconscious content can be recalled. Psychoanalysis, for instance, is about re-introducing repressed unconscious content to the patient’s conscious memory and thus making it “remembered”.

In fact, one’s self-identity may be such a background mental phenomenon (always there, not always conscious, not always remembered). The acts of will which bring it to the surface are what we call “memory” and “introspection”.

This would seem to imply that having a self-identity is independent of having a memory (or the ability to introspect). Memory is just the mechanism by which one becomes aware of one’s background, “always-on”, and omnipresent (all-pervasive) self-identity. Self-identity is the object and predicate of memory and introspection. It is as though self-identity were an emergent extensive parameter of the complex human system – measurable by the dual techniques of memory and introspection.

We, therefore, have to modify our previous conclusions:

Having a memory is not a necessary nor a sufficient condition for possessing a self-identity.

We are back to square one. The poor souls in Oliver Sacks’ tome, “The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat” are unable to create and retain memories. They occupy an eternal present, with no past. They are thus unable to access (or invoke) their self-identity by remembering it. Their self-identity is unavailable to them (though it is available to those who observe them over many years) – but it exists for sure. Therapy often succeeds in restoring pre-amnesiac memories and self-identity.

V. The Incorrigible Self

Self-identity is not only always-on and all-pervasive – but also incorrigible. In other words, no one – neither an observer, nor the person himself – can “disprove” the existence of his self-identity. No one can prove that a report about the existence of his (or another’s) self-identity is mistaken.

Is it equally safe to say that no one – neither an observer, nor the person himself – can prove (or disprove) the non-existence of his self-identity? Would it be correct to say that no one can prove that a report about the non-existence of his (or another’s) self-identity is true or false?

Dan’s criminal responsibility crucially depends on the answers to these questions. Dan cannot be held responsible for Jack’s murder if he can prove that he is ignorant of the facts of his action (i.e., if he can prove the non-existence of his self-identity). If he has no access to his (former) self-identity – he can hardly be expected to be aware and cognizant of these facts.

What is in question is not Dan’s mens rea, nor the application of the McNaghten tests (did Dan know the nature and quality of his act or could he tell right from wrong) to determine whether Dan was insane when he committed the crime. A much broader issue is at stake: is it the same person? Is the murderous Dan the same person as the current Dan? Even though Dan seems to own the same body and brain and is manifestly sane – he patently has no access to his (former) self-identity. He has changed so drastically that it is arguable whether he is still the same person – he has been “replaced”.

Finally, we can try to unite all the strands of our discourse into this double definition:

It would seem that we accept that someone has a self-identity if: (a) He has the same hardware as we do (notably, a brain) and, by implication, the same software as we do (an all-pervasive, omnipresent self-identity) and (b) He communicates his humanly recognizable and comprehensible inner world to us and manipulates his environment. We accept that he has a specific (i.e., the same continuous) self-identity if (c) He shows consistent intentional (i.e., willed) patterns (“memory”) in doing (b) for a long period of time.

It seems that we accept that we have a specific self-identity (i.e., we are self-conscious of a specific identity) if (a) We discern (usually through memory and introspection) long term consistent intentional (i.e., willed) patterns (“memory”) in our manipulation (“relating to”) of our environment and (b) Others accept that we have a specific self-identity.

In conclusion: Dan undoubtedly has a self-identity (being human and, thus, endowed with a brain). Equally undoubtedly, this self-identity is not Dan’s (but a new, unfamiliar, one).

Such is the stuff of our nightmares – body snatching, demonic possession, waking up in a strange place, not knowing who we are. Without a continuous personal history – we are not. It is what binds our various bodies, states of mind, memories, skills, emotions, and cognitions – into a coherent bundle of identity. Dan speaks, drinks, dances, talks, and makes love – but throughout that time, he is not present because he does not remember Dan and how it is to be Dan. He may have murdered Jake – but, by all philosophical and ethical criteria, it was most definitely not his fault.

The Shattered Identity is a post from: Cairo Forum 2010 Education Site

In the not overly distant past, the writings of the testator were the only evidence of his or her intentions and mental capacity. Undue influence was harder to defend against when the only evidence was the testator’s writings and the recollection of those around them. Imagine the scene, the packed court room (perhaps I have a flair for the dramatic), the testimony as to the deceased’s mental health and the influence exercised over them by their final caretakers and close family members made the testator’s mental health and the influence of others over them a matter of the testimony of the living and those often involved in contesting or defending the will.

But new options exist today that make it far easier for the testator to present evidence after they have passed away. The first question to be asked in a contest involving mental capacity is that of mental deficiency. Mental deficiency is demonstrated by the testator not being able to comprehend what he/she owns, to whom he/she is giving it, and how it will be transferred in addition to the overall impact such transference will have on their estate as a whole. Previously this could only be done in writing and it was often suspected that the attorney representing the deceased might have helped that writing have all the necessary components, rendering the doctrine more flexible and open to jury or judicial interpretation than a clear matter of fact.

However, today the process can include having the testator explain on video tape what the asset is, how it is to be transferred and to whom, and the overall implications of that transfer to the overall estate. It is easier to see the deceased, to see whether he or she seems to understand all the implications and to see whether or not he/she is the type of person who is weak willed enough to be susceptible to undue influence. In addition, protecting your client by having them explain it in their own handwriting and, on a couple of different occasions, on video tape alters the essential landscape of the court room proceedings by making the deceased a witness.

In addition, it is often useful to send a client to a psychiatrist to verify their mental health and acuity on an ongoing basis. This is evidence that those contesting the testamentary instrument will not easily be able to counter, because they will not have their own psychiatrist who has had access to the testator. This is another excellent card to have in your arsenal as an attorney in order to protect your client’s interests which again alters the landscape of the proceeding if the will is contested. Questions as to whether a client is mentally capable of understanding his/her bequests, the implications of those bequests, and the relation of those bequests to the rest of his/her estate as well as questions regarding to what extent, if any, their own personality was waning and susceptible to undue influence can be answered in different way. The more the judge and jury are able to see the testator, how they behaved, and how lucid and in control of their faculties they appeared to be, the more the trial regarding wills shall depend on a more direct perception of the testator rather than one provided by second hand accounts. The wise estate planner will use video tape in conjunction with psychiatry and standardized psychiatric tests to show that the testator knew exactly what he/she was doing and will not be hamstrung, as in days past, by the perception of others.

Estate Planning – Protecting your Will’s Integrity is a post from: Cairo Forum 2010 Education Site

1.) The entire New York telephone book
2.) A small nursery rhyme

If you picked #1, please go away!

Scientific studies have shown that we learn best by absorbing small morsels of information, applying them in a practical manner, then building on what we know. As we add more chunks of information our minds correlate, collate, and link everything, referring back to previously learned facts to form a comprehensive sphere of knowledge.

What does this mean to you?

Don’t tackle a huge book of foreign language grammar or prose as an early learning project. Begin with smaller projects.

For example, you could start with a few paragraphs of a novel – memorizing the vocabulary – and proceeding to the next few paragraphs.

Why not choose the most widely published book in the world?

Even if you’re not a Christian, the Bible can be an invaluable tool for learning the foreign language of your choice. It is published in more languages than any other book, and there is a plethora of internet resources with complete texts available for FREE download.

Many foreign language Bible sites have FREE audio clips as well.

‘But the Bible is full of ‘thees’ and ‘thous’ and outdated language that nobody uses any longer.’

You’re right! The King James version would NOT be a good learning tool for anyone trying to learn English. However, there are many translations in modern English – and that is also the case with foreign languages.

Use your favorite search engine to do searches like ‘modern Bible translation French’, ‘modern Bible translation German’, or ‘modern Bible translation Spanish’. Do your research and find out what is available for the language you are learning.

Start with some of the smaller chapters and work up to the larger ones.

Make up a vocabulary list and memorize a few words at a time. If you need help with some difficult phrases, find an online foreign language forum and post a question. Most forums are full of helpful native speakers who will do their utmost to help you understand subtle nuances and connotations.

Download the audio clips, save them to your hard drive, and listen to them repeatedly – either on your computer’s sound system or a portable audio player. Repeat the words softly as you listen, paying meticulous attention to pronunciation. Progress slowly to speaking in a normal voice along with the narrator.

A good method is to start with the Psalms and Proverbs. Each chapter is a standalone piece of prose. Begin with the smallest and work through to the larger pieces.

There is a link at the end of this article to a page that has the chapters of both books listed in order – from smallest to largest. The same page also points to a couple of Bible servers on the internet, as well as a Wiki page with information and background on translations in several languages.

The second link is to a useful search engine page that has several search engines listed.

Remember: baby steps first – and repetition – repetition – repetition. That’s the way babies learn. As adults it’s still the best way for us to learn.

Good luck with your foreign language education. It can be as much fun as you want to make it!

No – SMALLER is Better! is a post from: Cairo Forum 2010 Education Site

Established in 1998, the I KNOW I CAN organizations seeks to ensure that every qualified Columbus Public School student who wants to go to college has the opportunity to do so. Part of the mission is to encourage children to find out what resources are available to them in order to overcome student and parent fears about financial and informational decisions relating to a college education.

The I KNOW I CAN plan has four missions. The first is to motivate students to stay in school and pursue college. The second is to advise students and parents how to apply for college and access financial aid. The third mission is to fund students with the Last Dollar Grant and find additional sources of financial aid for needy students. Finally, the organization promises ongoing support for students in college to help ensure that they complete their degrees.

Early Awareness Programs

The Columbus Schools offers children a long term program for attending college. Beginning in second grade, all Columbus Public School children receive a free I KNOW I CAN motivational children’s book in order to show children that college is possible and affordable for people from all walks of life.

At the middle and high school level, the Summer Scholars Program helps academically talented students attend summer enrichment programs at college campuses across the nation. Columbus Public School students receive financial and application help to attend these programs and gain the necessary exposure to what life is like on a college campus.

High School Workshops

Academic and financial advising for all high school students, with a particular focus on high school seniors, is another way in which the I KNOW I CAN organization helps Columbus Public School students prepare for college. Volunteer advisors help Columbus Public School students by arranging college awareness fairs and a variety of activities that bring students to college campuses and help them understand the various strategies that they can use to gain admission, including exam preparation as well as enrolling in college preparation courses while still in high school.

Every February, the I KNOW I CAN hosts Financial Aid workshops in conjunction with the Columbus Public Schools. These workshops help parents and students complete all the necessary forms for applying for federal and state financial aid. These workshops pair volunteers with parents and students to ensure the one – on – one attention for each Columbus Public School student interested in applying for college financial aid.

Last Dollar Grants

After ensuring that every Columbus Public School student has received all the financial help possible from federal and state sources, the I KNOW I CAN organization helps to arrange additional funding, up to $1,200 per academic year for those students who need extra money to fill the gaps in their financial aid package. The organization guarantees financial aid assistance to every qualified graduate in the Columbus City School District. The grants are available for up to five years and must be re – applied for every year that the student attends university.

I KNOW I CAN helps Students in Columbus Schools Attain Their College Dreams is a post from: Cairo Forum 2010 Education Site

One of the most important aspects of homeschooling your child is coming up with a clear plan and set of goals. One of the greatest aspects of homeschooling – its complete flexibility – can also be one of the most difficult if it is not approached directly. Without a clear plan, you run the risk of creating a scattershot education that puts your child out of place with his or her peers.

So when you begin homeschooling, you should come up with a clear set of general goals. Think about why you want to homeschool your children, and what you want them to get out of the experience. What, generally, do you want your child’s education to encompass? Once you have answered these general questions for yourself, begin to split your child’s education into various subject areas. For each subject area, you want to come up with a timeline and set of goals.

A good place to start in terms of a timeline would be to look at the standard curriculum for your child’s grade in a public or private school. While it is almost certainly true that one of these reasons you’ve selected to homeschool your child is to go beyond and outside this standard curriculum, you also want to make sure that your child does not fall behind his or her peers in a given subject area.

Come up with your plan by looking at the standard expectations for a given subject level and then working backwards: how do you want to achieve that level of knowledge? What are the targets for each week? By setting these targets you can establish a timeline and curriculum that allows for effective homeschooling.

Clearly, one of the points of homeschooling is its relative flexibility, and you by no means need to stick to a plan in a completely rigid manner, but don’t let this tempt you into avoiding one: although it may seem wonderful to have an entirely “organic” education for your children, this can easily go awry. If you constantly let your child’s learning be dictated exclusively by his or her interests, gaps will appear in her knowledge. Instead make a clear educational plan that allows for flexibility. Plan what your child is going to learn, but leave the “how she will learn it” some breathing room: as you begin the process of homeschooling you’ll learn how your child learns best, and can begin to incorporate this into the lessons.

By coming up with a clear educational plan you arm yourself with one of the most essential tools to effective homeschooling.

Planning Your Homeschooling Effectively is a post from: Cairo Forum 2010 Education Site