EDUCATION

Projection Trends: 3D and Education

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:34:00 +0000

* By Denise Harrison

* 09/03/09

For years, 3D projection has seemed a technology long on potential but short on practicality. Despite some promising-looking technology demonstrations in the past, manufacturers just couldn't pull 3D into the production stage. But all that has changed ... and in a huge way.

3D is here, now, and it's surprisingly accessible for a technology this early in the adoption cycle. One of the companies giving 3D a major push is Texas Instruments. Early in 2007, TI began shipping a new chipset, used for DLP's color wheel technology, in its DLP projectors. This year, TI released new firmware upgrade that, when applied to those post-2007 projectors, become 3D enabled.

If that isn't accessible and affordable enough, at this year's InfoComm, projector manufacturers introduced extremely low-priced DLP projectors--even a 2,500-lumen DLP for less than $550. So while DLP projectors can be upgraded to accommodate 3D, buying a new projector may cost less than paying a technician to travel, install firmware and travel back.

So how does 3D fit in with today's education technologies? To find out, Campus Technology's Denise Harrison posed the questions to one of the experts--Chris Chinnock.

Chinnock is founder and president of Insight Media, an emerging display consultancy and board member of the 3D@Home Consortium, an industry-led organization dedicated to the rapid commercialization of 3D.

Denise Harrison: What has been the evolution of 3D in education?

Chinnock: Modeling astrophysics or fluid dynamics or weather systems takes super computers--typically at university centers. To output this data with lots of pixels in 3D requires a very high end display (visualization) system. Desktop and conference room solutions have existed too, but the new wave is a new class of DLP projector that is being aimed at mainstream ... education markets. At InfoComm, we saw new products from Sharp, BenQ, Optoma, ViewSonic, and Mitsubishi, with some offering products as low as $649 for the education market (plus the cost of glasses and content). To open up the mainstream education market, we will need a lot more content, which will start to flow, I think.

Harrison: What are the applications using 3D technologies the most now?

Chinnock: The more obvious ones are anatomy, biology, astronomy, etc. But technical schools for showing engine design and maintenance are obvious too. Once Pandora's Box is opened, I think there will be a lot of creative uses of 3D in the classroom.

Harrison: Which additional applications will use it in the future?

Chinnock: 3D Excel charts.

Harrison: What are the benefits of 3D in education? (At the risk of stating the obvious, perhaps there is something here we need to share with campus technology executives.)

Chinnock: Some topics are just easier to teach if you can visualize it in 3D.... 3D may also be more helpful in engaging students and can create a marketing value proposition for the school.

Harrison: What are the different technologies currently vying for market share?

Chinnock: Two projector solutions can be crafted using LCD, LCOS, or DLP technology. These can feature polarization methods to separate the two images at the eye (and at the projector) or spectral filtering methods. If you want a single projector solution that works by doubling the frame rate to 120 Hz (60 Hz/eye), the only solution today is DLP. These require active shutter glasses to open and shut the electronic filter in front of each eye in synchronization with the L/R eye images.

Harrison: Who are the major manufacturing players driving the current trends and what roles are they playing?

Chinnock: New education players noted above. They are working with content creators to enable more use in the classroom.

Harrison: Which of those have the best chances of sticking in education? And why?

Chinnock: I think all of them see education and these 3D projectors as a big new opportunity, so all should aggressively focus on this. Hard to say which ones will be here in three years, however.

Harrison: What are the roadblocks of 3D's adoption in education?

Chinnock: Content and the cost of 3D active shutter glasses. Who will pay for it?

Harrison: Assuming standards was one of the answers, where are we with standardization?

Chinnock: Standards may be an issue, particularly with content format standards. There are also many ways to do 3D, but right now, single DLP using the DLP Link protocol for the shutter glasses control looks to be in the driver's seat.

Harrison: Anything else?

Chinnock: We need to educate the education community about the technology, the options, the content availability and the benefits. This will take some time and effort (but you are now starting it!)

Middle School Classroom Management: Behavior Action Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 03:18:00 +0000

One of the most difficult skills to master as a teacher is classroom management. Unfortunately, if you can not master this skill you are not going to survive as a teacher, especially as a middle school teacher.

However, when the school year starts, many first-year middle school teachers are pleasantly surprised. All through their teacher training they were told how difficult classroom management at the middle school level can be and how important it is to have effective classroom management skills in order to be a successful teacher.

Yet, during the first days of school there doesn't seem to be much of a problem...students seem fairly attentive, no one is really talking or passing notes, there certainly hasn't been anyone talking back or any fights during the first few days...but then things start to change.

You see, those first few days are the honeymoon period...students are nervous and many are a little scared so they sit back and wait. However, by the end of the first week of school, or certainly by the second week of school, middle school students start to feel more comfortable, they start to test the teacher's limits and classroom management becomes more and more difficult.

It is at this point that many teachers start to panic and immediately resort to various reward/punishment systems, or as Alfie Kohn refers to them..."carrot and stick" systems.

Unfortunately, these elaborate systems are a mistake. They provide only temporary solutions to an ongoing problem. Students who respond to the rewards begin to do their work and behave ONLY if a reward is involved, while at the same time many students who thrive on negative attention actually begin to seek out the punishment.

The better plan is the "proactive approach" to classroom management. The proactive approach is based on the premise that the best classroom management plan is a strong instructional plan...that the key to middle school classroom management is to keep all of your students actively involved in all of your lessons.

Unfortunately, there are times when teachers are still forced to REact. There are times when the teacher has used every proactive trick in the book and still a student does something that requires the teacher to react.

HOWEVER, just because a teacher must react to a situation does mean the teacher must punish the student. The teacher must still save punishment as a last resort only!

So, what's a teacher to do?

Well here's an idea...create a "behavior action plan". Better yet, have the student create the "behavior action plan".

The key to changing inappropriate student behavior is to have the *student* take responsibility for his actions. First, the student must identify the inappropriate behavior, and then determine why it is inappropriate, and finally, how he plans to stop the inappropriate behavior.

All the teacher needs to do is have the student complete a "behavior action plan". The plan calls for the student to complete the following three statements:

1. I am writing this plan because I...

2. This behavior was not appropriate because...

3. To prevent this from happening again, I plan to...

Then, at the bottom of the handout make sure to have the student sign his or her name. By signing their name the student is making a promise to follow through with their plan.

In the end, this classroom management approach is significantly better than simply punishing the student for the misbehavior. This classroom management approach has long-term results.

How Schools, Parents Can Work Together For Successful Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:45:00 +0000

It is widely understood that, ideally, schools and parents should work together to ensure that children can succeed as students and citizens. But what is the right balance? And how much do teachers want parents involved in the classroom? A new study from North Carolina State University identifies ways that schools and communities can work with parents to give children the greatest chance of success.

Researchers at NC State say that the formation of "child and family teams" (CFTs) may be extremely useful in helping young people who are having difficulty with grades or behavior become more engaged and do well in school and life. Dr. Jocelyn Taliaferro, an associate professor of social work at NC State and co-author of the study, explains that a CFT "takes a 'village' approach. A child and his or her family decide who would be on the team – such as teachers, social workers, pastors or other community members – and then work with the team to develop a plan for helping the child succeed both in school and in the broader community. One advantage of this approach is that it removes the 'us versus them' mentality, by bringing in a broad support group and giving the child and family some control over the situation."

However, the researchers found in their study that some school personnel and community members are ambivalent about the prospect of involving family members in the decision-making process at their schools. For example, Taliaferro says, teachers think parental involvement is important, but they also are often concerned that the parents may be contributing to a child's problem rather than being part of the solution.

Addressing this ambivalence is essential, Taliaferro says, "because if school and community members, such as teachers and mentors, do not buy in to the CFT concept it is not going to work."

One way that school administrators and other leaders can address this concern is to "encourage parents to be involved and provide parents with opportunities to interact with the school," Taliaferro says. "You cannot change the feelings of people who may be skeptical, but you can change behaviors. And if there is more interaction, and you begin to see some success with the CFT approach, you will get more buy-in from those who may have been doubtful of the process."

Taliaferro says that another factor that can make the CFT approach more productive is for school leaders to accept broad participation in the program by extended family and friends of the children involved. "The involvement of extended family and friends can supplement parental involvement in supporting the kids and moving them in the right direction. It can also help school personnel better understand a child's background," she says.

Taliaferro notes that it is important for schools to take steps to give parents and children an active role in making decisions that affect them. "We say it is a parental right and responsibility to be involved in their child's education, but we have historically limited opportunities for their involvement."

How to Get Motivated and Set Goals: The Top Ten Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:59:00 +0000

It’s easy to get motivated to do something you enjoy. The trick is to learn how to self-motivate to accomplish the things that involve practice that you don’t enjoy. Follow these Top Ten Tips to increase motivation and to set goals that are truly achievable.
1. Define your goal. You’ve got to clearly understand where you want to end up before you begin any journey. Set goals that are realistic and specific.

2. Don’t try to do everything at once. Limit your goals to follow a one-at-a-time model. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

3. Make your goals public. Tell those close to you what your goal is and that you want their feedback and support as you work toward your set goals. Ask them to ask about your progress.

4. Break down your goal into manageable mini-goals. Get expert help in how to organize your plan to achieve success.

5. Set personal rewards for achieving each of your mini-goals. Behavioralists are right—positive reinforcement stimulates sustained effort.

6. Start small, but start. Starting small can produce big results. Even the longest journey begins with a single step, but you have to take that step. Start by spending just ten minutes extra each day, working toward your set goals.

7. Practice correctly. More golf swings do not improve a golf game. Expert advice and coaching makes a difference.

8. Practice consistently but don’t over-do. Limit practice to avoid burn-out. An object in motion tends to stay in motion. So keep moving to accomplish your set goals.

9. Avoid procrastination. An object at rest tends to stay at rest. Make consistent effort a habitual practice. However, if you miss practice, forgive yourself and then start again.

10. Evaluate your progress toward your set goals and be flexible. What is working and what needs adjustment? Do the set goals or practice need refinement? Get expert, or at least, objective help to properly evaluate.

Higher Level Thinking? As Easy As A Question

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:56:00 +0000

“Questions, I’ve got some questions” is how a Jack Johnson song from the Curious George Soundtrack begins. From the beginning of our lives, we are always questioning something. They start as simple things at first as we explore our new, vast world and the complexity grows as we mature. One of the most amazing faculties afforded to us as humans is the ability to think. The problem for teachers is how to get our students to utilize this amazing skill to the best of their abilities. We all know that students who are constantly involved in the learning process will thrive and grow the most academically.

So, here is the situation. Questions are being asked all day and every day in schools, offices, homes and elsewhere around the world. But, what kinds of questions? Do they always work? Do we get the answer we were looking for? Are our students engaged in the learning process? Do we use questioning enough? You can figure out the answer for your specific instance very easily.

Think about your daily lesson, work or social life. If you just completed a project in class with your students, do you ask, “What did you think about the project?”. You will most likely hear lots of “Yes’s.” and “It was OK.” and responses like that. These are short answers that make students feel like they are appeasing you.

Imagine being at work and asking your employees or co-workers, “How did you think the meeting went?”. Again, you will hear quick responses that have little to no thought involved in them. This will happen for a variety of reasons.

The same thing will happen with friends, family and basically any other situation you are in. Sometimes we hear people talking about “digging deeper” to find out more information about something. What does “digging deeper” really mean? It means, asking the right question.

When trying to elicit a response from anyone, we need to use the proper start to every question. Simply asking “How was your trip?” will never work. The answer could just be “Good.”. Not exactly what you were looking for if you plan to take a similar trip to the same location. You need to get more information. The question starter “How was….?” was very insufficient in promoting conversation. Promoting conversation is the key to making the mind think. Simply asking, “How could you summarize your trip to…?” would work better. This person would then describe and explain the major parts of the trip and you can guide the conversation in the direction of your curiosity.

How does this relate to the classroom? In the classroom this means that the student has to think about prior learning and come up with an organized response to the question. Higher-level thinking questions do just that. They do not allow for one-word or short answers. The student must become engaged in a conversation. This may mean that they are interpreting data, defending an opinion, coming up with a solution to an issue or any other variety of responses that cause students speak their thoughts aloud.

Now, how is this done? Higher-level thinking questions have beginnings that are well defined. They automatically cause individuals to “ponder”. Many times they will relate to opinions that individuals may have formed so that they want to express themselves. Here are some examples of question starters: “How can you explain why…?”, “How would you compare…?”, “In your owns words, what is…?”, “How could you simplify…?”, “What is the significance of…?” (Kagan, 1999). Right away you can see how the gears start working and the process of being involved begins. Students, or anyone for that matter, begin to think! When you get immersed in it, you can have the students use the “starters” to come up with questions regarding a topic. Again, making them a part of the experience keeps that involvement at a high level.

We have all heard of the value of good questions somewhere in our lives. Dr. Spencer Kagan has developed sets of these “question starters” along with entire books devoted to specific topic areas. This way of thinking and teaching stresses the development of thinking skills along with higher-level thinking, such as creative and critical thinking. By utilizing this type of questioning in you daily lessons and lives, you can help individuals to become more intellectual, creative and involved than they ever have been. Dr. Kagan has devoted his life to Cooperative Learning in the classroom and has a wealth of resources available. Check out Kagan online or search for Kagan on Amazon and see what the buzz is all about. I could say, “What are you waiting for?”, but I can make you really consider it by asking, “What differences might you see in your students if you apply this type of questioning strategy?”. Good Luck!!!

Higher Level Thinking? As Easy As A Question

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:59:00 +0000

“Questions, I’ve got some questions” is how a Jack Johnson song from the Curious George Soundtrack begins. From the beginning of our lives, we are always questioning something. They start as simple things at first as we explore our new, vast world and the complexity grows as we mature. One of the most amazing faculties afforded to us as humans is the ability to think. The problem for teachers is how to get our students to utilize this amazing skill to the best of their abilities. We all know that students who are constantly involved in the learning process will thrive and grow the most academically.
So, here is the situation. Questions are being asked all day and every day in schools, offices, homes and elsewhere around the world. But, what kinds of questions? Do they always work? Do we get the answer we were looking for? Are our students engaged in the learning process? Do we use questioning enough? You can figure out the answer for your specific instance very easily.

Think about your daily lesson, work or social life. If you just completed a project in class with your students, do you ask, “What did you think about the project?”. You will most likely hear lots of “Yes’s.” and “It was OK.” and responses like that. These are short answers that make students feel like they are appeasing you.

Imagine being at work and asking your employees or co-workers, “How did you think the meeting went?”. Again, you will hear quick responses that have little to no thought involved in them. This will happen for a variety of reasons.

The same thing will happen with friends, family and basically any other situation you are in. Sometimes we hear people talking about “digging deeper” to find out more information about something. What does “digging deeper” really mean? It means, asking the right question.
When trying to elicit a response from anyone, we need to use the proper start to every question. Simply asking “How was your trip?” will never work. The answer could just be “Good.”. Not exactly what you were looking for if you plan to take a similar trip to the same location. You need to get more information. The question starter “How was….?” was very insufficient in promoting conversation. Promoting conversation is the key to making the mind think. Simply asking, “How could you summarize your trip to…?” would work better. This person would then describe and explain the major parts of the trip and you can guide the conversation in the direction of your curiosity.

How does this relate to the classroom? In the classroom this means that the student has to think about prior learning and come up with an organized response to the question. Higher-level thinking questions do just that. They do not allow for one-word or short answers. The student must become engaged in a conversation. This may mean that they are interpreting data, defending an opinion, coming up with a solution to an issue or any other variety of responses that cause students speak their thoughts aloud.
Now, how is this done? Higher-level thinking questions have beginnings that are well defined. They automatically cause individuals to “ponder”. Many times they will relate to opinions that individuals may have formed so that they want to express themselves. Here are some examples of question starters: “How can you explain why…?”, “How would you compare…?”, “In your owns words, what is…?”, “How could you simplify…?”, “What is the significance of…?” (Kagan, 1999). Right away you can see how the gears start working and the process of being involved begins. Students, or anyone for that matter, begin to think! When you get immersed in it, you can have the students use the “starters” to come up with questions regarding a topic. Again, making them a part of the experience keeps that involvement at a high level.
We have all heard of the value of good questions somewhere in our lives. Dr. Spencer Kagan has developed sets of these “question starters” along with entire books devoted to specific topic areas. This way of thinking and teaching stresses the development of thinking skills along with higher-level thinking, such as creative and critical thinking. By utilizing this type of questioning in you daily lessons and lives, you can help individuals to become more intellectual, creative and involved than they ever have been. Dr. Kagan has devoted his life to Cooperative Learning in the classroom and has a wealth of resources available. Check out Kagan online or search for Kagan on Amazon and see what the buzz is all about. I could say, “What are you waiting for?”, but I can make you really consider it by asking, “What differences might you see in your students if you apply this type of questioning strategy?”. Good Luck!!!

The Single-Gender Classroom

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:51:00 +0000

Imagine a classroom tailored in accordance with the likes and dislikes of your child. In your son’s class competition, physical activity and choice activities dominate the learning environment—even for math and language arts!! In your daughter’s class, she and her friends sit in groups; they collaborate and have the opportunity to be creative and inquisitive without the distraction of rambunctious little boys. These are the characteristics of the single-gender learning environment.

The classroom is alive with movement, noise and learning. There are 22 six and seven year old boys that appear to be not only engaged in active learning, but totally absorbed in the learning process. It’s as if the classroom and the activity are teaching and the teacher is just facilitating. This teacher is the conductor in a great symphony of learning. What makes this orchestra unique is that it is an all-boys class in a single gender experiment.

The lesson for the time is math. All the boys are seated on a mat, on their colored squares eagerly awaiting their turn to catch the ball and answer the question. The teacher tosses the ball. A student catches the koosh ball and strains to see the card that the teacher is holding. The tension is mounting as the student calculates on his fingers. The excitement in the other boys is also building to a breaking point just as he blurts out the answer. The boys and the teacher erupt in congratulations at having answered correctly. The student stands and hurls a MLB pitch at this dediated single-gender teacher. All hands are up pleading for a chance to answer and pitch.

The room is busy with random activity. The subject is science. Some boys are huddled in groups or as individuals reading science related books. The teacher and a few other boys are in the center of the class room assembling a science project on planets consisting of inflatable planets previously prepared. He periodically sends a boy away and calls for another boy to help from elsewhere in the room. This single-gender teacher manages to lead the boys through the assembly, questioning them about the size, color, unique characteristics and placement of each planet. Once complete, all of the other boys leave their satellite activities and gather around to marvel at the class project.
There are boys engaged in computer math and chess games, boys working with blocks, boys reading and others doing other miscellaneous activities. The room hums with busy activity. Periodically there are requests for the teacher to check out something made or just to hear about something the boy did or wants to do. The conversation is causal and comfortable. Both the teacher and students engage in exchanges of experiences and ideas.

This teacher, having been trained in single-gender strategies, has a special connection and understanding that allows him to orchestrate such a masterful learning environment. It is as if he fools all of those rambunctious little boys into thinking they are supposed to be having fun instead of learning. The classroom runs like a well-oiled engine. There are occasional instances of redirection, but no raised voices, no attitude standoffs and no discipline referrals—just learning.

Engaging elementary students and helping them to develop more positive attitudes and perspectives on school is essential in helping them to become successful in school and in life. No, there is no one-size-fits-all prescription in education. Single-gender education is not for everyone, which is the reason that the new legal guidelines on single-gender education mandate that parents have a choice. However, research and anecdotal reports certainly paint single-gender education as an effective instructional strategy for many children. You know your child and the learning environment that will best suit their individual personality--read, experience, question and investigate.

Quiet Signaling, A Classroom Management Technique That Really Works

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:48:00 +0000

The time that students spend in the classroom actually working on academic subjects is sometimes referred to as “engaged time.” This engaged time is very valuable. Classroom teachers have an opportunity to observe students actively solving problems and independently working through an assignment. Through appropriate monitoring and active observation, instructors can determine what tasks students are having difficulty with and when students are being successful.

During independent seatwork several of the children may have questions as they work through the assigned tasks. But the key to addressing these questions is to have previously developed a simple procedure with the class, so as not disturb the valuable learning time of the rest of the students.

In Mrs. Suppes’ 3rd grade classroom at Marquette Elementary School, a simple “quiet questioning” procedure is used everyday. Her method of assisting students who need help, without disrupting the learning environment, is to utilize a flag located on each of their desks. This simply designed flag (the “Flagbee”) can be flipped up on its swivel. If a student gets stuck on a problem and requires teacher assistance, he or she may raise the flag, but should continue working. An upright flag indicates that help is needed. This quiet signal for help minimizes distractions and disruptions.

Many times Mrs. Suppes chooses to wait a few minutes before immediately addressing a raised flag. This technique allows the children additional time to attempt to problem-solve on their own. In many cases, the student may choose to lower his or her own flag without teacher intervention, because they have figured it out on their own.

All students have been trained to make appropriate use of the help signal as a class wide intervention, and not to abuse the flags. After posting the help signal, the student should continue to check over the current work assignment to see if there are other problems or items that he or she can work on while waiting for the teacher.

This quiet questioning practice has proven to be very effective in elementary classrooms. The flag was designed by educators, and supports the latest practice in classroom management techniques. It has encouraged students to remain on task while waiting for assistance, and has helped maintain an appropriate working environment for everyone, that is conducive to learning.

Digital Inclusion: How the accessibility of online courses might help

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:45:00 +0000

A recent BBC report entitled ‘Your country needs you connected' sheds fresh light on the number of people in the UK who are digitally excluded. According to Jane Wakefield, whilst the popularity of Twitter and Facebook are growing, '17 million Britons have never been online'. Digital Champion, Martha Lane Fox, is at the forefront of getting the outsiders online - so how can online certificate degree courses help her cause.

According to the report, Lane Fox is primarily concerned with targeting the six million poorest in the country, in order to break the correlation between social and digital exclusion. This is regarded as a particularly tough job by Bill Dutton of the Oxford Internet Institute. He asks, "How do you get people to experience a technology that they are predisposed not to be interested in?"

This is a valid problem, and one that I think will be solved, naturally by the growing dependency on e-Learning and online technologies to solve the increasing demand for further education courses. Yet equally, there undoubtedly needs an increase in accessibility for online courses beyond paid higher education institutions in order to minimize the risk of deterrence even further.

This calls for all types of business and services to offer easy and relevant online schemes. A move that has already been made by the Department for Work and Pensions, who's job search site has, according to Wakefield, ‘averaged a pretty impressive one million searches per day'. Such schemes are causing more of those who may not be connected at home to visit their local online centres - a trend that is no doubt stimulated by the need of many to increase their job searching zeal.

This report come at a time when in the US, Barack Obama has unveiled an initiative funding of $12 million to be given to community colleges across the country. In order to increase the degree and certificate completion rate by 50 percent, he is also calling to make a number of distance learning courses free to anybody using open content.

I can see such a method being incorporated to Lane Fox plans in the UK (or, at least, I hope it will be). Offering free mini-courses ‘to help you find a job online' or ‘to help you fill in your tax return online' all seem logical - and if they are seen as a way of saving money - then the benefits of digital inclusion will be all the more evident.

How to Improve Simple Mental Computational Skills (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:43:00 +0000

After the first part of this article had been published, I began to get letters with another question. Is a need of improving the skills of simple mental computations so important, that we must spend time on filling in tables or on any other exercises, while we have not enough time for other topics of curriculum? My previous articles (Elementary Mental Computational Skills and Success in School Math, Prognosis of Failure in School Math) contain the detailed answer. Now I want to cite one more reason.

If we grudge the time for improvement of simple mental computational skills, we will waste much more time when teaching other math topics. Let us consider addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of the numbers expressed by several figures. Every such operation calls for carrying-out many simple mental operations. For example, it is necessary to carry out 14 simple mental operations to multiply 587 by 96. My studies show that pupils spend about 8 seconds in the average on each operation. We can reduce the running time of one operation by training to 2.5 seconds in 95% cases. As a result we will have much more time for development of more complicated skills. If we take into account that all topics of arithmetic and algebra require simple mental computations, the profit becomes evident.

The stochastic tables described in the first part of this article may be used both for individual work with one pupil and for work with a class. Furthermore for individual work you can use two computer programs, which you can download free at my site Prevention of Failure in School Mathematics (references – Simple Test and Improvement of Simple Mental Computational Skills). Now you will find there renovated versions. I tried to finish with errors and difficulties which prevented effective work with the applications (at present, for example, there is no need in entering code). You can test whether the modifications are sufficient or not.

The first of these programs is a simple computer test for diagnostics of a level of simple mental computational skills. It can be used both to clearing up whether a pupil’s skills need to be improved and to make sure that using of the stochastic tables turned out successful. If your pupils have learnt the multiplication table already, offer them this simple test and you will see that many of them will not pass it. A pupil must implement a sequence of 64 simple operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in disorder) not only nearly error-free but quickly also.

The second program is designed to improvement of simple mental computational skills. The application is intended for individual work with one pupil. Therefore it is necessary to load a private database for each pupil. You may begin to use the application after the multiplication table and the corresponding cases of division have been learnt completely. It will be very useful to repeat the work every year during next five years.

The program performs the next functions: 1) diagnoses quality of elementary mental computational skills; 2) carries out the work on improvement of elementary computational skills; 3) watches the psycho-physical state of a pupil and a level of permissible educational load; 4) allows overseeing all results of the working.

During each testing a level of simple mental computational skills is studying. Two criteria are used for the ascertainment of it: number of errors and an average running time of one operation. The speed of mental computations is one of the two criteria of automatism – the top quality of skills. While a minimal number of errors is permissible (an error may be caused not only by lack of knowledge), a testing will end in failure because of slowness even if there are no mistakes. The values of parameters using in the testing were figured out experimentally in accordance with pupils’ age (during five years after the multiplication table had been completely studied).

Initial results are the basis for the following work. They are used for the examination of pupil’s psycho-physical state (warming-up) and for forming the tasks for improvement of his/her skills (working upon errors). To accelerate progress in mental computations, you may print the tasks for working upon errors after each session. The pupil must do the tasks in written form before the next session. The program stops the work with the pupil when his/her computational skills meet the established demands. Number of required sessions depends on pupil's grounding in math and mental faculties.

Benefits of teaching chess to children

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:41:00 +0000

The game of chess is a real test to the mental capabilities of a person. By testing and training the mental capabilities, the game refines the character of the person who plays chess on a regular basis. It is this special quality of the game of chess that made it withstand the travails of time and technology for the past 1500 years and still fascinates people. It is no doubt true that the game of chess will be there for many more centuries to come as long as this humankind, in its present form, exists in the world.

Teaching chess to children and encouraging them to take up the game seriously is one of the best gifts that as parents and well-wishers we can give to our children. It is not an exaggeration, but a well-researched and proven fact. Students who were taught to play chess as part of their curriculum in their schools performed extraordinarily in comparison with other students who were not playing chess or not exposed to the game in their schools.

By taking up chess as a sport or a favorite pastime in the young age and practicing the game frequently, children cultivate very good habits that will not only help them gain expertise in the game of chess, but also guide them for a better, brighter and prosperous life qualitatively.

Children have the unique capability of learning things quickly and grasping them. Once a child is taught the basic elements of chess and encouraged to play the game, he or she will develop an interest for the game and try to go up the ladder of growth in chess. In his pursuit to learn more about the intricacies of the game, he will be anxious to read more about the grandmasters, the different types of games, tactics and strategies. This curiosity will lead him to read more books related to chess, and in the process, he, without his explicit knowledge, cultivate the habit of reading.

One of the things a chess player should do while playing games is to note down the moves or record the notations, which will be useful for later analysis to find out the flaws or mistakes in the concluded game. Children playing chess will be interested in recording the notations. This exercise not only helps improve the understanding of the various squares, but also makes them write, which will ultimate improve their writing skills.

In the game of chess, each of the pieces has a set value and identity relative to their capabilities and utility. The Queen is given 9 points, the rook gets 5 points, the bishop and the knight are assigned 3 points each and the pawns are given 1 point. Knowing the value of the pieces and their importance is very essential in the game of chess so that some sort of balance or equilibrium in terms of the pieces on the board is maintained. This analytical ability and assessment of values will be of much help to the people while they learn the skill of mathematics or such other analytical skills.

Children learn the most important trait of decision-making skills right from the tender age as they gain expertise in the game of chess. Planning, analyzing, assessing different options, taking the right decisions and making the right moves are all developed as one plays the game of chess with passion and love. These virtues are very essential for success in life.

The First Step towards Good Computational Skills

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:39:00 +0000

Maybe you aren't satisfied with your computational skills. If you want to improve them, check the quality of your simple mental computations first. I keep in view simple mental addition and subtraction within the limits of 20, simple mental multiplication and division within the limits of 100. Everyone knows these operations must be carried out correctly and quickly. But how can we measure the correctness and quickness of their execution? For this purpose you can use simple tables which may be named stochastic.
You can draw such tables yourself, but do not waste time. Take the tables free at my site Prevention of Failure in School Math. There are two possibilities to get them: a Word file (TablesWord) and a computer program (PrintTables). The program allows to print both blank tables and checklists for them (the same tables but with the answers). The checklists will help you to find your errors. Furthermore you need a stopwatch to measure a running time.
Each table contains 64 uniform elementary operations on one of the arithmetical rules – addition, subtraction, multiplication or division. I name these tables stochastic because the sequences of addends, subtrahends etc. were chosen by chance. The accidental selection of required numbers simulates spontaneous appearance of corresponding operations in ordinary computations.

As soon as you get the tables, you can begin to examine the quality of your skills. Take one of the tables, switch on your stopwatch, fill in the table, switch off the stopwatch and write down the running time. Then print the corresponding checklist, check your answers and write down number of your errors. Now you can find whether your skills are sufficient to master more complicated computations or not. If you are more than 12 years old, the criteria are next.

Your skills are first-rate if there are no errors and the running time is:
on addition – not more than 2 minutes 25 seconds;

on subtraction – not more than 2 minutes 30 seconds;

on multiplication – not more than 2 minutes 20 seconds;

on division – not more than 2 minutes 10 seconds.

Your skills are good if there are no errors and the running time is:

on addition – not more than 3 minutes 55 seconds;
on subtraction – not more than 4 minutes 00 seconds;

on multiplication – not more than 3 minutes 35 seconds;
on division – not more than 2 minutes 50 seconds.

Your skills are satisfactory if there is not more than 1 error and the running time is:

on addition – not more than 4 minutes 50 seconds;
on subtraction – not more than 5 minutes 00 seconds;
on multiplication – not more than 4 minutes 20 seconds;
on division – not more than 3 minutes 35 seconds.
Your skills are unstable (and hardly sufficient to master more complicated computations) if there are not more than 2 errors and the running time is:

on addition – not more than 6 minutes 55 seconds;
on subtraction – not more than 7 minutes 15 seconds;
on multiplication – not more than 5 minutes 55 seconds;
on division – not more than 5 minutes 10 seconds.

Your skills are bad in all other cases - you have made more than 2 errors OR the running time overcomes the values for the unstable skills.

If you show bad results, you have no chances to master more complicated computations. If your results are unstable, you will have considerable difficulties. Maybe you have them already. But do not lose hope. You can easily improve the situation.
Take the tables again (there are 20 versions). Fill in the tables, measure the running time, check the answers. Soon you will feel your skills become better. Do not stop the work at the satisfactory level and even at the good level. You can perform better! The first-rate skills - this is your goal. You can win and get a very useful prize - the possibility to master well more complicated computations.
For children who are 12 years old or younger I'll list the criteria for the first-rate skills only. More detailed figures you will receive with the tables. Of course the first-rate skills exclude mistakes. So you need only the values of running time.
8 years old: addition – 5 minutes; subtraction – 5 minutes 5 seconds; multiplication – 4 minutes 35 seconds; division – 3 minutes 55 seconds.
9 years old: addition – 4 minutes 40 seconds; subtraction – 4 minutes 45 seconds; multiplication – 4 minutes 15 seconds; division – 3 minutes 35 seconds.

10 years old: addition – 3 minutes 40 seconds; subtraction – 3 minutes 45 seconds; multiplication – 3 minutes 15 seconds; division – 2 minutes 35 seconds.
11 years old: addition – 3 minutes 20 seconds; subtraction – 3 minutes 25 seconds; multiplication – 2 minutes 55 seconds; division – 2 minutes 20 seconds.

12 years old: addition – 2 minutes 40 seconds; subtraction – 2 minutes 45 seconds; multiplication – 2 minutes 30 seconds; division – 2 minutes 15 seconds.
As soon as you reach the first-rate level, you will see that the operations with the numbers expressed by several figures, decimal and common fractions etc. are not so difficult and terrible as they seemed before.

How Accessible is Your Technology?

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:28:00 +0000

Many of us depend on the use of computers to do our jobs. We're much more productive than before they were available, don't you think? But imagine you're blind and can't see the screen or have a mobility impairment that precludes your use of a mouse. For many of us the PC, a tool most of us take for granted, is a challenge to use. This article talks about making computers and other technology accessible to people with disabilities.

The 2000 census reported there are over 54 million Americans with disabilities. And according to a study commissioned by Microsoft in 2003, "In the United States, 60% or 101.4 million working-age adults are likely or very likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology due to difficulties and impairments that may impact computer use. In Virginia, for example, that translates to about 2.5 million workers likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology.

We're all familiar with the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act that required our sidewalks and buildings to be accessible to people in wheelchairs and with other disabilities. But in spite of this federal law that states that all technology must be accessible to people with disabilities, very little has been done in that area.
While working on a State of Virginia technology accessibility standard I had the occasion to observe a lady, who was blind, use the computer to access a local university's computer system. She couldn't use the mouse because she couldn't see where to place the cursor on the screen. So she memorized the exact steps and places she had to enter information and even though she used an accessibility tool that read what was on the computer screen and spoke to her, it was extremely difficult for her to do even simple tasks, mainly because the website wasn't designed to be accessible. My heart was touched by that experience and because of that, Virginia now has one of the best technology accessibility standards in the country and maybe the world.

So what is the problem? Why can't people with disabilities use our technology? While Microsoft has done a good job of providing basic tools such as the ability to magnify text on the screen for the sight impaired, the ability to display the keyboard on the screen for use with a mouse or other pointer for those unable to use the keyboard, and provides a reader tool for the completely blind, there are many software programs that our organizations either develop or buy that are not accessible to the disabled. We don't design them like that on purpose, I think we're ignorant of the needs of disabled people and of the laws.
And it's not just computers and their programs.

* People who are deaf cannot understand a speech or other presentation that's presented only aurally;

* people who are color-blind cannot discriminate between color-coded options;

* people with specific physical limitations cannot use a software application that requires use of a mouse; and

* people who use wheelchairs cannot operate a fax machine or copier if the controls are positioned too high or too far for them to reach from a seated position.

So why should we care about providing accessibility to our technology? Besides the moral and legal reasons, there is benefit to all of us for doing so.

* Accessible technologies allow people with sight, mobility, cognitive or hearing impairments to be a productive part of the work force.

* A Department of Defense case study encourages managers to use assistive technology to keep temporarily disabled employees working while they recuperate at home. A typical home installation of a workstation and assistive technology costs about $5,000 versus $28,000 for an average worker's compensation claim.

* Moreover, spending on accessible technology returns value to all who use it. In addition to the direct value to those using the technology, the employers are able to keep great employees, recruit from a larger pool of candidates, and enhance team collaboration and communication among all employees-including those with disabilities.

The next time you use a computer, try closing your eyes while signing on, or try to perform some work without the use of the mouse. And remember the blind lady student who had so much difficulty performing simple tasks using her school's computer. And then, if you get an opportunity to support the funding and implementation of accessible technology in your organization, do so without hesitation.

Biography

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:01:00 +0000

His full name was Hussain ibn Abdullah ibn Hassan ibn Ali ibn Sina. He was born around 980 in Afshana, near Bukhara ,which was his mother's hometown, in Greater Khorasan, to a Persian[35] family. His father, Abdullah, was a respected Ismaili[36][37] scholar from Balkh, an important town of the Persian Empire, in what is today contemporary Afghanistan. Prominent theologian Henry Corbin believed that Ibn Sina himself was a good ismaili himself.[38]. His mother was named Setareh. His father was at the time of his son's birth the governor in one of the Samanid Nuh ibn Mansur's estates. He had his son very carefully educated at Bukhara. Ibn Sina's independent thought was served by an extraordinary intelligence and memory, which allowed him to overtake his teachers at the age of fourteen. As he said in his autobiography, there was nothing that he had not learned when he reached eighteen.

Ibn Sīnā was put under the charge of a tutor, and his precocity soon made him the marvel of his neighbours; he displayed exceptional intellectual behaviour and was a child prodigy who had memorized the Qur'an by the age of 10 (10 or 7? it says 7 in the theology section below) and a great deal of Persian poetry as well.[1] He learned Indian arithmetic from an Indian greengrocer, and he began to learn more from a wandering scholar who gained a livelihood by curing the sick and teaching the young. He also studied Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) under the Hanafi scholar Ismail al-Zahid.[39][40]

As a teenager, he was greatly troubled by the Metaphysics of Aristotle, which he could not understand until he read al-Farabi's commentary on the work.[41] For the next year and a half, he studied philosophy, in which he encountered greater obstacles. In such moments of baffled inquiry, he would leave his books, perform the requisite ablutions (wudu), then go to the mosque, and continue in prayer (salah) till light broke on his difficulties. Deep into the night he would continue his studies, and even in his dreams problems would pursue him and work out their solution. Forty times, it is said, he read through the Metaphysics of Aristotle, till the words were imprinted on his memory; but their meaning was hopelessly obscure, until one day they found illumination, from the little commentary by Farabi, which he bought at a bookstall for the small sum of three dirhams. So great was his joy at the discovery, thus made by help of a work from which he had expected only mystery, that he hastened to return thanks to God, and bestowed alms upon the poor.

He turned to medicine at 16, and not only learned medical theory, but also by gratuitous attendance of the sick had, according to his own account, discovered new methods of treatment. The teenager achieved full status as a qualified physician at age 18,[1] and found that "Medicine is no hard and thorny science, like mathematics and metaphysics, so I soon made great progress; I became an excellent doctor and began to treat patients, using approved remedies." The youthful physician's fame spread quickly, and he treated many patients without asking for payment.

[edit] Adulthood

His first appointment was that of physician to the emir, who owed him his recovery from a dangerous illness (997). Ibn Sina's chief reward for this service was access to the royal library of the Samanids, well-known patrons of scholarship and scholars. When the library was destroyed by fire not long after, the enemies of Ibn Sina accused him of burning it, in order for ever to conceal the sources of his knowledge. Meanwhile, he assisted his father in his financial labours, but still found time to write some of his earliest works.

When Ibn Sina was 22 years old, he lost his father. The Samanid dynasty came to its end in December 1004. Ibn Sina seems to have declined the offers of Mahmud of Ghazni, and proceeded westwards to Urgench in the modern Uzbekistan, where the vizier, regarded as a friend of scholars, gave him a small monthly stipend. The pay was small, however, so Ibn Sina wandered from place to place through the districts of Nishapur and Merv to the borders of Khorasan, seeking an opening for his talents. Qabus, the generous ruler of Dailam and central Persia, himself a poet and a scholar, with whom Ibn Sina had expected to find an asylum, was about that date (1012) starved to death by his troops who had revolted. Ibn Sina himself was at this season stricken down by a severe illness. Finally, at Gorgan, near the Caspian Sea, Ibn Sina met with a friend, who bought a dwelling near his own house in which Ibn Sina lectured on logic and astronomy. Several of Ibn Sina's treatises were written for this patron; and the commencement of his Canon of Medicine also dates from his stay in Hyrcania.

Ibn Sina subsequently settled at Rai, in the vicinity of modern Tehran, (present day capital of Iran), the home town of Rhazes; where Majd Addaula, a son of the last Buwayhid emir, was nominal ruler under the regency of his mother (Seyyedeh Khatun). About thirty of Ibn Sina's shorter works are said to have been composed in Rai. Constant feuds which raged between the regent and her second son, Shams al-Daula, however, compelled the scholar to quit the place. After a brief sojourn at Qazvin he passed southwards to Hamadãn where Shams al-Daula, another Buwayhid emir, had established himself. At first, Ibn Sina entered into the service of a high-born lady; but the emir, hearing of his arrival, called him in as medical attendant, and sent him back with presents to his dwelling. Ibn Sina was even raised to the office of vizier. The emir consented that he should be banished from the country. Ibn Sina, however, remained hidden for forty days in a sheikh Ahmed Fadhel's house, until a fresh attack of illness induced the emir to restore him to his post. Even during this perturbed time, Ibn Sina persevered with his studies and teaching. Every evening, extracts from his great works, the Canon and the Sanatio, were dictated and explained to his pupils. On the death of the emir, Ibn Sina ceased to be vizier and hid himself in the house of an apothecary, where, with intense assiduity, he continued the composition of his works.

Meanwhile, he had written to Abu Ya'far, the prefect of the dynamic city of Isfahan, offering his services. The new emir of Hamadan, hearing of this correspondence and discovering where Ibn Sina was hidden, incarcerated him in a fortress. War meanwhile continued between the rulers of Isfahan and Hamadãn; in 1024 the former captured Hamadan and its towns, expelling the Tajik mercenaries. When the storm had passed, Ibn Sina returned with the emir to Hamadan, and carried on his literary labours. Later, however, accompanied by his brother, a favourite pupil, and two slaves, Ibn Sina escaped out of the city in the dress of a Sufi ascetic. After a perilous journey, they reached Isfahan, receiving an honourable welcome from the prince.

Avicenna

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:59:00 +0000

Abū ‘Alī al-Ḥusayn ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn Sīnā', known as Abū Alī Sīnā[2][3] (Persian: ابوعلی سینا) or Ibn Sīnā[4] (Arabic: ابن سینا‎), and commonly known in English by his Latinized name Avicenna (Greek: Aβιτζιανός, Abitzianos),[5] (c. 980 - 1037) was a Persian[6] polymath and the foremost[7] physician and philosopher of his time. He was also an astronomer, chemist, geologist, logician, paleontologist, mathematician, physicist, poet, psychologist, scientist and teacher. [8]

Ibn Sīnā studied medicine under a physician named Koushyar. He wrote almost 450 treatises on a wide range of subjects, of which around 240 have survived. In particular, 150 of his surviving treatises concentrate on philosophy and 40 of them concentrate on medicine.[9][10] His most famous works are The Book of Healing, a vast philosophical and scientific encyclopaedia, and The Canon of Medicine,[1] which was a standard medical text at many medieval universities.[11] The Canon of Medicine was used as a text-book in the universities of Montpellier and Louvain as late as 1650.[12]

Ibn Sīnā developed a medical system that combined his own personal experience with that of Islamic medicine, the medical system of the Greek physician Galen,[13] Aristotelian metaphysics[14] (Avicenna was one of the main interpreters of Aristotle)[15], and ancient Persian, Mesopotamian and Indian medicine.

He was also the founder of Avicennian logic and the philosophical school of Avicennism, which were influential among both Muslim and Scholastic thinkers.

Ibn Sīnā is regarded as a father of modern medicine,[16][17] and clinical pharmacology[18] particularly for his introduction of systematic experimentation and quantification into the study of physiology,[19] his discovery of the contagious nature of infectious diseases,[20] the introduction of quarantine to limit the spread of contagious diseases, the introduction of experimental medicine, evidence-based medicine, clinical trials,[21] randomized controlled trials,[22][23] efficacy tests,[24][25] clinical pharmacology,[24] neuropsychiatry,[26] risk factor analysis, the idea of the syndrome,[27] and the importance of dietetics and the influence of climate and environment on health.[28]

He is also considered the father of the fundamental concept of momentum in physics,[29] and regarded as a pioneer of aromatherapy for his invention of steam distillation and extraction of essential oils.[30]

He also developed the concept of uniformitarianism and law of superposition in geology,[31] for which he is considered to be the 'father of geology'.[32]

George Sarton, an author of the history of science, wrote in the Introduction to the History of Science:

One of the most famous exponents of Muslim universalism and an eminent figure in Islamic learning was Ibn Sina, known in the West as Avicenna (981-1037). For a thousand years he has retained his original renown as one of the greatest thinkers and medical scholars in history. His most important medical works are the Qanun (Canon) and a treatise on Cardiac drugs. The 'Qanun fi-l-Tibb' is an immense encyclopedia of medicine. It contains some of the most illuminating thoughts pertaining to distinction of mediastinitis from pleurisy; contagious nature of phthisis; distribution of diseases by water and soil; careful description of skin troubles; of sexual diseases and perversions; of nervous ailments.

Email Finder Services - The Best Way to Find Out See Who Owns That Email Or Bust a No Good Cheater

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:25:00 +0000

Up until now, trying to find out who possesses a particular email address seemed impossible. Things are so much simpler now, with all the advancement we have had in the last few of years. You can now do for yourself what you previously had to hire a private investigator to do. You have to be careful, however, since with the excessiveness of websites that exist out there, many of them will not give you the results that you are looking for. Unfortunately, some reverse email look ups services just want you as traffic to their sites. The information given to you will not be current or be altogether wrong.

A typical scheme they use to get you attention is to promise you results for free. Please do all you can to not get mired in anything like this, because you will end up with things you do not want. Fortunately, email directories can help you find the answers to your queries about the owner of an email address. Compared to hiring a private investigator, the little amount you pay is nothing.

The foremost thing you need to do, is hunt for a directory that has a good reputation, and great feedback from others that have used the service. You will get the results you want, soon after you put in the email address you would like to know about. While doing a reverse email look up, you should anticipate finding the home address, full name, residential members, additional email addresses and more. When you're determining information on the owner of a specific email, these facts can help you immensely. Use a reverse email lookup service and find out what you want to know about that email address.

A Vision of Effective Islamic Education

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:05:00 +0000

Introduction

Islamic society is founded on the principles of belief and righteous conduct. This connection between values and practice lies at the very heart of the Islamic way of life. To be a Muslim requires that one’s faith be reflected in one’s practice and daily moral conduct with other people. We have the beautiful teachings of the Holy Qur’an and Prophetic Sunnah, and we have many mosques, Islamic schools and organizations. Yet many Muslims today do not live in accord with the principles and values of their faith. What is amiss?

Islamic religious instruction, in the recent centuries, has been taught primarily as a body of information, rather than as a body of experiences. For many Muslim children today, Islam does not inspire, and seems meaningless and irrelevant to their personal lives and experiences. Other religious communities face these problems, as well.

The Islamic values education curriculum called for here focuses on personality and character development of children, close attention to the real needs and concerns of students, and preparation of students with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed to function successfully as Muslims in society.

If we hope to succeed in our goal to raise our children Islamically, Muslim educators and parents must develop a better understanding of how children grow and learn; we must understand the processes of moral development and the methods of effective teaching and learning. Our children will not become moral individuals simply because we want or tell them to do so. They will become moral individuals by cultivating their minds and hearts, and by having opportunities to actually see and apply Islamic values in practice.

The Challenge

The pervasive influence of secular materialism and its value system seriously challenges religious-minded individuals and communities. To a large extent, the future will depend on how well we educate our children today and to what extent we are successful in transferring to them the sacred vision of life we have as Muslims. What is at stake is nothing less than the moral and spiritual survival of our children and our communities as Muslims.

Without a proper understanding of the Islamic value system, there is little hope that the true goals, or maqasid, of Islamic education can be achieved. Islamic schools have a crucial role to play in providing concrete solutions and programs that will foster this understanding among students and in promoting the role and responsibility of the family in the process of Islamic tarbiyah.

Fortunately, a sense of renewal is in the air today and enlightened Muslims are eager to find real solutions to the problems and challenges facing the Muslim, including re-examination of both how and what we teach our children about Islam. The basic premise of this document is that Muslim educators must restructure the Islamic Studies curriculum—both what is taught and how it is taught—if our children are to develop the spiritual survival skills needed to survive as Muslims in the twenty-first century. This essay outlines a new vision of Islamic education which is capable of producing Muslim youth with a level of understanding, commitment and social responsibility that will both motivate and enable them to serve Islam and humanity effectively, insha’Llah. Islamic education must be able to produce Muslim youth that are able to identify, understand and then work cooperatively to solve the problems that face their community and the world in which they live and for which they are responsible. This, I believe, is the most effective form of Islamic da’wah.

This vision, in fact, is not really a "new vision," but rather a "renewed vision" of Islamic education. It is a call for the return to the classical—though not traditional or conventional—vision of Islamic education. In the lifetime of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace, Islamic education was both practical and relevant. The Prophetic model of Islamic education drew its substance from the everyday experiences and day-to-day problems of the early Muslim community. Although Islamic education will undoubtedly draw much of its content from the foundational disciplines of Islamic Studies (such as Aqidah, Tafseer, Fiqh, etc.), it must be done in a way that links this content to the natural concerns of students as well as the larger issues facing the world in which they live. This is the challenge of modern-day Islamic education.

The Vision

The vision of Islamic education presented here makes a fundamental distinction between teaching about "Islam" and teaching about "being Muslim." As mentioned earlier, Muslim educators, for the most part, have been content to teach "facts about Islam," since this is an easier and less demanding approach. We have not met the challenge of developing a systematic program to teach our children about "being Muslim"—which requires a more subtle and profound understanding of both the nature of children and Islam itself. The goal of Islamic education is not to fill our children’s minds with information about Islam, but rather to teach them about being Muslim.

Several assumptions about the nature and scope of Islamic education under-gird the vision of Islamic education presented here. Islamic education, first and foremost, must focus on teaching values and emphasize issues of identity and self-esteem; furthermore, it must address the real concerns of students, and it must emphasize and provide for training in leadership. Finally, in order to achieve the goals of Islamic education it is essential to gain the active involvement of parents.

In developing our approach, we should not hesitate to benefit from recent educational research. This research suggests that several factors are essential for effective teaching and learning to occur. These factors are summarized in the statement that teaching and learning are effective when they are meaningful, integrative, value-based, challenging and active. These factors are discussed in detail in Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Washington, DC. National Council for the Social Studies, 1996. We believe that these factors apply to Islamic education as well and Muslim educators must become better aware of the important role these factors play in effective learning. We suggest that future programs in Islamic education must be evaluated in light of these basic factors and assumptions. These factors are briefly discussed below.

Effective Islamic teaching and learning must be meaningful. Students should feel that the content of their curriculum is worth learning, because it is meaningful and relevant to their lives. When learning is meaningful and relevant, students are intrinsically motivated to learn. Furthermore, students must be led to discover the larger connections between the knowledge and skills they are learning—rather than memorizing isolated bits of information. Especially as Muslims, our children must be trained always to keep their eye on the whole picture, or macro-view, whenever studying. This, in part, is the meaning of tauhid. Islamic teaching and learning must therefore focus on examining major themes and important topics, rather than superficial coverage of many different topics. This approach advocates that the Islamic Studies curriculum be structured coherently around the concept of powerful ideas.

Effective Islamic teaching and learning must also be integrated. It must encompass and engage the whole child, spiritually, emotionally, socially, intellectually and physically. In addition, Islamic teaching and learning should be integrative across a broad range of topics and in its treatment of these topics. It should be integrative across time and place as well as integrative across the curriculum. It must integrate knowledge, beliefs, and values with action and application. These integrative aspects have the far-reaching potential of enhancing the power of Islamic studies teaching and learning.

Most important of all, effective Islamic teaching and learning must be value-based. By focusing on values and by considering the ethical dimensions of topics, Islamic education becomes a powerful vehicle for character and moral development, thus achieving its real purpose. Educators must realize that every aspect of the teaching-learning experience conveys values to students and provides opportunities for them to learn about values. From the selection of content, materials and activities, to the arrangement of the classroom, to class rules and management style, students are exposed to and learn values. Teachers must therefore develop a better awareness of their own values and how those values influence their behavior as role-models and what students ultimately learn from these experiences about themselves, about others and about Islam.

Effective Islamic teaching and learning must also be challenging. Students must be challenged to thoughtfully examine the topics they are studying, to participate assertively in group discussions, to work productively in cooperative learning activities, and to come to grips with controversial issues. Such activities and experiences will help foster the skills needed to produce competent Muslims who are capable of presenting and defending their beliefs and principles effectively.

Finally, effective Islamic teaching and learning must be active. Islamic studies should demand a great deal from both the teacher and students. The teacher must be actively and genuinely engaged in the teaching process—making plans, choices and curriculum adjustments as needed. The effective teacher of Islamic education must be prepared to continuously update his or her knowledge base, adjust goals and content to students’ needs, take advantage of unfolding events and teachable moments, and to develop examples that relate directly to students. Moreover, learning must be active by emphasizing hands-on and minds-on activities that call for students to react to what they are learning and to use it in their lives in some meaningful way.

These are the key factors for effective Islamic teaching and learning. The vision of effective Islamic teaching and learning set forth here is based on a dynamic, rather than static, view of Islam and Islamic education. This view is rooted in the belief that the mission of Islam is to positively affect and transform the world, and that the purpose of Islamic education is to prepare young men and women who are capable of carrying out this mission—emotionally, morally, and intellectually.

Triple gold for Bolt

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 22:55:00 +0000

USAIN Bolt bagged his third gold medal of the World Athletics Championships here on Saturday when Jamaica stormed to the men's 4x100m relay title.

"Winning three gold medals in Berlin is wonderful. I'm proud of myself," said Bolt, who has this week also shattered his own world records in winning the 100m (9.58sec) and 200m (19.19sec) to replicate his Beijing Olympics medal haul.

The Jamaican, who turned 23 on Friday, played down any suggestion that he was the "saviour" of athletics.

"I don't know. For me it's not hard to do what I did because I am just trying to be myself," he said.

"And it's fun. But I don't think I'm a legend yet by any stretch of the imagination. Year after year, I have to become champion and champion again."

Bolt ran the third leg of the Jamaican relay effort.

Steve Mullings, a 200m specialist, was the anchor man, handing on to Michael Frater, with former world record holder and current 100m bronze medallist Asafa Powell the sprinter entrusted with the final leg.

Bolt, however, failed to completely demonstrate his explosive power around the bend despite the roars of a packed Olympic Stadium, and his handover to Powell almost went awry when he just avoided running into his teammate.

"With regards to not getting the world record, that is down to me as I am tired. I was in better shape in Beijing as I am dying now," acknowledged Bolt.

The Jamaican foursome nevertheless set a championship record time of 37.31sec ahead of Trinidad and Tobago (37.62) with Britain claiming bronze (38.02).

In more glory for the Caribbean sprinters, Jamaica also won the women's 4x100m relay title after the US team had crashed out in their heat. The result meant that the only sprint title the US have won here is the women's 200m by Allyson Felix.

The Jamaican quartet, including individual 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser, timed 42.06 seconds to take gold ahead of Bahamas (42.29sec) while Germany took bronze (42.87sec).

Away from the world of sprinting, Kenya enjoyed an excellent day's work with long distance arch-rivals Ethiopia emerging as the main losers.

Kenyan Abel Kirui won the men's marathon with compatriot Emmanuel Mutai claiming silver ahead of Ethiopia's Olympic bronze medallist Tsegay Kebede.

And in the absence of injured Ethiopian distance-running starlet Tirunesh Dibaba, Kenya's Vivian Cheruiyot trumped defending champion Meseret Defar, also of Ethiopia, in a sprint to the line in the women's 5000m.

As Defar eased off in the knowledge that she had been defeated, Cheruiyot's compatriot Sylvia Kibet stole in for silver.

"With our team we decided to go at a fast pace, to push," said Cheruiyot.

"We didn't know how the others could do in their final lap."

Mbulaeni Mulaudzi of South Africa won the men's 800 meters, holding off defending champion Alfred Yego of Kenya.

Yusuf Saad Kamel of Bahrain, the 1,500 champion, failed to get a middle-distance double, but earned bronze.

Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele won the men's 5,000 metres world title to add to the 10,000m he won earlier in the championships.

After a thrilling finish the 27-year-old Bekele took the gold in a time of 13:17.09sec to beat defending champion Bernard Lagat of the United States (13:17.33). Qatar's James C'Kurui took the bronze in 13:17.88.

Xue Bai won the women's marathon to give China their first gold medal.

The Chinese runner broke away from Yoshimi Ozaki of Japan in the last 1.2 km to cross the line at the Brandenburg Gate in 2: 25.15sec.

Yoshimi took silver in 2:25.25, and Aselefech Mergia of Ethiopia picked up the bronze in 2:25.32.

American Dwight Phillips, who was the 2004 Olympic champion and world champion in 2003 and 2005, regained his long jump title with a best of 8.54m after seeing defending champion and Olympic titleholder Irving Saladino fail to make it through to the final three jumps.

South African Godfrey Mokoena (8.47m) replicated his Beijing Games form with a silver and Australia's Mitchell Watt took bronze (8.37m).

Australian Steve Hooker, the Olympic champion, overcame a groin injury to win the men's pole vault, making just one clearance at 5.90m for victory over French duo Romain Mesnil (5.85m) and Renaud Lavillenie (5.80m).

Poland's Anita Wlodarczyk set a new world record of 77.96m in winning the women's hammer throw, Germany's Betty Heidler claiming silver with a national record of 77.12m and Czech thrower Martina Hrasnova taking bronze with 74.79m.

7 Habits of Highly Successful Teens

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:48:00 +0000

For teens, life is not a playground, it's a jungle. And, being the parent of a teenager isn't any walk in the park, either. In his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, author Sean Covey attempts to provide "a compass to help teens and their parents navigate the problems they encounter daily."
How will they deal with peer pressure? Motivation? Success or lack thereof? The life of a teenager is full of tough issues and life-changing decisions. As a parent, you are responsible to help them learn the principles and ethics that will help them to reach their goals and live a successful life.
While it's all well and good to tell kids how to live their lives, "teens watch what you do more than they listen to what you say," Covey says. So practice what you preach. Your example can be very influential.
Covey himself has done well by following a parent's example. His dad, Stephen Covey, wrote the book The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, which sold over 15 million copies. Sean's a chip off the old block, and no slacker. His own book has rung in a more than respectable 2 million copies sold. Here are his seven habits, and some ideas for helping your teen understand and apply them:
Be Proactive
Being proactive is the key to unlocking the other habits. Help your teen take control and responsibility for her life. Proactive people understand that they are responsible for their own happiness or unhappiness. They don't blame others for their own actions or feelings.
Begin With the End in Mind
If teens aren't clear about where they want to end up in life, about their values, goals, and what they stand for, they will wander, waste time, and be tossed to and fro by the opinions of others. Help your teen create a personal mission statement which will act as a road map and direct and guide his decision-making process.
Put First Things First
This habit helps teens prioritize and manage their time so that they focus on and complete the most important things in their lives. Putting first things first also means learning to overcome fears and being strong during difficult times. It's living life according to what matters most.
Think Win-Win
Teens can learn to foster the belief that it is possible to create an atmosphere of win-win in every relationship. This habit encourages the idea that in any given discussion or situation both parties can arrive at a mutually beneficial solution. Your teen will learn to celebrate the accomplishments of others instead of being threatened by them.
Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
Because most people don't listen very well, one of the great frustrations in life is that many don't feel understood. This habit will ensure your teen learns the most important communication skill there is: active listening.
Synergize
Synergy is achieved when two or more people work together to create something better than either could alone. Through this habit, teens learn it doesn't have to be "your way" or "my way" but rather a better way, a higher way. Synergy allows teens to value differences and better appreciate others.
Sharpen the Saw
Teens should never get too busy living to take time to renew themselves. When a teen "sharpens the saw" she is keeping her personal self sharp so that she can better deal with life. It means regularly renewing and strengthening the four key dimensions of life – body, brain, heart, and soul.

The End in Mind

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 23:30:00 +0000

Question: The common cry of students is that they don't want to study; however, they know it has to be done. What can you do to get motivated in these situations?

Answer: Most successful students don't enjoy studying. They enjoy the fruits of that studying.

It's the same with exercising or cleaning the house. A friend of mine endured months of grueling runs while training for a road race. She didn't like the pain, but she liked finishing the race.This is a major theme in motivation. Yes, a natural drive bubbles up when you do what you love. But that's not always possible. Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do.

In those cases, you have to focus on what it's going to give you.Why study? Why do well on tests? What will you get out of it?Answers to questions like these are your motives. And while you might not think the rewards of studying stretch farther than a good grade, think again.See the big picture. A good grade can earn you a degree. A degree can earn you a career. A career can earn you a living and a lifestyle and a means to offer the world your unique contribution.A better grade here or there can lead to a different life.Focus on these rewards, on the long-term benefits of doing well in school, and the motivation to keep at it will be yours.

Sports science

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:14:00 +0000

Sport Science is a discipline that studies the application of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of improving sporting performance. Human movement is a related scientific discipline that studies human movement in all contexts including that of sport.
The study of sports science traditionally incorporates areas of physiology, psychology, motor control and biomechanics but also includes other topics such as nutrition and diet, sports technology, anthropometry kinanthropometry and performance analysis.
Sports scientists and performance consultants are growing in demand and employment numbers, with the ever-increasing focus within the sporting world on achieving the best results possible. Through the study of science and sport, researchers have developed a greater understanding on how the human body reacts to exercise, training, different environments and many other stimuli.

Love and Forgiveness

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:22:00 +0000

How can these two words, love and forgiveness change your whole perspective on life? First, you must put your trust in something bigger than yourself. You may call it God, Spirit, Budda, whatever your faith is, trust that it has a bigger plan (could it be a lesson in forgiveness?) than your everyday troubles. What is the most important lesson you can learn while here on earth? Love and Forgiveness. But how do you get to the Love part if you have hatred in your heart? Forgive. It sounds so simple and yet it can be the most difficult thing that you can do in this lifetime.You were wronged or someone betrayed you, how can you let that go? Forgive. Forgive and it will set your heart free. Here are some steps that can get you there. Feel your anger, feel your sadness, feel whatever it is you need to get all those emotions out, write it down and then throw it away. Give yourself a certain timeframe in which you will no longer continue to go on with those emotions. Now comes the hard part, trying to convince yourself that the other person deserves to be forgiven. Every time this hurt comes into your heart, say to yourself "I forgive "name" for what they have done". Every time you start to go over the scenario, and start to get angry or sad, instead replace it with "I forgive "name" for what they have done". You might not believe what you are saying at first. But sending that message out into the universe will eventually help break the chain of black energy that links you together with an invisible line of hate.Hopefully it will hit you one day. You can let it go, the hate, the anger, the betrayal, how you were wronged and in a peaceful loving moment truly feel that forgiveness. The best possible way to break the chain of hate that connects you by an invisible link, is to stand and face this person and truly believing and feeling in your heart what you are about to say to them. "No matter what you have done to me, I forgive you" It is truly disarming, and can break that link that binds you. That's it! It may be a long and hard task to get to that one simple line.What does it feel like? Once you have set each other free, your heart feels lighter, you have an overwhelming feeling of peace. You suddenly understand it all, the reason you are here, the lessons that you need to learn while on this earth plane. You will never be the same, because in every situation you can begin to feel compassion, humility and gratitude toward your fellow travelers here on earth. You can LOVE again. You are a radiant being moving forward in life.

The Benefits of Diversity in Education for Democratic Citizenship

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:20:00 +0000

The controversies that have surrounded the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (Zirkel & Cantor, this issue) apply as well to current debates about the educational value of racial and ethnic diversity, and the importance of diversity in defending affirmative action in higher education. One of the controversies concerns the difference between racial desegregation and racial integration, or the difference between mere contact and actual interaction between students of different racial backgrounds (Pettigrew, 1998). In current debates about the educational role of diversity, some argue that the mere presence on campus of students from varied racial backgrounds must be shown to directly foster educational benefits (Wood & Sherman, 2001). This argument mirrors the early assertion that mere contact of racially diverse students through school desegregation would be beneficial to all students. Eventually it became clear, however, that mere contact through desegregation was not sufficient to produce educational benefits (Zirkel & Cantor, this issue). Just as Allport (1954) had theorized, contact needed to occur under certain conditions — where there was equality in status, existence of common goals, and intimacy of interaction if it was to have positive effects. Educators needed to create a racially integrated learning environment that went far beyond simply putting diverse students together in the same classroom.
These conditions that make intergroup contact positive also help determine now when racial and ethnic diversity has educational benefits. As Orfield (2001) recently summarized in regard to K-12 public education, there is strong evidence of “instructional techniques that increase both the academic and human relations benefits of interracial schooling” (p. 9). Higher education institutions as well need to create curricular and co-curricular opportunities for students to experience genuine racial integration — to interact in meaningful ways and to learn from each other — if diversity is to have a positive educational impact. The presence of diverse students on a campus is a necessary but certainly not sufficient condition for diversity to work in a positive manner. In this article we stress the importance of actual experiences with diversity through cross-racial interaction in classrooms, intergroup dialogues that bring students from diverse backgrounds together to discuss racial issues, and participation in multicultural campus events.
A second controversy that arose from Brown v. Board of Education concerns what kind of benefits may stem from racial integration in education. Many different outcomes have been studied in the fifty years since the Brown decision; many are analyzed in this volume. We focus on preparation for citizenship, which we argue is an important outcome of experience with racial and ethnic diversity just as it was seen as an important aspect of personal development at the time of Brown v. Board of Education (Clark & Clark, 1947; Deutscher & Chein, 1948). We argue that experiences with diversity educate and prepare citizens for a multicultural democracy.
We analyze the impact of curricular and co-curricular experience with racial and ethnic diversity on democratic sentiments and citizenship activities in two field studies: a quasi-experimental study comparing undergraduate participants in a curricular diversity program with a matched control group (n=87 in each group), and a longitudinal survey of University of Michigan students (n=1670).

Children Reading - Make Them Love It

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:16:00 +0000

What does it mean to read and be a reader? There are so many variables that go into children reading. Do we want them to have strong fluency skills, with excellent word attack strategies? Yes. When we see our children reading, should they be comprehending at a deep and meaningful level? Yes.
But do your children or students really spend enough time actually reading? It they don't, why do you think that is? For whatever reason there may be, I propose that if they are not reading a lot, they probably do not love it yet.
Think about this using an analogy. How did you learn to ride a bicycle? Did your parents spend hours talking to you about it, drawing diagrams, making you practice with a bicycle on a piece of paper? Of course not.
If your parents were like mine, they put you on it, put one hand on the handlebar, and off we went. I had support, but also I was riding a real bike. They also bandaged my knees when I fell and showed me what to do better the next time.
When I got older, I didn't stay on my little bike. I was ready for a bigger one, with more gears and gizmos.
I had never been on a bigger bike before, and I was shaky on it. I fell a few times in the beginning, but I got back on. After some practice with my bike, I no longer needed any help and was not worried about getting on it every day. In fact, the more I was on it, the more I loved it.
Do you get the analogy? That is how you need to teach the love of reading.
If you are a teacher, stop doing all of the worksheets you think you need for a grade. Let go of long lessons on hunks and chunks (do them, but ten minutes should be all you need).
Real books, real practice, you provide support, intervene when necessary, and be sure to have "bigger" books ready for them once they feel confident and ready to move on: these are the essentials to get children reading.
They won't become better readers if all you do is talk about reading, practice skills on paper and devote very little time to the actual art of reading.
Parents and teachers must understand that the volume of reading a child does directly impacts his or her achievement levels.
If a fifth grade student reads an average of 40 minutes per day, that is over 2,350,000 words per year they are being exposed to and that means that student will generally rank in the 90th percentile for achievement. On the other hand, a student who reads less than 5 minutes per day is only exposed to around 51,000 words per year and will likely rank in the 10th percentile.
Isn't that shocking data on children reading?
Your instruction may be excellent, but if your students are not reading - a lot - your excellent teaching will not show many gains in their achievement levels. As well, without reading real books, comics, magazines - whatever "floats their boat" - you are not helping them learn to love reading.
You need to provide a lot of time for them to simply read (or you need to be reading to them!).
Practicing reading skills is the number one way to build fluency. 90 minutes per school day is Richard L. Allington's recommendation in his book "What Really Matters for Struggling Readers." I think that is spot on.
Yes, I know it is hard to find that time during the day. I don't always achieve it in my own classroom, I must admit. However, I do get it in most of the time. How?
*My students read as soon as they come in the door (10 minutes) *They read to self for at least 30 minutes per day *They read with a buddy for at least 20 minutes per day *They read at the listening center for 15 minutes per day *We read poetry together for 15 minutes every day *We do an interactive read aloud together every day (15-20 minutes)
I do work on specific reading skills as well, intervene with those students who have not reached fluency benchmarks, and enrich students who are ready for the "big" bikes. But that is simply not the foundation of my reading program.
Getting children reading and making children love reading are a bit different though. You, as the teacher or parent, are responsible for helping your children be passionate readers. How can you do that?
Make the process of reading a pleasurable one
We all repeat activities that bring us pleasure. When we enjoy something, we are bound to try harder, do it more often and keep coming back to it even if we mess up a bit. That is basic human nature. Therefore, teachers need to make reading a pleasurable activity. Yes, you do. If you want your children reading and growing, then make it an enjoyable experience.
*Read aloud every day, and put your heart and soul into it (this is essential) *Provide them with opportunities to share what they are reading (have your students do a weekly Book Talk) *Let them read with each other, and let them choose who to read with *Keep your classroom library fresh and well-stocked with most books facing out so kids can see the covers *Ask them about their books - they want to share with you *For goodness sake, do not make them answer questions or write a report for everything they read! *Provide special books to check out and take home for parents to read to their children *Let them earn a Read-In (an entire afternoon of reading, with crisps, soda, and pillows) *Encourage them to get involved in a series, like Geronimo Stilton *Let them read what they like as often as you can: comic books, magazines, animal books, picture books, anything!) *Present a Book Blessing every other week *Invite parents in to talk about their favorite books and read to the class
And if you are really desperate to do anything to improve your students or child's reading skills...
Turn on the closed captioning on the "education shows" we all like so much on a Friday afternoon. That way they end up reading the words on the television as they are watching the show. Sneaky, but effective (credit to Jim Trelease in "The Read-Aloud Handbook"). I do it to my own kids at home. I don't know if they necessarily love reading because of it, but their fluency and vocabulary has sure improved!

New Teacher, Lots of Energy, No Jobs?

noreply@blogger.com (Putra) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 19:13:00 +0000

As a new teacher, we come out of teacher's college rearing to get out there, applying all the skills we learned in teachers college, and have an impact on the lives of students that we mentor and teach on a daily basis. So, we spruce up our resume, cross our fingers, and hope for some interviews, or even one. When we don't get the call, it's easy for a new teacher to get discouraged. We ask ourselves, shouldn't there be teachers retiring? What will it take for teaching jobs for a new teacher to open up?
Surely many new teachers want to get a job close to home, or we pick out a great city that we want to live in, and apply there; but the problem is that many new teachers still aren't landing these positions. It is even really hard to get on a supply list, never mind a long term occasional position.
One thing a new teacher must realize is that there is both a shortage and a surplus for teachers. How is this possible? At the moment, it is incredibly difficult to get a teaching position in an elementary school. Most positions are filled internally (within the school board). What this means is that sometimes new teachers or teachers with less seniority are considered 'surplus' and if possible are re-placed within the school board. Other times positions are only offered to a new teacher who has done several contracts with the board. Job postings only get offered to 'the rest of us' once all other options have been explored; thus, it will be really difficult for a new teacher to stumble on a full-time contract.
After applying to so many schools, with limited options, it is easy for a new teacher to get discouraged sow try to get on the supply list, and soon find out that if we do somehow make it on that list, most of the calls go to retired teachers, and ones who know people at the schools already.
It isn't all doom and gloom for a new teacher though, you just have to be open to your options, and look outside the box. Here are some things that you can do while you're you're waiting for a teaching job:
1) Get additional qualifications. Some of the common subjects might be full; but there are shortages of teachers in subjects like French, Math, and Special Education etc.
2) Apply to schools in more rural areas. Once you get in the door and get some experience under your belt, you'll have a much more attractive resume for future employers.
3) Apply to teach overseas, there are so many opportunities to see the world and get teaching experience at the same time, take advantage of it.
4) Use your teaching skills to make money in other ways. With the accessibility of the Internet, and our skills as teachers, communicators and mentors, there is absolutely no reason why we need to teach in a conventional classroom.
If you're open to learning new skills, and applying the ones you already have, and can be open to new ideas, you will find work. Do not forget to click on the link in the resource box below, where I offer a report to teachers that outlines my experiences and the 7 fatal mistakes you can make as a new teacher.