I made this widget at MyFlashFetish.com.

Monday, March 14, 2011

TeaCHiNG SPeaKiNG


Strengthen your English grammar: The first step towards mastering English is to learn English grammar and strengthen your fundamentals in the language. Let’s take a simple test and first look at the phrase “english speaking classes mumbai”. Do you think this is good English - or the “spoken english classes in mumbai” would be better? If you are not sure, it’s time to revisit grammar (The right answer, by the way, is “spoken english class in mumbai”). You may not spend years in learning English grammar - the key is to study the most important and frequently used or applicable sections of grammar. Focus on basics such as correct usage of verbs, adverbs, adjectives, nouns, tense formation and active and passive voice. That will put you off on a great start in learning the English language. Remember: most of the people with perfect English never memorize grammar – English grammar rules are complicated and have many exceptions. The best way to learn English grammar is by hearing and reading as much natural English as you can.

Use every opportunity to speak in English: Why not use every single day as an opportunity to practice. Do you have fear of making mistakes and sounding embarrassed? The same fear could stop you forever! Take your chances everyday – start from home, with friends and then finally with peers at the college.

Constantly build your vocabulary in English: Whenever you read an English newspaper, newsletter, article or magazine, ensure that you mark out the words that you do not follow. Start this practice with newspapers where the level of English is moderate and thus easy to grasp. One of the best periodicals for this is the reader’s digest which carries 15-20 new words to add to your vocabulary. Vocabulary directly impacts your Spoken English skills and is must towards learning English language.

Simple, Crisp English is the Best English, Worldwide: As you go ahead with mastering spoken english, avoid complex sentences which may confuse you, your listeners and make things even more difficult. And probably embarrassing! Stick to the basic rules of English grammar and use proper sentences and word forms. This is the best way to speak flawless English. Once you are comfortable with your basics and practiced English speaking, move to the complex sentences. Also, first work towards improving your English speaking capabilities and then move to other areas.

Let's watch a comedy scene about speaking English...

Thursday, March 10, 2011

TeaCHiNG LiSTeNiNG


Everyone knows that there are four skills in learning a language, namely listening, speaking, reading and writing. Listening is an essential part of interaction, and it is not the same from hearing. Naturally, children start listening to their parents as they are babies. They are often greeted, spoken to and well-liked without at all response predictable. Though no one knows if the baby understands the oral expressions, the process continues.

In learning English, listening can help develop speaking considerably. Although it is the essential of all skills, it is neither the easiest nor the most meaningless. Being a fine and enduring listener helps you not just solve many problems at work or home, but as well to distinguish the humankind through the eyes of others, in this manner opening your understanding and enhancing your ability for compassion.

We need to hear various types of English repeatedly and continuously if we famine to communicate correctly, meaningfully and spontaneously. When listening, we are reviewing a lot of English practice such as vocabulary, grammatical structures, intonation, accent and our own explanation. We can become skilled at extra terminology and expressions by hearing them regularly. We can experience English language radio programmes almost anywhere in the world. They are mostly pulled out on FM bands and aired particularly in support of foreigners. Listening can be an excellent "hobby" while we do other things such as cooking, ironing, exercising, relaxing and the like. In other terms, we have no wasted time at all.

Make certain you have the appropriate software to take advantage of what is free on the internet. You can download players and discover links to online radio stations at real.Com, windowsmedia.com and winamp.com. Today, you can even access them by internet. You'll attain some effective links in support of listening to the radio by internet, counting "News in Easy English", here. Films in English are a tremendous language resource. Using a DVD player is a notable way to help you enhance your English. It is superlative if you have some understanding of English. Make sure the DVD has the film or programme in English with your native language, both as the verbal word (dubbed) and with sub-titles.

I suggest to learning English in creative fun ways as follows:

Watch the DVD all the way through in English only (no sub-titles).
Watch it again (scene by scene) in English with your language as sub-titles. Repeat scenes as needed.
Watch it again in (scene by scene) in English with English sub-titles. Repeat scenes as required.
Watch it again in your language all the way through with English sub-titles. If you aren't sick to death of it yet watch it again in English all the way through with no sub-titles.
As you watch the film scene by scene do a annotation the key new-found vocabulary, especially new phrases.

While you are listening to someone's conversation, do not interrupt with what you feel or think as regards the subject being discussed. Wait for a different person to ask your view prior to interrupting the flow of dialogue. Abstain from giving blunt advice. It is imperative not to disapprove of while listening, and in no way attack another person for his or her feelings.

Sometimes we might not hear and understand each expressions, it is acceptable to recap some of the things said by the speaker with the intent to clarify so as to we understood the message conveyed accurately. Capture the contents by listening accurately leads to speaking skill which is quite applicable to every day conversation.

Remember that when your counterpart feels so as to he or she has been listened to, he or she is much more likely to pay attention to your ideas. On the reverse, if no one endlessly listened to each other, afterward they would fall victim to bad listening, and would not have a opportunity to fully express them. Your desire to express is supposed to start with listening well to others. If you attain yourself formulating a response prior to the other person has finished speaking, you are not listening. Listening is too a significant way to train our attention.

Let see what the experts' opinion about this...

Monday, March 7, 2011

TeaCHiNG ReaDiNG

 


Teaching reading is a challenging career. For educators from elementary all the way through the high school level, there are always difficult situations to face for those that are teaching reading. Reading is different from many other subject areas because it is not quite as intuitive. Unlike math, where a child can see that one apple plus one apple makes two apples, learning to read requires more effort initially. Teaching strategies for reading must be methodical and orderly. This is why great reading teachers are so important.

For those teaching reading - any kind of reading class: elementary through high school - it is important to have a solid foundation for teaching reading strategies. One resource that can help with this effort is a Teaching Reading Strategies class. This kind of class should cover various different strategies to understand how to approach fiction and non-fiction, narratives, and international texts. Another area to cover when teaching strategies for reading might be to emphasize strategies students can employ before they begin reading a piece, as well as during and after. Learning before, during, and after strategies can help with content retention and help students become more efficient readers. When a student knows how to get the most out of a piece of literature, he or she will likely enjoy reading more and maybe be encouraged to read outside the classroom as well.

Another method that might be covered while learning teaching strategies for reading is reciprocal teaching. Reciprocal teaching is essentially a dialogue between the students and the teacher. The role of teacher alternates between the students and the teacher as they each pose questions to summarize, clarify, and make predictions about the text. This kind of exercise is a great way to deep-dive into a piece of literature while keeping class interactive. Reflective strategies may also be covered in a teaching reading strategies course. These strategies fall upon the teacher - he or she must analyze his or her efforts for teaching reading. Recognizing which teaching models are working and which are not is key to benefitting the students.

In addition to teaching reading, reading teachers must also help their students develop effective writing strategies to analyze the texts they have read. Writing is often neglected in reading classes; both teachers and students may push this priority to the side in favor of focusing on reading only. However, it is critical to understand the importance of effective writing so that students can eloquently state what they have read about. In order to fully appreciate good writing, students must also learn to write well.

Lastly, a comprehensive teaching reading strategies class should examine some of the current research with respect to teaching reading so that teachers can learn the most effective strategies when it comes to teaching reading. There are many different approaches to teaching reading, and it is helpful to explore them all when trying to develop your own curriculum. A class for teaching reading strategies will cover ways to integrate these strategies into your lesson plans and give good skills for application in the classroom.

Below are the tips on making reading interesting...

Thursday, March 3, 2011

TeaCHiNG WRiTiNG


Writing is something that every one of us indulges in to some degree during our lives. We write at school and at college, at home and at work, and while we may not be putting pen to paper writing on a computer is still writing. 

Teaching writing takes patience and common sense, yet you do not have to be a classics master to teach people the basics of writing. Most of what is to be taught combines common sense with getting the best out of an individual technique and, as such, follows a pattern.

If you are intending to teach creative writing then the important factor to remember is that everyone is different; what one person writes will bear no relation to what another produces, and that is why writing – creatively and originally – is such an important aspect of our lives.

If we all wrote in the same way, with the same style, nothing would progress; we would be stuck in a rut and all reading the very same thing. This is why the major aspect of teaching creative writing is in helping the writers to engage with and develop their own style.

Everyone has a style, a preference in the way they use words, and reading a selection of contemporary short stories is a good indication of this. It is nurturing this style that is part and parcel of the teaching process.

Of course, there needs to be great attention to grammar and spelling; while computer spell checkers can be used to some extent in the respect they should not be relied upon as they cannot be completely accurate.

Grammar is one of the English languages most difficult aspects, for it is a language with many strange nuances; teach your pupils the correct use of the apostrophe, comma’s, the capital letter and the full stop and you will be half way to getting them on the right track. In particular, apostrophes can be very troublesome indeed.

Once they have the basics of grammar mastered the trick is to bring out the inner self; set them a task that involves describing something very ordinary – a picture, a scene, an incident – and tell them to write about it in their own manner. This will enable them to nurture their style and keep on the right track.

An important thing to remember is that, grammar aside, there is no right and wrong with writing. You may not like the way a pupil writes, but others will – do not stifle creativity, encourage individuality and bring forth the original.

One of the ways to teach writing...


Monday, February 28, 2011

eNGLiSH GRaMMaR

We cannot deny the fact that learning proper English grammar is important. Do you want to feel embarrassed each time you speak English with a lot of grammar mistakes?  Do people have trouble understanding when you speak English or confused with what you have said? Being able to speak and write in proper English is a main criterion to be successful and broaden your options in job and career advancement. Many people who would otherwise be successful are being held back by their bad command of English grammar.

There are many methods one could learn to master the English grammar but I would like to recommend the best 5 effective ways.

1. Learn the rules of English grammar by heart and memories them. As you know, grammar is the rules of a language which describe how sentences are formed. We need to know those rules in the same way as in Mathematics where the rules of computation and formula are required in order to get the correct figures. One of the best way to memories the rule is to write them down in a notebook and refer to it continuously until you could memories them all. However, mere memories the rule is not enough, you need to do as many English grammar worksheets and exercises as possible. Preferably doing objective form of English grammar test worksheet, and repeat the exercises until you got all the answers correct.

2. Read as many English books, magazines and newspapers as you can. Although it is said that reading might not appeared to be an effective grammar-learning activity, the truth is that the more you read, the more you are able to observe sentences that are grammatically correct. When reading books, you should focus on how the passages and sentences are constructed. You should look out for the grammar rules used for that particular sentence that you are not sure. You then need to remember, mark them and think about why it is used the way it is. You may need to refer to a good grammar reference book or dictionary to confirm its grammar usage. This will eventually help your grammar in a long run when you realized the patterns of the sentences encountered as you read.

3. Study one specific grammar rule and focus on it one at the time until you are fully aware and able to use it successfully. For example, if you are focusing on usage of verbs in the past tense, then you should study in detail its usage throughout the day. If you are not sure how to put a specific verb into past tense, you should resolve it by finding the correct answer during the day until you got it right. As time go, you will be able to know the correct verbs into past tense and thereafter you could move on to the next challenge with other grammar problems that you may be having.

4. Find out and learn by heart the common English mistakes most often committed by people. Just like the grammar rules, you need to memories them as well so as to avoid making the same mistakes. You could just make a search in the internet and find out the list of the most frequently committed English grammar mistakes and memories them by heart.

5. The final step on learning English grammar is to learn with fun. There are many types of educational games, English grammar worksheets, video games and even board games that are fun to learn available online. It is true that we will do our best if we enjoy doing. If you aren't having fun learning English, you will get bored very soon and reluctant to continue. When it is fun, there will be a motivation force behind to keep you stay on the task of learning.

In conclusion, there is no short cut to master the English language. Learning the proper usage of English grammar is just one of the requirements to master the English language.It is estimated that one out of every five people in the world can speak English. You might be amazed to learn that there are more English speaking people in China alone than in the United States of America! It is therefore very important to be able to speak and write in proper English if you want to broaden your options in job and career advancement.

This is one example of the component of English Grammar...


Wednesday, February 23, 2011

PRoS & CoNS oF HoMe SCHooLiNG

Home schooling is a popular way to educate children all around the globe for a variety of reasons. Main home schooling pros and cons follow.

Cons

Level of Learning - Too many people think that those children who are home schooled will not receive appropriate levels of education compared to students learning in public and private schools. On the contrary, parents of home scholars work with their local boards of education, principals and / or other educational consultants to ensure they are meeting the requirements set forth.

Socialization - Another negative viewpoint is that those students who are studying at home do not get to mingle enough with their peer groups and other instructors, administration and school personnel and teachers. And that's just hogwash. Students at home meet with others in home school groups to tour all types of local and far away places that coordinate with their study plans. And equally if not more important, home school students are introduced to real life people throughout their days: bankers, grocers, and other professionals introduced through their program studies and real life as they go around on errands with parents.

Lack of Routine / Regimented Days - Some view a lack of disciplined hours Monday through Friday with home schooled students as negative. However, many home school parents establish routines at home, too. Children are not left haphazardly running around the streets unattended.

Lack of Real World Environment & Prep- And still others believe that home schooled children will lack environmental and other preparation for real life that public and private school supposedly teach their students. Again, more hogwash. Home schooled children learn science, technology, music, gym, any and all subjects - only more thoroughly, because they are focusing on what they are learning, not being bored with subjects taught over and over to help slower paced learners so that everyone is up to speed.

Pros

Private for Less Money - A home school education is like enjoying private education without the cost. Students get more one-on-one help, targeted lessons and advanced learning opportunities as their teachers do not have to teach to all levels, often covering lower-learning levels that bore more average and advanced learners.

Improved Targeted Subjects - lessons in the home school environment are also to be customized much more easily than those in public and private school. Results include much higher levels of education with targeted useful knowledge to help students after graduation.

Higher Grades - Home schooled students are known to average much higher grades than their peers in public and private schools. Many get accepted to top colleges and universities on scholarships.

Boredom Busters - Home schooling allows students to move ahead to better topics.

A homeshcooled family...

Friday, February 18, 2011

oNLiNe eDuCaTioN - WHaT iS iT?


As per definition on the web, it is basically credit-granting courses or education training delivered primarily via the Internet to students at remote locations, including their homes. 

The Online courses may or may not be delivered synchronously. An online course may need that students and teachers meet once or periodically in a physical setting for lectures, labs, or exams, so long as the time spent in the physical setting does not exceed 25 percent of the total course time. Online education encompasses various degrees and courses.

This kind of interactive premium educational service has one aim: To help students excel in exams. In India there is a huge demand for suitable teaching aids, this is where Online Tuition comes into play.
  • Students can test their knowledge and track their performance.
  • These curriculum-based educational systems will use modern technological innovations in the ICT space, such as Interactive TV, e-learning and mobile learning, to create an interactive ecosystem where students can thrive.
  • A lot of reference material is provided in the ‘Study Online’ section for self study on the site itself. Students can interact with other students as well as experts and solve their queries.
  • This kind of Online Tuition gives the students the right kind of guidance which they deserve.
  • Online Tuitions also students grasp concept that are difficult to teach in theory.
Online Education is most effective when there is interactivity and exposure to multiple sources. The biggest inequity in our education system is that it predominantly focuses on the urban population. But with such kind of Online Education, it becomes much easier to penetrate into the rural areas and help children get the best out of their educational years.

And he says...

Thursday, February 10, 2011

MuSiC eDuCaTioN


Music education is an important part of every child's learning experience and is older than high schools sports, yet high school sports are increasing while music education may be soon demised.
Education, and particularly mandatory education, is an effective agent in the formation of an individual's tastes, preferences and value systems. Schools try to focus on the more important academic classes because of the high testing standards they must now meet.

However, music education is an important aspect of student growth and is not a luxury, but a necessity to all children. Music education is a broad-based discipline, using words and phrases from many areas of study, including psychology, sociology, physics, anatomy, philosophy, research, technology, and general education.
Music education is vital to a well-rounded education and is an investment of time, effort, and money, which can result in a lifetime of enjoying music. Music has the ability to facilitate language acquisition, reading readiness, and general intellectual development; to foster positive attitudes and to lower truancy in middle and high school; to enhance creativity; and to promote social development, personality adjustment, and self-worth.

Music also helps with math and science and also brings higher thinking to our children. Music and education have always gone hand in hand. Music influences all areas of our lives, and as each student masters the skills and discipline used in music he/she will also build greater confidence, poise, and sense of accomplishment that will pervade all aspects of life.

This education reinforces all other curricula by connecting concepts and processes to everyday life. Music, we say, provides so many benefits that are applicable to the more traditional academic subjects, that it is a basic.
Music study teaches the value of sustained effort and it's positive impact on learning is becoming well known, and one of the groups trumpeting that message is NAMM, the International Music Products Association. NAMM can help provide support for your school's music cirriculum.

Music Education is vital to a well-rounded education. It develps the intellect and music education has long been anecdotally linked to increased intellectual ability. Students, particularly high-risk students, do well in arts education classes yet suffer when confined to learning through a more traditional curriculum.

Students learn to count, keep a steady rhythm, and how to multiply and divide (to figure out how long each note is). Students also use science to help them discover what sounds good together and what doesn't.
They also need science to understand something called the "overtone series," which Pythagorus came up with around Medieval times. Students learn to understand a little bit of Italian in order to interpret the markings in their music.

They also learn an incredible amount of coordination through music -- it isn't unlike being an athlete. Students that study the arts learn to think creatively. Learning to play an instrument may also keep children out of trouble by giving them something to do after school.

An opinion from an expert...

Saturday, February 5, 2011

aTTeNTioN DeFiCiT HYPeRaCTiViTY DiSoRDeR


The letters ADHD, used by those stuck in the 1990s culture of mental health, strike fear the hearts and minds of most parents, and for good reason. After all children with ADHD are much likely to be underachievers in school, have disciplinary issues, and be social outcasts. If left untreated they are twice as likely to end up in the slammer, get divorced, and be chronically unemployed later in life. Not exactly the vision most parents are looking for.

This scenario has lead to a near panic as thousands of parents of suspected ADHD children seek answers as to why little Johnny or Sara can't seem to remember where they left their homework assignment or why they forced the family cat to eat the whole tub of buttery spread.

But while these two behavioral incidences may have some basis for ADHD they certainly don't confirm its existence. Furthermore, maybe the dog ate the homework or the cat needed a little extra cholesterol to make his coat shine.

The three primary symptoms of ADHD are inattention/distractibility, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Spun off of these primary symptoms are worry, boredom, loss of motivation, frustration, low self esteem, sleep disturbances, hopelessness, and the anticipation of failure.

It is also important to point out that about half of ADHD children do have aggression issues. And finally, and perhaps the most important factor is that ADHD children have co-existing conditions such as manic episodes, learn disabilities, tic disorders, depression, and anxiety a whopping 70 percent of the time.

The curious parent would rightfully want to know why co-existing conditions are so prevalent in ADHD children. The truth is no one really knows for sure, but the best guess scenario is that the chemicals in the brain thought to be the primary drivers for behavior and self regulation are present in varying degrees in each one of these conditions, including ADHD. They are dopamine and norepinephrine.

Another factor lies in heredity with just about 50 percent of all cases of attention deficit disorder being passed down for generation to generation. So in the case of ADHD the apple certainly doesn't seem to fall far from the tree.

What can be done?

Most cases if these unique individuals are allowed to use their creativity and high energy levels in to do something they enjoy they will likely become extremely motivated, most likely work hard, and eventually overachieve.

On the other hand if they are stuck in a very structured environment that requires no imagination, a set of rules that must be follow exactly, and a lot of memory on topics they despise they almost certainly will fail, and may fail miserably.

There are many different approaches to helping ADHD children succeed both in their academic endeavors and their social interactions. This list would include suggestions like helping them stay organized, better teacher parent communication, providing a designated homework areas free from distraction and clutter, using positive reinforcement to offset low self esteem, and allowing these children to engage in outdoor activities whenever possible.

Additionally, many parents have found that by adding a natural ADHD supplement to the mix they have been able to improve and manage problematic attention deficit disorder symptoms even better.

In conclusion, ADHD doesn't have to be a recipe for failure, and can turn out to be a recipe for success, if you are able to determine what ingredients work well together. This is no easy task, and will require a team effort from family members, teachers, friends, and possibly specialists. But when the right formula is found these children can, and often do, achieve great things.

Let's get into deep about ADHD...

Thursday, January 27, 2011

DeVeLoPiNG CRiTiCaL THiNKiNG


One of the most important life skills that is not taught in school is critical thinking. This is a very essential skill in life. Critical thinking is a daily habit where we adopt to train our mind to think objectively and intelligently. It is a disciplined form of thinking that trains the mind and the soul to think and act through various situations intelligently, even if we are in the most difficult or challenging situations.

For instance, in the real business situations one should possess critical thinking to find real solution to various problems that we may have never encountered when we were in school. That is the reason why we should not stop learning after school. What we learn in school is some basic skill on how to think through simple problem. But in a real life situation, this basic thinking is not sufficient to help us to solve problems. We need critical thinking to solve real problems in real life.

The ultimate goal of critical thinking is to make us figure things out. In small businesses, the skill of critical thinking is very essential for start-up entrepreneurs. Considering the business to be relatively small, the organizational structure can be simple and most decisions rely largely on the business owner. Nonetheless, a business owner needs to develop critical thinking in order to effectively apply it in various business situations.

How To Develop Your Critical Thinking Skill:

Here are some tips you can use to develop and hone your critical thinking skill.

Learn How To Identify Assumptions:

Assumptions can ruin your life and your business. The only way to avoid using assumptions as an ultimate solution is to learn how to identify them. When you know how to identify assumptions, you will not use them as final solution, you will use them as a base to identify for facts and evidence.

Asking Critical Thinking Questions

If you are faced with difficult decisions and you are surrounded by various assumptions, start asking critical questions to challenge the assumptions. When you do that, you will be able to identify facts and evidence from assumptions. You can only solve problems effectively if you can identify facts and evidence and use them to solve problems.

Identifying Facts from Fiction

A sufficient amount of information gathered from asking questions must lead to being able to single out facts about a given situation. These facts are necessary in finding practical solutions for a problem.

Always Confirm the Source and Check for Accuracy

Whether it is a fact or fictional information, there is always a source. Always verify with where the information is coming from. Accurate and truthful information contribute to the success of problem solving.

Develop critical thinking and make it part of your habit. If you do that, you will be able to look at problems in life objectively. You are not going to make assumptions and use them to solve important problems. Instead, you use assumptions to uncover facts and truthful evidence. With this skill, you will be able to provide solid solution to any problem both in life and studies.

Some experts say...

Thursday, January 20, 2011

TiMe MaNaGeMeNT



Students in general have very busy and stressful lives because they are attending classes, completing assignments and studying for exams. In addition they have their own daily routines and lifestyles that is necessary for creating balance between academics and extra curricular activities. However, finding time to do everything at once can be challenging and overwhelming. This is where good time management skills come into practice. 

This is a skill that students need to learn. They must take the necessary approaches and apply these strategies in order to be effective and more productive. Having these skills gives students the ability to plan ahead and prioritize upcoming assignments and events. This is an important factor in keeping students organized and avoiding procrastination, which ultimately leads to academic success.

Time management can be very useful in a student's hectic schedule. It ensures that students are well prepared, organized and focused to mange their daily lives and complete academic assignments on time. It can lead to improved success, however, this is a skill that students have to learn and practice. Students must change their habits in order to have good time management skills. This can only happen if students take the first steps in identifying their problems. Good time management skills stems from the issue of prioritizing one's time effectively.

This can be done by setting new personal goals and striving to accomplish them with a new and improved attitude in mind. Another bad habit that students need to change is procrastination. Students should learn how to work smart by not working too hard and not retaining anything. Sometimes students need to study for a couple of hours and take a break to clear their minds. It is a good idea to take breaks when feelings of frustration come on. Too much information leads to an information overload that the brain can't deal with at one time. If students are motivated and disciplined, their time management skills will improve with practice.

Let's watch this, just for fun...

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

TaLKaTiVe - GooD oR BaD...???

Shouting is unhealthy. Children must learn the value of soft, gentle, talk. Soft and gentle way of talking is soothing to the listener. It has an therapeutic effect. Here are some ways by which you can teach your child the importance of talking sweetly. 

Make your child realize the impact of silence.
The father of one-year old Manju once worried and brooded over his daughter's inability to speak in full sentences. A year later the man was seen annoyed over his daughter's constant and meaningless chatter. After three years, he was desperately finding ways to inculcate the habit of maintaining silence. 

Very often, we hear children talking nineteen-to-a-dozen. Each trying to speak louder and make one heard over the din. Screaming and shouting is a very normal way to attract attention, not just for children for adults too. Teachers scream themselves hoarse to a keep a class in order. Housewives nag their children while getting the homework done. Collegians shout at each other as a matter of fashion. Therefore, every individual creates excessive noise to be heard and registered.
 
The practice of shouting is indeed unhealthy. Children need to be told the importance of keeping quiet and talking at a low-decibel volume. Otherwise, these highly talkative children grow into garrulous adults, which certainly do not make a civilized society.
 
How it starts?
It starts at the very beginning. Parents expose their children to an environment constantly bombarded by words and sounds. Even before children understand or speak a language, they are encouraged to baby talk. Or worse still, children are left alone before a blaring television set, from where they internalize noise and din. Therefore, children tend to give excessive importance to the spoken word at a very early age. They don't ever realize the power of silence, the language of the unspoken word.
 
Start them young
  1. When your baby is just born, play some quiet soothing music in the background while feeding. Don't keep the television or music system blaring. 
  2. Talk to your little one in a very soft, gentle and soothing manner. Do not allow anyone in your house to talk very loudly, or to argue in the presence of your child. 
  3. Both parents should never incessantly talk gibberish to the child. Talking sweetly to the child does not necessarily mean loud babbling. 
  4. Whenever you entrust the child with a maidservant or a watchman, try to check their language, intonation and volume. If possible, try to control their speech visa vis the child. 
  5. As your child grows older, do not set a bad example by talking incessantly on the phone or talking aloud in a public place. 

Tips for an older child

  1. Get Mahatma Gandhiji's three monkeys as a decoration piece for your child's bedroom. This will be a constant reminder of SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL, and SPEAK NO EVIL. It is a value to be inculcated from the initial years.
  2. Teach your child to speak only when spoken to in public. Let the child express feelings freely at home, but change the rules for public places. 
  3. Tell your child to speak only when it is TRUE, KIND AND NECESSARY.
  4. Show the ways to conserve energy by focusing on reading or the creative arts that help in shaping a human being. 
  5. Stress outdoor activities during evening time. Let the child take interest in Nature, not television or video games etc. A fieldtrip into the wilderness can teach the child to appreciate the magic of silence and the sounds of Nature. 
  6. Whenever a child achieves a small goal or assignment or target, do not encourage the habit of bragging. Children who constantly talk about themselves do not make good company in the future.
  7. Introduce the child to a course on yoga and meditation to move towards a fulfilling life. It will also help in removing distractions and increasing the concentration level. The child will grow up to be a more focused, composed and less stressed adult.





Friday, January 7, 2011

CoNDuCiVe CLaSSRooM WiTH iCT


Why do we use ICT to create conducive classroom? There are many reasons why ICT is important in everyday life, since computers and associated technologies are increasingly necessary in al business and commercial concerns.

The communication aspects and the ways in which a constructivist theory of education can be supported through ICT as well. The skills which children gain by being able to control the applications used in ICT. The confidence children gain by communicating through and controlling their environment. The needs for communication skills in the students’ future careers, both school and in the workplace as they have the access to information on the World Wide Web. The creative power of ICT, especially in the making of web pages, using text and graphics, as well as more advanced facilities. Communication technologies such as audio and video conferencing, enabling children to communicate their ideas across national and local boundaries. 

It is important to consider the welfare of those in the classroom in order to optimize motivation – for you and the pupils. This means considering a variety of factors. The motivation of your pupils is very important if they are to do well. Child (1997) describes motivation as being of two kinds, intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation stems from a sense of achievement at having solved a difficult problem, perhaps developing a model based on spreadsheet, while extrinsic motivation stems from external considerations, for example praise from the teacher or the need to complete some coursework by a given deadline. 

However, before pupils can become motivated they must have been provided with what Maslow (1970) describes as lover-level needs. At the very basic level, these are listed as physiological needs like food and warmth, and then physical needs such as safe and comfortable working environment. Maslow suggests that, without these, pupils will not reach the higher levels of his motivational hierarchy.This means that before your pupils can work effectively you must do your best to provide them with a comfortable and safe environment. 

With the increasing use of the internet in education most schools will have devised an internet policy. As a minimum, schools will include a ban on accessing unsuitable sites for children, including those of a pornographic, violent, or racist nature. However there will be many other kinds of site which the school may deem to be unsuitable. 

The use of the internet has a close bearing on the use of the school’s network in general and so the policy is likely to include guidelines and rules on the use of those systems too. Having devised their policy, the school may well require both parents and pupils to sign a form in which they agree to abide by the policy. Passwords might not be issued until this has been done, and network access might be suspended for any breach. 

The school and ICT department should also have policies and promote good practice on such things as the use of games, the loan of software and copyright issues. You must know these policies and follow them. A factor which is particular significant for ICT is that lessons can be subject to regular disturbances, which you will have to deal with. For example, other teachers send pupils to your classroom to ask if they can use a spare machine, staff may want to use a machine, if you have the network printer in your room people come to collect printouts, if staff or pupils have a problem with ICT they interrupt to ask for help. As a new teacher this can be very distracting, but you will get used to it. The pupils seem to accept it quite readily. 

As a conclusion, we have only begun to experience the radical changes that computers will make on society, as we know it. Computer fraud and abuse take many forms. Teachers face new challenges in the new technology based education. They must strive to provide equal access to computers to all students. They must promote computer ethics in their classroom. Educator and parents are concerned about student’s privacy and access to inappropriate sites. Plagiarism concerns about student’s assignment utilizing the World Wide Web are becoming a major concern. Technology provides opportunities but also provides concerns to teachers and parents. In the end, all must work together to take advantage of this powerful tool. 

Let's see what they have to say...


   
 References: 
  • Leask, M. & Meadows, J. (2000). Teaching and Learning with ICT in the Primary School. Routlegde Falmer: New York.
  • Kennewell, S., Connell, A., Edwards, A., Hammond, M. & Wickens, C. (20027). A Practical Guide to Teaching ICT in the Secondary School.Routledge Falmer: New York.
  • Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Teaching and Learning with Technology. Pearson: USA.
  • Bitter, G. & Peirson, M. (2005). Using Technology in the Classroom. Pearson: USA.

Monday, January 3, 2011

THe iMPoRTaNCe oF ReaDiNG


Reading is important especially when you are university students. You should at least read newspaper once a day, so that you would get updated with the world’s current issues such as the latest outbreak that has spread throughout the whole world, Influenza A(H1N1).

As a university student, you have to read with the proper way. When you read an article, you should be able to understand the whole article as you must have read the article thoroughly. Nowadays, people are lack of interest in reading. In my humble opinion, the material itself is not interesting enough to attract the attention of the readers. Of course by reading you will gain more and more of knowledge, but I think the writer has to do some critical thinking as well and think about the topic of material that would attract the readers to read their material with interest. The writer would have to think about the age range of reader that they are targeting. For example, a writer that wanted teenagers to read his article must add up some teen elements in his article.

Parents can also encourage their children to read more books since in the early age. They can start by showing good example to their children which is by reading as well. You cannot expect a child to be interested in reading when his parents are not into reading as well. The parents are playing an important role in encouraging their children to have reading as a hobby. They can give their children various kinds of book for starters. Soon enough, the child itself would slowly grow a tendency to choose a genre of book only such as science fiction book like Harry Potter series. Some children might like to read book that contains facts.

Reading is a really good habit to practice. But it takes two to tango, the interest of reading must come from the individual itself so that the information would really stick to the readers mind, instead of forgetting the stuffs that they read 5 minutes after they read them.