Category: <span>Education</span>

5 Tips to Find the Best Online MBA Program

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on August 18, 2023 @ 9:33 am

Masters in Business Administration is one of the most popular courses in brick and mortar as well as online colleges. Almost every online university offers this course. That is all the more reason why you should be careful in picking the right university for completing your degree. The wrong choice could waste your time and money and not provide any value either.

Accreditation

With a lot of students wanting get an MBA and add more security to their careers, a lot of colleges are out there to trick them. Not only is the course expensive, but it is also a good source of income for colleges, given the influx every year. That is why you must ensure that the college you are applying to, has an accreditation from recognised institutions and that the degree they offer is valid. Without checking for this accreditation it would be unwise to enrol for any online course for that matter.

Support

If an online course has lot of students enrolled supporting all the students could prove difficult. Support could involve addressing students’ questions and concerns, providing face time with the tutors and offering a mentor to provide career advice. Without this support, it would be very hard to complete Master’s in Business Administration, as it will prove really difficult. So the course you are enrolling in must offer support, with the teacher student ratio being as high as possible, preferably around 10 – 15 students per tutor.

Learning management system

If an online university doesn’t give you the benefits of a learning management system, there is no point enrolling in that college. A learning management system is more like a common platform for all the students, a website where every student has a login profile to get all the information related to their courses including timetable for exams, lesson schedules, online teaching material shared, downloads available if any etc.

Opportunity for internships

It would be unwise to think you will be able to think your Master’s in a field like business administration online entirely. The university should be reputed enough and have associations with top companies so that students of MBA programs can get a chance to complete projects and internships and learn more about the industry, adding to their learning experience. If the brand of the university couldn’t find your seniors decent internships or projects, chances are that the program is not highly valued in the industry and it is best to not enroll for it. The same holds for the opportunity of jobs when you complete education. Talking to past students will always provide sufficient information in this regards.

Flexibility

This is one factor that holds good not only for MBA but for all online courses. Unless you get the flexibility, online programs cannot be ruled a better option than joining full time college. This flexibility is possible through recorded lectures, good content, chat sessions with tutors etc. allowing those with a day time job to do justice to their course and education.

Source by John Jee

09 Aug

How Can Video Conferencing Solutions Positively Impact the Rural Education?

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on August 9, 2023 @ 9:28 am

Video Conferencing has always been considered as an upmarket technology; beyond the reach of common people, especially in the rural sector. However, the circumstances have started to show some positive bends lately. Technology has stepped into the rural domain and has also started impacting the lives of the masses. The basic purpose of video conferencing solutions is an enhanced virtual connectivity. Beforehand, the far-flung villages suffered from the unavailability of necessary amenities which the virtual connectivity has brought to their doorstep.

The greatest impact of the audio-visual technology can be seen in the rural education sector. Rural communities have always suffered from the lack of qualitative education within accessible distance. Stories of people traveling miles in search of qualitative education and training aren’t rare. Girls in most Indian villages, fail to get educated in hi-end technologies since their parents are unwilling to let them travel to distant schools and colleges. Video Conferencing Solutions for Education have been able to curtail these drawbacks to a considerable extent.

Benefits of virtual collaboration for education in the rural sector

Experts at doorstep

The AV collaborative solutions have bridged the gap between education and the learners. This technology and the solutions based on it have transformed the authentic brick and mortar classrooms into global learning platforms. Through Live video collaboration, the rural students can learn directly from the experts in various genre’, ask questions and resolve problems without changing their locations; thus avoiding the traveling cost.

“Classroom without walls”

This is a concept that made around 125 students from 3 schools on the Kenai Peninsula spend a night at school to wake up at 4 a.m. for attending a video conference with the students in Nazareth, Israel (The Journal.com). This collaborative technology has not only pulled up the rural students to the standards where high-end education is not only limited to their privileged urban or suburban peers but also helped them realize the importance and urgency of cross-cultural collaboration. We can thank this technology for helping rural students become responsible global citizens.

Parents’ are in control

While the students are leveraging video conferencing solutions to acquire higher education, parents can relax to see their children not shift base for higher education. In the pre-virtual collaboration scenario, helplessly worried parents had no option but to allow their children relocate to big cities to satisfy their learning sprees. This also made some parents reluctant about letting their children pursue higher education. Thus, curbing their growth, which in its turn affecting the growth of rural education as a whole. With children collaborating virtually, the parents are also aware of their children’s academic progress. They can also be a part of virtual performance tracking of their wards and have discussions with the educators.

Teachers can grow as well

Apart from a better exposure and interaction with remote students, there are quite a few things that the teachers can really leverage from a hi-end video conferencing solution for education. Remote collaboration can help teachers, especially who are rurally located, enhance their skills. The teachers can, thus, not only impart education but also be a part of different forums or peer-groups to act upon fruitful knowledge exchange.

Helping children with special needs

Children with special needs, located rurally, find it exceptionally tough to access varied learning scopes. With easily accessible video conferencing solutions, they can now register for various workshops, learning forums, discussion session without relocating. They can overcome their feeling of isolation by joining peers around the world who have similar needs and be a part of the global learning junket.

Initiatives to promote digital learning

Educational institutes around the world are focusing on encompassing digital learning into their curriculum. In India, E-Kranti program under the Digital India campaign is designed to focus on digitizing rural education. Under this program, free Wi-Fi will be provided to 2.5 lakh schools in the next five years. Also, devices like tablets will be distributed among rural students and plans for initiating Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to help them overcome the demographic constraint and learn from global industry experts and eminent mentors. Players like Google and Facebook are also partnering with the Central Government to make the initiative successful.

Centrally Sponsored schemes, Rashtriya Uchchatar Siksha Aviyan (RUSA) and not-for-profit organization, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) are set-ups to fund and upgrade the education, training, and skill development initiatives in the country, including the digital learning undertakings.

Digital Learning endeavors around the globe are gaining grounds. Developed countries like the USA, Australia, New Zealand and the countries of the European Union have already started leveraging the benefits of incorporating digital learning trend in their existing curriculum. Countries from Africa, Latin America and Asian Subcontinents to are following the current trend.

Source by Jithendra Manda

31 Jul

ESL Teachers’ Guide to Teach Business English Communication Skills to Students

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on July 31, 2023 @ 9:20 am

English is the global business language of the day. Many schools, colleges and universities are all offering English teaching for students and business professionals. With the growing demand for English, many ESL teachers are also trained to meet the global demand of ESL training needs.

For example, in many Asian and African countries, the English language is being taught as the Second or Third Language. Also, there are many varieties of English given the mother-tongue influences in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, India, Brunei, Australia and Canada. As an ESL teacher, you will find that this ESL teaching guide provides you with a quick checklist of tips, helping you to make your ESL classes fun and easy for foreign students.

1) Understand Your ESL Students:

Basically, you will have two types of students – school students and corporate clients. ESL school students are those who do not have English as the mother tongue. They need help with Basic English grammar as well as Advanced English conversation for daily living. Corporate business clients are those managers and employees who need to polish their English in an ESL class for effective global business communication. By understanding your ESL students, you will be able to design teaching strategies that address their specific needs.

2) Break The Ice:

Breaking the silence in the first 10 minutes of each ESL class is essential for success. Most ESL students are very shy to speak and write anything in English. With a positive and supportive learning environment, you will be able to encourage them to try speaking and writing in English every day. To break the ice, you will need to make the first 10 minutes the most fun and relaxing for your students to open up themselves and speak English freely through mini games and exercises. Invent fun games for them to introduce each other, tell funny stories, or explain something in English.

3) Create Interactive Activities:

English learning should not be boring. Make your classes fun and interactive for all your ESL students. Then, they will be interested in learning and will become engaged throughout the lessons. Organize learning activities that keep your ESL students involved and will enable them to learn from each other. Ask their opinions and suggestions on new topics. Discuss problems and challenges that they encounter in English speaking and writing. Integrate seasonal events (e.g. New Year, Thanksgiving and Christmas) as part of your teaching curriculum.

4) Focus on Communication Skills:

If there is one thing you can teach ESL students, it’s to focus on their communication skills. This means helping them to improve daily conversations with others, to polish their telephone manners and to polish their writing style. With telephone conversations, ESL students will have no visual clues so it is important to speak clearly and slowly. When in doubt, they should always ask a question to clarify and confirm what they intend to say. With written communication, ESL students just need to practice writing something or anything every day from a simple note, a letter, an invitation or email message to a full essay or report assignment. Teach them the right choice of words and phrases to minimize confusion for others. Practice speaking in front of a mirror every morning and night.

5) Work on Vocabulary:

Very often, ESL students cannot communicate well due to their lack of proper vocabulary. Then, without the right words, they face social and cultural barriers to communicate effectively in different situations. Help your students to build their vocabulary using different teaching aids. Create flash cards. Build digital folders. Use some of the latest games and apps in mobile devices. Focus on what kind of vocabularies will help them communicate well in school or business settings. In some cases, English words have different meanings for different cultures and situations and so it’s your job as an ESL teacher to clarify and explain how to use those words in detail.

6) Practice with Role Plays:

The best way to learn is through real life situations. In your classroom, you can always use role play exercises to create situations that mimic how ESL students should speak and respond to others. For example, you can have different scenarios from ordering fast food and dining in a fancy restaurant to having a job interviews and speaking to a customer. This way your ESL students will learn how to observe, listen and respond in various situations.

7) Teach Social and Business Etiquette:

Helping your ESL students to be effective communicators means teaching them social and business etiquette as well. This means teaching them manners, politeness, social norms, business customs and cultural cues. ESL students will need to learn how to communicate with proper words and manners from casual to formal settings. More importantly, you can teach ESL students both verbal and non-verbal communication techniques and skills. For example, how make good eye contact, shake hands, greet people, and express themselves through their facial expression and body gestures.

8) Provide Constructive Feedback:

Anyone can give an opinion or feedback, but you as an ESL teacher will need to provide the most positive and constructive feedback to your ESL students. They have to feel encouraged and supported, to continue learning and improving their English. Learning a new language like English is difficult for some because their own mother tongue may have a very different language structure and linguistic sound. Your positive attitude will translate into their positive mindset for English learning. Provide specific examples and tips to help them understand what is right or wrong to speak and write every day.

With these eight ESL teaching strategies and techniques above, you will become a very efficient and effective ESL teacher who is liked by all your ESL students. Even though there is a quiz, a test or a grade on paper, your ESL students will only remember what they have experienced and how they felt in each ESL class. You are there to provide a positive, supportive and constructive learning environment with no judgment, but only opportunities to learn and grow as individuals. Be proud of yourself.

Source by Dr. Vivian W. Lee

28 Jul

Overcome the Threats of Stress

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on July 28, 2023 @ 9:17 am

Today, we lead an increasingly stressful life. Some experts are of the opinion that a little stress can be good for you. A small dose of stress pushes the limits of an individual both physically and mentally and is sometimes crucial for achieving optimum performance. Stress induces a ‘fight or flight’ response in our body, which leads to the release of adrenaline into our blood stream.

For example, students sitting for an exam are often in the grip of a stress response and this helps them to focus and giving their best performance. However, as we all know, prolonged stress is very bad for the body. While a little stress enables us to meet deadlines, longer exposure to it might induce a heart attack or other major health crisis.

Stress is both a physical and psychological response. When the physical and mental demands on our body are more than what it can cope with, the body starts to show the symptoms of stress. The usual characteristics of this kind of a reaction are fatigue, insomnia, developing an irritable disposition, constant and nagging worrying and in some cases, depression.

The reasons for stress are many. They can be brought on by both work and personal situations. It has been observed that the increasing demands on today’s workforce have actually led to a loss of productivity over the past decade or so.

The 1997 National Study of the Changing Workforce (NSCW) noted that as compared to other industrialized countries, workers in America spend the most time at their place of work, which can lead to a host of family and job related conflicts.

Also, the threat of downsizing is everywhere; constantly worrying about job security has become a part of modern life. Work related stress impairs both work and family life.

On a more personal level, the loss of a loved one or a divorce can send people into depression. If you feel overwhelmed by the very task of leading your daily life, you are heading towards anxiety-induced disorders. Financial concerns related to your family, constantly worrying about your loved ones – all this leads to a very stressful life.

Stress is very harmful for our bodies. Some of the primary manifestations of this are fatigue and the impairment of our immune system. This makes us vulnerable to diseases like the flu and the common cold. This may be accompanied by insomnia and digestive disorders (like stomach ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome and constipation).

People who usually suffer from stress are prone to an increase blood pressure and related problems. Long term and chronic stress is especially harmful for your heart. It can also contribute to the premature aging of your brain cells, leading to neurological damage.

There are supplements available that can help your body cope with a stressful state. Chief among them is Anxietol 7(TM), an all natural anti stress product from http://www.bodestore.com.

Anxietol 7 helps strengthen the body’s immune system and brings with it a healthy dose of anti-oxidants. It can be taken daily with a glass of water or juice. Always check with appropriate health professionals if you feel over come with stress. Adapt a multi-tiered approach of mediation, diet, supplements, counseling with professionals, and relaxing exercises like Yoga and Tai’ chi and you can beat the threats of stress.

Source by Kamau Austin

25 Jul

The Best Way to Learn is to Teach

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on July 25, 2023 @ 9:16 am

Looking for a way to improve your return on your study time? One of the most effective ways to learn something on your course is to teach it to others. You can do it informally by helping your colleagues or arranging a study group, or formally by offering your services as a tutor. Whichever you choose you’ll be the one to benefit most!

Consider:

If you can explain it to others, then you know you have it well prepared. You can face the exam with confidence, a confidence you won’t get from many other study techniques. You will have been tested already, and passed!
You will find your understanding deepens when you have to explain to someone else. Teaching a topic always involves knowing that bit more than what you actually need to pass on. You always need a bit more background information to teach successfully. So you will be forced to increase your knowledge of your topic to a standard more than adequate for your exam.
From a simple time management point of view, arranging to explain to someone else at a set time, what you have decided to share, will keep the pressure on. Working alone as you so often do when studying makes discipline and meeting deadlines difficult. It’s very easy for time to slip by as you all know, without much progress. If you know you’ll have to present the information the next day, you will be far more focussed than you would be if you were studying on your own.
You don’t have to be an expert, you need only stay one step ahead of your colleagues, so it’s not as difficult as it may seem. Even offering to help a friend through a course, while you study it the day before, will improve your grades immensely, not to mention the satisfaction you will feel from helping someone else get to grips with a subject they thought they couldn’t manage.
If you are helping a younger student, through grinds or tutoring, though the content may not be an immediate part of your own study, you will be consolidating the information you might have covered in previous years of your course, which will help you absorb and understand the higher level material you yourself have to cover. This is particularly true of mathematical or scientific studies. And maybe you can make some pocket money in the process!
Recalling what you’ve learned is essential for study. And there is no better way to recall than to explain it again to someone else.
If you all take turns leading a group, it’s a great way to share the workload. Although you will still be best prepared in the topics you yourself present, if you are in hurry, you will at least cover a lot of your course in a short time.
There is tremendous satisfaction in seeing the light bulb go on in someone else’s face as they understand a concept you are trying to explain. Who knows, you may get the teaching bug and follow it as a career!
If you get a reputation as someone who’s good at explaining or who’s good to approach about questions, you will find more and more people will ask you, which in turn will push you to higher and higher levels. The informal social support structure that grows from this too will greatly increase your enjoyment of college or school.

Whether you have an opportunity to become a tutor, give grinds, lead your own study group, or just help out a friend you will find that having to explain your course material to other people will increase your own understanding immensely. It can’t be beaten as a way to further your studies! Try it today – you won’t regret it.

Source by Steve Bracken

22 Jul

Vedic Mathematics Vs Abacus – What Will Suit for Kid?

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on July 22, 2023 @ 9:12 am

Abacus is a calculating tool which first originated in the European countries. However, it was in China where Abacus became popular and was used for day to day calculations. Predominantly, used as a calculating tool, it has a frame consisting of wires which are attached to frame and beads which slide along these wires. Each bead represents one unit.

Abacus is mainly used to perform addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. It is suggested that abacus learning at a very young age is useful in actuating the brains of the kids. When a child works on abacus, he/she will simultaneously use both his hands to move the beads. The right hand actuates the left hemisphere and the left hand actuates the right hemisphere, thereby helping in developing both sides of the brain in a balanced way. This promotes rapid and balanced development of the entire brain of the child. It is also suggested that Abacus math should be started at very early childhood, as young as age 4. Eventually the child retains the memory of bead positions and the relevant notation.

Abacus math if started during later ages can create a bit of hindrance.

• Although exceptionally helpful, abacus has plenty of drawbacks as the child might get overconfident in mathematics and the child might bypass the regular functions like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division methods.

• Abacus is primarily about cramming. It in a way creates monotony and takes well over two years to master it which might lead the child to get bored.

• Advanced mathematical concepts like calculus, algebra and geometry cannot be solved using abacus, an abacus in contrast to Vedic Mathematics is just basic and elementary.

Vedic Mathematics system is based on the 16 Vedic Sutras. These 16 Sutras were originally written in Sanskrit language and can be easily memorized and using these all kinds of calculations can be made. Vedic mathematics enables one to solve long mathematical problems quickly. It was founded in 1911 and has its roots in Atharva Veda. Vedic math can be entirely done in mind and paperwork is not required. Vedic math starts at a basic level of numbers and gradually progressing to simple additions, subtractions, multiplications and division.

Some advantages of using Vedic Math are –

• Vedic math is not just about solving the basic calculations as with Vedic math one can also be able to solve complex geometrical theorems, calculus sums and algebraic problems.

• Vedic math can be started at later ages as well without any difficulty.

• It is also very useful for competitive exams specifically while solving multiple choice questions where timing is an issue!

The rules of calculation are very simple; It focuses more on learning through logic and understanding of the fundamental concepts of mathematics rather than cramming and repetition as in the case of abacus. These formulae describe the way the mind naturally works and are therefore a great help in directing the student to the appropriate method of solution.

So, basically what a child does in Vedic mathematics is, he/she will derive the answers using the concepts of Vedic mathematics and then compare their final answers got by the regular mathematics process and that will help the child in understanding mathematics better.

One of the best aspects of learning and using Vedic mathematics is that it does not become an additional burden for students, teachers & parents. It rather complements the existing mathematics syllabus and makes mathematics more interesting and enjoyable for all. The only drawback of Vedic mathematics is that it is not advisable for kindergarten and primary school children and a child can understand its concepts only after a certain age; say after the age of 9 or 10. However the advantages and applications of Vedic mathematics are so wide that it minor drawbacks can be overlooked and should is preferred over abacus.

Source by Madhula Sathyamoorthy

19 Jul

Science Education In India

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on July 19, 2023 @ 9:11 am

Currently there exist a number of life science societies in India. The names being diverse, purpose indeed remains the same. These societies are aiming to bring people on a universal platform and popularize science. Certain initiative needs to be incorporated in order to popularize science, which is necessary for its further betterment in the society.

Life Science Society Initiative (LSSI)

The increased effort by the prevalent societies needs more focused perspective. Current outlook is more towards increasing the awareness of science within the community, also there is interdisciplinary work carried out by some of these societies. The efforts should be directed not just to gather these intellectuals and students on a common platform but also to inculcate the habit amongst them to interact in near future. Directives should thus be towards creation of a scientist, teacher, entrepreneur and most significantly an intellectual.

Scientist-Teacher Interaction (STI)

There should be an increased researcher-educator partnership between both, the educators of science and scientists to teach science as it is practiced. There is a communication gap, which is commonly observed between both the scientist and a teacher. The use and conception of improved facilities, update knowledge and productive interactions between the scientist and teacher should be practiced. Inclusion of teaching, research and human research development must also be a part of the process. Programs should be initiated to enhance interactions amongst both the groups.

Teacher-Student Interaction (TSI)

This interaction is indeed strong and influenced. There is day-to-day interaction and discussion within members of this group. The popularization of science is a positive feature that can be initiated by this group. Apart from academics the vision needs to be set towards popularizing science in near future. In many institutes and colleges the incorporation of research projects as part of the curriculum has generated zeal amongst the young generation towards research and science.

Scientist-Student Interaction (SSI)

In most of the cases the reach of students towards science and or scientist is limited. There is lack of knowledge amongst students about research hence dialogue needs to be established within the scientist-student community. In recent years the communication between this communities is possible by the means of interactive sessions and programme such as conferences, symposia, guest lectures or open forums.

But what is the life of this talk? Does the discussion ends within four walls of the conference room? What are the numbers benefited under these programme? What about the grassroots levels initiatives?

One of the initiatives in this respect is launch of science magazines. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of science-based magazines. Science magazines was previously more focused towards particular age group readers, it now attracts more diversified readers. To some extent the scientific magazines have proved to reduce the barriers. But how many of them afford to purchase or read these magazines?

Science Awareness Strategy (SAS)

Where do we place science, scientist or science educator? Do they always face a setback in terms of pecuniary? Are the science educators looking towards a change? What do students of science think of the long-term prospects of their career in science?

Honestly speaking science is still undoubtedly not so career dream for most of them. Therefore, science should be made more attractive and focused. The perspective of researchers towards the students must be more open. The life science societies and organizations are driven by their own disciplines. They are more focused towards the organizational aspects and need to co-ordinate their activities on issues like science education.

The state of science education in India is currently still critical as compared to rest of the world. The significance of science education should not be ignored. A collaborative effort of scientific and educational communities thus has become a need of an hour.

Source by Devendra Dusane

16 Jul

Participant Structures and Communicative Competence

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on July 16, 2023 @ 9:10 am

In her article, “Participant Structures and Communicative Competence: Warm Springs Children in Community and Classroom” Susan Philips described the disjuncture between verbal encounters in classrooms where young North American Indians get formally educated and in their native communities where they learn the particular skills their people deem necessary in their roles as members of the community. This disjuncture represents one of the major challenges being encountered in the primary and secondary education of North American Indians which have been widely reported in previous research and are well-known phenomena in the national education sector.

Specifically, Philips focused her study on the learning dynamics in Warm Springs Indian Reservation where some 1,500 descendants of the Warm Springs Sahaptin, Wasco, Chinook, and Paiute Indians who have began settling there in 1855, live. While originally from distinct tribes, these groups evolved into an almost homogenous community and came to share almost identical cultural backgrounds after more than a hundred years of sharing the same geographical home. Presently, these groups collectively call themselves the “tribe.”

In their efforts to improve the educational system in the reservation, the tribe encouraged the establishment of schools and scholarship programs. However, after many years of teaching Indian children using the standard methods implemented in US public schools, a clear trend has emerged, indicating that Indian students consistently perform poorly compared with non-Indian learners. Thoroughly examining this phenomenon, Philips demonstrates that there are pronounced differences between the social conditions that govern verbal discourses in classrooms and the conditions that allow Indian children to participate verbally in community activities, and that these differences in participant structures account for the poor educational performance of young Indian learners in Warm Springs.

Philips provided a comparative context for her study by making observations of all-Indian and non-Indian or white grammar school classes at first and sixth grade levels. Philips also considered Indian social conditions to determine how Indian children verbally participate during community gatherings. These are some of the participant structures Philips probed to show the disconnect between standard verbal communication dynamics in the classroom and the culturally charged verbal opportunities allowed or encouraged by the community. As demonstrated, this disconnect causes the communicative competence issues being reported on Indian learners.

The four participant structures Philips discussed in her article are 1) the teacher speaking to the group of students; 2) a student who has volunteered or has been asked by the teacher to speak in front of the class; 3) students working independently but each having access to the teacher for a one-on-one verbal engagement; and, 4) student groups controlled by the students themselves. Young Indian learners exhibit unusually high hesitance to participate in the first two participant structures while they strongly engage in verbal encounters in the third and fourth participant structures. Notably in all participant structures, Indian children refuse to assume leadership roles in verbal encounters.

Meantime, participant structures at home and in the community are radically different from those in schools. First, in Warm Springs community activities where children are allowed to participate, any member my verbally communicate in various ways. There are no distinctions between performer and audience because everyone can participate. Each community member is also allowed to decide how much she wants to participate. In these community activities, there is no single leader that controls the engagements unlike in classrooms where the teacher pretty much controls all the learning processes. On the other hand, community activities like dancing, singing, and drumming, require no soloists. This strongly reflects on speaking roles allowed by the community. Indian children also required or encouraged to observe adult interactions. Moreover, there is a marked absence of skill testing similar to quizzes, graded recitations, and exams being done in classrooms. In Warm Springs, learners conduct private self- tests to gauge their own proficiency with a given skill. Only when they are certain that they have developed sufficient skill will they publicly demonstrate what they have learned. Often, the demonstration is also nonverbal, such as a shot deer or a properly prepared dinner on the table. Lastly, use of speech is minimal in most participant structures in Indian communities.

These contextual differences account for the inappropriateness of western teaching models as applied in Native American contexts and will likely prolong historical inequalities if left unchanged and unresponsive to the cultural preferences of Native American learners.

Source by Joseph D Mapue

13 Jul

Teacher Education Philosophies

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on July 13, 2023 @ 9:08 am

It is important for every teacher to have a personal philosophy of teacher education based on a set of values and principles. It should reflect the person’s ideologies and philosophies of teaching and the overall development of the children. It becomes a crucial element in guiding the children towards a successful life.

The most famous and important people who contributed to the development of the world had personal, deeply insightful educational philosophies on their own. Albert Einstein, Paul Freire and Rudolf Steiner were some people who wrote and followed powerful educational philosophies in their careers.

John Dewey, one of the most prominent educational philosophers, in his book ‘Democracy and Education’, even devoted an entire chapter on teacher education philosophy and talks about various aspects that play a formative role in the education of children. Philosophies of teacher education can be classified as Liberal, Behaviorist, Progressive, Humanistic and Radical. Each of these has specific purposes in education and defines the role of a teacher and his relationship with the learner, in the unique perspective of particular philosophical contexts. The liberal philosophy aims at developing intellectual powers, while the behavioral ideologies focus on the survival skills of a human being and the role of education in teaching them. The Progressive philosophy motivates cultural development of an individual in order to bring about societal change, whereas the Humanistic trends look at the overall development of the personality and characteristics of an individual. And the radical philosophers are interested in beneficial changes that should happen in a society from time to time, and the role of education in bringing about political, social and economical changes.

Teacher education philosophy is now used as a major marketing strategy by teachers and has become an essential component of a teacher’s resume. This has evolved to become part of the teacher’s personal profile, which outlines all of his essential skill sets and unique qualities, and highlights his specialties.

Source by Damian Sofsian

10 Jul

Top 10 Study Tips For University Success

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on July 10, 2023 @ 9:04 am

While it may be true that not everyone learns in the most effective way by doing the same things, there are certain fundamentals that you can follow in order to virtually guarantee yourself academic success during your time at University. No matter what degree you take or what College you’re enrolled in, University classes are all structured in similar ways. Lectures, text book readings, assignments, projects, quizzes, midterm and final exams. Knowing the format of the class beforehand allows students to create a strategy that when implemented and stuck to, results in good grades and less stress. Here are our top 10 study habits you should try to implement into your strategy for academic success at University!

#10 – Take Extensive Notes

Probably the most tedious of our top 10, taking good notes is hard to do consistently. In our ADHD world, many students find it difficult to maintain their focus long enough to record the information given out during lectures. However, when it comes time to write a quiz/test/exam you’ll be glad you have that pile of notes to review and refresh your brain with. Taking good notes is in itself an act of learning, as one cannot write something down that doesn’t make sense on some level. This small act goes a long way in creating the foundation for a solid understanding of the material being covered. Taking notes also has the added bonus of keeping your brain occupied and awake by staving off restlessness and boredom. An excellent method I learned in my first year of Engineering was to scribble down everything that seemed useful in some manner, almost as if you were transcribing the lecture. Later that day, transfer and rewrite the notes into an understandable form in another notebook. This will cement the information into your mind, moving the material from your short term memory into your long term. Lastly, notes have become a source of income for many students as those who take excellent notes are often sought after by the lazier students who are willing to pay a premium for a great set of notes to study from. You will not only get good grades, but you will be getting paid to do so as well. If that’s not a win-win I don’t know what is!

#9 – Obtain Old Exams and Assignments

If possible, try to find exams and assignments from previous years to give yourself a good idea of what subject matter the instructors are most likely to test you on. They don’t have to have the answers to be useful and in fact for many students they are even more useful without because this way the student can attempt the exam/assignment as a check of their knowledge, identifying any weak areas that they should go back and re-study. Old exams and assignments are often made available through class websites, student union websites, or through College clubs or associations. One common tactic many students use for science classes with a lab section is to find a graded lab notebook from a previous year. Labs are notoriously difficult in terms of time constraints and for what’s expected from a student lab report. Having a format to follow along with is an incredible help and knowing where not to make mistakes is invaluable as well.

#8 – Begin Studying For Exams EARLY

Between academics and your social life, time is not something you’ll have lots of throughout your University career. But one thing you should always make time for is exam studying. There’s nothing worse than leaving all of your studying for the night before an important test or exam. The stress causes your brain to panic and when you panic, you won’t learn as well as you normally would. Studying a little bit each night during the week leading up to the exam will not only make you better prepared but it will remove most of the stress you’d have if you had left your studying for the last minute. Early exam studying allows a student to identify weak spots in their understanding and to prioritize their studying accordingly. Just imagine studying until the early morning of the day of your exam only to find you’ve completely ignored a section that you have little to no understanding in. Don’t let that happen by studying EARLY!

#7 – Use a Laptop During Class If Possible

If permitted, use a laptop for note-taking during your lectures. Most students can type faster than they can write so they will be able to record much more information than they normally would. If the classroom has WiFi you’ll have the added ability to research topics you’re unsure of during lulls or breaks in the lecture. If a professor uses a word you’ve never heard before, just alt-tab over to dictionary.com and look it up! Or, if the lecture is completely flying over your head, e-mail the professor from your seat and set up an appointment to discuss the day’s lecture. There are many uses for a laptop during class, I’ll let you imagine the other not-so-academic uses. Many students have grown up with a computer being a staple in their lives so it’s only natural to use it as a tool for learning as well. It’s an easy transition for your brain to go from Facebook to Powerpoint! If a laptop purchase is in your future, refer to our article for tips on choosing a budget laptop for students.

#6 – Use Your Time Wisely

In between classes as well as before and after school, there are many opportunities to sneak in some studying or homework that many students either don’t realize or just don’t use. I’ve known people who would study on the bus during the ride to and from school. I’ve also known people that would combine their time at the gym with their study time! Just bring your notes and instead of watching the TV’s and listening to your iPod, wear ear plugs and read your notes. You get a workout for your body and for your brain! Always keep your notes handy and try to use any spare time you have even for simple review to make sure you’re on top of the material. All of those small moments you fill with studying will really add up to a solid understanding and you’ll find that you require less studying when exam time arrives. That’s huge.

#5 – Get Your Questions Resolved ASAP!

University classes tend to operate with the “snowball effect” as the primary method for topic progression. That is, the information is cumulative and the last stuff you learned will be instrumental in understanding the next stuff! So anytime you don’t understand something or have a question about the subject matter, get your question answered as soon as you can. Whether by asking during or after class, through an e-mail or phone call to the prof, or even by asking a fellow student, you need to stay on top of the subject matter in order to be ready for the next stuff that’s coming. Don’t let the holes in your understanding be knowledge pits for the future!

#4 – Get To Know Some of Your Classmates

This one can be extremely difficult and stressful for many people these days. Meeting people is becoming increasingly difficult in a world of social stigmas and fears of disapproval. I’m not going to tell you how to meet people, just that when you do, the benefits will be immediately apparent. Having a buddy to sit with during class, having someone to lean on for notes from a lecture that you missed, being able to bounce questions and ideas off of somebody, and most importantly having someone to check your assignment answers with before you hand it in, are all spectacular reasons to swallow your nerves and start saying “Hi! My name is….” to the people in your class.

#3 – Explore Other Class Resources

Many class outlines will have “optional” reading listed along with the required textbook. This is often a HUGE opportunity for easy marks and guaranteed success in the particular class. Professors are humans just like me and you. Their job is to relay the required material and then test you on it. If they’re using the required textbook as reference for the learning part, where do you think they’re going to get the material for the testing part? If you said “the required textbook”, you’re wrong and you need to stop thinking like a high school student! Professors will often take test questions out of their favorite textbooks, resulting in quality assessments from a trusted source. Those favorite textbooks are often listed as optional reading material either on the class website or on the course outline. Also don’t forget the mighty Internet. YouTube is an insane resource for How-to’s, recorded lectures from other schools, and general knowledge videos on every subject matter imaginable. Use Wikipedia and Google as well to find extra(often better!) resources on whatever it is that you’re struggling with.

#2 – Pre-Read Lecture Material

I discovered this one by accident, even if it is, or should be common sense. One night I was bored. Really bored. I grabbed a text book for a class whose lecture I had the next morning and I began reading from the point we stopped at in the previous lecture. It was difficult to understand and took a lot of focus to push through it but the next day in class while listening to the Professor, it crystallized in my mind and was easy from then on. It had the added benefit of being committed to my long term memory giving me a greater and more thorough understanding of the material. It makes sense if you think about it, I was essentially learning the material twice. Once independently and once with the help of an expert. These combined into a solid understanding that I still possess to this day. Now I’d love to suggest that you do this for every class, every night. But we all know that isn’t reasonable so what I do suggest is that you use this technique for anything that you deem to be very difficult or abstract. That way you’ll have a great head start on understanding and mastering the hard stuff, leaving plenty of time for filling in the gaps with the easy stuff!

#1 – Go To Class!

While going to class sounds too simple to be our #1 most effective studying habit, it truly is and I’ll tell you why. Going to class not only keeps you disciplined and focused on what you’re at University to do, but it also lets you absorb the subject matter simply by sitting through the lectures. If you’re an auditory learner this is huge because just listening to the lectures will create an understanding that should be enough to pass the class in itself! If you’re a visual learner then watching the notes being written on the board or reading through the slides during the presentation will give you the necessary understanding to pass the class. Going to class also ensures you have the latest news on assignments, tests, quizzes, and exams straight from your Professor’s mouth. You don’t want to be that student that shows up for class once a week only to find there’s a scheduled test on that day! Simply going to your classes like you’re supposed to is much more powerful than most students realize. If you look at the nine tips before this you’ll see that most of them actually require this step as a pre-requisite so that should also be an indicator of how important it is to attend your classes without fail.

As a student who has both failed classes and received honors in classes I can definitely say that the above tips and techniques will work for you. Whether you use some or all of them is up to you, but just remember that University is an individual sport and you’ll only get out of it what you’re willing to put in! I hope you’ve found these tips useful and informative, good luck and stay classy!

Source by Jamie Storm