Category: <span>Education</span>

5 Qualities of a Good Special Education Advocate

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on January 27, 2022 @ 8:47 pm

Are you the parent of a child with autism that is having a dispute with school personnel, and would like some help? Are you the parent of a child with a learning disability, or another type of disability, that could use an advocate to help you in getting an appropriate education for your child? This article will give you 5 qualities that make a good special education advocate

An advocate is a person that has received special training, that helps parents navigate the special education system. In some cases the advocate is a parent of a child themselves, but this is not always the case. Before you hire an advocate check on their experience, and also make sure that the advocate is familiar with your child’s disability, so that they are able to advocate effectively

Qualities:

1 A good advocate must be familiar with the federal and state education laws that apply to special education, and be willing to use them, when needed. This is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), State rules for special education (how they will comply with IDEA), and No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The advocate does not have to memorize the laws, but should have a basic knowledge of what is in them. The advocate must also be willing to bring up the laws, at IEP meetings, if this will benefit the child.

2. A good advocate should not make false promises to parents. If an advocate tells you. that they will get the services that you want for your child, be leery! Unfortunately, there are no guarantees in special education, and advocates should not promise things that they may not be able to get. An experienced advocate who knows the law and your school district, should have a sense about what can be accomplished.

3. A good advocate should be passionate about your child, and the educational services that they need. Advocacy sometimes takes a lot of time. If the person helping you is not passionate about your child, they may not be willing to help you for the length of time that it takes to get your child an appropriate education.

4. A good advocate must be willing to stand up to special education personnel, when they disagree with them, or when the school personnel tell a lie. If the advocate you pick, has every quality, but is not willing to stand up to school personnel, he or she will not be an effective advocate for your child.

5. A good advocate is detail oriented, and makes sure that any services promised by special education personnel, are put in writing. A good advocate will read the IEP before they leave the meeting, and bring up any changes that should be made. Sometimes the little details are what makes for success!

By keeping in mind these 5 qualities, you will be better equipped to finding an advocate that will be able to help you, get an appropriate education for your child.

Source by JoAnn Collins

24 Jan

10 Tips for Eliciting Extraordinary Efforts From Your Students

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on January 24, 2022 @ 8:46 pm

One of my “colleagues” got very angry with me one day (we taught courses that tended to share the same students). He said,

“Students don’t put out much effort in my class to get their assignments done because they say they have so much work to do for your class. You convince them that what you’re teaching is the most important!”

He continued to bluster for awhile longer (this wasn’t the first time he blustered at me).

It was a fascinating exchange (I did get to make a few comments). But I have never forgotten that experience because I have always believed that what I taught was the most important. Here are some questions that immediately come to mind that I think we all need to consider regarding our own teaching:

Didn’t he believe that what he taught was most important, too?
Why would you teach if you didn’t think that what you taught was important?
Why would you go to school long enough (and become poor enough in the process) to get a doctorate if you didn’t think that your discipline was important?

I did convince my students (not all, but most) to put forth extraordinary efforts. Even today, I see students who still tell me that they use ideas that they learned in my classes. Just this last weekend when I was at Costco, one of my former students was there and told me this – and she was one of my students nearly 20 years ago.

Here are ten tips for you to implement so you, too, can elicit extraordinary efforts from your students:

Make your assignments relevant. Explain and reinforce your sense of the assignments’ relevance. so that students know you have been thoughtful about what you are asking them to do.
Explain clearly what you want students to do. Don’t assume they understand or can “figure it out.” Help them understand.
Provide rubrics, when appropriate. If you aren’t familiar with rubrics, check online and with your college’s teaching & learning center.
Demonstrate that you care about the content you are teaching. Do this through your engagement, involvement, and commitment to what you do. Students sense whether you care of not – and it is more than just your words.
Put forth extraordinary effort yourself. Every day. Whether you are in class or not.
Have students from previous semesters provide written comments for incoming students. You can even have one semester’s students write letters, which are sealed, for the next semester’s students about how to succeed in your class.
Provide timely feedback to students. Regardless of whether they are turning in weekly assignments or large projects, get them graded and returned to students quickly.
Bring enthusiasm to the classroom about what you teach. Communicate passionately about why you ask students to work as hard as you do.
Recognize that sometimes, you were wrong about what you had laid out in the syllabus. This can easily happen the first time you teach a course. It takes you longer to teach something than you had thought or you realize that the timeline expectations you had were overambitious. Acknowledge it and adjust for students. Better to recognize it yourself than have students begging or grousing around.
Ask students for exemplars to use in future courses. Many students work well from models and just knowing what is possible is encouraging and challenging for many students.

Students actually want to do well. Ignite that desire in them and elicit excellence and extraordinary effort. It makes being a professor incredibly rewarding.

Source by Meggin McIntosh

21 Jan

The Three M’s of Stress Relief Tips

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on January 21, 2022 @ 8:42 pm

Many times we encounter an unusually heaver load of stress that we must carry in our lives. Perhaps it has to do with money circumstances, family or relationship problems or may be due to an illness or injury. Whatever the cause of the stress there are certainly some stress relief tips that can utilized in order to keep the stress levels under control and managed well enough that they no longer pose a problem to your everyday functioning.

We are all so quick to reach for the pills when we suffer a stressful period in our life, but reaching for a chemical remedy can prove more detrimental to ones health than affective. Many of the pills and anti depressants that are prescribed by doctors don’t actually allow the patient to manage stress, they simply mask the emotions associated with it.

Some effective stress relief tips would include the three M’s: Movement, Mental diversion and also Meditation. Movement is an effective way of asking the body to release the feel good endorphins that will have you mentally picked up in no time at all. A simple brisk walk, perhaps even swimming a few laps can help your stress levels immensely. Walking your dog can be a very effective stress reducer as it allows for physical exercise as well as the interaction between human and animal. This interaction has been proven to be beneficial in stress reduction.

Meditation and mental diversion can be achieved at the same time through the effective use of certain type of music. Music has long been associated to inducing brain activity for the listener. There is a genre of music that is able to pump subliminal sounds through to the brain and result in a very deep meditative state, which effectively causes relaxation and calmness. This is a very useful way to achieve relaxation and a simple option when seeking stress relief tips.

Source by Peter W. Hill

18 Jan

5 Tips to Form a Successful Study Group

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on January 18, 2022 @ 8:41 pm

Forming a study group is an excellent way to challenge yourself to learn new material. Have you ever heard that in order to teach about a subject, that you have to know it really well yourself? The same premise applies with study groups. Study groups are all about students teaching what they know to their peers.

1) Choose Carefully: Decide who would be a good fit for your study group before approaching them to join. You want a dedicated student who will pull their own weight within the group; don’t choose someone who is popular, but is a slacker about their work habits. Small groups work best, usually no more than six to eight members total.

2) Divide to Conquer: Decide on what material the group will cover in the next study session, and assign individual members to cover a section of the material. In this way, you just need to study an overview of the material, rather than study it all in depth, as it each section will be covered more in depth within the group. Have the person assigned to each section make notes for the other members of the group.

3) Challenge Each Other: Start each study session with a short review of the material covered in the last session. Have the student who covered the material in depth in the previous session make up a number of questions about the material for the others to answer. Use these questions to help you prepare for exams.

4) Stay on Topic: Try to stay on topic, and not let the study session deteriorate into critiquing your instructor’s gravy-stained tie, or the too-short skirt the most overweight female in the class was wearing yesterday. It might even help to designate a group member to keep everyone on task.

5) Meet Regularly: For the best results, meet with your group two or three times a week. Keep the sessions to 60 to 90 minutes time. Too long study sessions result in exhaustion for everyone involved, and reduces retention of material.

Good luck in forming your own study group. You’ll enjoy studying more when you can share the trials and tribulations of learning new material with others.

Source by Norma Rickman

15 Jan

Get Certified Data Science Training

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on January 15, 2022 @ 8:40 pm

With the global technological development, a lot of data is being processed each and every day. It has become ubiquitous and unsustainable for any Business Holder to keep it structured and track a resource. To overcome this major difficulty, Data Science – the fast expanding field, has been developed. Every field such as medicine, finance, media or manufacturing has huge sets of data. Therefore the need of data scientists’ skills is sought after everywhere, i.e. they are not bounded to one particular industry!

What do Data Scientists do?

Data Science is an amalgamation of mathematics, statistics, business understanding and programming skills. Therefore, Data Scientists are partly mathematicians, partly computer scientist and partly trend spotters. A Data Scientist helps companies interpret and manage data; deal with processes and systems and solve complex problems with a strong business sense. Their main roles include:

Collecting large sets of structured and unstructured data from various sources.
Determining the data sets and variables.
Ensuring validity, accuracy, uniformity of data.
Analyzing data to interpret trends and patterns.
Discovering solutions and opportunities.

Some of the prominent Data Scientist job titles are:

Analyst
Engineer/Mining
Administrator
The Machine Learning Engineer
Advanced Analytics Professional

Exploring Data Science:

The few courses, one needs to undergo to become a Data Scientist include Python, SQL, R, Blockchain, Statistical Analysis, Visualization, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Hadoop, Spark, Internet of Things (IoT), Six Sigma, Mind Mapping, to name a few.

If you have natural curiosity, creative and critical thinking, desire to search out the answers to unasked questions and realize the full potential of data, provided that these concepts of data science excite you, it is the perfect time to consider data science as a career option. The stats suggest that these skills are in high demand and transitioning careers in as little as 6 months of commitment.

A computer programming background, innovative business strategies and ability to communicate complex logics to non-technicians in an easy way are prerequisites to becoming a Data Scientist.

The perks of becoming a Data Scientist:

Data Scientists are in high demand with an offer of handsome salaries. Around 80% of companies focus on investing a large proportion of professionals who can analyze data effectively to prepare better strategies for the future. Data Science training is the pathway to getting hired in the top fortune companies, the Giants, such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google, PayPal, Facebook, Uber, Apple who constantly look for Data Experts. The role is to link the business and technical sides, identify the trends and strategize plans to increase their sales and profits. This field also offers freedom to work on the projects that matters/interests you. Across the globe, both large and small organizations, irrespective of the field, require Data handlers to interpret and analyze the data they create every single day.

Source by Shalini M

12 Jan

The Many Benefits of Learning Mandarin for Kids

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on January 12, 2022 @ 8:37 pm

Parents invest in sending their kids to attend Mandarin class because many believe that it is an important language of trade that will benefit their children’s career opportunities in the future. Economist Albert Saiz finds that native English speaker graduates who speak a second language, on average, earn 2 per cent more than those who don’t. Different foreign languages attract different language bonus – the more in demand a foreign language is, the higher the language bonus.

Knowing the language of our major trade partners is an asset. Graduates with foreign language skills will greatly improve their career opportunities at home and overseas. They would also improve their academic opportunities by having a chance to study at overseas educational institutions, an excellent experience to broaden their horizon and enrich their resume. Graduates with international experience are valued by employers. It’s not just people who work in international trade or diplomatic services who would reap benefits from having foreign language skills. Jim Rogers, a successful businessman, urges people to learn at least one Asian language because it will give them a competitive advantage. He himself sent his children to learn Mandarin at an early age to future-proof them.

The benefits of learning Mandarin for kids do not just lie in future opportunities. Studies support that children who are bilinguals or multilinguals are academically ahead of their peers. Learning a second language helps improve children’s academic performance, especially in English and Mathematics. According to a research, languages such as Chinese expresses mathematical concepts more clearly and thus making it easier for small children to learn maths. Children who learn Mandarin are also reported to perform better in identifying musical pitch and hence may perform better than their peers in building musical skills. This is not a surprise since Chinese is a tonal language. Learning the language will naturally train children to be able to identify the different tones. In essence, all the skills children are gaining through the process of learning a foreign language can transfer meaningfully to other areas in life.

Children who learn a foreign language are also shown to have better problem solving skills, creativity, and multitasking skills. This is not a surprise since children are required to think in a different way while learning to speak a foreign language. This mental training delivers multiple cognitive advantages to young learners, in addition to having advanced cross-cultural skills and linguistic skills.

Source by Amy James

09 Jan

20 Tips And Tricks To Teach Mathematics At The Primary Level

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on January 9, 2022 @ 8:36 pm

The primary Math education is a key determinant and I must say the very foundation of the computational and analytical abilities a student requires for a strong secondary education. It is the very base on which secondary education is built on. This is why it is mandatory that the teaching techniques and methods we employ as teachers and educators be of such rich quality that the development of a child with respect to his mathematical abilities be wholesome, practical and balanced.

Being a Math teacher is not easy. It is usually the favourite of a few and the nemesis of many. It has been observed that children mostly try to escape doing Math work. While there is a section of students who absolutely love mathematics enough to pursue a career in it, many students live in fear of it. Today we are going to give our teachers some helpful tips and tricks to make teaching math an enjoyable and interesting experience not only for the kids.

20 Tips and Tricks to Teach Mathematics at the Primary Level

Ambience plays a very significant role. It is your responsibility to see that a classroom is properly ventilated with ambient light.
Ensure that Mathematics class is neither before lunch break (when children concentrate more on the Tiffin than studies) nor the last period where students wait more for the bell to ring (not to mention start feeling sleepy!) Keep Math class when the children are active and fresh.
Cultivate the students’ interest in Mathematics by letting them know about the power, structure and scope of the subject.
Hold the students’ attentions from the get go! Introduce the topics with some fun facts, figures or interesting trivia
Chalk out the lesson plan effectively keeping time and content allotment in mind
Use audio and visual aids wherever possible
Draw on the board if required (especially, lessons like geometry, shapes and symmetry)
Call students to work on the blackboard (engagement of every child is necessary and not just a select few!)
Ask for a student’s opinions and thoughts on concepts and mathematical ideas.
Give them time to discuss important concepts and study the text of the chapter too before taking on the problems themselves.
Teach more than one way or approach to solve a problem.
Give regular homework exercises making sure that the questions are a mixed batch of easy, medium and difficult) Children should not feel hopeless. Easy problem questions evoke interest.
Reward them! Whenever students perform well, be generous and offer them an incentive to continue working harder.
Let children enjoy Mathematics and not fear it.
Instill in them the practice to do mental math.
Also, never give a lot of homework. Children are already burdened with assignments to work at home in almost all school subjects, it is thus your duty to make sure that the homework you delegate to them is fair sized or little. (This trick will inculcate in them the motivation to complete math homework first)
Present challenging questions to students so as to develop their analytical and deduction abilities
Keep taking regular tests to cement knowledge.
Teach at a consistent pace. Do not rush with any topic. Before proceeding, be confident that the students are clear with the prior topics.
Play games to create a fun filled classroom teach and learning experience.

Source by Paul Genee

06 Jan

10 Interactive Science Education Websites For Grades K-12

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on January 6, 2022 @ 8:34 pm

As science teachers prepare to go back to school for the next school year, some have already returned, they are always searching for good online resources to supplement their lessons. It is always nice when someone helps them by previewing science websites and make recommendations.

The best science education websites are interactive, allowing students to make changes to or manipulate variables to observe what happens and share with others. This falls within the boundaries of inquiry-based teaching and learning. Students are developing their own experiments, observing the results, and reporting their findings.

The following websites have been previewed and meet the criteria of interactive and inquiry-based:

FOSS Web – is designed to support Full Option Science System (FOSS) Science K-8 science kits, but anyone can use the interactive activities for grades K – 8.

Volcano Cams – provides real-time views of volcanoes around the world. Students can observe volcanoes and develop their own experiments using these virtual cams for grades 5 – 12.

Explore eLearning – provides simulators for all science concept areas for grades 3 – 12.

Real-time Stream Flow Data across the Nation – by the US Geological Survey (USGS) provides real-time data typically are recorded at 15- to 60-minte intervals and transmitted to the U.S. Geological Survey offices every four hours. Data can be selected by state and county for grades 8 – 12.

Real-time Water Quality Data across the Nation-by the US Geological Survey (USGS) provides real-time water quality data are returned directly field instruments. Data are updated at five minute to one-hour intervals. Data can be selected by state and county for grades 8 -12.

Design a Roller Coaster – allows students to design their own roller coaster. They are building a conceptual coaster using the same physics concepts that are used to design real coasters for grades 6 – 12.

Human Anatomy Online – allows students to explore the Human Anatomy. Each topic has animations, 100’s of graphics, and thousands of descriptive links, for grades 4 – 12.

Earth and Atmospheric Kids Crossing – allows students explore water, atmosphere, and weather for grades 3 – 8.

Recycle City – lets students explore plenty of ways to see how a city’s residents recycle, reduce, and reuse waste for grades 3 – 8.

MBG Net – allows students to explore Biomes, Freshwater Systems, and Marine Systems of the World for grades 6 – 12.

Source by David Wetzel

03 Jan

Grading System in Indian Schools

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on January 3, 2022 @ 8:33 pm

The Indian education system has taken a step forward towards reviving the education system with the introduction of grading system in session 2009-10. It will help in reducing the pressure on students during exams. In the last five years the meaning of education has changed for students from imbibing knowledge to merely scoring marks, resulting in myriad forms of education policies.

As per reports, every day more than 17 students aged between 15-25 years commit suicide in India due to non-performance in the examination or an entrance test. Watching young children of the country succumbing to the undue pressure of scoring high marks is horrifying. One of the points to note here is the thinking of the society, which puts lot of pressure on students to ‘to perform’.

This pressure from schools, parents, peer groups and society takes away the youthfulness of a child. Further, a health report also supports that this often causes health hazard such as fatigue, body aches, eye weakness, stress and in more severe cases, depression (neurotic/psychotic.) Looking at today’s education scenario, the Central Board of Senior Education has introduced educational counselors and child psychologists in schools to boost the confidence of young students and mentally prepare them for the board examination. This method has helped in reducing the stress and making them comfortable with the examination.

Understanding the board exam system in India and its relation with students is of great importance in present times. While coping with the expectations of school, parents and society and keeping pace with their talent, students face a lot of hardships. Thus, the implementation of a grading system and abolition of board exams is really a boon for students.

Adoption of grading system in India, the grading system was introduced in 2008-09 from class I-VIII, reducing the exam stress. Extending the concept to class IX and X has further reduced the pressure, giving students an opportunity to explore other avenues. Following the US model, the implementation of the grading system is to bring in more practical education than the current theoretical method. This model prescribes a varied range of opportunities, providing children of all levels a platform to showcase their talent and pursue their interests traditionally; class XI students were given subjects as per marks scored in Class X. This system often disappointed students if they scored low. Moreover, if a student didn’t get the required percentage due to poor scoring in one subject, then the entire percentage gets affected. The grading system will give students relief. It will provide ample opportunities to students to excel in their choice filed.

Its implementation will help an average student to cope with the stress though leaving a lot of toppers to question it. Students will be evaluated on a 9-point grading system, which will diminish the difference between a student scoring 99% and one scoring 91%. Both students will get the A+ grade. To make the grading system a success, parents and teachers need to acknowledge children’s special assets and encourage them pursue their interest.

The grading system by HRD minister – Kapil Sibal has brought in a new wave of transformation in the Indian education system. He put India up on the ladder of the global education system. The HRD minister commenting on the system said that it would provide a standardization of excellence at the school level.

Source by Amanpreet Singh

31 Dec

A Students Prelude to Management and Computer Science

Posted in Education by anshbookstore on December 31, 2021 @ 8:32 pm

A friend of mine said, “I’ve visited your web sites, viewed your articles, and took a look at your background.” It’s apparent to me, you do not have a background in Information Technology (Computer Science) or Business Intelligence as a field of study acknowledging Computer Science.’

I wondered, does one have to have a background in IT or BI to qualify as a professional in the industry; or does it take a simple interest?

AutoCad, C Language, Visual Basic, Power Point, Java Script, Excel, Access, Cobol, Word (Microsoft Suite), Data Entry/Processing, DOS, Fortran, Lotus Notes, Management Information Systems, HTML, and Management cover a broad spectrum within the beginning or preparation in the world of IT / BI. The eclectic value of the specialization in one or more of this study group is the mastery and/or understanding of all.

About a week ago, I was contacted, recruited, and enrolled in a four-year college program. The recruiter was adept at what she was doing and I went along with the schedule as presented. I continually asked, “How am I going to pay for these college courses?” When the prepared documentation was submitted for the finalization process, it all came down to dollars and cents. The financial aid person finally made contact with me assuming that I was a prime candidate for the ‘Stafford Loan!’ This is a general education loan designed for students to enroll in a given college. I explained to the administrator that I am without money, have no wish to establish a loan (for anything), unemployed, and not to mention…my age is also a factor. With the ability to complete the required studies, I would be done in less than a year. I have three years of accredited college courses with an Associate Degree. I estimated that I would be paying off on a student loan for more than a few years, if I landed a job. I will soon be sixty years of age. Burdened with an educational loan that would probably be on my plate well after I’m sixty-five, I asked the recruiter and financial aid worker, “Do you really believe that I would take out a loan for an extravagant amount of money in the hopes that I would get hired…at my age?” Even if I were to start up a new business, a loan would be a bit risky…improbable. It would have been a good thing if I were able to get back into the classroom.

Whatever happened to the H1-B Program, The NAFTA Treaty, or the “Financial Hardship” Claus with the “Obama Letter” and/or ex-workers that are forced into the utilization/awarding of UC Benefits?

I was promptly dropped from the student roles by the four-year college.

Meanwhile, I am offering data that may help anyone who is interested in the pursuit of computer science knowledge. Should you be attempting to enroll in computer science and management courses, this information will give you a leg up on what is entailed in this multi-faceted field of study. Many schools will teach these courses as pre-requisite(s) to advanced courses in a four-year college. Even if you are not enrolled or intending to enroll in school but only interested in how it all works, the limited amount of information that is detailed in this message will probably aid you in your preparation and/or research.

The outlined courses are:

COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language):

COBOL was first released in the 1960s as a joint venture of industry, universities, and the United States Government. COBOL’s purpose was to provide a high-level computer programming language for the business world. COBOL directly addresses the basic needs of information processing while being easy to use as well. (Take a look at SQL).

COBOL, BASIC, C, JAVA, and PASCAL are examples of high-end level computer language(s). A low-level language is a programming language requiring knowledge of a computers’ internal components…that are non-transferable.

Auto Cad (Computer Assisted Design):

2D (Dimensional) drafting tasks, allow you to get acquainted with computer assisted designing. Auto Cad is designed to assist you in the creation of landscape plans, including setting up layers, adding text and dimensions while making modifications. You can create electrical diagrams using symbols and attributes.

You are taught how to extract the attributes into an Excel Spreadsheet Program. Boolean operations and modeling construct and analyze complex 2D shapes and images for isometric drafting, a method for simulating 3D drawings and Lt drawings. Explaining the use of Auto Cad, one can learn to embed DWF (Drawing Web format) files in web pages. An overview of Auto Cad and progressive projects teaches you how to create drawing projects, landscape plans, and/or electrical schematics. The Internet related topics include direct access to particular web sites, opening and saving, drawings on the web, and embedding DWF files in a web page,

C Language:

The available text on C Language enables the student to be taught both a rational approach to program development and an introduction to ANSI C. Because the first goal is primary, a disciplined approach to solving problems and applying widely accepted software engineering methods to design program solutions as cohesive, readable, and reusable modules. ANSI C (American National Standards Institute), is a standardized, industrial-strength programming language known for its power and portability. C Language helps the student consolidate their understanding of pointers as arrays, output parameters, and file accesses. Just prior to their exploration of the role of the pointer in dynamic memory allocation.

C Language is widely perceived as a language to be tackled only after one has learned the fundamental of programming in some other friendlier language. Designers as a vehicle for programming the UNIX operating system, C Language found its original clientele among programmers who understood the complexities of the operating system and the underlying machine concepts that are not in the syllabus of a standard introductory programming course. C Language is for computer science majors and/or students of a wide range of other IT/BI disciplines.

Visual Basic:

The easiest and fastest way to write 32-Bit Windows-Based programs is the Microsoft Visual Basic Programming System. One can learn to work with ActiveX controls, compiler options, and new development tools. You can master programming fundamentals, including variables, decision structures, loops, and functions. Creating custom dialog boxes, clocks, menus, animation effects, managing text files, encryption, and sorting algorithms are learned through the utilization of Visual Basic Programming. VB also adds dimension and automation to integrate Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook, and other features into an application. Other examples of the integrational power of Visual Basic include the ability to explore ActiveX controls that process RTF (Rich Text Format), run videos, display progress information, and play audio compact discs (CDs). You can also call the memory management function in the Windows API (Application Program Interface), download FTP (File Transfer Protocol), and HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) files from the Internet and design DHTML (Dynamic Hyper Text Markup Language) pages, exploit ActiveX data objects (ADO) with learned skills from Visual Basic.

Power Point:

Power Point is a computer presentation graphics package. It gives you everything you need to produce a professional-looking presentation, i.e., word processing, outlining, drawing, graphing, and presentation management tools. A formal presentation to a large audience using 35mm slides of a more intimate presentation in a small conference room using overhead monitors, and/or an email presentation – Power Point has it all! The user is empowered with an outline to help organize his/her thoughts, an on-screen slide show with special effects such as animated bullet points, speakers notes, and audience hand-outs. Users of Power Point create color schemes, masters, and templates…there are ways to create the look you want for your presentation.

Java Script:

It is supposedly easy according to some Java Script authors. To start a simple script that makes cool things happen on your web page…in addition to more complicated stuff, as you need it.

Because the web is a dynamic medium, page designers want their pages to interact with the user. It soon became obvious that HTML was insufficient to handle the demand. Java Script was invented by Netscape to control the web browser, and add pizzazz and interactivity to your web pages.

Excel:

Objectives – to reach the fundamentals of Microsoft Excel, to expose students to examples of the computer as a useful tool, to develop an exercise – oriented approach that will allow students to learn by example and to encourage independent study. Students are introduced to Excel terminology, the excel window, and basic characteristics of a worksheet and workbook. The applications include entering text, numbers, selecting a range using the auto sum button, copying using the fill handle, changing font size, bolding, centering across columns and rows (columns and fields), the auto format command, charting using the chart wizard, and the auto calculate area through-out the grid of columns and rows of the Excel spreadsheet. Any form of accounting, be it business, personal, or otherwise, Excel is a must study program for recording, charting, and analytics.

Access:

Microsoft Access includes two tools that provide assistance in helping to refine the design on an Access database. The GUI (Graphic User Interface) Development Environment of Microsoft Access, with menu commands, tool bars, buttons, tool tips, examples and help screens make development easier. Sound, quality relational database design and development requires considerable knowledge and expertise, no matter what the platform. Access, a Relational Data Base Management System, has the ability to manage data files from a single database. A must study course for any and all Data Base Administration, Business Administration, Secretarial Administration, and Computer Science students.

Word (CMOU – Certified Microsoft Office User):

Creating and Editing word documents; Wizards and Templates to create a Cover letter and Resume; creating a Research Paper with a Table; creating Web Pages; creating a document with a Title Page and Tables; generating Form Letters, Mailing Labels, and Envelopes; creating a Professional Newsletter, and using Word Art to add Special Text Effects to a Word document.

DOS (Direct Operating System):

Before Windows, there was DOS. With just a few mouse clicks, any Windows PC can revert to the original “Disk Operating System.” Under DOS, all program files are named with either a COM, and EXE, or a BAT ending (called a filename extension). The DIR (Directory) Command is used to find files by name as well as to locate files in other Sub Directories on a disk. The output of the DIR command shows a list of files on a disk. The list has five columns: the file’s name, the file’s extension (part of the name), the file’s size (in bytes or characters), the date the file was created or last modified, and the time of the last modification (changes).

Lotus Notes:

Lotus Notes is a Document-Centric Database Management System. Lotus Notes is a Cross-Platform, Secure, Distributed Document-Oriented Database, Messaging Framework and Rapid Application Development Environment that includes Per-Built Applications. Lotus Notes is an Integrated Desktop Client Option for accessing business email, and Groupware System. Lotus Notes operates as the Client Side of a Client – Server Application.

Fortran (A Scientific Language):

Formula Translation – was designed to allow easy translation of math formulas into code of High-End Language. Fortran was designed n the 1950s. It used the first compiler (A program that translates source code into object code) ever developed. Fortran was designed to be a programming language that would be suitable for a wide variety of applications while being easy to learn

Fortran expresses mathematical functions as it permits severely complex mathematical functions to be expressed similarly to regular algebraic notations.

RDBMS (Relational Database Management Systems):

RDBMS was designed for the business organization. It requires extremely careful planning, setting up and maintenance. A database is a collection of information that’s related to a particular subject or purpose, such as tracking customer orders or maintaining a music collection. If your database isn’t stored on a computer, or only parts of it are, you may be tracking information from a variety of sources that you have to coordinate or organize yourself. Access can manage all or your information from a single database file, within the file, divide your data into separate storage containers called tables; view, add, and update by using forms; find and retrieve just the data you want by using queries; and analyze or print data in specific layout by using reports. RDBMS Systems allow users to view, update, or analyze the database’s data from multiple locations. When the data is updated, it is automatically updated everywhere it appears.

Information Management Systems (M.I.S.):

MIS combines tech with business to get users the information they need to do their jobs Better Smarter and Faster. MIS Systems are planned systems of the collecting, processing, storing, and disseminating data in the form of information that is needed to carry out the functions of management. The system(s) consist of people, equipment, and procedures to gather, sort, analyze, evaluate, and distribute needed, timely, and accurate information to decision makers – “The Right Information to the Right People At The Right Time!”

MIS is actually Information Technology Management and arguably not considered to be computer science. Armed with this information, the contingent, aspiring, Computer Science, Business Administration, Secretarial Sciences, Computer Hardware (A plus), and Accounting Student(s) will be prepared to face the challenges the IT/BI industry and the respective colleges have to dish out.

My friend and other cynics have caused me to wonder after comments were made. I wondered, what does it take…what form of study qualifies as a computer science student with a major in IT/BI? Well, I’ve studied all of the aforementioned programs and/or courses with an acceptable level of understanding, study, utilization, and practice…not to mention all of the other technological software/programs, articles, periodical reports, and white-papers involved in the learning process? Is it due to my background and experience in the Transportation / Hospitality / Customer Service Industry for a good many years? Or was it in fact… IT/BI Study/Research was secondary? “One Never Knows…Do One?”

What would it take to qualify as having a background in the field of “IT/BI – Computer Science” after studying all of those courses?

The point is…GAINED KNOWLEDGE!

Til next time…

Gregory V. Boulware

Source by Gregory V. Boulware