Tuesday, October 23, 2012

They Don't Teach You That in class...

Pre-algebra help on eduboard homework. I'm currently halfway through my third week of faculty and therefore the one issue that blows my mind every and each day is that the "mess". At no purpose in my teacher preparation program, or any of my 3 office semesters, or maybe my student teaching semester, did they ever mention what quantity paper traffic there's as a coach. I actually have piles upon piles of "things to read" and "worksheets to file" and even with a tantalum we won't appear to remain fixed. Daily new things area unit additional to my physical mailbox and my virtual mailbox, and the items that I produce, and the items that children leave on behalf of me. I mean seriously, why is there such a lot paper?

I discovered a dinky file system before the semester started reckoning that i might would like one thing to stay organized. It's like attempting to power my house with a potato. The matter is that my life is fully swing currently and that i haven't got the time to recreate my structure system in an exceedingly targeted, organized approach. I am scrambling to return up with one thing on the fly that may carry Maine through the remainder of the year.

Can we tend to please add room Organization a hundred and one to each teacher preparation program? Sheesh.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Recent Competition In The Education Industry Heats Up

The Education Industry in Australia is one of those quiet earners. Year on year we have seen improvements, but after incidents of last year, we have seen that our market can easily go away. Whether to learn English or more advanced studies, students have many other choices than Australia. With a low US dollar, countries like Canada and the USA are much more competitive on the international market and the next few years will see a heating up as countries like China do their best to keep students in their own country. What is Australia doing about it?
  • Visa process. The process of getting a student visa is still slow and a little complicated compared to some other countries, and a shake up is required. Although requirements for some countries such as India and China have been lowered, it is important that we see improvements in the actual process. The industry is currently waiting on government reports and recommendations on this issue that should be released in the middle of this year. Other countries such as the UK and New Zealand have much lower visa fees and also do not require students to have money in the bank for the whole course - requiring only to show they can support themselves for a year. This is a more realistic option.
  • Study type. Countries like Canada are targeting India with a broader and easily accessible trade and community courses. Australia has seen a decline in these types of students as a result. Australia saw a recent fall of around 10% in these types of English and trade studies. These can often be bigger money earners than marketing courses and other higher-end studies.
  • Bad press and losing India. The bad press in 2010 problems of Indian students being the target of racial hate and attacks has meant a real disaster for Australia. Applications have seriously plummeted. What is Australia going to do about this to make it more appealing again? The USA and Canada have capitalised on this right when their dollars are cheaper. Indian student numbers will be less than 50% of what they were.
  • Loss of fees and schools closing. Did you know that over 15 private colleges closed in 2010 and over 3000 students were affected - many of them losing their fees. In an industry where people are choosing a country, there is an obligation that must be met by the country to guarantee the welfare of the students. We are selling our country and not just its education.
  • Immediate effect. It must be understood that the drop in students coming to Australia has an immediate effect on many jobs and many lives in Australia. It is not just the economy that suffers. People who have invested their lives in the industry are having their lives shattered.
  • Pathway to permanent residency. There is always the issue that many students use it as a pathway to a residency visa. Is this not fair in itself? If people are investing many years of their life with substantial financial investment, and they have good qualifications, then why should they not be allowed to stay? We are living in an international world and the more diversified Australia becomes, the better off it will be. Australia needs to grow up and take a more international approach to the students and their future, just like Canada, the USA and Britain do.
If Australia does not make serious changes to its attitude we will continue to see other countries take advantage of the current situation further. We are at a crucial turning point. If it was another industry such as mining, it would be all over the news.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Political Correctness in Education Has Gone Too Far

There are lots of reasons why parents home school their kids. Some feel the schools aren't safe, and it's true some are not. Some parents worry about drugs, some worry about bullying. Yes, indeed, those can be factors. But the main reason home schooling exists is because many parents do not trust the public schools anymore. They don't trust the schools to teach their kids correctly, the right information, or do it in the way they would with integrity, decency, and honesty.
Political correctness in our schools is also a reason I hear when I interview home schooling parents, and interestingly enough, over the years I've talked to 100s all over America. But how bad is the PC world of education these days? Well, some parents get irate when explaining some of the stories and experiences they've encountered. And in listening to their critique, well, I cannot say I much blame them.
In fact, in a story I almost cannot believe which was printed in an E-School News article Titled; "White-washing of Literary Classics Paints Controversy" in the February 2011 edition there was an article where "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" was actually modified as to not offend black students. Yep, they modified Mark Twain's work. Can you imagine modifying a literary classic like that, and then having the kids read it without telling them it has been modified? Talk about lack of integrity! I am appalled.
But it brings me to another point, you ought to have your home-schooled children also read; "Lies My Teacher Told Me" as part of their at home curriculum as well. It just blows me away that we can have adults in our educational system pull something so childish. And if it really is "that bad" having a book with a black-slave in it, then just don't have them read it at all, but modifying it, changing anything is absolutely unethical in every way - but it's even worse, because the educational system which demands ethical students is doing it.
What does this teach our children I ask? Scary stuff indeed, but luckily the story was picked up by CNNs Anderson Cooper and played on TV to get the word out. Could it get any worse you wonder? Sure it could, especially when everyone plays along and no one stands up and says; "Hey, wait just one minute here!"
Well, I hope you've enjoyed today's topic, and I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

5 Key Points to Lead You to Currency Trading Success

If you want to win at forex trading, then you can it's a learned skill. That's the good news however 95% of traders lose and you must understand the following key points and make them part of your essential forex education. If you do, you will win...
Here are your key points, in no particular order of importance - there all important.
1. Forex Trading is NOT Easy!
Most traders just think they can buy $100 buck robot or get a mentor and someone will lead them to success. This is naïve and you know, if you want success at anything you need to work at the basics and do your homework.
Don't believe the sire fire systems or forex robots which never have a real track record, just a back tested simulation and keep in mind trading forward is what counts and that's hard.
Sure it's hard but that's why forex trading offers such huge rewards in terms of the effort you put in.
2. You are Responsible
If you accept you are responsible for your destiny, you will put in the effort to get the right forex education. You will learn a simple forex trading strategy which is robust, you understand and can have confidence in. If you have confidence then you will be able to acquire the next key trait.
3. Discipline is the Key
When you trade forex you are going to lose, the market is going to make you look a fool but that's life in forex and doesn't mean you can't win - you can.
What you must do is, have the discipline to apply you forex trading strategy through periods of losses, until you hit a home run. To win you must learn to lose gracefully in the short term and keep your eyes on the long term prize.
Many traders believe they can trade with little or no drawdown. They listen to the so called experts but the truth is - you will have to face weeks of losses at a time and discipline is needed in these periods, for you to emerge a winner.
4. You Need to Trade in Isolation
In society we are taught to agree with the crowd but in forex trading this leads to disaster, as 95% of traders lose money. You have to stay away from the herd and even when your emotions are telling you to conform, you need to stand aside. Get sucked into the herd mentality and you will end up with the 95% of losers.
5. Patience
Not only do you need patience to wait for the right opportunities, you also need patience to take your losses and more importantly, to run your profits.
Many traders get so excited when they have a profit, they move to soon to protect it or bank it; whereas if they hung on they could have made huge gains.
Becoming a Winner
If you want to become a winner in forex, you need all the above attributes and if you do achieve them, you will be on the way to currency trading success. They can lead you to a great second income or even a life changing one, in around 30 minutes a day.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Children and Music Education

Well let me tell you the good news....
Music lessons in childhood and particularly before the age of 7 can have a lasting effect on a child's development.
Here are some facts and figures:
1. Students in high-quality school music programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the school or school district.
2. Students in top-quality music programs scored 22% better in English and 20% better in math than students in deficient music programs.
3. Students in top-quality instrumental programs scored 19% higher in English than students in schools without a music program.
4. Students in top quality instrumental programs scored 17% higher in Math than children in schools without a music program.
5. Students at schools with excellent music programs had higher English and Math test scores across the country than students in schools with low-quality music programs.
6. Students in all regions with lower-quality instrumental programs scored higher in English and Math than students who had no music at all.
MENC (Music Educators National Conference) Journal of Research in Music Education, Winter 2006, vol. 54, No. 4, pgs. 293- 307; "Examination of Relationship between Participation in School Music Programs of Differing Quality and Standardized Test Results" Christopher M. Johnson and Jenny E. Memmott, University of Kansas
Students of the arts continue to outperform their non-arts peers on the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) according to reports by the College Entrance Examination Board.
In 2006, SAT takers with coursework/experience in music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal portion of the test and 43 points higher on the math portion than students with no coursework or experience in the arts.
Scores for those with coursework in music appreciation were 62 points higher on the verbal and 41 points higher on the math portion.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Can Your Kids Benefit From a Financial Education Video For Teens?

Everyone has seen on recent newscasts, the stories about homeowners in foreclosure who didn't take the time to read and comprehend completely, their loan contracts. Is it that simple? Why didn't they just sit down at a table for an hour and study it in full? The truth of the matter, is that even if they had tried, the majority of them wouldn't even be able comprehend them in full.
Its Only Going to Get Worse in the Future
Just try to read the three page fine print average credit card contract! Not only are the actual basic functions of today's financial contracts far more intricate and confusing but they are also loaded with new terms and phrases that make them impossible for the average person to comprehend. The bad news is that it is only going to get worse in the future, as new government regulations on financial and lending institutions are imposed.
Packed With Easy to Understand Information
Fortunately for today's parents there are financial education videos for teens that can be procured online. Will your teen watch and study one until he or she understands its content completely? Probably not, but these videos are so loaded with relevant material that they will come away with something lodged in their head that will find a use in their future.
Will Your Teen Be Ready for the Next Recession?
Even if all that they come away with, is a basic understanding of the roller coaster economic cycles that the U.S. economy has been going through since its beginnings, that will be a big step. It will mean that just maybe they will be prepared and ready for the next recession that will undoubtedly hit in another twelve years or so.
Prepare Your Teen Now
By then they will most likely have a home and family of their own and will be even less likely to take your advice. This means that now is the time to do what you can to prepare the hard-head for the future that is waiting for them with a financial education video for teens.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Stock Market Education

It would be almost impossible to make a comprehensive list of all of the ways television and movies have mislead us or oversimplified things when it comes to performing complex tasks over the years, but if such a list existed, investing would likely be at or near the top. In Hollywood, every stock transaction is done on a whim thanks to a red hot stock tip gotten from someone on the inside or someone's crazy uncle who can see into the future. In reality, hot stock tips to exist, but even the hottest ones are researched meticulously so that those involved don't lose their shirts. Researching stocks is a bit of an art form, however, the Internet has made doing most of the heavy lifting easy. Here are a few tips for the amateur stock researcher to follow.
If you are a smart investor than you have a full service stock broker on speed dial that you can speak with at any time. Before you make the final decision to buy a stock, it is always a good idea to tap into the huge knowledge base that your broker has at his or her disposal and see if this stock is all its cracked up to be. This is one of the major reasons why having a full service broker is better than using one of the online stock trading websites. With a full service broker, they can give you more information that the vital statistics associated with a particular stock. They will likely know about any sort of breaking news associated with that company and what the daily activity has been on that stock (are people buying or are people selling.) Most importantly, they can also give you information that only they are privy to that might or might not have been made public yet. The best research tool any investor can have is a good stock broker.
If you have made the decision to invest online on your own, there is still quite a bit of information available on the Internet. Many online stock trading websites not only deliver a huge amount of raw data to their users about how a stock has performed over the short and long term, but also how to read that data. They have dozens of graphs, charts and read outs that try to put the raw data into context. What these sites can't do, really, is interpret the data and tell you how all of that is likely going to affect the stock's future performance. Of course, this is speculation and not statistical analysis, but knowing how a stock has performed in the past doesn't really help you if your fortunes are going to be determined by what the stock does in the future. Research can only help give you some context on where the stock has been.
Finally, having a subscription to a daily newspaper like the Wall Street Journal, or at least an online subscription to their webpage, is an essential way you can do research, just bear in mind that there are millions of other people reading the same information and likely acting on the same trends you are. It isn't really possible to get a "hot stock tip" from the financial newspaper of record, but it can help you spot trends and news that can affect how the market is going to perform in the future.
Stock research is a vital part of any healthy investment strategy. However, having a plugged in stock broker on your side is the best research assistant possible.