Thursday, August 16, 2012

Speech and writing are related


There are so many kinds of problems that people usually have to face when they are about to give speech in front of a lot of people. If this is your first time to give speech, you will need to create writing guidelines for the speech that you are about to do. Speech, in my opinion, is a spoken form of writing. Thus, if you write it correctly, you will be able to do the speech correctly. However, it seems that writing is seen to be one of hardest skills in a language because it will deal with a lot of things such as grammar and organization. Moreover, if you change your writing into speaking, you will also face the other troubles such clarity and fluency. Thankfully, based on what I have seen in so many cases, the amount of problems in clarity and fluency in speaking can be reduced if the speaker prepares the writing from of the speech before he or she has to give speech. Thus, I think it is important for us to write the speech before we go to the podium. So, how to write a good speech?
The thing on how to write a speechthat you need to remember is that you need to focus on the grammar, diction, and organization of words, sentences, and also paragraph. First of all, let us talk about the grammar. As an English speaking person, I know that you have mastered your English grammar. However, even though a native speaker of English can face some slips in the grammar. Thus, when writing a speech, you might need to have someone who will help you to check the grammar. Next, the diction will deal the choice of words. Last, the organization is how you put every word, every sentence, and every paragraph related and chained together.  

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Online Tutors For Your Learning Success


At http://eduboard.com/, we can find professional online tutors. The tutors will help us to learn specific subjects. Sometimes, our difficulties are just specific so we need tutors who can find out our difficulties and teach us on how to get rid of the difficulties. Nowadays, we can find online tutors who teach us with one-to-one tutoring approach. So, we will be taught properly and easily find out our difficulties of particular subjects. Therefore, online tutors can indeed help us achieving the learning success.
When you find difficulties in your assignment or homework, the tutors will be ready to support you twenty four hours a day. We can save time and energy to finish our assignments because of the advancement of technology that allows us to keep learning and tutoring via internet. In addition, there are smart whiteboard technologies which are very efficient to support the learning process. All of the tutors are the ones who have been experienced in their field. There is one-to-one session which can enhance us to understand the most difficult subject. In short, by having assistance such as online tutors in our learning process, we can be surely reaping a learning success in a very short time.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Types of car insurance


Are you confused about which one to choose when it comes to choosing insurance for your vehicles? Many people indeed want to have full coverage with high quality, yet the price is also affordable for them. Well, there is already an answer to your dilemma because you can easily look for car insurance that gives such good facilities through the internet. You can access the comparing site that have adequate information that can be very useful in helping you find the best insurance for you and your beloved. You can also compare the packages of insurance that are available to be chosen.


You can also find various types of insurance facilities offered by different providers through one of so many sites that give this kind of services. The very first type of insurance coverage is comprehension coverage. This insurance will give financial help in any cases that are not resulted from collision or accidents. This type will cover any loss you get from theft, vandalism, and some other events, except car crash. The second type is liability coverage. This type is considered the bare minimum coverage of vehicle insurance, which is available in every state. It can be said that the services provided are default settings.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Lifeinsurancerates.com Helps You to Find the Best Life Insurance


            There are a lot of life insurance companies that offer various kinds of life insurance to you these days. That is why you have to be very careful in choosing the best one. Thus, you are suggested to find some kind of life insurance quotes. This is used to help you to find the best life insurance that will suit to your need and your interest. Life insurance quotes will present some goodness of some life insurance available, and what they could serve you. That is why with life insurance quotes, your seeking of the best life insurance will be very easy and quick then.
      One of the best places that you can choose to find the best life insurance quotes is lifeinsurancerates.com. This site will provide you with detailed and complete information about some life insurance services available these days. Some of life insurance services that are reviewed here are Whole Life Insurance, Term Life Insurance, Universal Life, Survivorship Life insurance. These kinds of insurances have been reviewed and rated in details, so that you will be able to choose one of them much easier than before. Based on the information given, you, then, are able to compare the price and the serve you can get, so that you can get the best recommendation. Interested?

Online Payday Loans for People with Bad Credit History


           Among many types of loans, online payday loans have their own clients who always need their help. One question may come to our mind that what make this type of loan still needed by many people? It is due to the easiness in obtaining the loans without requiring you to bring about your credit records and it does not any collateral at all. People who have bad credit or history record still able to apply for payday loans for this type of loan are especially made for them. Moreover, people who have bad credit record or history usually have been refused by banks and other financial institutions for aside from having bad credit record the also do not have any collateral for the bank.
            Furthermore, people can obtain cash in payday loan for their urgent needs such as paying tuition for their children or paying medical expenses in which those payments cannot be cancelled and should be fulfilled completely. Then, the process of getting online payday loan is simple and easy. It does not take much time for you just need to fulfill the form in payday loan site and submit it directly after you finish the completion. After your application form is approved you will be transferred the cash as you want in your bank account. 

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Technology In The Classroom

In the field of technology, the word disruptive is used for a technology or innovation that brings about a radical change in the way a sector functions by introducing efficiency, affordability and convenience. The technology revolution in the business sector is represented by the extensive use of smarter phones or web conferencing in American offices. However, the impact of disruptive technology on the education sector is much higher. A wave of smart classes and e-learning has transformed the way education is delivered and pursued, today.
The presence of technology in classrooms makes the student an active learner instead of a passive one. The education system becomes more student-centric. The student can choose, manipulate and generate what he wants to study and how. The student himself creates the learning environment and the mode of obtaining lessons. E-learning has made the education system more convenient and flexible. The student can learn through his own choice of platform. The role of the teacher also changes as he is no more the sole source of knowledge. He transforms into a mentor and is responsible for providing guidelines and resources to the students.
This system increases the self esteem and motivation levels of a student as he becomes an active participator in the whole learning process. It is known that a student learns more by hearing and visualizing than merely reading. The use of activity based audio visuals in the classrooms generates more interest in the lesson being taught. E-learning portals make education available to those students who did not have access to it before. Different courses and methods are being accessed by students of all age groups at their own choice of time and place. It makes the whole education system more dynamic and learner friendly.
One of the challenges the system is facing is that its standard testing model is not adaptive to children's varied speed and ways of learning. Some students respond to the audio visual faster while for others the response time is comparatively slow. However, the challenge can be transformed into an opportunity by the teachers. The teachers can use the traditional ways of teaching for regular teaching. The K-12 e-classroom methods can be brought into use simultaneously, depending on the different learning capacity of the students for example, to improve the performance of the weaker students.
The use of technology in classroom encourages creative and out of the box thinking in students, as it presents the monotonous lessons in a very interesting and innovative manner. The process intrigues and stimulates the students. Activity and project based learning is appreciated and encouraged. American Universities were once considered the best in the world but are now striving to catch up on cost effectiveness with their global peers while delivering through the K-12 system.
The concept of smart class and elearning is a revolution in itself, making the education system of the country dynamic, efficient, student-centric and flexible. There are certain challenges, which are being dealt with and would soon be overcome with the introduction of newer technology, techniques and processes.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Portable Appliance Testing Training for Checking Safety of Electrical Equipments

Portable appliance is a procedure for assessing the safety of electric appliances. The in-service testing of the electric equipments is necessary for assuring the safety of employees. The portable testing training courses are designed to create testers competent in inspecting and testing electrical equipments.
Importance of Portable Appliance training
It is estimated that a quarter of all electrical accidents are linked to portable electrical equipments. Most of these unfortunate incidents can be averted by inspecting the appliances at regular intervals. According to the Electricity at Work Regulation law, only a person who has received formal training in portable testing can inspect the electrical installations in public and private buildings.
Features of Portable Appliance training courses
A highly rated Portable Testing training program complies with the latest Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) code of practice. The training course includes identification of different types of electrical equipments and the different routes through which electrical appliances are damaged. Learning the different test procedures and the right use of the testing instruments are the most important components of the Portable Appliance training courses. In addition, the participants in the course are trained in visual inspection and record keeping. No prior educational qualification or knowledge of testing electrical equipments is required for joining the Portable Appliance training courses.The highly rated PAT training courses give equal emphasis on the theories and practices of PAT testing.
Different areas of Portable Testing
After completing a Portable Appliance training course, you can join a company that specializes in Portable Testing. These companies are engaged by businesses to inspect and test the electrical equipments. However, to save the cost of hiring an external company for assessing the safety of the electrical appliances, nowadays a large number of businesses are creating their own in-house workforce trained in Portable Appliance.
The main duty of the in-house staff trained in Portable Testing is to ensure that all the electrical equipments in an organization are safe and secure. A person who has participated in a Portable Appliance training course can undertake regular visual inspections of electrical equipments in an office or factory. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), almost 90 percent faults in electrical appliances can be identified through this process. However, for enhancing the overall safety of electrical equipments, visual inspections should be followed by Portable Testing. While testing the appliance, the tester should check the insulation of the appliance and cables, polarity of the wiring and the earthing system.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Etiquette for the Massage Therapist

Massage therapy is somewhat intimate as far as natural healing modalities go. Unfortunately, there is no way around this fact. The environment may be professional, but because this is such a hands-on occupation, some uncomfortable or embarrassing situations may arise.
It is the job of the Massage Therapist to create a relaxing, safe environment and a gratifying experience for the client. It is up to the client to express their wants or needs in a professional manner so that the practitioner can provide their service in a comfortable manner.
Maintaining Boundaries
Clients have a multitude of reasons for getting a massage. Many are looking to relieve stress and relax. Others receive regular massages to keep their body healthy, improve their range of motion and enhance blood circulation. Regardless of their reasoning, a massage therapist must respect the client's boundaries. They must also make their own boundaries clear to the client.
While therapeutic massages are a naturally sensual experience, they are not meant to be sexual in any way. Whether the client is female or male, the therapist is required to address any sexually aggressive or suggestive comments in a professional way. The client must understand that such requests are inappropriate. At the same time, a practitioner cannot assume that certain body parts can be touched. They must be certain the client is comfortable throughout the massage.
It is absolutely inappropriate to touch the genital area during the massage session. Clients should not expect the therapist to touch them in a sexual manner and the therapist should not be touching the client in a sexual manner. Not only would this present ethical and legal issues, but it also destroys the trust between the client and therapist.
Seasoned massage therapists understand how to avert any uncomfortable sexual advances made by a client. A delicate warning is typically all that is needed to get the point across. However, the therapist should never be afraid to make the point known with a more aggressive warning or shutting down the session altogether. A client who is being inappropriately touched should also make their concerns known. Sometimes the contact is accidental. In this case, the therapist should apologize and acknowledge the client's discomfort.
Is Clothing Really Optional?
A client should feel comfortable during their massage. The amount of clothing worn is typically dependent upon the type of massage the client is getting. It is not uncommon for those receiving a full body massage to be completely undressed. However, this is not a requirement. Clients can certainly wear briefs or panties during the session. It is all about making the client feel at ease. Whether they choose to wear clothes or not, a massage therapist will cover the client so that only the areas being worked on are revealed.
The Relationship Between the Client and Massage Therapist
The very nature of a massage is intimate. The client will give permission for such an intimate experience should the therapist remain professional. However, the therapist also relies on the trust of the client. A relationship between two parties is formed, even if it is just a professional one. It is important that both parties respect each other's boundaries so that the session can be carried out in an appropriate and comfortable manner.
Remaining Professional
Providing others with the healing power of massage therapy is an ancient and respectable profession. As more benefits of massage therapy come to light, people are becoming more accepting of the practice as a way to maintain optimal health. Well-trained, experienced and ethical massage therapists will always provide their clients with a comfortable and professional experience they both can enjoy.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Why Is It Important To Teach Functional Skills To The Special Needs Student?

Functional Skills are essentially the skills we use each and every day as we go about living our lives. Consider that the more Functional Skills/Life Skills learned by individuals with special needs the greater the level of their independence.
Functional Skills include:
* Getting dressed
* Cooking
* Cleaning
* Laundry
* Shopping
* Money skills
* Getting around the community
* Specific work skills
* Social skills
For most of us, learning Functional Skills came easily, but for individuals/students who have special needs (sometimes the term cognitively disabled may be used) learning these skills can be a challenge.
Special Needs students need to have the these important life skills broken down into small steps. Repeated practice of each of these steps allows them to gain a degree of independence. For example; they must first learn a general skill such as addition, and then practice applying the addition skill in different content areas, such as with the concept of money. They then need to specifically practice the addition of money as a separate and new skill.
These individuals are also more likely to have difficulty in generalizing these Functional Skills from the classroom setting to the actual environment where they will need to use these skills.
The more we can teach Functional Skills in an actual setting, such as the laundromat, kitchen or grocery store, and with the actual material/equipment, the better and easier it will be for the student to learn and apply their skill. It is also best to use material that is already part of their everyday lives such as, their own sweater, actual money, the local city map and bus schedules, menus from nearby restaurants and the local grocery store ads. By using materials that the student is already familiar with, they will be able to grasp the relevance of the skill easier.
In short, the more Functional Skills that are mastered by the special needs student the more independent they are likely to be. Keep in mind that when teaching these life skills, it is important to remember to break the skill down into small achievable steps, teach the skill in an actual environment (or in a realistic environment if possible) and preferably with the use of the actual material/equipment. The student with special needs will have an easier time learning Functional Skills as well as transferring and applying these skills into their everyday lives. Everyone wants and deserves the opportunity to be the best that they can be!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

What You Should Know To Help Struggling Students

Children, adolescents, and adults with learning and performance difficulties are usually faced with information processing problems in a few specific areas. These areas include visual processing, auditory processing, organization, memory, attention, executive function, abstract reasoning and more.
For children and adults with LD and/or ADHD, their parents, and their teachers there are three very important words to remember: 1. Information, 2. Knowledge, and 3. Wisdom. Read on to find out what this means.
INFORMATION
The 1st level of understanding comes when you gather information (a) about LD and ADHD, their types, the combinations of difficulties, how they are diagnosed, and how they are treated so that you know as much as possible in order to proceed successfully, and (b) about the individual, including strengths, difficulties, testing results, behaviours, and performance. You will read books, watch DVDs, attend workshops, and ask questions.
KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge is the level above information. You must organize the information under headings and into categories. Secondly, you must apply the information by taking action to find solutions to practical problems. For example, a girl is unable to memorize the multiplication tables, so she is allowed to use a calculator at all times. Be aware that often the first solution fails, and we have to try something different. What if the girl with the calculator confuses 3 and 8, 2 and 5, and 1 and 7, resulting in many mistakes? You will search the software and assistive technology, or ask a specialist to find a solution for a problem.
WISDOM
The highest level of understanding is what we call wisdom. This occurs when the individual, or the parents/teachers, learn to view the problem in a larger context, such as graduation from school, career choices, playing hockey, or getting on with life. Sometimes we find that a problem we thought was very important is not very important in the big picture of things. When the problem is put into a larger context, then we are able to give the problem an appropriate weight. An adult with a serious problem with mathematics will see that there are many interesting jobs which require almost no mathematics ability. Once again, a specialist can help to answer questions and provide valuable insights.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Best Career Option in Media and Communication Industry

They say it takes only a determined mind to make a successful career. However when it comes to carving a niche in the media industry what it also takes is refined knowledge about the discipline. Of late, people have realized the power of mass communication and thus are opting for media courses to make a career in this field.
There are several wings of mass communication that one can opt for. It is thus a good idea to pick a stream and specialize in it so that you have deeper knowledge about that discipline. From journalism courses and public relations courses to advertising courses, you can opt for the one which you think you would want to make a career in. Most of the colleges and institutes that offer these courses believe in providing thorough knowledge as well as the practical training of the subject. Be it public relations course, advertising course or a journalism course the main idea behind is to develop a rapport with people belonging to all walks of life and diffusing information at the right time.
A career in media industry makes for a very dynamic and challenging one where one needs to remain on his toes all the time. Not to mention the fact that you get a chance to meet a variety of diverse people from all walks of life, it also lets you see things through different perspectives. Media industry is booming at the moment. Till a decade back there was no such momentum in this industry. However, today diffusion of information is taking place at a very fast pace. There are several new organizations entering the industry every other day which call for new talent and fresh ideas to offer something new to the audience.
There is no dearth of young brains that are determined to make a career in media. However, only a few manage to make themselves be seen in a pool of people. It is thus important to sharpen your skills and hone your virtues to see yourself earn a space. For this, enroll for a course in a reputed institute always helps. A good college would not just help you see things the way they are seen and done in the industry; they would also instill confidence in you to make your dreams come true. These colleges must have an infrastructure to boast of. Good infrastructure like radio lab, editing room, dark room for photography, camera lab and plenty of advanced equipments would ensure that the college would train you on practical aspects of the discipline.

Friday, March 30, 2012

Advantages of Distance Learning Programs

Distance learning is gaining prominence among students eager to upgrade themselves for better career prospects. Distance courses serves as an alternative for students looking out for further education without undergoing any form of conventional classroom learning. With the rising competitiveness in the market, more and more adults are taking interest in pursuing higher education. Considering the rise in interest for higher education via distance program, education providers are looking forward to offer new technologies in order to meet this demand.
Distance education courses, no doubt, offer much of freedom and flexibility. Most students enrolling for distance education courses are working full-time and are not in a situation to quit their jobs. They need a source of income to run their family's expenses and quitting jobs mean inviting financial problems. Hence, in order to upgrade their educational qualifications along with a job, they prefer taking up distance learning courses.
Benefits of Distance Education Programs:
Distance learning has a number of benefits as compared to classroom learning, which include:
  • The student gets an opportunity to learn at his own pace.
  • Classroom learning allows you to listen to any class lesson only once. But with distance courses, the learner has the freedom to replay that portion of the audio or video tape or re-read a particular module which he/she is not clear about.
  • In classroom learning, the time spent on a particular module depends on the teacher, which is not the case with distance learning. Here, student can decide the amount of time to be spent on any particular module.
  • Distance programs offer students the flexibility to use time according to their requirements
  • Another added benefit is that students have access to learning any where and at any time with no limitations and restrictions time and location of study. It gives students ample time to spend with their family and work.
  • Above all, distance education saves the time and cost incurred in travelling.
Distance education is available for a wide spectrum of courses. Some of the IT based distance learning courses that have gained prominence over the years include BCA, MCA, PGDCA, MScIT, MComIS and so on.
BCA (Bachelor of Computer Application)
Distance learning BCA course helps students to apply computer science principles to crack problems created by the interface connecting technology and business. Recently, the communication systems and IT sector have become a vital component in every company's strategic plan. Hence to take advantage of the latest IT techniques and communication systems, firms look out for professionals well versed in this field. Distance learning BCA is an undergraduate program that exposes students to assorted computer applications thereby keeping pace with the latest developments in the industry.
Master of Computer Application [MCA]
MCA Distance Learning is specially designed to develop excellent managerial skills in computer professionals. This course offers special emphasis on study of various application-oriented subjects and cover diverse methods of developing software products without any errors and efficiently.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Sensory Stages One and Two in Concept Development

In order to learn about the world and the things in it, we must explore our surroundings and gather information through our senses. Regardless of whether we are talking about a child or adult, or a developmentally delayed or gifted individual, and regardless of the skill or concept we are considering, the brain must begin its search for information by using the senses.
If we do not recognize something as having been encountered in the past or if we encountered it but did not understand it, we will rely on our sensory organs to gather information. Both children and adults who are presented with something completely novel to them will begin their investigation by looking, touching, tasting or listening to it. It is only after we have gained information about the physical properties of the thing we are exploring that we can move on to investigating it at a more sophisticated level.
Because sensory exploration is the foundation of all learning, individuals who have visual or hearing impairments and those who have inadequate sensory integration or sensory processing abilities are at a great disadvantage and are therefore at higher risk for experiencing delayed development and learning disabilities.
All skills and concepts follow the same sequence of developmental stages: acquiring information about something's physical properties by exploring it with the sensory organs, discovering how these properties change when an action is taken (cause and effect relationships), and the ability to manipulate this information symbolically in the mind in the absence of the thing itself.
Children with atypical development progress through the same stages of concept development and in the same order as children with typical development. Due to the sensory processing problems that the atypical population experiences, however, they often cannot progress as fast through these stages and can become stuck in a stage for years, perhaps even indefinitely, if they are unable to gain access to the information and experiences they need in order to progress to the next higher level.
The fist two stages of skill or concept development (we call this "cognitive" development) are the sensory stages. In the first stage the learner uses only one sense at a time to explore something. Stage One is marked by behaviors like watching but not touching or looking away from something that is being manipulated by the hands.
Stage Two is marked by exploration behaviors that show the coordination of two or more senses: an object an be manipulated at the same time it is being watched or it can be mouthed at the same time it is being manipulated with the fingers.
The sensory stages illustrate the progression from "simple to complex" and from "single to multiple" that will mark all of the stages of cognitive development. In language development, for example, infants vocalize and produce individual sounds, grunts, or squeals before they produce more complex constructions like combining consonants and vowels ("canonical babbling"). In the same way, children first explore individual physical properties of things before they can coordinate their senses well enough to explore two or more dimensions of an object at once.
We can think of the process through which brains gather information from sensory exploration as like stringing beads to create a necklace. Individual bits are collected and strung together one after the other before the pattern appears. In the next article we will explore how brains move from collecting information about the sensory properties of objects to considering how those properties might change when an action is performed (e.g. exploring cause and effect). It is in this next level of cognitive development that the brain will move beyond a simple fact gathering machine to higher level cognitive abilities like imagination, creativity and attaching symbols with meaning, While the first two stages of sensory exploration form the foundation of all learning, it is in the next three "cause and effect" stages that higher level cognitive abilities begin to appear.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Is Modern Technology Bad for Learning? Tips for the User of Modern Technology

Recently I went to my beauty salon to get my hair cut. They were running a special - "Hair Cuts for $7.00 after 7:00 pm on Tuesday evenings." There were more people than usual in the waiting area because of the special as many of us are looking for ways to save money. Most of us who were waiting were visually occupying ourselves while we waited. There were five to six people using hand-held electronic devices - phones, iPads etc. Two people were reading magazines and two of us were reading books. I do not know specifically what the owners of the electronic devices were doing - there are many ways to use these devices including talking, texting, listening to music, playing games, surfing the web and reading. It appeared that most of the users were visually occupied.
Since we see such great technological advancement in our day, we may think that we have increased in our intelligence. Sadly, our education system seems to be floundering. Some would have us think that our forefathers were widely illiterate. To discover the literacy of our forefathers we could calculate the "readability" of their documents. Educators determine the readability or grade level of a text by using a graph counting the number of sentences and syllables in a 100-word passage. Our forefathers used long words and long sentences placing the readability far above the majority of students and adults today. For example, I looked up The Federalist Papers online and chose a 100-word passage from each of the three authors (Alexander Hamilton # 1, James Madison #38 and John Jay #64). Each were at least college level using Fry's Readability Graph. Keep in mind that these papers were intended to be read and understood by everyone throughout the Colonies, not just intellectuals.
Due to the relative lack of close visual stimuli, these individuals allowed their eyes to develop normally. They were outside much of the time, allowing their visual system to mature. Also, they had well-developed auditory systems. This can also be understood by reading the documents. Listening to each other speak in this way helped as well.
Our lives are so much different now. However, we do not have to return to an agrarian society to restore much of what has been lost. Here are some tips for the user of modern technology:
1. Take breaks often - at least looking up and outside.
2. When possible take longer breaks, taking walks outside.
3. Get sunshine and breathe deeply.
4. Use appropriate sized reading material for young eyes.
5. Limit screen time (TV, Computer, and hand-held electronic devices) for young children whose auditory and visual systems are still maturing.
6. Use meal times to discuss current events or other issues as a family.
7. Read together as a family.
8. Encourage and model reading for your children.
Maggie operates the Center for Neuro Development in Lakewood, Washington, along with her husband Ronnie. Maggie earned a M.A.in Special Education from Adams State College in 1989. She has been in an internship / independent study leading to certification with the International Christian Association of Neurodevelopmentalists. They offer local, on site services as well as some long distance consultation. They work with homeschoolers as well as those who attend school. While many of their clients are challenged with learning they offer products and services for a broad range of individuals.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Tips For Parents of Specials Needs Children

You can get a very good, quality education for your special needs child within the school system. You do need to take heed of some important aspects when dealing with disabilities and the school district.
Educate yourself before you go into a meeting with the professionals in the school district:
* Learn all you can about your child's specific disability (classification)
* Learn your rights & responsibilities (for you & your child)
* Learn the rights & responsibilities of the school district
* Find an advocate through the state dept. of education
* Find a support group or start one of your own
* Find online support groups- they have a wealth of information that you may need.
You will never learn all the laws of special education as there are several notebooks (about 4 inches thick) filled with these laws. You can, however, learn the laws that pertain to your child and their specific needs.
Your child is entitled to a FREE & Appropriate Public Education!!!
Always keep a record of any and all meetings (IEP or private) dealing with your child. Document every call you have with the school, teacher or district official, with the date, time, name(s) of those involved & the specifics of the conversation. Do this with all meetings as well (general or IEP specific). Any notes sent home should also be kept in this file for reference at a later date, if necessary.
The school &/or district does not usually freely offer the information to all that you feel your child needs. Before attending any meetings with the school personnel, write a list of questions to ask about the things you feel your child needs to achieve his/her maximum potential in his/her school career.
When attending an IEP meeting, make sure the goals & objectives to reach those goals, are realistic & achievable within the year they will be worked on & monitored. If you feel there are other needs your child has, bring them up at this meeting so they may be added to the IEP & another meeting won't have to be convened to change the IEP. If it's not on the IEP, chances are, it won't be worked on in the classroom. Be sure you stay on top of what your child & their teacher are doing at least weekly. If you wait until marking periods end, you've lost valuable time that could have been spent working on viable goals for your child's success. Become involved in your child's education by volunteering in the classroom.

Monday, February 27, 2012

The Wonders of Video Modeling

Video Modeling is a scientifically proven method of teaching and has been approved by the CEC (Council for Exceptional Children). Studies have been around for many years, but video modeling seems to have just recently surfaced into the mainstream.
I made my own video modeling about 10 years ago having no idea of how effective it was. I made videos out of pure desperation to teach my autistic child.
Video Modeling provides so many lessons, moments, pictures, cues and more. These visuals simply cannot be replicated in one on one teaching to the extent the teaching can be done in video. VM provides repetition without needing a teacher. There are no distracters in VM - no one to attend to - no demands being placed on you and no actions needed. VM is simply watching. Most children with autism are visual learners; which explains the attraction and success.
Autistic children can and do learn skills through one on one teaching. Many times these skills acquired tend to be robotic and are not easily generalized. A one on one setting is not real life. Proper VM can provide more than skill generation, but also a stepping stone to generalization along with social skill teaching. As a simple example, a video can show 2 children doing a puzzle. So, they are learning an academic skill of doing a puzzle, while at the same time, taking turns, sharing, social initiation and talking if able. Another example of a video is of 2 children playing catch. The children are learning the gross motor skills of catching and throwing, following directions, language skills and appropriate timing of employing language such as "throw it", "catch it", "over here", "nice catch", etc.... You can see that the opportunities of providing video of real life can be much more inclusive than one on one skill teaching. And again, the repetition of a video is key!
Once skills are obtained, generalization easily occurs by setting up a scene as shown in the movie, mimicking the scene and then beginning to change the environment of the scene. As an example, child learns to build a sand castle from video. Mimic the scene and build a sand castle. Expand and begin to generalize by going to park and build castle, take a child to play with and build castle, build castle at beach, have 3 or 4 children work together, etc...
Children love children! Children learn through play and having fun. This is what I have learned through the years and what I employ in my videos. VM is super effective but can also be a lot of fun and a very diverse teaching tool. Video can teach functional skills, play skills, social skills, language skills and much more. Teaching skills through video and fun are the most effective. Children do not know they are learning - they think they are having fun watching kids play!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Groom Your Leadership Qualities With Leadership Coaching

Each individual is different. The nature, behavior, character of no two people will be exactly the same. Every organization has numerous people working for it. It is very important for any organization to achieve success that it has to learn to manage and lead its employees effectively. Therefore, leadership coaching is of great importance for any organization. As we are well aware of the fact, that leadership is the essence of every organization's unrelenting success. The leadership development program will help to bring out the leadership qualities within the individual in an organization. These programs play an integral part of the transfiguration of a good leader to a great leader.
Many people believe that leadership is an inborn quality. It is a myth. With proper leadership training workshops, good leaders can be developed. It is very much possible to groom your managers to become effective leaders by imparting leadership coaching to them. Therefore, the role of leadership development programs can never be undermined. These programs help to bring out the best in the people who have the caliber to become aspiring leaders. All organizations do understand the strategic need of having a good leader.
These leadership development programs help the individuals to tackle all the leadership challenges well, like stimulating a common vision, encouraging the staff to perform, challenging the procedures, etc. Leadership development training can be very well be utilized to encourage, develop and groom the potential of the managers to lead. This also helps them to become highly proficient in dealing with people. These programs will not only augment an individual's ability to guide people in the organization, but will guide him as well.
Everyone likes a good leader, ranging from the subordinates to the managers. With the help of the proper training programs even ordinary people can achieve extraordinary goals, simply by releasing the leader with in them. Proper and experimental leadership must be utilized to gain successful results. These programs mainly consist of lectures on team building and communication skills; case studies and certain group exercises are also incorporated. It might also include encouraging talks by the leading management gurus and business leaders.
The leadership development program will also include outdoor and adventure activities. These facilitate in developing the bond and building better teams. All this creates an extremely positive impact on the employees and motivates them to come out with personal action plans also. These workshops also lay importance on the three most important tools, namely, personality, leadership and culture to enhance the organizational performance. A good leader should be able to manage all the three aspects effectively. Leadership coaching [out] will help the leaders to obtain better understanding of their company's goals and thereby helping them deliver to the best of their abilities. These programs are designed for serving the specific needs of each industry. This will further help the leaders to set higher goals and objectives. Remember the fact that, great leaders can be developed with the help of proper leadership programs.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Common Learning Disabilities

There are a lot of students who either have or develop different learning disabilities throughout their educational career. This could mean they have dealt with it since elementary or grade school, or they didn't have it until they went to college. Either way, it can still make getting an education difficult and can affect the grades they get. However, a lot of these disorders and disabilities are very common and although some may prove to be more of a challenge than others, they are still possible to work with and accommodate.
One of the most common types is attention deficit disorder, ADD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD. This condition normally affects the attention span of students and can make it difficult to concentrate during lectures, tests, and assignments. There are ways to treat this medically with a prescription from a doctor. However, many students find ways to work through their disorder without medication. Students with ADD or ADHD should take frequent breaks while studying or working on an assignment, and find a way to relieve built up stress or tension. Find a place where you can study in peace and won't be tempted or distracted easily. This may mean instead of studying in your room, study at the kitchen table, or go to the library. Talk to your teacher or school about if they have any policies to accommodate those with ADD or ADHD.
Dyslexia is more common than some people think. Dyslexia is a condition that results in lower reading levels and sometimes lower writing levels. The condition is a result of the way the brain's processes and translates written words and languages. People who suffer from this disorder can't simply cure themselves of it, but can reduce its affects through tutoring and taking remedial classes. Students may need to take extra time on tests, quizzes, and certain assignments. You can check with your college's student disability office for more information about different accommodations and options you have.
Sensory Processing Disorder, SPD, can prove to be quite difficult, but not impossible to work with. People with this disorder find they have troubles processing one or more of the five senses. The information that is picked up by a certain sensory process like hearing may be processed in a way that doesn't make sense to the brain which causes confusion and stress. It is still possible to work around this condition. You can talk to your doctor about how to treat, help, or reduce the issues that may be associated with this disorder. Schools and colleges are supposed to offer aid to students with learning disabilities so they can still get an education.
There are a lot of different types of learning disorders and disabilities. However, many people who suffer from them have found away to either work with or around the problem so they can get an education and a degree. There are so many different ways that people learn and process information, which is why there are different ways to study, take notes, and even attend classes. Some students choose to attend traditional classes and colleges so they can either get more help with their disabilities or because it is the best way for them to learn. Others opt to take their classes online because they can spend more time on their assignments. Everyone can get an education, no matter what disorder or condition they may have.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

The Way Senior Drivers Keep Safe On The Highway

As our nation ages, a greater number of people 55 and over are set to continue to use the roadways in the near future. As of 2009, there are more than 33 million drivers 55 and older. A majority of these individuals are strong willed on having their individual mobility and the all round convenience that comes with driving his or her cars. Measures brought to evaluate their all around health and driving skills might help adult drivers stay in the driver's seat without jeopardises in well-being.
Based on research via the NHTSA, senior individuals comprise of nine percent of the total population, yet they account for 14 percent of the driving fatalities and 17 % of all pedestrian deaths. At least 5,500 mature adults were killed in automobile collisions, while another 183,000 were injured. Circumstances such as deteriorating sight, reduced response times as a result of deteriorating motor abilities and a decline in overall wellness frequently contribute to collisions concerning elderly drivers over the age of 55.
Despite these stats, mature drivers remain the most secure drivers of all the driving groupings, many thanks mainly to their decades of collective vehicle practical experience and their over-all knowledge of the policies of the road. This particular group may also be less susceptible to entering into dangerous activity for example reckless driving and driving under the influence of alcohol. Because of this, seniors make up one of the bottom risk for auto insurance providers. It's important for mature drivers to maintain and constantly enhance their expertise in standard traffic rules and driver safety measures to sustain secure and protected driving techniques as well as safe road circumstances individually and other drivers.
The mature improvement course provides a simple and efficient way for elderly drivers to improve on their operating a vehicle abilities. Furthermore senior drivers reap of the benefit of keeping current on the rules of the road but, they are likewise able to use these courses to gain reductions on their auto insurance. Online accessibility to these types of courses allow senior drivers to reacquaint themselves with significant aspects of auto rules from the comfort of their very own home. A California mature driver course will help drivers much older than 55 steer clear of traffic infractions not to mention driving missteps that can result in an accident.
One other good way for elderly drivers to stay protected on the highway is to consider whether age-related bodily alterations have an impact on driving skills. While most individuals are prepared for being in the driver's seat well into their older decades, changes in health and fitness, reflexes and vision may have a damaging impact on a person's driving capability. Determining these physical changes let motorists to adjust their driving behavior in order to remain secure on the road. Proper assessment should help vehicle operators cross over to other methods of travel if failing vision, decreased wellness and fitness and increased response time are experiencing detrimental impacts on driving capability.
Slightly modifying the regular driving routine can help enhance adult driver safety. These individuals can avoid collisions and enhance their own safe keeping by sticking with familiarized roads with predictable street environments and traffic patterns. These individuals could also avoid traveling throughout the time of peak hours or searching for alternative routes with reduced road volumes. Small but practical measures which include staying away from interruptions, driving a car in daylight hours and allowing a large following distance between cars have done plenty to ensure the overall safety of mature drivers.
When being an elderly car owner does not mean the end of their total driving times are coming to a close. In fact, a lot of mature drivers are loving longer years of getting behind the wheel because of the preceding recommendations, together with other improvements in physical fitness and all around health. Despite aging, road safety measures really should be a vital matter embraced by all road users.