Actively Reading For Comprehension Helps Students Retain Information

Active Reading Speaking with the Text

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As students progress to advanced level college classes, whether they are pursuing a Bachelor's degree in English, science, math, or history, they must possess advanced reading skills, which are necessary to keep up with higher-level reading. Learning how to understand new and complex materials requires active reading. Students can benefit from active reading by incorporating five basic skills when reading for comprehension.

Reading actively refers to deliberate concentration on what you are reading. You must think about what you are reading as you read it. This means you should read slowly and carefully to fully understand the content. This may sometimes require rereading the material, especially if it is new information or particularly complex material. The fives strategies that can help with active reading are outlined in this article.

The first strategy for active reading is to ask questions. Asking internal questions are essential before, during, and after reading helps with understanding the material. Questioning helps you gauge how much and what you understand about what you are reading. Before you begin reading, review any prior knowledge you have about the subject. Then, ask yourself two important questions: What new information is included in this read? How is this new information organized?

As you read, focus on what the author wants you to know. Contemplate the significance of what you are reading. Determine what is essential and what should you remember. After you have finished reading, reflect on what you have learned and what else you want to know and what unanswered questions you still have about the topic.

Make use of your prior knowledge to make inferences, assumptions, and predictions to help you interpret what the author is saying. Using prior knowledge uses critical thinking skills that help to make connections and correlations, which can be a tremendous help with comprehension. Test your assumptions; use prior knowledge to make predictions about what is coming up in the next section or paragraph.

Recognize what you do not know. Identifying material that you do not understand is just as important as the information you clearly understand. Formulate and write out questions about the topics or ideas that are unclear. Make an attempt to reread the text out loud to jog understanding. If that does not work, pair with another student and review your questions. Peer teaching can be an effective means to gain a deeper understanding of reading material.

Summarizing text is another valuable strategy that helps readers comprehend information. Making a summarization of what was read is excellent for understanding the main topic and supporting points. Summaries also help to retrieve the information from long-term memory.

Reading for college students generally involves learning. With every passing year, students are expected to progress in reading, writing, and strategic learning. Being an active reader can help in all three of these areas. You may not want to wait until you are in a class where reading is over your head. If you are taking online courses, you will need to do a lot of reading. Start practicing now to become an active reader! Implement the guidelines while reading scientific journals, medical reports, or historical documents. They can help you successfully earn a Bachelor's degree online.

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A Discussion on the Controversy Over Automated Checkout Lines in Grocery Stores and Unemployment

Lesson from an Automated Checkout Line

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Early in 2011 President Obama made a comment about automated systems such as ATMs and automated grocery store checkout systems. His political opponents gave him a hard time when he explained that sometimes advances in technology hurts jobs, and other times make our workers more productive and competitive. We all know this to be a fact, and although he was probably using his statement as a reason for high unemployment rates, or perhaps an excuse - the point should be well taken.

Not more than a couple weeks later President Obama attended a meeting and gave a speech at the Carnegie Mellon robotics college about how future robotics would help our technologically advanced society and civilization. Apparently, too many people took what he said the wrong way, and out of context and he felt he needed to shore up the negative publicity. In doing so, he and the professors at Carnegie Mellon explained to the American people how our future was unfolding now, and how robotics will make us more efficient in everything we do.

Indeed, another reason to study math and science and consider a field in robotics, which was a good pitch for the college as well. Three weeks later the West Coast grocery store chain; Albertsons, announced that it would be getting rid of its automatic checkout lines. The company that makes these automated checkout systems watched their stock deteriorate, but then gave a press compress explaining how grocery stores were only one of the many types of stores and industries that use their systems, their stock climbed back up.

Perhaps, you've seen these automated checkout systems in Lowe's and Home Depot as well. There are also in Walmart and many other places. Now then, many people understand that having 4 or 5 of these automatic checkout systems being monitored by one checker, human, means that less people have a job. Indeed, human shoppers have not found these to be at their favorite way to buy their goods, as many are not used to it or are merely adverse to change. Albertsons realizing that it's union grocery store clerks didn't like them, and that the shoppers didn't particularly like them either, decided to take them out.

Now then, this doesn't mean in the future that you will not have an automatic checkout system which scans all the groceries you have put inside your cart, as you wheel it through some sort of scanning system, as that probably is the future, especially considering RFID tags. Still, and luckily for many people who are unemployed it will be a while, because the shoppers don't trust these systems yet, the unions hate them, and our unemployment is rather high. Nevertheless, that will be our future. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes writing 24,222 articles by July 22, 2011 at 2:22 PM is going to be difficult because all the letters on his keyboard are now worn off now..

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Overview of the Closed-Fuel-System

E-Fuel's Revolutionary Fuel System

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Green energy is clean energy. With rumors of global warming looming around, cleaner, more efficient, and renewable energy sources are being discovered. For example, the hydrogen car has been a recent concept, but NASA has been using hydrogen fuel and hydrogen fuel cells to power their shuttles since 1969, so this is not a new concept.

What the world has realized, but not embraced, is that water is the best resource for fuel that we have. Yes we have solar panels, yes we have wind power, and yes we have a powerful but dangerous source of energy, nuclear. However, not a single one of those resources can nearly compare to the efficiency and effectiveness of hydro fuel. In small amounts it is completely harmless, but powerful enough to give a piston the energy it needs to turn a crankshaft. If you were to perform electrolysis on water, the end product would be a hydrogen/oxygen gas mix called hydroxy. These two gasses are the building blocks for water.

The cool part is that there just so happens to be an explosive quality to these when bonded together, which is where the magic begins. After they are bonded together, the end result is... more water. Actually, it's the same amount of water you started with, which is the third and final step. The water gets collected within the engine and pumped back into the fuel tank for re-use. This is what is called a closed-fuel-system. Like the brake system in your car, there is no place to pop open a cap and add more, because you already have all that you need. There would be no exhaust pipe because there would be no by-products. Half of the modern oil powered engine would be rendered obsolete, and most of the metal parts would have to be replaced with plastic, reducing the cars weight substantially.

Modern Hydro powered cars convert water into hydrogen/oxygen mix and add it into the air intake instead of air, increasing gas mileage and reducing pollution, but there still comes a point when you have to add more fuel (gasoline). What I'm proposing is shocking and drastic... Completely eliminate the need for gas at all, leave it in the environment, we're already half-way there. If a guy in a garage can make this work with a jar and a computer power supply, then there is every reason to adopt it as the next step for humanity and the environment.

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Online Education Can Be Better Than The Offline Equivalent

Online Education - K-12 Distance Education

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We all have individual learning styles. There are visual learners,who learn mostly through seeing, there are Auditory learners who learn mostly through listening,and there are also Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners: who learn through learn through, moving, doing and touching.

Learning and understanding your learning style, may help you to learn more effectively.
According to a recent report published by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, 20percent of all college students experienced some kind of online instruction.

The volatility of the global economy have necessitated retraining for a large number of people. the act of balancing work,family,civic commitments,and school can be arduous. Online education allows students to to address professional needs with flexibility. This is may part of the reason that online enrollments are flourishing.

We are continually learning and in almost every situation, we are absorbing and processing new information. If you are among the millions who access the web, your are involved in learning online. The leap to a more formal world of online education that involves pursuing an online degree or continuing education in a virtual classroom is not extensive

One of the key indicators of online education success is the motivation of the student.Online students tend to be more motivated as they have a deeper appreciation of why they are engaged in the process and the expected outcomes. The other main ingredient is often designed and supported online educational program.

Advantages of online education
The popularity of online degrees have been steadily increasing over the last couple of years. The following may been seen as beneficial attributes

Flexibility:You can work around and when it fits your schedule. With an online course, you can login and work when it's suitable to you.

Accelerated learning; Many online programs have accelerated a traditional semester long course into eight weeks which may a bit more demanding.

Save time and money by not commuting: Not having to travel, even it is just five miles away can save an enormous amount of time and expense when you study from home.

Non physical contact can be liberating to some people.Many people are conscious and concerned of their physical appearance or mannerism.This becomes immaterial in the online world.

Online degrees may not be for everyone, but it is definitely a wave of the future. A few different formats may be adopted and the method in which the information is presented must be first examined to determine which is most suitable.

The most common design may involve reading materials, engaging in online discussions with classmates and submitting papers or projects at term end. The work is completed at your convenience, but with some established guidelines. Other methods include simply reading the material and taking the test with little interaction with others.

Instruction delivery in online education is now evolving and also includes reading materials, logging into a real time Web conferences to interact with instructors or peers. This method is becoming popular, but requires adjusting your schedule to accommodate the class.

There is some self assessment necessary in order to determine if you are a suitable candidate for an online degree.
1) Are you a self starter? Procrastinators may be at a disadvantage
2) Are you persistent? Computer crashes, lost data, broken fingers must not be able to stop you.
3) Can you work alone? Even though a lot of online work is done in groups, the majority of your time online will be independent. The ability to think independently will be of primary importance.
4) Do you manage your time well? Online education will require effective time management skills.

In addtion to the above mentioned requirements it is important to know your learning style and how it can be applied in your online education.
The internet is constant evolution as is education.
The benefits and advantages afforded by the internet are now being adopted in the education arena to create a paradigm shift in the way we learn...
The information superhighway is real
visit http://degreesonet.com/ to find how you can dramatically improve your education and prospective lifestyle at your convenience.

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Test-Taking Tips For Success

1 Day Until the Bar Exam - Tips for Success

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Students know that tests are a common part of school life. They are exposed to it from preschool through college. Just as certain skills are necessary to develop study habits, listening skills, and communication proficiencies, there are strategies that develop test-taking skills too. Students can use certain guidelines that can help them prepare for and take a test.

As you prepare for a test, it is imperative that you know exactly what you will be tested on. Usually, the teacher will review what is on a test. First, it is important to be in class that day. Secondly, this is the time to take accurate notes. Lastly, it is the time to ask questions if you are unsure about what will be covered on the exam.

Once you are armed with your test review information, make a study plan that allows you ample time to go over the material. Last minute cramming is not wise. Stick with a study plan that spans over several days to ensure maximum retention. Make lists of important dates, definitions, or events. Ask a friend or family member to quiz you on them.

Use critical thinking. Try to predict questions that may be on the test. Then, go a step further and answer your predicted question. Be sure to write out the question and answer. Writing information helps with retention and long-term memory. Rest is extremely important when tackling a challenging event like test taking. Consequently, get plenty of sleep and have a nutritious breakfast on the morning of the test.

At the start of the test, take the time survey the entire test to see how long it is and what types of questions are included. This allows you to prioritize the sections and complete them in an order that is best for you. Some students prefer working on the most challenging section first, leaving the easier sections for last. Some prefer to work the opposite way.

It is very important to read the entire directions and read questions very carefully. Make sure you know exactly what you are required to do. Plan your time according to the question. Allow extra time for complicated questions. If you find yourself overspending time on a difficult question, skip it and go back to it later.

Work quickly, but do not rush yourself. Allow yourself some review time. Once you have finished, go back over your work, re-reading the questions and double-checking your answers. It is usually not a good idea to change too many answers. Avoid the temptation to continually second guess yourself. If you gave yourself ample study time, your first idea is probably the correct answer.

Taking a test can be a stressful and fearful event, but this is usually the case when the student is not prepared. Students taking online courses through accredited online schools will become familiar with electronic testing. Knowing and understanding the content can reduce the level of fear associated with test taking. This can be accomplished through the implementation of effective study habits before the test and by using key test strategies during the test. Try using the guidelines listed in this article before and during your next exam - discover first-hand, if they make a difference.

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Mastering Active Listening At The College Level

Active Listening

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As a college student, much of your time in the classroom entails active listening. This can include listening to a lecture from your instructor, an oral presentation from your classmate, a guest speaker, or an informational CD. The bottom line is that listening, just like writing, is a skill that is utilized day in and day out in college. Different situations require different types of listening. There are listening strategies that can help students complete specific listening tasks.

There are different types of listening that students use throughout their academic careers. Listening for comprehension is a goal when listening for information or ideas that other people communicate. Comprehension listening is required when receiving instruction from your teacher on how to read and examine a poem. It is important to remember key information and focus on remembering the main points of a message.

When listening critically, you listen for comprehension and evaluation. Critical listening includes comprehending and judging the arguments and appeals in a given message and deciding whether to accept or reject them. Critical listening can be valuable when listening to persuasive messages such as a sales pitch, campaign speech, or news editorial.

To help in deciding whether or not to be convinced by a persuasive message, ask yourself a few questions that can help with your determination. Is the speaker trustworthy and qualified to speak on the subject? Are the arguments logical and supported by facts? Does the speaker use questionable motivational appeals, such as fear or prejudice? These types of questions help with critical analysis.
Learning vocabulary takes a different approach to listening.

This listening type is focused on learning new words and how to use them. There are many instances when a student can listen to learn vocabulary. Listening to a presentation on classical music might introduce you to words and definitions used in this music style. Or, a conversation with an astute mentor or business professional can be an opportunity to learn new words.

As you learn vocabulary, you might be able to understand the definition of new words based on how they are used in sentences. So, as you listen for new words, you will want to be in tune with sentence comprehension. If you cannot determine the definition immediately, write down the words and then look them up in the dictionary to find out meanings and connotations. Use new words repeatedly to become familiar with and comfortable using them.
The final listening skill is listening for appreciation. This is listening that we are most familiar with. Listening in this form is for pure enjoyment or entertainment. This can entail appreciating the lyrics song by a singer, a joke as told by a favorite comedian, a dramatic story told by a master storyteller, or news information delivered by a satirical speaker.

Learning various listening skills are vital for those earning college degrees. Students who are taking online college classes may have to pay extra close attention to their assignments, since they will be completing them virtually. Learning listening skills can help students focus on what a speaker is trying to communicate, thereby helping him or her understand the information needed to achieve his or her specific goal or task. Listening skills are also essential for the student's overall success in life, especially in one's career.

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How to Steer a Hurricane the Easy Way - A New Concept

Hurricane Wilma Video - Miami Beach, Florida

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Okay so, as the coordinator for a think tank which operates online, it makes sense that we would be engaged in problem-solving and one of the most challenging and vexing problems of humankind is that of natural disasters. We have major floods, hurricanes, typhoons, tornadoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, and so many more catastrophic calamities that can kill us at any time.
Now that we're into the 2011 Atlantic Tropical Hurricane Season the topic of how to stop or steer a hurricane is now a popular question once again. But is it really possible to stop a hurricane? I mean that's a lot of force and power right?

Sure it is, and mankind can only hope to create that kind of power. If we knew how, we probably wouldn't have any problem creating all the electricity we need for our society and civilization, nor would we probably have to worry about fossil fuels I suppose. Well, I guess it goes without saying that being able to stop a hurricane is a lot harder than it looks or maybe we've come to believe that it is harder than it looks, and that's why we can't do it yet.

Nevertheless, I believe there is a way to steer a hurricane, perhaps away from shore, or to a location where it will make landfall in a less-than-populated area thus, saving humans from the horrible storm surges and insanely wicked winds. Recently there was an article in the science news about how aircraft near airports poking holes in the clouds caused more precipitation in the area or region.
Okay so, if that's true we can use this fact to steer a hurricane. Let me explain my concept here, because no one else is talking about this;

We could create unmanned aerial drones with swept wings, flying at a high angle of attack producing lots of wingtip vortices. This turbulence while flying through the clouds surrounding the hurricane will increase precipitation on that side of the hurricane. Yes there would always already be some precipitation, but this will increase it. Now then, we know which way the clouds are moving because they move in a circle around the eye of the hurricane.

We poke holes in the clouds as they move around and into position when we wish the clouds to drop the rain. As they drop the rain that water will block the trade winds which tend to diminish the effect of the hurricane. This will create a wall of precipitation, making the hurricane stronger on that side, and it will be lopsided on the other side and weaker.

Therefore it will steer towards its stronger side and wobble in the process, losing the continuity temporarily of its eye structure causing a transitional phase, which means it is slightly weakened during this time. I also believe we could poke holes using airborne lasers in a circular fashion to cause a similar action.

In fact, it may be possible to steer a hurricane around in a full circle, or in a figure 8 causing it to blow itself apart. You'd still get the rainfall and the energy of the storm, but you would get the high winds or storm surges which were focused, and cause the most damage. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think about.

Lance Winslow is the Founder of the Online Think Tank, a diverse group of achievers, experts, innovators, entrepreneurs, thinkers, futurists, academics, dreamers, leaders, and general all around brilliant minds. Lance Winslow hopes you've enjoyed today's discussion and topic. http://www.worldthinktank.net/ - Have an important subject to discuss, contact Lance Winslow.

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Changing The Educational Curricula

Youth Communication: The Writing Process

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Changes in curriculum are necessary to meet present student needs and new curricula should be developed based on shorter tenure and a lower level of attainment.

A mass system is based on the conception of education as an experience continuing throughout life and offering the individual recurrent access to courses as his or her needs require. It should be related to a diverse range of individual, social and economic needs, for self-development and increased confidence, for involvement in democratic processes and for broader social and economic objectives, such as multiracial understanding, full employment and leisure-based study.

It should provide for open structures through which community interests can articulate their expectations and needs, and should operate within a clear framework that integrates the planning of courses in different institutions. It is not compatible with the binary divide between private and the public sector, for this has served as a major obstacle to adapting the total post-school system to changing needs.

If a comprehensive system is defined as one offering access to the entire adult population, it must entail the development of work-based education alongside traditional institution-based education. The experience of paid educational leave in Western Europe suggests that workers are often more motivated to take up training opportunities at their place of work than to take day release at the local college.

The principle of majority access does not mean that all courses should be open to all people regardless of qualifications. It means that the design of courses must take into account the qualifications that adults may or may not have: therefore, more lower-level courses must be designed to attract the sixteen-year-olds who leave school each year with no qualifications, and higher-level courses must be redesigned to accommodate a broader range of students entering with lower-level qualifications.

New mechanisms should be sought for ensuring an effective community voice at the local level. At present external representatives on university governing bodies are expected to act in their individual capacity and sophisticated procedures for confidential business deny local community groups the information necessary to intervene meaningfully in decision-making. It should be established community forums that would draw together local community groups - women groups, trades councils, citizens advice bureau, churches, youth groups and so on - and involve them in identifying local needs.

Governing bodies should draw up a full profile of such needs against which these forums would then be able to evaluate existing course provision and advice on priorities for development. Such forums are essential to satisfying unmet needs and opening up decision-making at the local level.
Practical steps can be taken by universities in order to increase community access to courses.

Universities should consider joint pilot schemes with near-by colleges to develop new curricula attractive to workers on day release or paid educational leave. Looking to the longer term, we will also need more leisure-based courses for an adult population in a shorter working week. Universities have a direct and supportive role to play in achieving the expansion of part-time and non-advanced courses that will form the predominant provision within a mass system.

All these changes require a new political commitment by the government, in seeking a more open and democratic education system.

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A Review of Advanced Thermal Treatment of Residual Municipal Waste by Gasification and Pyrolysis

Thermal treatment for getting gold from aquaregia solution-I-Pure Gold as contro

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New services and products are constantly coming online. It's hard to keep up with them all. Many of us are busy, need to allocate our time. We do not have time to consider the many new products. To head off being bothered by the low-quality ones we very often just ignore them all, feeling there's little or nothing worthwhile at hand. Normally we're right.

There are exceptions, however...
There are sometimes a very few that may be promising, might be worthwhile. For example, there's a product within the area of gasification and pyrolysis for residual Municipal Solid Waste Treatment which is left over after minimization of waste generated, re-use of waste, and recycling. It is in the category, referred to as Advanced Thermal Treatment. Also, the technology is described as advanced thermal conversion that combines the processes of pyrolysis, gasification and high temperature oxidation, that shows quite a lot of promise.

It's been dreamed-up and demonstrated by waste management professionals and entrepreneurs Compact Power, in Avonmouth, UK. So what have advanced thermal treatment engineers been doing to build awareness and extend its list of client customers? Well, generally it has been difficult to get further projects funded, due to a lack of government incentives to the industry to encourage innovative waste technologies.

Specifically, one can find three substantial benefits that set advanced thermal treatment, with pyrolysis, gasification and high temperature oxidation apart from the competition, 3 particular benefits that originators cite as being excellent. These 3 beneficial aspects are that there is very little waste that needs to be landfilled after this process, emissions are much more controllable from the smaller advanced thermal treatment plants that the supplier offers, and low odour production, very good (high percentage) waste mass reduction, small footprints suitable for location on industrial estates.

Listed below are the specifics on each:
odour is controlled by carrying out all odour producing activities in a covered buildinghigh waste reduction is achieved because a high percentage of the material is combustedsmall footprint local plants will be much easier to obtain planning permission for.

O.K. So that's the positive side. What exactly is there regarding the negative side for advanced thermal treatment? What type of weaknesses?
The primary end-user complaint that we've noticed is high cost, and plant breakdowns experienced with prototype plants.

Finally, advanced thermal treatment. also, the technology is described as advanced thermal conversion that combines the processes of pyrolysis, gasification and high temperature oxidation, seems worth it. A lot of purchasers seem to have made the judgement that it is not really worth its cost. For anybody who has use for its capabilities though, and if there was more government encouragement and incentives, it would probably be an excellent investment. It's worth taking a closer look.

You will see detailed information at: the http://gasification4energy.com web site.
Realize the best way to understand the large investment projects now underway in the UK, to comply with EU waste management related regulations at this Advanced-Thermal-Technology web site at http://gasification4energy.com/Gasification-Plant-Technology-Case-Studies/The-Defra-Demonstrator-Project-and-Compact-Power-Advanced-Thermal-Technology-at-Avonmouth.php.

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Children International GCE Examination

Releasing of GCE O Level Results (2010 batch

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The GCE examinations are aimed at only the top 20 per cent of the ability range. But they also remain elitist in a far more profound sense. They embody in microcosm a political structure with fundamentally hierarchical, non-participatory and alienating tendencies. Organized by universities and subject associations and administered via the university boards, knowledge becomes congealed into discrete packets of subject matter which constitute a form of transmittable property.

Teachers who pass on the certificated knowledge derive authority from it. Pupils who receive it become differentiated from others, as owners, and are given access to further rewards in consequence. Via the examination structure pupils and teachers are socialized into notions of competition and failure, of hierarchy and bureaucracy, of knowledge as a possession which differentiates, stratify and excludes.

Examination credentials help to make hard visible distinctions, they help to transform advantages which lead into inequalities which appear intellectual.
GCE A-levels are now the major university selector, and the syllabus tends to represent the maximum pre-university teaching that cannot be crammed in, particularly in the sciences and older disciplines. The pressure of selection imposes excessive specialization on pupils.

The narrowness of the examinations is such that half of the candidates who sit A-level fail, and in any case only one-third who take A-level will go on to a university or polytechnic degree course. Nevertheless, any proposals to broaden the sixth-form course, as to provide more subjects studied to a lower standard have brought the threat of university demands for more four-year courses to keep up degree standards.

The examination boards are therefore kept firmly under university control. Their overriding preoccupation with a particular view of standards and secrecy must inevitably restrict the involvement of teachers, the range and choice which can be offered in the syllabi, and the kinds of skills that can be tested. Teachers on the boards and panels tend to be older and from selective schools, or from upper forms and selective streams; and as many as one-third of the markers are not practicing teachers.

Choice can only be introduced into the papers at the cost of variability of standards. And innovation is slow because of the difficulties of signaling changes to the schools: teachers tend to use old examination papers as teaching devices, and to adopt textbooks geared to the examinations; The boards are not kept on their determination by competition: they borrow syllabi, and have largely regional catchments; and following criticism they brought their timetables into line, a move which prevented schools from entering candidates for more than one board examination and thus from direct and invidious comparisons of standards.

In any case switching boards or entering for several boards in different subjects is more expensive in cash, books and teachers and pupils time.
The boards offered teachers the option of a more participatory relationship in course construction and assessment where teachers who wished to do so might devise their own syllabi and assess their students work, with external moderation by the boards. However, the boards were strict about what they would accept. And more significantly, teachers proved reluctant to take up the offer.

Ironically, in spite of the rigidity imposed by concern to keep up standards, there was no adequate continuous cross-monitoring between the boards. Syllabi and patterns of assessment varied between subjects, between different parts of the same paper, between boards, and over the years, in ways which made continuity and comparison of standards virtually impossible to maintain or check. Evidence published recently by the boards in defense of the comparison of their certificates is by no means reassuring. Nor do examinations predict performance in other, unrelated subjects or in jobs in other fields, although this is the purpose they are often made to serve.

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A Widow's Manifesto

S and m by drag queen widow von du

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Being a widow is quite a gig.
Before Lee, my late husband, died, I sometimes wondered what life would be like if I ever had to live without him. I got some things right, especially the part about missing him so much.

Other things, though, I didn't even anticipate. One of them was how women would interpret my friendliness as flirtatiousness toward their husbands.
To make the situation even more difficult is that God made me to be an encourager. It's typical for me to encourage someone--whether male or female--in person or by snail or e-mail. I've found that, now I'm a widow, such encouragement isn't always welcome.

One day a wife's response toward me pained me so much that I cried. How could she think my encouragement toward her husband was flirting? (Ironically, I'd also encouraged her at the same time.) A day or two later, I told myself that I knew I wasn't flirting, God knew I wasn't flirting, and that was enough. I'd cry no more tears over such a situation--and I haven't.

Either way, here's the scoop. I'm not on the lookout for a husband. Even if I were, I can say one thing with absolute certainty--God definitely will not lead me to yours! True, there might be women (widowed or single) who are husband-hunting and are targeting your husband. But I'm not among them.

Does that mean I will or won't marry again? God knows, not I. I don't even know if I'll ever date. (For me, being widowed doesn't automatically mean I'm available.)
My attitude has long been that the world needs more friendliness, and I intend to do my part in contributing to it. God gave me my personality. Even though I'm now a widow, I'm not going to say no thanks to God and give it back!

Lee's words to me a few years before his death convince me even more that I've made the right decision. During a conversation about something or other, I told Lee that I was more comfortable talking with men than women.

(As background, I grew up a tomboy in a neighborhood overwhelmingly populated with boys. They consented to let me play ball with them because I was the one who owned a baseball bat, ball, and pitcher's glove. My dad had played baseball and taught me to pitch. I enjoyed playing the game, even though I was the only female player. I was still delighted, though, when a girl my age moved into the neighborhood when I was nine or ten. I played baseball with her brother. I played dolls with her.)

Lee didn't say much after I told him how I felt about being more comfortable talking with men. A day or two later, though, his response may surprise you as much as it did me. In so many words, Lee said, if he were me, he wouldn't be concerned because I communicated better with men than with women. Then he added, since that was the way I felt, I should spend more time talking with men!

Now that Lee has died, I've found that's a problem. Why? Because there's another thing I didn't anticipate. There are men (married and single) who also perceive my friendliness as flirtatiousness. It amazes me. But, again, I'm not going to change my personality because of false perceptions. I'll do the same thing I do when wives think I'm flirting with their husbands. I'll keep my distance.

Here's yet another side to this story.
There are married men who subtly, yet surely, have been attracted to me and come awfully close to being flirts themselves. Ladies, how do I feel if your husbands appear to forget that they're married? Frankly, I'm disgusted. Your husbands should love and respect you. I welcome their friendliness. I don't welcome their inappropriate attention.

I can only imagine how you feel if your husband is a flirt. Lee was not. I was never concerned when we were apart for him to attend conventions. At one convention, one of Lee's male colleagues even said to Lee that he was there at the convention, but his mind was still at home.
And that's the way I was with Lee when I had to be away. We were faithful to each other. Always.

Unfortunately, I'm also finding that single guys also sometimes think I'm flirting. They seem to think I'm trying to get them to put a ring on my finger (i.e., a wedding band). Nope, guys, I'm not flirting with you. I'm just being friendly. I subscribe to the idea that a person can't have too many friends. So, I'm offering you the opportunity for us to be friends. It's your decision whether or not you accept the offer.

Now, with all of this talk about flirting, I have a confession to make. I did flirt. Once.
Lee and I met in college. We dated for quite a while, long enough to know we loved each other and had voiced how we felt.
Then summer ended and fall semester began. We had only been back in college a day or two when Lee broke up with me. Saying I was devastated doesn't even come close to describing how I felt. I trusted Lee when he said he loved me. And although we weren't much more than kids when we did fall in love, I expected him to mean what he said.

A week later, Lee asked me out again. I accepted. At the same time, I wanted him to know that just because I was going out with him didn't mean that I was going to make his life easy.
When it was time for refreshments, I saw one of Lee's friends at the other side of the table. I spoke to Lee's friend by name and flirted outrageously with him. (The poor guy didn't know what to do. Every time I've thought about it since then, I still feel a bit sorry for him.)

I'll admit it. I don't do just a good job at flirting. I did a great job of it. I'm talking Academy Award, Oscar on my shelf, great.
Lee was furious. When we returned to our seats, his words were, "You can flirt on your own time!"
But I never did. And I'm not about to start now.
Since Lee's death, I've done a lot of thinking about how my life has changed.

One thing I've concluded is:
It's my life.
Someone has to live it.
So, it might as well be me.
Yes, I will live my life. Without flirting. Finding joy in each day with the personality God gave me. And thanking God and rejoicing that I was married to a husband who loved and adored me. I cherish the legacy!
Relationships between men and women are complicated enough as it is. But when one becomes a widow, she finds such relationships go from complicated to entangled. Entanglements multiply even more when wives think widows are flirting with their husbands.

Vicki Snyder is a prolific author who writes about Christian women setting and achieving goals from her blog, http://www.asdarlingasadaisy.com/.

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Successfully Communicating Across Cultures

Communicating Successfully Across Cultures

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Many universities have international campuses, providing students with the opportunity to experience academic learning within a different culture. However, students do not have to study abroad to experience an academic multicultural environment. College classrooms are filled with students from various ethnic backgrounds and geographic locations. Communication between various cultures does not have to be challenge. Students can overcome common communication barriers by applying a few simple guidelines.

Communication styles and behaviors vary among people of different cultures. There are many verbal and nonverbal cues that can be sources of miscommunication between to cultural groups. For example, when two people are talking, standing close together might be welcomed in one culture but considered an act of intrusion in another. The central thing to remember about multicultural communication is to respect the other individual's cultural practices and behaviors.

One of the most important principles is to treat everyone individually. Do not make assumptions that everyone is the same as you are or that cultures that have similar backgrounds are the same. Do not rely on preconceived stereotypes when interacting with individuals from different cultures. Instead, use the time of interaction to ask earnest questions about cultural differences and misconceptions.
Be aware of the sources of miscommunication that can occur. As discussed earlier, both verbal and nonverbal behaviors can send messages, many times conflicting messages.

This can lead to miscommunication and misunderstanding. If you are unsure about your communication style, ask if it is offensive or discourteous. Then, inquire how to appropriately respond for future reference.

When dialoguing with someone from a different culture, seek common ground. Many times, conversations are rooted in differences rather than similarities. People from different cultures find it difficult to communicate in a positive way if the focus is on differences. Make an effort to maintain positive interaction and dialogue, concentrating on areas of interest.

Learn to accept others as they are. Refrain from judging behavior, beliefs, feelings, or experiences of others. You convictions are your own person with your own beliefs. It does not necessarily make them right, it just make them yours. Instead, acknowledge differences as valid, even if you personally disagree with what someone else thinks or feels.

Appropriate language is crucial for effective multicultural communication. Do not use provoking language like racial, ethnic, or gender slurs. Profane words should never be part of the conversation, as these can be extremely offensive in various cultural. Refrain from statements that begin with "You" - "You are not listening to me." This type of statement can feel like an attack, which might induce a defensive or hostile reaction. Instead, try to use less threatening statements that begin with "I" - "I feel that you are not listening to me."

Multicultural communication is an important part of the academic world. The college campus is a community environment that thrives off of collective interaction between students and faculty. Both groups are representative of varying cultural backgrounds. Perhaps a psychology course can give insight into the ways in which people communicate. Learning how to effectively communicate with people of different cultural backgrounds can help a student build relationships, develop personal character traits, and prepare him or her for the global society we now live in. Students enrolled in colleges online will want to carefully adhere to the principles mentioned above since much of their communication will be done via email and chat rooms.

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Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

Kill Bill - dont let me be misunderstood

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It is not always easy to understand what others are saying. This is especially true with the new ways we communicate over emails and texts. Even when they are speaking to us, we get easily distracted by other things going on around us. We get frustrated when we don't understand their message or when others don't understand us. It is so important that we take time to be good communicators.

Often times we hear something someone said and we aren't quite sure what they mean. We may take it the wrong way. We may not get the entire message. We may not want to ask them to repeat it for clarity so we just go about our business with the wrong message in our minds.

There are other times we send a message to someone and they don't interpret it as we intended. We were certain we said it correctly and they understood; however, they come back with something which doesn't make sense or is not related to what we were talking about at all.
Luke 8:18 "So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them."

It is so important we understand the messenger. It is so important we are good messengers. We need to be certain we understand what others are saying and what they need from us and we need to communicate to them ensuring they are clear on what we are saying.
When we don't take time to listen, we may only pick up part of the message. When we are too busy thinking about what we are going to say next, we will miss out on something the other person is saying. When we are thinking about what all we have to do, we aren't going to completely understand what that person needs.

When we don't understand the needs of others, we aren't really able to help them. We may give them the help we believe they need but it may not be what will actually help. That is why we need to go to God before we go to others. When we communicate with Him first, we will be better communicators with others.

We will always know when God is talking to us if we learn to rid our minds of everything but Him. We will always know when God is speaking when we take time to read His word and ask Him how His word applies to our lives. We will always know when God has a message for us when we look for His message in others. We need to pay attention to how we hear God's message.

God speaks to us in various ways and when we are too busy to stop and listen or when we are doing all the talking, we can't know what His will is for us. We need to take time today to go to God and ask Him to help us be better listeners. Then we need to listen and look for signs all during the day where He is talking to us. When we begin to listen to God, He will help us better communicate with others so we can make a difference.

1 Thessalonians 2: 13 "Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn't think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God-which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe."
Need more motivation? Please visit http://www.a-plusconsulting.net/ and sign up for our free daily devotionals regarding how you can apply God's word to your life.

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7 Reasons Why Writing A Life Mission Statement Is Vital, For Fulfillment And Contribution

Question of the Day: What is your mission statement or life motto(s)?

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Do you:
Wish you could alter you life in any way?Yearn to be more inspired?Have goals and dreams you haven't achieved yet?Long to make a bigger difference in the world?
Life's too short to be living with regret. Accordingly, it is important to spend time exploring and mapping out what you want in life. Writing Your Life Mission Statement is an important part of defining the life you desire, including how you want to make a difference and how you will make money.

What is A Life Mission Statement? It is a personal written document which declares what is important to you. It clearly defines your goals, values and intentions which are then utilized to guide your life's direction. It enables you to plan your future, and navigate opportunities and threats which appear. It's the first step in creating the life you desire.
Here are seven key reasons why it is vital for you to write your Life Mission Statement.

Your Time is a precious commodity. It is a finite resource which, once used, is gone forever. Therefore it is vital that you utilise your time doing the things which are most important to you, and enable you to experience contentment on a daily basis. 

It can reignite your purpose for living. It can enable you to dream, explore and consider what you want in your life. You can then create specific goals which you can plan and start implementing.It encourages you to create a holistic approach to your life. Having a Life Mission Statement allows you to incorporate all your key goals, dreams and aspirations in one place. You can then create an integrated approach which honours your key priorities and roles. 

It connects you with your values. Knowing your values is paramount for you to feel contentment. They are your driving force for experiencing fulfillment, achievement and contribution in your life. Your values are your reason "why" you desire to be, do and have certain things in your life. They are your motivation for taking the actions to succeed. 

You create a mental picture of your objectives. It gets you thinking concretely about what you truly want. It gets you looking at the specific details of what is important, what you want to achieve, and what the finished result will look like.It puts your ideas into written form. 

Writing down your ideas gets your thoughts into words. It makes them more concrete and real; and gives structure to your thoughts. In written form you can read it regularly, allowing you to reconnect with it and talk about it with others. 

It keeps your eye on the prize. Having your goals and ideas recorded keeps you focused on the big picture of what you are trying to achieve when challenges and obstacles attempt to derail you. It also keeps you connected to your intentions, goals and values.

Creating your Life Mission Statement is a vital part of defining the life you desire. It will also include aspects of making a difference and making money. So, if you really want to live a life of fulfillment, achievement and contribution, then you must write your Life Mission Statement.

Why? First of all, it connects you to what you most want in life. Second it centralizes your key life goals, values and intentions in one place. Third, it creates a readable document which can become a driving force to inspire you to take action towards your goals and dreams.

Remember that the clock of your life is ticking away. Use your precious time wisely by investing it in ways which honour what's most important to you.
And now I would like to invite you to claim your FREE instant access to my 5 Day Mini Email Course on "Getting Started on Creating Your Life Mission Statement" when you visit http://www.MissionInspiredWealth.com/Offer/5dmewym.

You'll learn the 5 key steps you should take to in writing your Life Mission Statement, to help you to bring your contribution goals into alignment with the rest of your life goals.
From Lisa McDonald - Mission Inspired Wealth and Health Pursuit

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