Archive for September, 2008

by Jeff Fain
Often times a school will provide a graduation invitation for the actual graduation ceremony. However, if you plan to have a large family gathering for this monumental event, an additional invitation is in order. The type of graduation invitation you order depends on several factors.

Depending of whether the graduate is graduating from High School or College the wording and type of invitation can be very different. If it is a high school graduation, the invitation may contain a phrase about the graduate who will be going on to college. If it is a college graduation, the invitation may contain a phrase about beginning life outside of school and starting a career. In either case, a phrase of completion and achievement will work well.

Graduation invitations can be gender specific or just generic. For girls, an invitation may be floral and very elegant. For men, the invitation may be more technical and architectural. More generic graduation invitation ideas are listed below.

Graduation Invitations can be themed around the type of education of the graduate. Choose artwork that coincides with the degree. For example, if the degree is in the arts choose something related to art or literature, such as a pen or paintbrush or musical notes. For the science major, choose some scientific theme for the graduation invitation. If the graduate is going into business choose a professional business like theme.

There are some other great ideas for themes for Graduation Invitations. Choosing school colors is a great way to incorporate student life into the invitation. Another great idea is a diploma theme, which can be incorporated into the invitation as well as a graduation party, cards, and gifts. These themes work well with men or women and those graduates who do not fit in to a certain group.

There are lots of factors to consider when selecting graduation invitations. Choose a quality graduation invitation for this special day so it has that special touch.

Jeff Fain is an author for Dependable Printing, a full service provider of invitations, discount invitations, and party accessories. Please visit Dependable Printing for a great selection of wedding invitations, graduation announcements, graduation invitations, shower invitations, party invitations, and much more.

Article Source: Graduation Invitations

by Fredrick Ituma
Learning or improving your “Basic Computer Skills” faster all on your own can be very difficult, especially if you didn’t grow up using computers or you never studied Computer Science in school. Some people spend months or even years, just to learn “How to Use A Computer” on their own.

The amount of time you spend in learning the basics of a computer, on your own will depend on your chosen method of learning and the amount of time you’re ready to devote for your studies. Regular students can achieve their goals faster, as regard to a non regular student. This is because a regular student is prepared to devote more time for his/her studies than someone who has a regular job or very tight daily schedules.

If you want to learn or improve your “Basic Computer Skills” faster, it’s highly recommended that you start your learning through the use of “Video Lessons” or Video tutorials. This will no doubt help you to master or improve your “Computer Skills” faster. But if you choose to begin learning how to use a computer from just books, the chances of mastering your skills faster, is much lower than when learning from “Video Tutorials” or video lessons.

Learning “Computer Science Skills” faster or learning how to use a computer on your own can be very difficult for any new computer user, more especially if he/she never used a computer before. It’s also even harder for regular computer users’ to improve their “Basic Computer Science Skills” faster, if they don’t use computer often, or don’t have a personal computer of their own at home.

So when you want to learn computer basics faster on your own, or to improve your present computer skills, it’s better to start your studies from video lessons. Learning computer science skills from just books only is proven to suit regular students. But not for anyone who don’t have enough time to devote to learning new skills together with his/her regular job or daily schedules.

There are so many basic computer skills learning products on sale, on the internet today and even on the high street shops. But one has to be very careful, when choosing a product to buy for his/her learning’s, or for improving one’s skills faster. If you settle for a wrong or a product that’s not easy to understand and follow, you may discover the instructor/teacher is even talking computer himself. This certainly will hinder your ability to master your skills faster.

Another important thing to consider before choosing the right product to buy for your studies is the out-put of the video training product. Most computer training video lectures on sale are recorded on just Audio CDs/CD-ROMs. This can limit your chances of learning computer basics faster on your own, if you don’t have a personal computer at home.

But if you can find one that’s available on a simple DVD, one that can let you learn, improve and master your “Computer Science Skills” faster from your home DVD player, it’s definitely a better option to settle for. As you can learn or improve your skills faster. Even if you don’t have a personal computer at home. You can simply insert the disc in your home DVD player and watch it at any time (just like a movie), and at the same time, learning your desired new skills.

For Your 100% Free And Reliable Website Designing Software, Basic Computer Skills Lessons On DVDs Visit: http://www.learncomputerfast.comFree Audio Books, E-books And Easy To Use Website Programming Software’s At http://www.fredpublishing.com

Article Source: How To Learn Basic Computer Science Skills Faster All On Your Own

by grateful-lee
We Americans need a character education overhaul and it won’t be as easy or as simple as entrusting our vehicles to local mechanics. We must examine what is most important to our emotional, mental, physical, financial and spiritual well-being in light of the overall dismal condition of the American people.

When you look at
rising health care costs,
over dependence on prescription drugs, especially for stress-related health problems,
excessive divorce rates,
the large number of teen suicides and teen pregnancies,
addictive behaviors such as alcoholism, drug abuse, bulimia, gambling,
cheating, lying, deceiving, dishonesty in our religious institutions,
rising rates of obesity in our young,
corporate thievery and greed,
educational intolerance,
the large number of homeless people,
racism and sexism,
how people in other countries respect us less, and
our obsession with materialism, violence and war, to name a few problems

I think you’ll agree with me that something is amiss in our beautiful country. I love America (during Christmas season, 1984, in response to a radio station’s contest, I ran through the streets of Hartford, CT carrying an American flag in honor of living in the freest country in the world).

Because we value freedom and have exceptional creative skills, I know we can reinvent ourselves. We can transform how we conduct ourselves in our
careers and jobs, professions and businesses, educational systems, healthcare approach, churches, mosques and synagogues, politics, in fact, our entire society.

Character traits such as rugged individualism, the cherished American dream, and excessive materialism we’ve held so dear as individuals and as a nation no longer serve us.

We need to ask ourselves which character traits make us a more loving, kind, compassionate people interested in others not for what we can get from them but because we’re all in this together.

For America to regain the admiration and respect we once held throughout the world, our focus must shift from a materialistic, stuff and fluff, “never-have-enough” mentality to one where spiritual and character values dominate our decisions and actions.

Our obsession for bigger and better in pursuit of happiness has left us spiritually bankrupt regardless of the size of our bank accounts.

Studies show that money can’t buy happiness. In our quest for material abundance, we have, in fact, stressed ourselves beyond what is healthy.

“Up to 90% of the doctor visits in the USA may be triggered by a stress-related illness,” say the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Yet, close to 45 million Americans or 15% of the population have no access to health care, and thus must deal with stress and other health concerns on their own.

Which actually may be better for them.

“The US health care system ranks last among other major rich countries for quality, access and efficiency, according to two studies released May 15, 2007 by a health care think tank.”

What positive character traits, which character education programs, and what character education activities and lessons are needed for families and schools to assist our children in learning good character traits?

Resources for character education and character education curriculum make up only a very small part of a child’s education unless the child is home schooled.

Therefore, it’s up to parents to lead the way in teaching character education to their kids.

In Part 2, I discuss how to take the first steps in overhauling our character education. Lessons from the past can inspire us to adopt good, positive, character traits that serve our children and our nation.

It all begins with one simple, though not easy, change in our collective angles of vision.

Harvey Rosenberg founded Children’s Educational Books that nurture children’s hearts by empowering kids to create healthy lives, choose spiritual values, deepen artistic, creative skills, pursue dreams, start their own business, and more. In other words, Inspiration Empowering Children. Visit Character Education Lessons for free character education resources and my first online e-Book, Bingo and Bonner, A Read-Me, Draw-Me Book that deals with the true meaning of friendship while allowing children ages 6-9 to create their own illustrations based on their understanding of the words on each page. Available October 15, 2008.

Article Source: Character Education - Lessons to Learn, Solutions to Understand and Act Upon - Part 1

by D. Grace Pruitt
Online schools could provide the solution to many of the problems faced by mature students. With more and more people finding that they need extra qualifications to advance in the employment market, mature students are often faced with a dilemma; how to obtain those coveted higher educational qualifications whilst juggling work, family and financial commitments. The ability to study online gives a prospective mature student the opportunity to study for a degree and other courses through their online education programs.

By studying through online schools, students are able to maintain their current standard of living, while working towards a better lifestyle. As such, there are many online schools offer a multitude of degree programs. But for those looking to pick up a new skill, better their performance at work, meet people, or just have fun, online classes are also a great idea. I also believe that attending online schools are perfect for people who are working full time because of the flexibility it allows. Since there is often no set class time, you can study and do the course work at your own pace, and whenever it is convenient for you!

ARE ONLINE SCHOOLS CONVENIENT FOR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS?

Online schools have revolutionized the workplace for skilled teachers and administrators. The result of this union is the ability to create a tailored classroom for gifted, struggling and needs-based students that, until the advent of online learning, were often segregated to specialty teaching groups to meet their potential. As such, online schools can be of great help to students with disabilities allowing them to access materials in a digital format from home. However, if the material is not accessible, it can isolate students and lower their standard of education. But overall, online schools offer advantages over their campus-based counterparts. If you are looking for convenience, program choice, and a more satisfying classroom experience, you may find that online schools are superior to traditional college campuses. These type internet schools can obviously market almost anywhere in the world - they don’t care whether students come from Bar Harbor, ME or Chula Vista, CA. Last month alone, it was reported that there were over 4.5 million searches for ‘online college’. That’s a lot of searches! That this tells me is that there are a lot of people looking to expand on a particular skill set and/or better their existing knowledge. It may also mean that more and more students with special needs find it more convenient to learn from the privacy of their home in their own environment.

IS ATTENDING ONLINE SCHOOLS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Don’t get me wrong here, yes it is true, online schools are held to the same strict standards of quality, learning effectiveness, accessibility, and affordability by which traditional learning institutions abide. It has even been noted that man online schools have some of the best faculty in the country. There are hundreds of Accredited online schools that recruit only the best professors in their fields, most of whom are currently working in the their respective field. Another great reason why you should attend an online school is that they have limited overheads; they do not have to heat or cool classrooms for students, or repair buildings. Which brings me to my main point here that online schools will often cost less and take less time to complete making it easier for some to get the education that has been only dreamed of!

I believe that online schools are definitely the schools of the future although the heart of the battle in recognizing it full stop is really all about the personal contact between a student and teacher. Now, if you can push all the distraction aside since you have complete control of your environment, studying from home online can provide an education at a much lower cost than a brick and mortar school. Any online school merits exploration and asking the correct questions may assist students in selecting a suitable program. And certain online schools may also provide the opportunity to interact with students and teachers through message boards, email addresses, and live chat. Besides, is the half hour lunch break at raditional brick and mortar schools really enough time to socialize anyway? It is important to start today and research the possibilities of a new promotion at an existing company or even a new career of your dreams.

To learn much more about the different types of online schools, please visit http://www.onlineschools-education.com where you will find this and much more, including a list of other online education resources.

Article Source: Baking Cookies While Attending Online Schools at Home

by Sheila Carroll
Are you a cracker-jack speller? Or, does the subject of spelling produce a groan? Most people struggle with spelling. Likely it is because they were not taught to picture the word before spelling it.

Charlotte Mason, an English educational reformer, had one of the best ideas I have come across of teaching children to spell by seeing the words before they spell them. Ms. Mason felt that the secret of spelling lay in the habit of visualizing words from memory. She called this process the royal road to spelling. If a child were a poor speller, she taught, it was usually a sign of too little reading of high quality literature, or skimming the text without the habit of seeing the words.

Children can be trained to see the words they are reading. One way this is done is through dictation, usually from a work of great literature the children are reading. The method of dictating a passage to improve spelling involves seeing the word correctly spelled in the mind’s eye and then ensuring that the word is written successfully the first time. The reason for the emphasis of having it correct the first time is that the opposite is also true. A misspelled word is seen incorrectly and is difficult to correct.

Steps of a Dictation Lesson for Spelling Mastery

1.
The student is given a paragraph to read and study closely. Then he prepares by himself by looking at any word he is not sure of, then closing his eyes and seeing the word clearly in his mind.
2.
When beginning the dictation, the teaching parent asks the student what words he thinks will need his attention. Most students know but, if not, two or three can be pointed out.
3.
The student lets you know when he is ready.
4.
The teaching parent asks for any words of which the child is not sure. She writes these on a sheet of paper, having the child look until he has the picture of it in his mind.
5.
The teaching parent erases or places a piece of paper over the word or words.
6.
Then, the teaching parent reads the selection for dictation, phrase by phrase, repeating only once.
7.
AFter completing the dictation and checking it, if there is an incorrectly spelled word the teaching parent places a small sheet of paper over the word, so the student will not visualize an incorrect word.
8.
Then, the student goes through the process of visualizing this one word until he can write it correctly.

Most children have little difficulty spelling correctly using this method. Note: The preparation for the dictation should take about 10 minutes and the dictation about five.)

If you want to learn more about homeschooling and the Charlotte Mason method, read Sheila Carroll’s article “Seven Keys of Learning”.Download it free here: Charlotte Mason education. Sheila helps homeschooling parents use living books and Charlotte Mason’s methods to produce outstanding results in learning. Living Books Curriculum

Article Source: Spelling With Charlotte Mason’s Methods

by Sheila Carroll
Nine-year-old Elizabeth sits quietly listening as her mother reads from a well-written book on natural science. Mother reads a paragraph or two, and then asks Elizabeth to tell in her own words what was just read. The child eagerly relates the content of the paragraphs, often using some of the same expressive language as she has just heard. Mother nods and reads a few more paragraphs. When the lesson is done, Elizabeth cheerfully moves off to her next subject in school. In a few weeks, Elizabeth will be asked to relate what she learned from the book on natural science. She does so with near perfect recall.

Does this scene seem unlikely to you? Not only is it likely, it is happening around the US and abroad with increasing regularity. The process of retelling what is read or heard is called narration. This method is one of the simplest and yet most profound ways a child can learn. British educational reformer Charlotte Mason recommended narration as the best way for a child to retain new learning.

What is narration?

Simply, narration is the telling back in one’s own words what has been read aloud or read silently. Most children enjoy telling you what they know. To have an adult wait for their words with smiling eyes and anticipation is something any child cherishes. Charlotte Mason believed that this love of telling could be used as a foundation for self-education.

Narration as self-education

Much learning in classrooms and home schools today is by rote memorization. This means of instruction is the least effective because the child is committing the information to memory for the purpose of using it in a test, often with little or no comprehension

Charlotte Mason refers to the mind of the learner as having an outer and inner court. The outer court uses short-term memory and does not engage the personality; the inner court uses long-term memory and is the seat of the child’s emotional and cognitive abilities. When knowledge is engaged in the inner court, information is not only retained it is understood and used by the child.

High-quality literature is essential to narration

A child cannot narrate from a textbook or a book with short statements and lots of graphics. They must be given the best of books, the classics, as well as non-fiction works that are descriptive. The author of a high-quality work has a passion for the subject and is able to inspire, delight and educate in a narrative form. In the words of Ms. Mason, it is well-put and well-told.

How to do narration?

A child of six is ready to begin with short narrations. Aesop’s Fables is the best way to begin because the narratives are short and contain few incidents. You can lengthen the amount of material to be narrated as the child progresses. After a few years of consistent, regular narration a student should be able to narrate an entire chapter.

To begin, sit with the child (or children) and tell him gently, that you am going to read (title) one time and you want him to listen carefully and to tell in his own words all he remembers of the reading. After you read the story or passage, pause a moment to let it settle in, then ask the child to tell back to you what he has heard. Listen without comment until the child is done.

If there is more than one child you can let one start and another adds to the narration. Alternately, you can have the first child narrate and then ask the second (or third) if there is anything they would like to add. Taking turns narrating while others listen builds the habit of attention in children.

When should I use written narration?

A teaching parent can begin transcribing oral narrations from the first. Later, the child can write narrations independently. By sixth grade a student should be doing written narrations each day.

Beginning narration with older children

What if you want to begin narration with a fourth, fifth or even junior high student? The process is the same, only the student progresses faster. Begin with Aesop’s Fables, and move to more and more challenging literature. To begin with, make narration a separate subject. As you see success, bring it into your child’s regular studies, remembering to use writing of literary quality.

Benefits of narration

Just a few of the benefits of using narration as a means of self-education are attention, retention, expressive language, and higher level thinking. Charlotte Mason felt that narration was the means or engaging the learner in his own learning. Begin today using narration consistently in your homeschool and you will see marvelous results.

If you want to learn more about homeschooling and the Charlotte Mason method, read Sheila Carroll’s article “Seven Keys of Learning”.Download it free here: Charlotte Mason education. Sheila helps homeschooling parents use living books and Charlotte Mason’s methods to produce outstanding results in learning. Living Books Curriculum

Article Source: Narration–The Best Way to Learn

by Carletta Sanders
Although many parents are concerned about socialization, there are many homeschool activities available for children who are educated at home. When choosing homeschooling activities, look for activities that are inexpensive and age appropriate. Here are some places you can find activities for your children:

• Church - Church activities are not always limited to church members. Many churches offer sports, Sunday school, choir, drama, vacation Bible school and other programs to residents of the community.
• Sports - Homeschoolers can participate in sports through the recreation centers, church programs, competitive leagues and home school leagues. In some states, homeschooled children can participate in programs offered by their local public schools.
• Private Lessons - Many home school students take dance, music, skating, swimming, gymnastics or art lessons during daytime hours at local studios.
• Civic Organizations - 4-H, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and similar organizations welcome participation from children who are home educated.
• Support Groups - Homeschool support groups sponsor a variety of social and educational activities like park days, science clubs, debate teams and field trips.
• Libraries - Public libraries often offer book clubs, story times, writer’s groups and other educational programs for homeschoolers. Some libraries provide local support groups with advertising and meeting space.

Your children can also volunteer for a local food bank, homeless shelter, nursing home, hospital or after school program. High school students may want to intern in a field of interest or work at a part time job.

Because there are so many opportunities available to homeschoolers, it is tempting to take on too many commitments. Consider travel time and preparation time when choosing activities, and be considerate of younger members of your family who will have to sit and wait for older siblings.

Discuss the program’s requirements and expectations for your behavior with your children, and agree upon a time period for remaining in the program before trying something new.

Here are some additional tips for choosing homeschool activities for your family. For homeschooling information and ideas delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for Carletta’s homeschool newsletter.

Article Source: Homeschool Activities - Tips For Finding and Choosing Fun Programs For Your Child

by Scott English
The most important point to keep in mind before beginning to home school your child is to find out various home schooling socializations and home schooling laws. This is the legal aspect of home schooling your child and it can not be neglected. Parents who have taken these laws lightly have landed in jails. Therefore it becomes very essential to realize the importance of these laws for your child’s bright and safe future. To avoid confusion of finding these laws, please consult an expert for the legal procedure of home schooling your child.

Do these Home Schooling Laws differ from place to place?

The home schooling laws are more or less similar every where, but there can be dissimilar feature depending upon state to state.
The first step is to apply to the state’s department of education to ask for all the information you require to the degree that the requirements, rules and regulations are fulfilled when it comes to home schooling your child. Also ask for local resources that can lend a hand to you to work contained by the home schooling laws.
These home schooling laws make your child’s education quality and acknowledged. As a rule, the only way to pursue all home schooling laws put into place by a State is to get registered as a private school. On the occasion this task is completed, you are liberated to try out in the ways you have an inclination to instruct your child.

What are the penalties of not following the Home Schooling Laws?

Not getting registered as a private school can create problems in your way. You can be panelized heavily under the State’s home schooling laws. These penalties may include heavy fines or legal orders to put your child’s name down in some public school. In some sever cases parents can even be sent to the jail.

How can you benefit from these Home Schooling Laws?

Many home schooling support groups and socialization circles are formed that support home schooling by parents. Loads of parents discover that participating in a home schooling support group has helped to remain alive and thriving in imparting quality education to their child. It also provides companionship among many home schooling parents, and provides a standard for introducing your children to new friends. This gives children an opportunity to gain knowledge of team spirit and outgoingness. Also, this can give you guidance to go about your child’s education. This kind of home school socializing has helped the parents to learn these home schooling laws in a better manner. Also be updated with your department of education as this gives you the perfect idea of any change law or any new course structure. These home schooling laws are not always there to create trouble for you.

Learn the how to homeschool your children the right way. Also, learning what you will need before you take on the commitment of homeschooling your children. Please visit http://www.Homeschooling4children.com to get the latest and greatest information on homeschooling.

Article Source: Do people need to follow any Home Schooling Laws