Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Affordable Online Degrees

Accredited online degree costs arms and legs
- that's the general notion of many people who think of acquiring the
much talked about online degrees. But the reality is a bit different.
It is definitely possible to get an affordable package of the same.
Browse the internet, and you will come across a bunch of online degree
programs that really costs you low.


A person with high ambitions of achieving a better career always have
the option of going for the online college degrees that come in an
attractive yet affordable package. This degree can help you make better
money, and possibly get that promotion that you have long sought after.
One great thing about working towards an on-line degree is that you can
work on it anytime you want. By focusing towards your degree, you could
complete it in as little as two years depending on how many courses you
need.


A recent survey revealed that very often a number of working adults
carry out extensive research work on an affordable college degree
online. Now the question is what actually motivates that kind of a
search? May be enhancement of knowledge related to a specific subject
or the hope of reaping some additional benefits of these online courses
or just to get that long sought promotion. Whatever may be the reasons
there are a number of benefits of these Affordable Online Degrees
listed as follows:


1. In case of working adults, the degree can be easily pursued without hampering their full time employment.
2. The affordable online degree makes you all the more competitive in the job market.
3. The degree acts as an additional resource that proves an individual's set of skills.


Over the internet, you'll come across a number of online universities and institutes offering you an affordable online college degree.
With study material being supplied to the students, these e-learning
centers motivate the participant's efforts by claiming, "The world is
your classroom."


These non-profit, private universities established by the Western
governors are focused to offer the U.S. citizens a "cost-effective,
high-quality education". In many cases there is the Federal financial
aid that is available for the prospective, eligible students.

Online University: Get The Degree You've Always Wanted

Many people would love to be able to get a
university diploma, but that doesn't always seem practical if you have
a full time job and a family to take care of. The daily routine is so
full that college has to be postponed indefinitely. For the majority of
those folks it means that they'll probably never get back into the
classroom again.


Now these people are lucky enough to have the possibility of attending an online university.
This gives them the flexibility they require in order to go back to
their schooling and obtain a diploma. They are not stuck with the rigid
schedules involved in classroom teaching. They have the alternative of
taking courses in their houses whenever it is convenient for them. The
term for this is distance learning.


I can list many advantages to obtaining an online degree.
For example, even though you do have to make the time in your schedule
to do the learning, you can do it whenever you want; the class isn't at
a set time. You can make the learning fit your time, at whatever hour.
So individuals can get a degree and not interrupt their lives to do it.


A large number of universities provide internet education nowadays.
Almost all advanced educational institutions provide some kind of
online curriculum which includes all or the majority of your subjects.
Even the smallest community colleges have internet teaching schedules.
You have the responsibility of discovering which courses they provide
that way and which ones must actually be taken in the classroom.


You can also choose a school that specializes in online university.
There are lots of these schools out there as well. You can find lots of
them by doing a quick search in any search engine. Type in the keywords
'online university' and you will be directed to hundreds of different
sites. These sites can show you how to contact a variety of different
online schools.


Generally the school agents willingly help you in finding the correct
degree and monitory support. These agents help you to overcome all the
hurdles you may face in deciding the future degree course. So for many,
it is very easy to join a school and get the degree which is a dream
come true.

MCSE Certification (Windows Server 2003)

Pass MCSE certification exam in first
attempt. Download latest exam simulation, questions, tutorial and study
guide for MCSE certification exam


About MCSE 2003 certification exam

Microsoft's MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) certification
on Windows Server 2003 is one of the most popular Microsoft
certifications today. The MCSE 2003 certification has been designed for
professionals who analyze the business requirements and design and
implement the infrastructure solutions for business based on the
Microsoft Windows OS clients and Windows 2003 Server operating systems.


Get MCSE certified

Getting MCSE certified is easy. Follow the instructions below and get
your MCSE certification effortlessly. We have designed these PrepKits
so you don't have to search for books and other study material as they
contain everything you require to pass your MCSE certification
exam. All our PrepKits come with 100% money back guarantee. You can get
your money back, if you do not pass your exam in the first attempt.


Job Roles for MCSE Certified Professional

The job roles for those pursuing MCSE certification typically include:
systems engineers, technical support engineers, systems analysts,
network analysts, and technical consultants.


MCSE Certification Requirements

There are no prerequisites for the MCSE 2003 certification and you can
go for it, if you have experience of working in complex computing
environments of medium to large organizations. To become MCSE
certified, you have to pass six mandatory core exams and one elective
exam. The core exams are divided into four Networking Systems exams,
one Client Operating Systems exam and one Design exam.


If you would like to know more about the MCSE 2003 certification
please visit:MCSE 2003 certification exam page. Please also read the
MCSE 2003 certification review for more information on how to prepare
efficiently for your exams.


How Pass4exam helps you get MCSE certified

We provide quality MCSE training products to help you pass all the
required exams. Pass4exam preparation kits (PrepKits) comes with
realistic practice tests containing challenging questions with detailed
explanations to help you understand the key concepts. The MCSE PrepKits
also contain short tutorials, study notes, articles, exam tips and 'how
to' so that you can identify question patterns, key concepts and little
known tips. Comprehensive reporting tools identify your strengths,
weaknesses and opportunities for improvements. In other words, we
provide you everything you need to become MCSE certified.


MCSE certification benefits


Microsoft operating systems are the most widely used operating
systems today and the MCSE certification proves expertise on the
Microsoft products and technologies.

Professionals holding the MCSE certification are preferred by the employers and they also get preference in promotions.

MCSE certification is helpful for professionals who have entry-level
certification in related technologies to upgrade their credentials and
get recognition from the industry.

MCSE Certified professional can find appropriate job easily and get paid more.

And most importantly, on average, an MCSE certified person gets 20% more salary.

Becoming MCSE 2003 Certified, the uCertify way:

Getting MCSE 2003 certified is easy. We are here to help you to get
your MCSE certification effortlessly. You can choose from among the
wide range of uCertify PrepKits available for MCSE
certification. We have designed these PrepKits so you don't have to
search for books and other study material as they contain everything
you require to pass your MCSE certification exam.


All our PrepKits come with 100% money back guarantee. You can get
your money back, if you do not pass your exam in the first attempt.


So, are you ready to take the MCSE
challenge? Choose the core, electives and upgrade exams, download the
Practice tests and tutorials, and follow the instructions; getting
certified will be easy.


MCSE 2000 to MCSE 2003 Upgrade

If you are already certified as an MCSE on Microsoft Windows 2000, you
have to take the two upgrade exams (70-292 and 70-296) to become MCSE
2003 certified.


MCSA to MCSE 2003 Upgrade

If you are already an MCSA certified on windos 2000 you can upgrade
your certification to MCSE 2003 certification by taking two Networking
Systems exams ((70-293 and (70-294)and an Upgrade exam (70-292).


MCSE NT to MCSE 2003 Upgrade

You can also upgrade to MCSE 2003 if you are certified as an MCSE on
Windows NT. You have to take the six core exams. An elective exam is
not required for the upgrade.


More information: CCNA CCNA Certification Tiffany Necklace Tiffany Necklaces

Monday, April 28, 2008

Parents Play A Critical Role In Preparing Their Children For College

Parents Play A Critical Role In Preparing Their Children For College

by Bob Roth The 'College & Career Success' Coach

Too many High School parents think that their only role is to push their children to get good grades, so they will be accepted by a better college. However, in reality, parents of the most successful college students usually play a much broader role.

Yes, grades are important. However, many students with good grades are unprepared for the college experience. Therefore, parents who are interested in college success for their children must be aware of the other roles they should play.

The fact that many children may not understand their parents and many parents do not understand their children does not mean that it isn't important for them all to try.

Bob Roth

Parents can assist in the following ways:

1. Help Your Children Experience The World - Give your children opportunities to visit other cities, farms, museums (art, science, history), historic sites, national parks, oceans, beaches, deserts, mountains, caves, lakes and rivers, a forest, a zoo, a mine, the theater, concerts, ballet, athletic events, your workplace, a manufacturing plant, impressive buildings, government offices, national monuments, a college campus, libraries, lectures on a variety of topics, a train, a bus, a plane, a ship, other countries or places with other races, religions, cultures, languages and foods, areas with poverty and anything else you can think of that will broaden their perspective.

2. Teach And Demonstrate Desirable Behaviors - Help your children learn about right and wrong, fairness, honesty, respect, public behavior, etiquette, politeness, table manners, teamwork and cooperation. Since children learn by example, parental behavior is critical.

3. Help Children Develop Strong Communication Skills - Provide your children with many opportunities to build their reading, writing, speaking and presentation skills. In college, any student with poor spelling, grammar, punctuation and a limited vocabulary will be at a serious disadvantage. Additionally, when young people mispronounce words and substitute slang, they will not impress professors and employers. Effective communi- cation skills must be developed and practiced from the very beginning of childhood.

4. Teach Children To Accept Responsibility - Students who do not accept responsibility for their words, actions, behavior and performance are not ready for college. It is the parent’s role to teach their children to become responsible citizens who are willing to be held accountable for their attitude, effort and results.

5. Reinforce Behavior That Builds A Strong Work Ethic - Good or bad, whatever your child achieves in college will be both earned and deserved. In college, students are not entitled to anything except the opportunity to learn and grow. It is extremely important for students to understand that they must compete for the things they desire (Good Grades, Scholarships, Good Jobs, Promotions, Opportunities, etc.). Students who are unprepared to devote the time and effort needed to succeed will fail. Therefore, from an early age, parents should work hard to instill a strong work ethic in each of their children.

6. Help Children Develop Independence & Maturity - College students are expected to function well on their own. They will need to gather information, analyze it and then make their own good decisions about a wide variety of behaviors and issues. Mature students don't run to a parent or counselor for every little thing that happens. Decision making skills and independence are a critical requirements for growing up. Therefore, parents should help their children mature by gradually allowing more independence, as students demonstrate good judgment and decision making skills.

7. Encourage Children To Get Involved - School activities, part-time and summer jobs and community involvement will give students a more realistic view of the competitive world. Participation gives students the opportunity to learn about themselves and about others. It gives them a chance to develop and stretch their skills, knowledge and interests. When students get involved, they find out what they like, what they are good at and what turns them on. Without these experiences, many students will have a difficult time selecting a direction in college.

8. Help Your Children Build A List Successes - A history of success will help students believe in themselves and gain self-confidence. Since students can be successful in hundreds of ways (grades, sports, clubs, music, acting, dance, hobbies, interests, work assignments, community activities etc.) nobody should be left out. Even the smallest success can be a positive influence on students who are trying to find their way. Since every student will encounter problems and disappointments in college, it is important for them to have the self-confidence to pick themselves up and overcome those obstacles. A list of past successes will remind them that they can succeed.

9. Support Your Children As They Discover Their Strengths - Every student has strengths and weaknesses. However, successful students usually capitalize on the things they like, are good at, believe in, care about, or want to change and are passionate about. Parents play three critical roles here:

a) They should ensure that their children are exposed to as many opportunities and experiences as possible. That will broaden their perspective.

b) Parents can then help their children evaluate those opportunities and experiences to determine which ones truly hold interest and get the student excited.

c) Recognize and accept the fact that their children may want to go in their own direction. Whenever the student is moving toward something positive, parents should be supportive and encourage their children pursue their dreams.

For some students, taking the time to discover their gifts is an inconvenience that they are unwilling to endure. And sadly, those packages will remain unopened.

Bob Roth

10. Help Your Teenager Grow Up - Provide your young adult children with opportunities to make some daily decisions. Then, watch them closely and hold them accountable for the results and consequences of those decisions. When they are ready, let them manage their own time, money, cell phone minutes, clothing purchases and other similar decisions.

Recognize that your children will make a few mistakes and often won't do things the way you would do them. However, as you find that you can trust them, let them make more decisions. Generally, young people should endure the consequences of their decisions and learn from them.

You will hamper the learning process when you always rush to their rescue, overprotect them and defend your children when they are obviously wrong. Inappropriate words, behavior and decisions have consequences. Children must learn that lesson.

11. Show Your Children That Life Is Not Only About Taking - Help your teenage children understand that they have an obligation to make positive contributions everywhere: With Family, Friends, School, Job, Community, Teams, Clubs and Organizations etc. Parents who lead by example, in an effort to teach their children to be willing to make sacrifices for the good of others, are more likely to develop good, caring and giving children.

12. Through Your Words and Actions, Let Your Children Know That You Love and Support Them - When your children know that you are on their side and want only the best for them, they are more likely to pay attention to your advice. Your love, support and encouragement will go a long way toward influencing their thinking and behavior.

Parents who set a good example and involve their children at an early age will usually have the most impact with these principles of college success. However, it's never too late to start. When you take a genuine interest in your children, in their interests and in their development, you will be rewarded with mature, self-confident children who know where they want to go, children who are ready to achieve success in college.

Visit Bob's web site: www.The4Realities.com. Bob Roth is the author of The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College -and- The College Students Guide To Landing A Great Job. For other resources visit: www.LifesLadder.com.

author:

Bob Roth, a former campus recruiter, is the author of The College Student's Guide To Landing A Great Job -and- The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College. Bob writes articles for more than 175 College Career Services Offices and Campus Newspapers. He has been interviewed on numerous radio programs across the country and also by many newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal. Bob also serves as an Adjunct at Marist College

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Education Lead Generation: Attracting Students in the 21st Century

In this day and age an ever increasing number of people are interested in more alternative educational options as opposed to some of the more traditonal college and university choices and options. For example, distance learning and Internet education opportunities have become very popular amongst people today. Therefore, because there are so many different options available to people interested in furthering their education, education generation - effective education lead generation - has become all the more important today.

In the end when it comes to education lead generation, it is crucial that you consider both a comprehensive and widespread approach to the process. You need to understand that people interested in advancing their education are coming from all walks of life. Therefore, the necessity of taking a widespread and comprehensive approach to the process of education lead generation truly is crucial.

Beyond taking a comprehensive and widespread approach to education lead generation you need to understand the importance of identifying specific market niches after you collect initial consumer date through a more broad approach to education lead generation. In this day and age the most successful marketing campaigns across the board are those that take a targeted or niche approach. By incorporating a targeted or niche marketing approach into your overall efforts at education lead generation you will find that you will be able to attract a heretofore unheard of number of potential students to your school or program.

In the end, the comprehensive initial approach at education lead generation coupled with the utilization of niche or targeted marketing techniques is not unlike the joing workings of two lungs in a person's body. Certainly, in theory a person can live with one lung. However, as a rule, a person lives far better with two. In the same vein, combining a broader approach to lead generation with niche marketing practices, you will be in a position to best orient your educational program or school in the competitive and complex marketplace of the 21st century.

Finally, when it comes to education lead generation you may want to consider engaging the services of a professional consultant. In this day and age there are experts in the field of lead generation that can be very helpful to your business enterprise. These individuals can assist you in crafting and creating (as well as implementing) an education lead generation program that will make the most sense in your set of circumstances.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Driver Education Software for the New Generation

The United States and Canada are experiencing an increased young driver
population after years of a decreased population due to the baby boom
echo. Simultaneously, enrollment in Driver's Education courses has
declined. With our technological advancements as a society, we should
be able to offer a high tech, more comprehensive training system for
our young drivers.


Studies show that for effective and lasting crash prevention techniques
to be taught both skill and motivational aspects must be addressed
effectively. Therefore, educational training and behavioral change
intervention is needed to produce a decrease in the amount of traffic
crashes in young drivers. New drivers need to learn to handle a vehicle
as well as interact with other road users. It takes several years for a
driver to reach mature risk levels as the only way to reach this level
is by gaining experience.


The linking of parents and community influences as well as personal
involvement and incentives would likely have positive results. These
results would likely be produced within each individual community
through its own efforts. Interactive media could be used to enhance
perceptual and decision skills. Studies show that video games can
increase attentional capacity. Therefore, the integration of
interactive gaming type activities could help improve these skills.
Integrating this curriculum to areas of personal and social values,
risk taking, self esteem, peer pressure, health protection etc. could
foster an ingrained understanding of the subject matter. Pairing a deep
understanding of the responsibility to other drivers with the skill
needed to operate a vehicle safely is an optimal situation.


Driver's Education definitely needs to be updated. It will benefit us
as a society to have skilled, confident and prepared drivers on the
road. Small advancements have been made. Many states are allowing a
student to take an approved CD ROM based or online course. There is
also a downloadable Drivers Ed PC Game. Prospective drivers can
practice driving online and complete practice tests with this
interactive game. However, the posted reviews of this game indicate
that partakers found this game non-engaging and boring. This may not be
a representative sample as people who enjoy the game may be too busy
playing to fill out the review!


Offering an option of time in a driving simulator would be a great
motivator to get new drivers to attend Driver's Ed. Interactive computer software games
that propose different situations and scores according to the drivers
handling of the situation is a less expensive suggestion. Take into
consideration the video gaming phenomenon and then show me a teenager
that refuses to practice his video game! Video gaming can accomplish
both the educational training and the behavioral change intervention.


Post baby boom echo has found an increased young driver population for
the United States and Canada. This increase in new drivers is
accompanied by a decline in enrollment in Driver's Education courses.
We should be able to offer a high tech, more comprehensive training
system for our young drivers. Driving simulators and driving video
games are two promising avenues for revamping Driver's Education!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

How do you get into TEFL?

TEFL?


TEFL - what does it mean? TEFL simply means Teaching English
as a Foreign Language. This acronym describes everything to do with
teaching English as a foreign language - the industry, the courses and
qualifications and the profession.


Different types of people approach TEFL at different points
in their lives. Some are on gap years, others on career breaks, others
as a permanent career and yet others who see it as means to earn money
and travel the world.



A lot of the people who start out doing TEFL on gap years or career breaks end up doing it permanently.



The next question must be 'How do I become a TEFL teacher?'



How do I become a TEFL teacher?


The days of just turning up in a foreign country and landing a
TEFL job on the strength of being able to speak English are slowly
becoming a thing of the past. As the market has matured, the need for
qualifications has become essential.


Before you consider taking a TEFL course you might want to
think about where you are going to teach. Different countries have
different rules regarding minimum qualifications of teachers. Some
countries accept just a TEFL qualification while other countries will
only accept a TEFL qualification with a degree. Qualifications may
differ depending on the type of school you are going to work in, an
International school may require a PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in
Education).



Choosing a TEFL course


There are hundreds of different courses to choose from,
ranging from 4 week full-time courses to short weekend courses to
online courses. The choice is overwhelming!


Do some research before choosing your TEFL course. If you
know where you are going to teach, check what qualifications are needed
and accepted in the country (or countries) you are going to.


Let's have a look at some of the different types of courses on offer.



4 week full-time courses


The most well-known courses available fall into this category:
the CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) and the
Trinity CertTESOL (Trinity Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers
of Other Languages). These courses are generally offered full-time over
a four week period (there are also options to take these courses
part-time, for example at weekends, over a longer time period).


If you take one of the above mentioned courses, you fill find
that they are recognised worldwide and nearly all language schools
would employ you on the strength of one of these qualifications.


There are other four week courses available with a similar
structure and syllabus. As long as these courses are 120 hours long and
contain six hours of teaching practice, then they will probably secure
you work in most language schools.



A typical day on a training courses of this nature would look something like this:



Morning session 1 - input (language analysis), break,



Morning session 2 - input (phonology), lunch, afternoon session 1 - teaching practice, break, afternoon session 2 - feedback.



The rest of the day would be spent lesson planning or completing written assignments.



Four week courses are intensive (hard work) but, if you are willing to put in the effort, worth it.



Short courses



If for any reason you can't take a four week course, then a shorter course might be the option for you.


People choose the shorter courses for a number of reasons but
primarily because of the shorter duration (usually a weekend, 2 or 3
days long or a week) and the cheaper cost. Although in the short term
the savings on time and money might seem like a good idea, if you are
going to teach for any length of time you will eventually have to take
one of the longer courses.


Shorter courses are a great introduction to TEFL and some
even give you some form of teaching practice. Generally, you can't fail
these courses but will receive a certificate of completion which can be
used in making job applications.



If you are planning to use TEFL as a means to keep travelling, then a shorter course might be the one for you.



Online courses


A third option would be an online TEFL course. These courses
can give you an introduction to TEFL. Online TEFL courses are generally
the cheapest way of getting a TEFL qualification and usually you can
complete them without giving up your current job.


The downside is that online courses don't offer any real
classroom experience (no teaching practice and no observation of other
teachers). Online courses might not be recognised in the country or
countries you are going to teach in.


Online courses can offer modules on areas like teaching
English to young learners and teaching business English. If you plan to
specialize in any of these areas, then an online course might be a good
starting point.



Starting points



Search for information on TEFL courses:



www.cambridge-efl.org


www.trinitycollege.co.uk


www.cactusefl.com

Guide to the Perfect Behavioral Interview Reponses (STAR Format)

So you're a college student who has landed
your first interview for a college internship or full time job. Now if
you've given it much thought, you've probably asked yourself "Self,
What exactly are those recruiters looking for as an ideal answer to
their questions?"


The first thing you should have probably asked is "Self, What are they
going to ask me in that interview?" For that, please refer to my
article Questions recruiters are likely to ask in an interview. After
you've read through that, read on in this article!


Now that you know recruiters are very likely to ask you behavioral
questions, the next thing to do is to figure out what they are looking
for in an ideal response. And the wonderful thing is that there is a
systematic response you can give to every single question they can
throw at you! You just have to know how to formulate it. That's where I
come in.


In my very first interview freshman year (with General Electric), I
thought I was providing great answers, had some great experiences to
share, etc. I look at it now, and it's no surprise I didn't hear back
from them. I even wonder how fast it took the recruiter to throw away
my resume.


Here's an example of mine of what not to do... The interviewer asked me
"Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership." To which I
responded fairly plainly "Well...I was Senior Patrol Leader in Boy
Scouts for several years, that's probably my best example of
leadership."


The interviewer was nice and tried to help me through the rest of the
interview, but honestly, it was a train-wreck. I hope you can see why.
Now I know you won't ever do anything quite that bad, and I wrote this
article to make sure of it.


Recruiters who use behavioral questions are looking for responses in what's called the STAR format. That breaks down into:


Situation
Task
Actions Taken
Results


As long as you answer behavioral questions in that format, you cannot
go wrong! And the cool part about it is that it flows in a logical
order that keeps you on track. By practicing this format, you are
guaranteed to answer questions fully and concisely.


So let's get down to the details of the Situation component. The
Situation is basically setting the stage for your response with the
relevant background information. This includes where and when you were
working (company, how old/what year in school), and maybe a bit of info
on the problem you faced.


The Task blends slightly with the Situation, and is just as simple.
This is something along the lines of "I was assigned to do x." Plain
and simple, it may be the most straight forward part of your response.
Keep in mind that it also sets up the measuring stick for your results,
so be sure that it is actually what you were assigned to do!


The Actions portion of your response should be where the meat of your
answer is. You need to take this opportunity to say "I performed xyz
analysis and used abc tools to do so." or "I led the group by doing
abc." You also need to consider how technically savvy your interviewer
is. If she/he is an engineer, then you can feel free to go into a few
(but not too many!) details about what you did. If you get an HR person
doing the interview, don't even try to go into details, it probably
won't help!


The Results should also be very easy, but is without question the most
important part of your response. As interviewers and companies are
looking for candidates who have been extremely effective in their past
jobs and experiences, this is where they look to determine if you are
someone they want to hire. Use this opportunity to highlight your
results, and their impact on the company: awards, cost savings, sales
made, production improvement, etc. Don't short change yourself on this
section, its critical that you highlight every positive impact that you
made!


I also must warn you not to exaggerate or lie about your
accomplishments! This doesn't ever help anyone in the process,
especially if a company does their homework by calling your provided
references to ask about you!


Finally, your response should take approximately 3-5 minutes total. Any
longer, and you've lost the attention of your interviewer. Any shorter,
and you probably haven't gotten your message across either.


A good interviewer will also probe you with questions like "Tell me
more about that" or will guide you along with "So what was the result
of that?" All I can say is don't rely on them to help you along. Ace it
the first time through!


Here is an example of one of my responses all put together. See if you
can pick out each section. I used this response typically for a
question along the lines of "Tell me about a time you faced a difficult
technical challenge."


"While working at NASA, Kennedy Space Center, I was in an organization
that was doing preliminary design work for the Launch Pad systems of
new rockets we are using to go to the Moon and Mars. We received Flight
Vehicle Commodity Loading requirements from Johnson Space Center and
Marshall Space Center, and then designed the Launch Pad accordingly."


"My boss had originally given an assignment to a Contractor and was not
happy with their progress. I was assigned to take over the project,
lead the contractor, and come up with multiple conceptual solutions for
providing a specified amount of liquid helium to the vehicle on the
launch pad and cost estimates for each method within 2 weeks."


"To do this, I learned as much as I could about liquid helium,
utilizing in-house resources such as reference books, other people in
the department knowledgeable on the subject, etc. I considered multiple
options: starting with atmospheric liquid helium, or with pressurized
gaseous ambient helium, the use of expansion valves, compressors, heat
exchangers, etc. I learned about heat exchanger design, heat exchanger
fluids, efficiency/effectiveness, etc. I worked with heat exchanger
companies to get details, and had the contractor do detail work here."


"I also knew very little about cost estimating, so I worked with the
contractor (who had experience here) to learn broad strokes and details
here. I also worked back and forth with the contractor to ensure that
technical details were correct."


"In the end, I wrote a technical report to summarize all data,
assumptions, and everything so that it could be easily reviewed by
peers, and easily applied in the future after I had left for school.
The concept study and cost estimate were turned in on time to my boss,
who was pleased. In the end, we created a detailed 35 page study
report, which was sent to people at Marshall Space Flight Center and
Johnson Space Center who gave it their thumbs up. The format I used for
the report was standardized as "Boilerplate" for the organization
reports, and I was awarded a NASA On The Spot Award."


This response fit neatly into about 3-4 minutes, and covers all of the
components of the STAR format. Interviewers loved it (and told me that
they did) because it flowed so well and I had demonstrated fantastic
results. I encourage you to write out your examples too, as this can
make them clearer and simpler. Good Luck!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

6 Reasons Why Purchasing Degrees Online is Smart

Online degrees are becoming more and more
popular but what is it that attracts people to them. Purchasing degrees
online are becoming as or
more powerful than on-campus degrees. Everything they do, from having
career-oriented majors and a hands-on approach to learning, to their
faculty and accelerated schedules, is focused solely on your career
success.


Here is a statistic that may surprise you, More than 90% of
online graduates hold positions in their chosen field within the first
6 months of
graduation. This statistic gives you a great idea in that you earn more
than a degree from online schools. They all give you career education
that leads you straight into the professional world.


Here are six reasons why purchasing online degrees is smart.


Classes are small; hands on. You get individual attention that you want and you learn critical skills needed to
succeed. Also, by having a hands-on approach to the material you gain the experience you’ll need.


Accelerated schedule: 4 years in 3. Onsite/online
flexibility. Even though you would be taking online courses you
also have the options with many schools to take onsite courses as well.
This offers flexibility, in case you need a more face to face approach
in
learning. Plus with year-round school you are able to graduate much
quicker than a traditional school.


Real-world faculty: real-world curriculum. Online schooling provide you with knowledge from successful professionals
that take industry needs and mix them into your studies.


Education that's affordable. This is my favorite,
since you won’t be going to an onsite class room, credits are much
cheaper and many times books and software are downloadable so you
don’t have to go and spend money there. Also, many schools help you
apply for
funds which make school much more affordable.


Employment results: 90%. Online degrees are recognized by leading employers which will set up interviews with you to
put your degree to work.


Reputable accreditation/degrees employers value. Not only are online schools offering bachelors and graduate degrees
but you can also find schools that have: associates, post-graduate, certificate, career, and high school diplomas and degrees.


Here is a site that you can easily find any degree or diploma
you are looking for. They also help you find the perfect school for you
and help
in applying.


Online Degree Directory


I hope this information helps you in your decision and my Best Wishes to You.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Ohio Supreme Court ruling eliminates jury discretion

Whether you're a CEO of a company or a guy who sweeps floors for a
living, the Ohio Supreme Court has put its stamp of approval on a law
that could have devastating consequences for you if you're seriously
injured in an accident.


In a major opinion issued last month, the court showed contempt for its
past decisions, disrespect for the Ohio Constitution, and disdain for
the men and women who serve on juries.


The court, in a case called Arbino vs. Johnson & Johnson, said for
the first time in Ohio history that it's constitutional to disregard
the findings of a jury if the jury decides to award more than $250,000
to someone injured in an accident to compensate for the person's pain -
even if that pain may last a lifetime.


The court reached this landmark decision despite clear precedent that
such a law is unconstitutional. Essentially what the court says this
time around is that the Ohio General Assembly really, really, really,
really wants to limit damages for insurance companies, so who are we to
stand in their way?


Look at what the Ohio Constitution says, then you decide whether what
the court has done makes any sense. The relevant part of Article I,
Section 5 states, "The right of trial by jury shall be inviolate ..."


In Ohio, the constitutional right to trial by jury has always been
interpreted to mean that judges and the government won't be able to
invade the jury's fact-finding function.


That's why jurors are there, right? To hear the facts of each
individual case and decide what they think is fair. Now, though, jurors
can spend days or weeks hearing the facts of a case, reach a difficult
decision that the injured person should be awarded a sum to compensate
for the pain an accident has caused, only to have that decision gutted
by a judge if the sum exceeds $250,000.


How does the right to a trial by jury remain inviolate if a law
requires judges to violate the decisions a jury reaches? We should
probably now read the constitution to say: The right to a jury shall be
inviolate, provided it doesn't cost an insurance company too much money.


The right to have a jury determine the facts of a case has been the
backbone of our legal system for hundreds of years. It serves as a
check against a judge who might be corrupt or for some reason
influenced by one side or the other. It's a concept as old as our
country and traces its roots to the Magna Carta. As the court's
majority notes, Thomas Jefferson viewed jury trials as "the only
anchor, ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to
the principles of its constitution."


If the court really believes those words, shouldn't there be a much
more compelling reason to upend the jury system than the desire to save
insurance companies money? In the interest of full disclosure, I am a
personal injury attorney and I work hard to help people who have been
injured in accidents get a fair shake from insurance companies. And,
yes, this decision has the potential to hurt my wallet in certain
cases. The real impact on my practice likely will be minimal because
most people aren't hurt so seriously that the cap will apply.
Regardless of my personal stake, this is simply a matter of right and
wrong, and I don't think people realize the impact of what's actually
taken place.


Everyone has heard about the infamous McDonald's scalding hot coffee
case. It's a complete oddity, but insurance company lobbyists always
trot it out as if it's the norm. The caps enacted in Ohio are far more
likely to affect the average man or woman unfortunate enough to get
into an auto accident.


Here's the nightmare situation that could happen to you or a family
member. You're driving to work when a guy driving a delivery truck
takes his mind off the road while talking on a cell phone and plows
into your car. Your head hits the window, your ankle is crushed when
your car's frame crumples, and your body is snapped back and forth like
a rag doll, and your life has been altered forever.


The head trauma leaves you plagued by headaches. Your ankle injury
means that every step causes pain to shoot through your leg. Your back
hurts so much that getting a real night's sleep is impossible. You
can't play ball with your kids anymore or even mow the yard. And the
pain doesn't go away after a week, or a month, or even a year. In fact,
by the time you get to trial years have gone by and the docs are
telling you you'll never run again and your pain will always be with
you.


A jury hears your case and awards you the cost of your medical bills
that may have to be repaid, and lost wages, and decides - after hearing
your testimony, your doctor's testimony, your spouse's testimony, the
defense doctor's testimony, and the defense attorney's arguments - that
your lifelong pain is worth $500,000. Or $1 million. Or $2 million.
Whatever it is, it's not enough to compensate you for what this
accident has done to your life and no one - no one - in that courtroom
would change positions with you for any amount of money.


That's the point where the judge steps in and reduces the jury's pain
and suffering award to $250,000 because that's what the law requires.
The jurors heard the facts and struggled to come to a fair decision,
only to have their legs cut out from them by a General Assembly that
knew nothing about the facts of your case or the impact the accident
has had on your life.


And our Supreme Court just blessed this system.


It blessed a system where a jury can hear the specifics of an
individual case only to have the decision wiped out by an arbitrary cap
the state Legislature's Republican majority came up with to satisfy
their chamber of commerce and insurance company campaign contributors.


The court justifies its decision on the thinnest of rationales. See if
you can follow its logic: When judges reduce jury awards for pain and
suffering, they aren't interfering with a jury's fact-finding function,
they're simply applying the law.


What?


Spin that around your head for a while. It never gets any clearer. So,
the jurors can do their cute little dance, and we'll pretend to care
about what they have to say. But the second they award any money to
someone that could actually make an insurance company pay fair
compensation, well something simply must be done. Apparently, the right
to trial by jury is inviolate, but only up to a point.


And there is nothing in the Supreme Court's opinion that would stop the
legislature from capping pain and suffering damages at $1 or $5. The
amount of the cap isn't the point. Caps are wrong at $1 million and
wrong at $1. Jurors are in the best position to determine what someone
deserves for the pain caused by an accident.


The caps can be lifted in extreme cases such as when someone loses a
limb or can no longer independently care for himself and perform
life-sustaining activities. But the caps apply to more common cases
like I described above, even if the person will experience a lifetime
of pain.


To their credit, Justices Terrence O'Donnell and Paul Pfeifer dissented from this badly reasoned and disheartening opinion.


I understand that the General Assembly desperately wanted to do the
bidding of the business interests that have pumped millions of dollars
into GOP campaign coffers. (Incidentally, those same interests also
have contributed millions to Republican candidates on the
all-Republican Supreme Court.)


Legislators, whether Republicans or Democrats, can get into all sorts of mischief when big money is thrown their way.


That's why we have a right to expect that the Ohio Supreme Court will
do more than justify its decisions by paying fawning deference to the
legislature.


We have a right to expect someone in Columbus to stand up for the
people of this state. And most importantly, we have a right to expect
the court to apply Ohio's Constitution and legal precedent, especially
when we're talking about something as cherished and revered as the jury
system.

Students Learn Flexibility At Academic Summer Camp

The academic summer camp for teens and pre-teens, SuperCamp, tells
students to get off what's not working. Shift perspectives. Maintain
the ability to change what you're doing to get the outcome you desire.



Flexibility is being prepared for change and having the willingness
to do things differently. If a strategy is not working, try something
different until you find something that does work. Many times every day
you face situations that look different from what you had planned. You
could be rigid and continue to do things the same way over and over. Or
you could be flexible and respond by adapting to the changing
situation. Which response is more likely to produce your desired
outcome in the long run?




Go on — make a change — try something different



People in their eighties and nineties looking back at their long
lives have said that their regrets are more often about the
opportunities for change they didn’t take than the ones they did. More
often than not, change pays off. Hockey player Wayne Gretzky put it
this way: “You miss 100% of the goals you never try for.”



Then why don’t people make more changes? What keeps people from
trying new things? Comfort? Convenience? Fear of the unknown? Using old
methods feels easier—even though it often isn’t.



How well do you handle change? Do you hold on to old ways of doing
things even when you know they don’t work? We all do sometimes. It’s
not easy to recognize or admit when something isn’t working. Some
people routinely fight against change. You’ve probably known rigid,
inflexible people who refuse to adapt to new circumstances. But let me
ask you: How many highly successful rigid people do you know?



What’s flexibility? It’s the capability to adapt to new or changing
situations to obtain the outcome you want. It’s the ability to get off
what’s not working and find what does work. And it’s a prime ingredient
of a successful life in a changing world.




Why Flexibility?



Every day we face situations that are different from what we
expected or planned. But we do have choices when this occurs. We can be
rigid and stick with a set of behaviors that no longer fit the plan—or
we can adapt and handle the situation with flexibility. We all know
that life does not follow a rigid plan. It’s fluid, dynamic, and
ever-changing. Staying flexible means having the courage and openness
to change when your situation changes.



Every aspect of our lives demands flexibility. You’re running six
mornings a week to train for a tennis tournament but you sprain your
ankle; instead of giving up, you swim in the mornings until you heal.
You’ve planned lunch with an old friend at an upscale bistro, but when
you learn that she’s bringing her four small kids you opt instead for a
burger restaurant with a play area for kids. You’re planting a bed of
red roses and need six more to finish, but your local nursery is out of
the red variety—you alternate red with white. You get a great
promotion, but at the same time your mother falls ill, so you defer
your job change for three months so you can take care of her, but while
you're there you study to prepare for your new position. Life can
require flexibility in the greatest and smallest of situations.




Be ready to change what you’re doing to reach your goals



Flexibility challenges you to let go of what’s not working and try
new things until you hit upon what does work. It’s hard to
recognize—even harder to admit—when something’s not working. You’ve
invested time, money, pride—and you’ve convinced yourself it has to
work. To become flexible, develop the ability to recognize when it’s
time to let go of an unworkable method and try something different.
It’s hard on the ego, but until you admit you’ve got a problem, you
can’t take the next step.



Try these steps to move toward greater flexibility:




• First, you have to accept the reality of change. Recognize that it’s
normal to change the way you do things because it's inevitable that
circumstances change. It’s nothing personal—it’s just the nature of
life. The best plans in the world can become impractical or obsolete.
Make it okay for something not to work.



• Second, in order to let go of things that aren’t working, learn
to detach your ego. We get our pride wrapped up in our methods—we take
the need for change as a personal attack on our intelligence or our
ability. Or sometimes we just get stubbornly attached to our way of
doing things because it’s “our way.” Make sure your ego doesn’t get in
the way of your flexibility. Save ego for the results, not the means.
Take your work, not yourself, seriously. What you want is more
important than looking good.



• Third, challenge your assumptions. In order to see when change is
needed, you have to become conscious of your beliefs about a situation.
Don’t judge (and condemn) alternate paths before you’ve tried them. To
increase awareness of your assumptions, become a rigorous questioner of
your thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. Question your authority! Learn to
ask yourself, “Why do I think that?”



• Finally, learn to recognize the difference between a plan that’s
not working and a temporary setback. When things are not going well it
could be because the method is bad and doomed to fail, or it may simply
be a momentary pause in a massive upswing. How will you know the
difference? Your gut will tell you. Tune in to your gut, then measure
your results.



New ideas don’t come to those with closed minds. When you realize
it’s time to reformulate your actions, break yourself wide open. Start
by promising yourself to be wide open to new thoughts. Learn to suspend
your assumptions and listen without judgment. Brainstorm. Branch out.
Get creative. Explore as many possible solutions as you can. By
throwing yourself open to the possibilities, you’ll discover avenues
for success that you would never have considered before. You might even
find ways to improve things that are working.



If you want to experience whole-life success, learn to dance with
change. To succeed, you have to look for ways to make everything
better. Suspend your assumptions, seek new ground, throw yourself
headlong into the unknown.



Borrow ideas from other subjects, other applications. If you can
find wisdom in the way a violin is tuned, that same method may apply to
the way an annual report is written. If the patrol method used by
Canadian geese to safeguard their flocks works for them, the same
method might work to keep a group of nine-year-olds safe on a camping
trip. Be willing to cross borders, mix and match, move methods from one
application to another, and stand them on their heads.



Don’t fall back into rigidity if you find a possible solution and
it doesn't work. If the old method wasn’t the method, this new one
might not be it either. Be ready to try several new methods! Assign a
deadline to the experiment and give it all you’ve got for the duration.
If, in that time, it yields few results, let it go.



Complacency is the enemy of success. When you get comfortable, you stop
moving forward. You dig in, shut down, doze off, disengage. Your spirit
falls asleep. If complacency is the enemy of success, change is its
best friend. Change wakes you up, gets you on your feet, and engages
you.



But change for its own sake isn’t what I’m talking about here. It
doesn’t work to simply change things randomly. The rule of thumb when
it comes to change is to keep what’s working—and let go of what’s not.




Commit to Flexibility – it's fun, and it works!



When you commit to Flexibility, you’ll discover a side
benefit—life’s more fun when you're flexible! Being open to change as
you meet the unknown can be a thrill! A friend who’s president of a
state university told me he knows he’s on track, moving things forward,
when he feels a bit of fear. Do you sometimes find yourself tingling
with fear? Do you experience that heightened sense of alertness and
readiness that comes with facing change? Excellent! That’s how you know
you’re flexible enough to enjoy the challenge of change—and the success
it brings.



Affirmations for FLEXIBILITY:




• I challenge my assumptions in order to see when change is needed.




• When something isn't working, I try another way.




• I change strategies whenever it's necessary to attain my goals.




"When you're through changing, you're through." —Bruce Barton




SuperCamp summer programs fill up fast. Parents, go to http://www.SuperCamp.com
now to learn about enrolling your son or daughter while space remains.
Age-specific programs are available for students in grades 4-12 and
incoming college freshmen. At the website, you also can get a free
eBook that gives you an inside look at what works with teens from a
world leader in youth achievement, SuperCamp co-founder Bobbi DePorter.

College Bootcamp Helps Prepare High School Grads

Quantum U, an 8-day Summer Program For Incoming College Freshman, Helps
Students Make The Transition From High School With New Learning And
Life Skills



Joe Chapon, Vice President of Quantum Learning Network, announced
that the company will hold an eight-day college boot camp in July at
Colorado College in Colorado Springs for students entering college in
the fall of 2008.



The program, entitled Quantum U, will accept 80 graduating high
school seniors from around the country. It focuses on practical life
and learning skills that students require to succeed in college,
including techniques to manage their time, energy, and finances, as
well as extensive training in college-level communication,
presentation, writing, and reading skills.



According to Kevin Davis, a Quantum U facilitator, the program is
unique because, “Quantum U helps students transition from the attitude
and skills of a youth to the attitude and skills of an adult. They
learn to go from the mindset of ‘things happen to me’ to ‘I make things
happen for me’.”



Quantum U is an outgrowth of SuperCamp, a learning and life skills
summer camp for middle school and high school students that launched in
1982 and has graduated over 48,000 students worldwide. An important
aspect of both SuperCamp and Quantum U is that students learn how to
learn, meaning they discover their own learning style and they are
taught several practical learning techniques in the areas of
note-taking, studying and memorization.



In making his announcement, Mr. Chapon indicated that Quantum U is
a smart investment for parents. “College is not just an extension of
high school. Instead it represents a new paradigm in school, learning
and autonomy,” said Mr. Chapon. “And given the cost of a college
education, sending a son or daughter to Quantum U for eight days to
give them a head start on college is a very wise decision.”



Students attending Quantum U live on campus for the eight days. The
program cost is $2,095 inclusive of tuition, room and board. More
information is available online at www.Quantum-U.com, www.SuperCamp.com
and by calling 800-285-3276 or emailing info@quantum-u.com.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Homeschooling and Record Keeping

Record Keeping is a topic which is frequently bought up at
homeschooling meetings and forums, and its importance in the
homeschooling curriculum can not be overlooked. Record Keeping for
homeschooling is not only legally required in various States, but also
provides important goals in your child's learning experience. An
interest-initiated homeschooling approach means that the topic of
studies is far ranging and diverse. It can become very confusing to
write accurate homeschooling reports, due to the interest-initiated
approach to learning being so difficult to classify and pigeon-hole.


Record keeping in homeschooling is vital not only for the sake of
regulations, but is also an exciting way to record and document the
learning process of the child. When most of the learning is done
through play and there is no clear indication of topics that have to be
covered, it becomes necessary for the parent to keep some sort of a log
which records the child's progress.


The method for your record keeping can be as simple as a piece of paper
and and as complex as a computer programme- it is completely up to you
to decide which method will be more effective. If you are participating
in a support group, you most likely have set forms and requirements.
However, staying on top of daily assignments and reports will make the
process so much more efficient and easily achievable in the
homeschooling environment.


The most popular record keeping methods used by various homeschools are listed below.


Daily planner:


Lay out the plans and the assignments for the week in a teacher's
planning notebook. Check each item as it is covered, and make
additional notes if issues arise which might be improved on in the next
semester. Maintain a separate area where any additional things can be
recorded. This may include educational trips, visits and videos,
homeschooling online materials etc. Any extra topics that were covered
should also be recorded in this area. Make sure you make a summary at
least once every quarter.


Journal:


This can be maintained by either the teacher or the student. This
basically aims to keep a log of what was learned and what was done in
the homeschooling sessions. No only is keeping a journal of your
homeschooling a fantastic way to reminisce in the future, it is also a
means to monitor the effectiveness of your teaching and your child's
interpretations of the homeschooling process.


Portfolios:


This consists of a collection of diverse materials that display what
the child has achieved and done during the course of his/her
homeschooling study. Portfolio assessment is a very effective way to
chart the child's progress. It gives structure to the otherwise loose
and flexible form of schooling called homeschooling. A drawing
portfolio will consist of some paintings or sketches that are
considered the best in that quarter. A language portfolio may consist
of essays, stories, reading-logs, spelling samples or letters. Progress
in subjects such as mathematics, fine arts, history, science and social
studies can all be recorded in this manner. The biggest advantage is
that portfolio assessment places control in the hands of the
homeschooled child. Having a tangible record of what they have achieved
in their homeschooling will only serve to motivate them to achieve more
and more.


Conclusion


Other than the above-mentioned systems, there are also purchased
record-keeping systems that lay out a great checklist and help to
automate the homeschooling process. There is now an abundance of
homeschooling organisers and planners available online- do use due
diligence when considering homeschooling products- preferable use a
recommendation where you can see how effective the product is going to
be. Whichever method of record keeping you decide on for your
homeschooling, it is an essential part of the homeshooling process and
will be beneficial to initiate from the start. You never know, your
child's future may depend on this system of record-keeping

The Warning Signs Of Credit Repair For Students

As a college student, you may find yourself becoming new to the whole
credit card, financial world. After all, you're a college student and a
young adult; everyone has to experience something new one in a
lifetime. The troubling thing that most students can find themselves
getting into is that they ruin their credit at a very young age. As
it's such a shame, there are a few things you can do in order to repair
your credit the right way. I'm going to show you the warning signs of
scummy credit repair companies. These are the companies you'll want to
avoid.


Companies that want your money ahead of time


When you're on the hunt to repair your credit, you'll often lead
yourself down the road to finding a company that will help repair your
credit. A true warning sign that the company is up too no good is a
company that wants to have your money up front before they even start
your services. Make sure that you're looking for a legit company; they
will sit you down and talk over your expenses before you even flip a
check their way.


Companies that dispute everything on your report


Let's face it, when you have bad credit, you're going to have lenders
on your butt all the time. Some credit repair companies will want you
to dispute everything on your report. If you find a company like this,
make sure that you steer clear of something like. You should know
what's right and wrong on your report. Every once in awhile you'll find
something that isn't right, these are the only things you'll want to
dispute. Other than that, if it's right, don't mess with it.


Companies that want to invent something new


In today's world, people want to get up and change everything
completely. If you come across a company that promises to change your
identity completely and start you all over, I would highly advise you
stay away. If you find something like this and go through with it, not
only will you get yourself into more legal troubles, you could be
finding yourself facing a lot of jail time. This type of behavior isn't
acceptable and companies like this should be reported to the
authorities immediately.


Before you even start your credit repair search, you're going to want
to a do a few things before doing so. The first thing you'll want to do
is grab a hold of your credit report. You'll want to skim over all the
information on the report and put a check next to something that
doesn't look right. When you sit down with a company that wants to help
repair, make sure you point out these things.


Remember, when you're on your hunt, make sure that you keep these
warning signs in mind. There are a lot of people and places out there
that want to take your money. Just because they look legit, doesn't
mean they are.

Teen Summer Camp Offers Tips For Students

Students who attend the academic summer camp, SuperCamp, acquire many valuable learning and life skills. Here are some Quantum Learning tips that can help every student do better in school. Share them with your son or daughter.

S.L.A.N.T.

Sit in the front row or middle section of the classroom. Lean slightly forward in your chair, as if you are hanging on the teacher’s every word. Ask questions to clarify anything you don’t understand. Nod your head to show you are listening and interested. Talk to your teacher after class to build rapport and establish a relationship.

Test-taking Strategies

Do test-time jitters ruin the time you spend studying and preparing? Allow yourself enough time to get to class a few minutes early- hurrying causes tension and mental crunches, and you can use the few extra minutes to review your notes one last time. Before and during the test, give yourself positive messages: “I know this information and I’m going to get an A.” If you feel yourself getting tense, close your eyes for a moment and take a few deep breaths. Imagine a relaxing scene. If you’re having trouble concentrating or are feeling overwhelmed, try drawing a mind map in the margin of your paper. It will help you remember what you studied.

Optimal Study Area

Design the optimum study area at home. It should include good lighting, a desk or table to work at, a comfortable chair, inspirational posters, and plants. Play Baroque music softly in the background. Study at the same time every day and take a short break every 30 minutes. Tackle the most difficult subjects first. When you get them out of the way, the rest will be easy.

Cultivate a Winning Attitude

Maintaining a positive attitude is your most important learning asset. You need to mentally prepare before any learning experience. Henry Ford said, “If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you can’t. Either way, you are right.”

Remember the “F” Stands for Feedback

From infancy through adulthood, we learn through our mistakes. Remember to learn from the feedback you get from others, whether it is a failed test or a poor relationship. In your path to become an excellent learner, feedback is simply the information you need to succeed. Refresh your memory and read about Failure Leads to Success and the rest of the 8 Keys of Excellence.

Plan Ahead

Use a calendar to mark days for tests or due dates of important papers. Studying ahead reduces stress and increases your ability to remember at test time.

Discover the Power of “This is it!”

“This is it!” means making the most of every moment. It also means doing whatever it takes to make a subject interesting. Be creative! Some ideas include studying with a friend or relating the topic to something you already know or like. When you know something well, you almost always find it interesting.

Overcome the Obstacle of a Blank Page with Freewriting

When faced with writer’s block, freewriting provides visible and immediate progress. Choose a subject and set the timer for a specified amount of time. Write continuously until your time is up. Don’t worry about structuring sentences, checking grammar, backtracking or crossing things out – just keep writing. Freewriting clears your mind, focuses your ideas and makes the invisible visible.

Take Breaks

Every thirty minutes it helps to take a short five-minute break. Take mini-breaks more often by standing up and stretching whenever you notice your mind wandering. Studies show that you remember best what you learned just before and just after a break – so the more breaks, the more you learn!

SuperCamp summer programs fill up fast. Go to http://www.SuperCamp.com now to learn about enrolling your son or daughter while spaces remain. Age-specific programs are available for students in grades 4-12 and incoming college freshmen. At the website, you also can get a free eBook that gives you an inside look at what works with teens from a world leader in youth achievement, SuperCamp co-founder Bobbi DePorter.

America's Future Trends in Educational

Futurists predict that our youth will be unprepared in science and math to compete successfully in the global economy by 2010 unless we make drastic changes to public education today.

This is just one of the reasons why today's schools are implementing instructional coaches in the classroom, one of the fastest growing trends in education. The reason is because schools are faced with greater accountability than ever before and many school districts are seeking new methods of supporting professional development among teachers to strengthen teaching practice and improve student learning.

Districts are using coaches to help implement reform and focusing on particular critical areas such as math, science and reading. These new methods are intended to support broad implementation of best practices in classrooms.

Other trends in education have started at the grass roots level in places like Sunset Park, New York. In that community alone, more than 15,000 kids drop out of school every year.

Joyce Mattera is the founder of one charity organization called Children of the City which she started in 1981 to reach out to help kids. Volunteers and began visiting children weekly to assess their needs and invite them to various community programs, helping them via academic support, life skills training and family counseling. Board members have helped the organization raise funds for this last year's Christmas gifts for more than 800 children.

Create Success is one program being used at Children of the City that is constantly being evaluated for needs and even better success. It is fast becoming a model sought after by other agencies.

High priority is placed on student's academic success with intense tutoring and daily personal homework help. They also provide students with counseling, and advocacy within the social systems such as courts, plus age-appropriate group and individual mentoring.

Trends in the future shape the future of educators and students worldwide. The future of America's education system, for example, according to futurist James Canton, is that "the quality of public education, in crisis today, will either propel or crash the future aspirations of the American workforce." He also predicts that education is failing to prepare skilled, high-tech-savvy workers.

There is also a rise in the hispanic population in this country. Many of the kids in Brooklyn, New York, for instance, come from hispanic families who cannot afford help when their kids are not doing well at school.

Thanks to communications and the Internet there is hope for the future of our educaiton system. By the year 2040 the Internet should be available to people of all nations. By then futurists like Canton predict immediate, portable, transferable, in-demand knowledge sources on a scale equivalnet to the Library of Congress. It is number eight among the top ten trends of the new innovation economy of the future.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Online Marketing Degrees

During the ice age, people have to wait for days, even weeks, to get a letter from their loved ones, they have to fall in line to pay for their bills but lately, they have to go to distant places to buy their commodities which is not available in their little town. What a pity!

But since the invention of the Internet, everything has changed. Yes, everything! Now, you can throw away you pen and stationeries to write that loveletter because you can just type it down and once you send it, your better half gets to read your hopelessly romantic letter in just a few seconds. If you are unhappy with the exchange of letters, why not plug-in your headset and the webcam and start calling your fiance through some programs that provides you with free Internet calls. You may also help save the environment by enrolling your cable, telephone, internet, etc accounts into paperless billing and check your bills online and pay it directly online so you don't waste your time also falling in line during due dates. So many Internet services to use will save us so many time.

One of the best Internet services that has been developed and is now available to be used by anyone who needs it is the Open Universities where getting a college or masterals degree is possible. Several courses are available which some undergraduates can take advantage of.

But for people who wants to get their hands into the money-making industry, Online Marketing Degrees are also provided. This will be beneficial to those who started their own businesses when they were still student, and as their businesses grew, they were forced to stop going to school so they can attend to the needs of their company. This may be also good to some undergraduates who are currently employed but they wish to get some promotion yet they cannot get it because they don't have their diplomas. This is also favorable indeed to individuals who have their bachelor's degree, yet they still feel the need to add more credentials by getting a masteral's diploma but they are deprived because of their busy schedules.

Open universities offers several online marketing degrees which will prepare future enterpreneurs in their business ventures. Choosing your preferred marketing course will educate you on marketing, management, finance, sales public relations, advertising and other vital information that you need to build or enhance your business.

So if you feel the need to widen your marketing knowledge yet you don't have the time, why don't you try to enroll in one of the many universities that offers an online marketing degree. You don't necessarily need to move from one city to another, or from one state to another just to get the diploma that you want from that excellent school that you've been eyeing for quite some time now. You don't need to be absent from an important business meeting with a client or cancel a conference in Europe just to listen to the boring lecture of your teacher. You don't need to interact with your nerdy classmate anymore just to finish the group project that your teacher assigned you to do. By enrolling in an online marketing course, you will now be able to attend your classes at your most convenient time with your computer and streaming classes. You can now make your own schedule whenever you want to listen to your lessons and learn the new updates of the marketing world that some textbooks don't have. And since you are enjoying both your work and your school, in no time, you will be able to get the diploma that you yearn to have.

640-802 - CCNA: ICND1 and ICND 2 practice test


Pass 640-802 exam in the first attempt. 6 Full featured Tests. 561 questions with answers and 191 study notes articles and exam tips.

PrepKit 640-802, CCNA: ICND1 and ICND 2 is an interactive software that helps you learn, tracks your progress, identifies areas for improvements and simulates the actual exam. This PrepKit contains 6 interactive practice tests with over 561 challenging questions guaranteed to comprehensively cover all the objectives for the 640-802: CCNA: ICND1 and ICND 2 exam. With detailed analysis for each question, over 191 study notes, interactive quizzes, tips and technical articles, this PrepKit ensures that you get a solid grasp of core technical concepts to ace your certification exam.
What is CCNA 640-802 exam?
Cisco's CCNA 640-802 exam is an entry-level, single option exam for achieving the CCNA Certification. It validates your ability to Configure, verify and troubleshoot switches, Identify security threats to a network and to mitigate those threats and Implement, verify, and troubleshoot networks in a medium-size Enterprise branch office network. Passing this test will also help you in achieving the CCNP and CCIE certifications.

You can also get the CCNA certification through a two tests option. For this, you have to take tests 640-822 and 640-816.

Is CCNA 640-802 exam right for you?
The 640-802 test is appropriate for you if you have a basic understanding of computers and networking technology. There are no specific prerequisites for this test, although it is recommended that you should have at least some experience in implementing and administering networks.

This test is suitable for you if you want to work as a Network administrator, System Analyst or Network Support Professional. If you would like to know more about this test please visit the Cisco 640-802 exam page.

What to expect in CCNA 640-802 exam?
This test consists of multiple choice, drag and drop, and simulation style questions. There is also Case study type and exhibit based questions. You will be required to attempt approximately 50-60 questions in 90 minutes. Cisco does not publish the pass score for the exam but it is generally considered that the passing score is 849 out of 1000.

How to prepare for 640-802 exam?
We designed 640-802 preparation kit to help you get certified effortlessly. Now you don’t need to spend your time and money searching for study materials, books, etc., this CCNA: ICND1 and ICND 2 exam preparation kit contains everything you need to get certified. Just follow the instructions, focus on the study material and getting certified will be easy.

Don’t take our word for it, decide the quality of our PrepKit yourself. Download the trial version of the PrepKit now to get over 30 questions and 40 study notes, absolutely free. Once you are convinced, you can buy this PrepKit to get all questions and study notes. And of course, we trust our PrepKits so much that all our PrepKits are backed with a full money back guarantee in case you do not pass the CCNA: ICND1 and ICND 2 exam.

What is covered in PrepKit 640-802?
The PrepKit covers 100% objectives for Cisco 640-802: CCNA: ICND1 and ICND 2 exam, in accordance with actual exam pattern and question types. Number of practice questions and study notes for each exam objective is as follows:

More information:CCNA Braindump Cisco CCNA Cisco CCNA Exams

Getting Schooled in Security

During recent years, data thieves have compromised computer systems at a myriad of universities, including Ohio University, Notre Dame University, Georgetown University, Western Illinois University and University of Alaska-Fairbanks, leaving many questioning the vulnerabilities of campus networks, and challenging college Information Technology (IT) personnel to find new approaches to securing the personal data of students, faculty and alumni.

While a slew of hacking incidents in corporate America have gained recent national attention, experts say that academic institutions are in many ways more vulnerable than corporations to security breaches because universities engender a culture that emphasizes openness and information sharing, not firewalls and threat prevention.

"Even though most colleges and universities employ a professional IT staff, each campus department or office might run its own computer system on the school's network," said Clete Rickert, director of information systems at Villanova University, and a Nuesoft Xpress client. "While this decentralized approach to managing information helps to contribute to the collaborative, open environment that universities foster, it also detracts from IT's ability to effectively secure all of the computers on the network at any given time."

To counter this security challenge, IT professionals are beginning to look for ways to house sensitive data - such as patient information in a health or counseling center - off site, instead of storing it on a campus server that may or may not be sufficiently protected.

One option for many IT staff is the application service provider (ASP) model. ASPs host data and manage software programs for a wide variety of users from a secure, centralized data center. Some ASP applications are delivered via a Web browser. Others, like Nuesoft Xpress, avoid the browser environment altogether, and are delivered by a secure Internet connection between the user's desktop and the ASP's data center.

With so much to think about when considering how to deliver mission critical applications and keep data safe, Rickert advises decision makers to take their time and consider options carefully.

"The notion of handing over your data to an ASP provider might be a little daunting to some people" he said. "And, if you do decide to move toward an ASP model, you then have to consider which type of ASP will best suit your needs. When Villanova's health center staff came to (the IT department) for input during a search for practice management software, we chose Nuesoft Xpress because we felt more comfortable with the security and audit features that an Internet-based system has to offer."

Nuesoft Technologies Chief Technology Officer Shahram Famorzadeh elaborates:

"The fact that the Xpress application is written in Java code adds a second layer of security that a browser-based system can not provide." he said. "Most hackers are very familiar with the addresses of the ports and the protocols that browsers use to send and receive data. That information is standard, and so is commonly known. Additionally, the theft of the users' security credential, one of the most common security vulnerability risks, via "phishing" techniques is not applicable in non-browser systems.

"By avoiding browsers, Nuesoft Technologies can use proprietary protocols and ports that are not commonly published, hence minimizing intrusion risks. Nuesoft strictly controls not only what gets sent, but how it is sent."

And an added layer of protection might not be a bad idea in a university environment where the prevailing philosophy is to allow most everything into the network, rather than keeping most everything out with a firewall.

"Until colleges move away from their current open network approach to security, keeping hackers away will continue to be a challenge, and IT professionals will need to turn to ASP models or other options to provide secure solutions to the campus departments that depend on them," Rickert said.

Get your Online Degree From an Accredited University

Many people who wish to undertake study at college find too difficult to adjust their lives to suit the rigid structure of a traditional university. Whether it is due to family commitments, or the necessity of keeping your current job, obtaining that degree can be difficult. However, with the competitive nature of the job market and rising cost of living, having a college degree has become more and more important. Whether you are looking to pursue a degree for the first time, updating your current degree or undertaking a graduate study, an online degree accredited college university could be just what you are looking for.

However, not everyone can realize their dream of getting a degree. For one, there are the demands of their current job. For another, attending classes in a college or university would mean they will have to take time off from work, risk losing their job and cut off their income. Thanks to the Internet, getting a degree is just a click away. However, if you are thinking of getting an online degree, make sure you get it form an accredited college or university.

Whether you're thinking of switching careers or trying to get a promotion in your current job, studying online can help you realize your career goals. There are numerous accredited online universities and colleges offering popular and in-demand courses like business, psychology, education and nursing. Studying online also gives you all the flexibility you need. You can fit your studies around your current job and family commitments. It's not at all as rigid as attending traditional classes. Accredited colleges and universities offering online degree programs know for a fact that those who sign up for online courses are employed and don't have the time to attend regular classes.

As a student, you have a broad range of options. If you want, you can get an online degree from a university that is half way around the world. You don't have to travel all the way to that school in order to get into the degree program you want. This is a particularly good option if you plan to travel abroad or live permanently in another country.

Another advantage of getting into an online degree program is that you wouldn't be vying for your professors' attention every time the same way you would be if you were attending regular classes along with a hundred other students. You can concentrate on your studies instead. Because your online classes are tailored fit to suit with your schedule, you can continue on with your regular routines.

Before you register for an online degree program, however, you need to take care of two things. This way you can be sure that you're making the right decision to pursue an online degree. First, make sure the university or college offering the online degree you're interested to take is reputable and accredited. Make sure the institution is legally approved and accredited to offer online courses. Look for the certification of accreditation for schools offering online degree programs. In terms of your employment, talk with your boss or superior about the possibility of promotion for employees having degrees in specialized courses. Your employer or boss would likely encourage you to go ahead and pursue your plans for getting an online degree. These steps are just to make sure that your time, effort and expenses will have a positive result in the future.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Students: Control Your Debt

Each year, a majority of students leaving college come home close to $20,000 in debt, not including the student loans. One of the main reasons students come home in debt is because of the majority of credit card offers on campus. Since credit cards aren’t a bad thing, it all comes down to the person that is in charge of using them.

A credit card is only bad if you abuse the powers. If a student is going to go out and purchase things he/she can’t afford, they will soon find out that they will be over their head in no time. The main reason this is, is because they don’t physically hand of the money. Instead, they hand a plastic card over that has no value.

There are many ways to control your debt but the first thing it comes down to is the person using the credit card. If a person can accept their responsibility and be able to control their spending habits, you’ll be past the hardest step in no time.

In order to achieve these first two goals, there are other optional steps that you can take in order to stop your debt in no time. If you follow these steps and use them religiously, you will find your net worth will go from the gutter to the positive side in no time.

One of the best things to do when you’re controlling you debt is to use your debit card. If you don’t have one, contact your bank immediately and have it linked to your checking account. This way you’re able to see how much you’re spending each time you use. An easy to way to control how much you’re spending is to create an online bank account user name. This will immediately post each transaction you have.

Next, you’ll want to create a budget. A budget is helpful for month to month activities. This will show you how much money is going out and in. This will also give you a better overall picture of how your finances are. It’s usually best to add in savings as a bill too so that you can save a little bit on the side as well. If you stick with your budget, this will be one of the best debt fighters in the long run.

These are just a few ideas when it comes to fighting debt. In the long run, you should use your imagination on creative ways to save money. Instead of going out to eat, buy a cheap can of soup and make a tuna fish sandwich. That right there will save you a few bucks. If you continue to be creative and get into the habit of doing these things, you won’t have a probably at all with paying off your debt after college.

If you come out of college in debt, don’t let it get you down because you’re not alone. In fact, you’re in the majority. If you’re motivated and have a strong mind, you’ll be able to kiss your debt goodbye in no time.

Top 10 Certification Exam Tips

Getting Certification is a cherished vision for every person, who desires to be recognized as a certified professional in the IT industry. Industry experts advocate going for more and more certifications these days. More the number of certifications you have, the more value you add to your organization!

Certification, undoubtedly, is one of the coveted affixes and a fundamental official recognition in the portfolio of a IT professional. It is believed that qualifying any certification exam acts as a great morale booster. This article highlights the tips to keep in mind while preparing and attempting any Certification exam.

Test Tips

1. Read Lot of Books on Certification:

Inculcate the habit to read a lot on certifications. Usually human brain tends to have extended recall of what has been read a few times.

2. Make Notes:

Ensure that you take notes of what you learn either while attending classroom sessions or reading study material.

3. Latest Industry Information:

Stay up to date with the technologies and latest happenings in the industry.

4. Don’t Act in Haste:

Don’t scuttle while attempting the test. Always read the question carefully before you look out for choices in hand.

5. Devote an ample amount of time:

Devote some time to ponder and think of the possibly correct answer before selecting one from the given choices.

6. Be Cautious!

Ensure that you interpret all the options correctly before selecting from available choices.

7. Follow Your Instincts:

If you get confused and can’t think of the answer with self-reliance, follow your instincts.

8. Use Common Sense:

Use your common sense while answering the questions. It will be the best deal.

9. Take Your Own Time:

Make the most of the time period for answering the test questions. Don’t’ haste.

10. Stay Informed:

Ensure that you refer to the most up-to-date and modernized versions of study materials for certification exam preparation.

Just remember these tips and you will triumph the computer Certification with distinction!

Best of Luck! Look out for more tips and tricks on website.

Educational Evaluation Quality - Good Results

An adequate educational evaluation enhances instruction. Just as evaluation impacts student learning and motivation, it also influences the nature of instruction in the classroom. There has been considerable recent literature that has promoted evaluation as something that is integrated with instruction. To her, when evaluation is integrated with instruction it informs teachers about what activities and assignments will be most useful, what level of teaching is most appropriate, and how summative evaluations provide diagnostic information. For instance, during instruction activities informal, formative evaluation helps teachers know when to move on, when to ask more questions, when to give more examples, and what responses to student questions are most appropriate. Standardized test scores, when used appropriately, help teachers understand student strengths and weaknesses to target further instruction.

Good assessment is valid and considers validity as a concept that needs to be fully understood. Like reliability, there are technical terms and issues associated with validity that are essential in helping teachers and administrators make reasonable and appropriate inferences from evaluation results (e.g., types of validity evidence, validity generalization, construct underrepresentation, construct-irrelevant variance, and discriminant and convergent evidence). Both intended and unintended consequences of evaluation need to be examined with appropriate evidence that supports particular arguments or points of view. Of equal importance is getting teachers and administrators to understand their role in gathering and interpreting validity evidence.

Good evaluation is fair and ethical and there are four views of fairness: as absence of bias (e.g., offensiveness and unfair penalization), as equitable treatment, as equality in outcomes, and as opportunity to learn. It includes entire chapters on the rights and responsibilities of test takers, testing individuals of diverse linguistic backgrounds, and testing individuals with disabilities or special needs.

According to his text, there are also three additional areas characterized as also important:

- Student knowledge of learning targets and the nature of the evaluations prior to instruction (e.g., knowing what will be tested, how it will be graded, scoring criteria, anchors, exemplars, and examples of performance).
- Student prerequisite knowledge and skills, including test-taking skills.
- Avoiding stereotypes.

Evaluation that is fair, leading to valid inferences with a minimum of error, is a series of measures that show student understanding through multiple methods. A complete picture of what students understand and can do is put together in pieces comprised by different approaches to evaluation. While testing experts and testing companies stress that important decisions should not be made on the basis of a single test score, some educators at the local level, and some (many?) politicians at the state at the national level, seem determined to violate this principle. There is a need to understand the entire range of evaluation techniques and methods, with the realization that each has limitations.

Good evaluation is efficient and feasible. Teachers and school administrators have limited time and resources. Consideration must be given to the efficiency of different approaches to evaluation, balancing needs to implement methods required to provide a full understanding with the time needed to develop and implement the methods, and score results. Teacher skills and knowledge are important to consider, as well as the level of support and resources.

We may consider a lot the importance in the fact of good evaluation appropriately incorporates technology. As technology advances and teachers become more proficient in the use of technology, there will be increased opportunities for teachers and administrators to use computer-based techniques (e.g., item banks, electronic grading, computer-adapted testing, computer-based simulations), Internet resources, and more complex, detailed ways of reporting results. There is to him, however, a danger that technology will contribute to the mindless use of new resources, such as using items on-line developed by some companies without adequate evidence of reliability, validity, and fairness, and crunching numbers with software programs without sufficient thought about weighting, error, and averaging.

To summarize, what is most essential about evaluation is understanding how general, fundamental evaluation principles and ideas can be used to enhance student learning and teacher effectiveness. This will be achieved as teachers and administrators learn about conceptual and technical evaluation concepts, methods, and procedures, for both large-scale and classroom evaluations, and apply these fundamentals to instruction.