Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Oxygen Used in Fight Against Autism
The number of cases of autism is on the rise. There is no known cure...but here is one unconventional practice that is drawing second looks from researchers:
Click here
Click here
Monday, May 3, 2010
Starting School is not a Race
The Globe and Mail article by Marina Jiménez (Early Education’s Top Model: Finland, June 16, 2009—available online at www.theglobeandmail.com, search Education Finland) that explains Finnish children don’t begin primary school [Grade 1] until age seven even though they have access to free, full-day daycare (up to age five) and Kindergarten (age six).
Jiménez writes, “Finland has consistently been among the highest scorers worldwide in the international assessment for student performance—a study carried out by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.”
“In 2006, Finland’s 15-year-olds scored the highest in science and the second highest in literacy of 57 countries. The World Economic Forum ranks Finland No. 1 in enrolment and quality and No. 2 in math and science education.”
Full-day Kindergarten would be convenient for those who would otherwise seek out daycare for the other half of the day, so it’s easy to understand why many parents would like full-day Kindergarten. But Kindergarten is more demanding and task-oriented than daycare, and most five-year-olds will find full-day Kindergarten too rigorous. In Kindergarten there is less opportunity for free play, which is crucial for a child’s development.
Psychologist Kathy Hirsh-Pasek (Temple University) comments, “The philosophy of play is really about an integrated philosophy of learning. It’s about how human beings get information. We learn by being active, not passive…I think today we have a real problem in a misperception of play. I think we think of play as not work, and when we realize that, as [Jean] Piaget once said, ‘…play is the work of childhood.’ Piaget was one of the greatest living psychologists of our time.” (Listen to the interview at www.cbc.ca/ideas/features/hurried-infant/index.html.)
The government of BC should be creating full-day senior Kindergarten classes for those six-year-olds who would benefit the most, rather than using the $151 million set aside for full-day Kindergarten, and restore cuts to programs.
For more information, listen to an interview with Carl Honoré, (www.carlhonore.com) author of Under Pressure: Putting the Child Back in Childhood, www.cbc.ca/wordsatlarge/blog/2008/04/
under_pressure_by_carl_honore_1.html.
Jiménez writes, “Finland has consistently been among the highest scorers worldwide in the international assessment for student performance—a study carried out by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.”
“In 2006, Finland’s 15-year-olds scored the highest in science and the second highest in literacy of 57 countries. The World Economic Forum ranks Finland No. 1 in enrolment and quality and No. 2 in math and science education.”
Full-day Kindergarten would be convenient for those who would otherwise seek out daycare for the other half of the day, so it’s easy to understand why many parents would like full-day Kindergarten. But Kindergarten is more demanding and task-oriented than daycare, and most five-year-olds will find full-day Kindergarten too rigorous. In Kindergarten there is less opportunity for free play, which is crucial for a child’s development.
Psychologist Kathy Hirsh-Pasek (Temple University) comments, “The philosophy of play is really about an integrated philosophy of learning. It’s about how human beings get information. We learn by being active, not passive…I think today we have a real problem in a misperception of play. I think we think of play as not work, and when we realize that, as [Jean] Piaget once said, ‘…play is the work of childhood.’ Piaget was one of the greatest living psychologists of our time.” (Listen to the interview at www.cbc.ca/ideas/features/hurried-infant/index.html.)
The government of BC should be creating full-day senior Kindergarten classes for those six-year-olds who would benefit the most, rather than using the $151 million set aside for full-day Kindergarten, and restore cuts to programs.
For more information, listen to an interview with Carl Honoré, (www.carlhonore.com) author of Under Pressure: Putting the Child Back in Childhood, www.cbc.ca/wordsatlarge/blog/2008/04/
under_pressure_by_carl_honore_1.html.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Walnuts - The Great Brain Food
Your brain accounts for 2% of your body weight but burns over 20% of your energy reserves. That means your brain is a big deal...it's working pretty hard. To get the most from your brain you need to feed it often with slow-release, high quality nutrition.
It doesn't get much better for your brain than raw, unsalted walnuts!
The Romans and the Ancient Chinese thought that since walnuts look like the brain, they must be good for the brain. Recent science proves them right!
Here's what you get:
Walnuts develop 3 dozen neuro-transmitters for your brain.
Walnuts are packed with vitamin E
They contain the, all important for your brain, fatty acid omega-3.
Walnuts can improve brain function and memory.
They can even lift your mood.
They improve artery function after a high fat meal.
Walnuts promote heart health....and what's good for your heart is good for your brain!
They can help prevent cognitive decline as you age.
Walnuts can help your brain get a good, natural night's sleep.
Some studies seem to indicate that walnuts even play a role in reducing cancer.
This may be the "clincher":
Eating walnuts lowers the risk of weight gain. This seems counter-intuitive. But a 28 month study in Spain found that people who ate nuts at least twice a week were 31% less likely to gain weight than people who did not. Study authors concluded, "Frequent nut consumption was associated with a reduced risk of weight gain (5 kg or more). These results support the recommendation of nut consumption as an important component of a cardioprotective diet and also allay fears of possible weight gain."
Eating just 4 walnuts a day can help.
info c/o terrysmall.com
It doesn't get much better for your brain than raw, unsalted walnuts!
The Romans and the Ancient Chinese thought that since walnuts look like the brain, they must be good for the brain. Recent science proves them right!
Here's what you get:
Walnuts develop 3 dozen neuro-transmitters for your brain.
Walnuts are packed with vitamin E
They contain the, all important for your brain, fatty acid omega-3.
Walnuts can improve brain function and memory.
They can even lift your mood.
They improve artery function after a high fat meal.
Walnuts promote heart health....and what's good for your heart is good for your brain!
They can help prevent cognitive decline as you age.
Walnuts can help your brain get a good, natural night's sleep.
Some studies seem to indicate that walnuts even play a role in reducing cancer.
This may be the "clincher":
Eating walnuts lowers the risk of weight gain. This seems counter-intuitive. But a 28 month study in Spain found that people who ate nuts at least twice a week were 31% less likely to gain weight than people who did not. Study authors concluded, "Frequent nut consumption was associated with a reduced risk of weight gain (5 kg or more). These results support the recommendation of nut consumption as an important component of a cardioprotective diet and also allay fears of possible weight gain."
Eating just 4 walnuts a day can help.
info c/o terrysmall.com
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE MATH
Don't tell me your age; you'd probably lie anyway-but the Hershey Man will know!
YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE MATH
This is pretty neat.
DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST!
It takes less than a minute ...
Work this out as you read ...
Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!
This is not one of those waste of time things, it's fun.
1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate (more than once but less than 10)
2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)
3. Add 5
4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator
5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1760 ..
If you haven't, add 1759..
6... Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.
You should have a three digit number
The first digit of this was your original number
(i.e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week).
The next two numbers are
YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!!!!)
THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2010) IT WILL EVER WORK, SO SPREAD IT AROUND WHILE IT LASTS.
Chocolate Calculator.
YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE MATH
This is pretty neat.
DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST!
It takes less than a minute ...
Work this out as you read ...
Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!
This is not one of those waste of time things, it's fun.
1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate (more than once but less than 10)
2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)
3. Add 5
4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator
5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1760 ..
If you haven't, add 1759..
6... Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.
You should have a three digit number
The first digit of this was your original number
(i.e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week).
The next two numbers are
YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!!!!)
THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2010) IT WILL EVER WORK, SO SPREAD IT AROUND WHILE IT LASTS.
Chocolate Calculator.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Teaching kids to be entrepreneurs
I like this video. It reminds us that kids who do not fit into the school system are not misfits - they are simply beyond the scope of public education. The next time you have a parent asking you what to do with their child who just does not have any interest or ability when it comes to school, you will have a lot to tell them - watch this video:click here.
Friday, April 9, 2010
ESL Goldmine
I find this site to be a real treasure chest of resources tips and information. If you scroll to the bottom you will find their list of best ESL sites (EFL in the U.S.):click HERE
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Being a Genius
William James said, "Genius is the art of non-habitual thinking." He went on to state, "Compared with what we ought to be, we are only half awake. Our fires are dampened, our drafts are checked. We are making use of only a small part of our physical and mental resources....Stating the thing broadly, the human individual lives far within his limits."
Genius is not about being perfect. We have all been trained to avoid mistakes. The goal in school is to get 100%, no mistakes, get an "A". In business we hire for perfect, manage for perfect, and reward for perfect. It is any wonder most of our work is standardized, doesn't tell a story, and is not worth talking about.
Genius is actually quite a messy business. We have all been told to thing outside the box. But that's not what genius is. Genius is thinking along the edge of the box. That's where the audience is and that's where things get done. That's where you will make an impact and create your story!
I read this great Bob Dylan quote in Seth Godin's new book Linchpin:
"Daltrey, Townsend, McCartney, the Beach Boys, Elton, Billy Joel. They made perfect records, so they have to play them perfectly.....exactly the way people remember them. My records were never perfect. So there is no point in trying to duplicate them. Anyway, I'm no main stream artist.
.....I guess most of my influences could be thought of as eccentric. Mass media had no overwhelming reach so I was drawn to the traveling performers passing through. The side show performers - bluegrass singers, the black cowboy with chaps and a lariat doing rope tricks. Miss Europe, Quasimodo, the Bearded Lady, the half-man half-woman, the deformed and the bent, Atlas the Dwarf, the fire-eaters, the teachers and preachers, the blues singers. I remember like it was yesterday. I got close to some of these people. I learned about dignity from them. Freedom too. Civil rights, human rights. How to stay within yourself. Most others were into the rides like the tilt-a-whirl and the roller-coaster. To me that was the nightmare. All the giddiness. The artificiality of it....."
The interviewer then reminded Dylan, "But you've sold over 300 million records." Dylan's answer gets to the heart of what it means to be a genius: "Yeah I know. It's a mystery to me too."
There is mystery all around you.....look for it...... that will lead you to your genius......
Genius is not about being perfect. We have all been trained to avoid mistakes. The goal in school is to get 100%, no mistakes, get an "A". In business we hire for perfect, manage for perfect, and reward for perfect. It is any wonder most of our work is standardized, doesn't tell a story, and is not worth talking about.
Genius is actually quite a messy business. We have all been told to thing outside the box. But that's not what genius is. Genius is thinking along the edge of the box. That's where the audience is and that's where things get done. That's where you will make an impact and create your story!
I read this great Bob Dylan quote in Seth Godin's new book Linchpin:
"Daltrey, Townsend, McCartney, the Beach Boys, Elton, Billy Joel. They made perfect records, so they have to play them perfectly.....exactly the way people remember them. My records were never perfect. So there is no point in trying to duplicate them. Anyway, I'm no main stream artist.
.....I guess most of my influences could be thought of as eccentric. Mass media had no overwhelming reach so I was drawn to the traveling performers passing through. The side show performers - bluegrass singers, the black cowboy with chaps and a lariat doing rope tricks. Miss Europe, Quasimodo, the Bearded Lady, the half-man half-woman, the deformed and the bent, Atlas the Dwarf, the fire-eaters, the teachers and preachers, the blues singers. I remember like it was yesterday. I got close to some of these people. I learned about dignity from them. Freedom too. Civil rights, human rights. How to stay within yourself. Most others were into the rides like the tilt-a-whirl and the roller-coaster. To me that was the nightmare. All the giddiness. The artificiality of it....."
The interviewer then reminded Dylan, "But you've sold over 300 million records." Dylan's answer gets to the heart of what it means to be a genius: "Yeah I know. It's a mystery to me too."
There is mystery all around you.....look for it...... that will lead you to your genius......
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
An excellent resource site
http://maryglasgowmagazines.com/
This site has excellent resources. You get 12 free downloads then have to pay a small yearly fee. Well worth a visit!
This site has excellent resources. You get 12 free downloads then have to pay a small yearly fee. Well worth a visit!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Lastpass.com
This is not really education related...but I find this site offers a free program that really makes my computer time less frustrating. Once you have downloaded the program it remembers all your passwords and instantly logs you into whatever sites you allow. It is highly secure and you can prevent it from memorizing any sites you wish.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Importance of Pre-School
Child psychologists and early learning specialists have long known that a child develops 50 percent of his or her learning potential by age 4, and 80 percent by age 8.
So why are we not aiming at preschool as the critical problem in our educational system?
Some provinces are slowly moving to full day Kindergarten but this does not address the problem of children in daycare.
Most daycare workers are underpaid and many daycare centres do not provide much more than child-minding services.
More emphasis needs to be placed on the critical learning stages BEFORE a child enters school.
There is more than enough research evidence available to prove the need to formalize daycare practises.
So why are we not aiming at preschool as the critical problem in our educational system?
Some provinces are slowly moving to full day Kindergarten but this does not address the problem of children in daycare.
Most daycare workers are underpaid and many daycare centres do not provide much more than child-minding services.
More emphasis needs to be placed on the critical learning stages BEFORE a child enters school.
There is more than enough research evidence available to prove the need to formalize daycare practises.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Word Champ
Word Champ is a Language Learning Network for learners of many different languages. English learners will find a selection of free features on this site, including a helpful webreader and many activities, flashcards and drills to learn English at a safe and challenging pace. Learners can track their progress and search for other language partners who are doing the same. For those willing to pay for a premium membership (9.95 USD/year) the options are endless. Teachers can use Word Champ to upload or create homework assignments and assign them to paying users quickly and easily. As with any computer generated practice and translation software, users are advised to watch for and report errors and inconsistencies in order to improve the product.
http://www.wordchamp.com
http://www.wordchamp.com
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Free Seminars On-Line
Why Are Our Seminars Free?
There's no hidden agenda and no sales pitch. BizLaunch.com corporate sponsors fund the seminars because they want to educate small business owners. The more successful your business becomes, the more you'll hopefully buy from them. It's as simple as that.
(I have tried them - they are worth the time)
There's no hidden agenda and no sales pitch. BizLaunch.com corporate sponsors fund the seminars because they want to educate small business owners. The more successful your business becomes, the more you'll hopefully buy from them. It's as simple as that.
(I have tried them - they are worth the time)
How to avoid Burnout
If you're feeling overwhelmed and burned out, putting in long hours without seeming to get ahead, becoming irritable with your students, then there are things that you need to do to take care of yourself. Here are a few suggestions...
Enroll in a fun workshop, seminar or conference or personal,
non-teaching interest.
· Change teaching grade assignments in the school.
· Change schools.
· Go into a different teaching role such as resource,
administration.
· Take on a new task such as a school or district committee.
· Take up swimming, jogging, walking, rowing, cycling.
· Get more sleep.
· Use deep breathing, meditation techniques, music to relax.
· Cultivate allies among students, staff, and parents.
· Find friends outside of teaching.
· Go to out-of-town conferences.
· Collect and mount motivational posters in your classroom.
· Take a vacation, a week-end getaway, or go to a spa retreat.
· Be flexible, or you'll be permanently bent out of shape.
· Join a sports league or a charitable volunteer group.
· Get a pet (rabbit, cat, dog...).
For me, one of the first things I do to relax after having a hard week with my students is to get some inspiration from other teachers through teacher movies.
The Emperor's Club (2002)
I rarely buy movies after I've viewed them.
This movie is the exception.
The Emperor's Club with Kevin Kline is one of my favourite teacher movies. It showed me that although I can try my best, do all I can for my students, I can't "fix" them all. There will be failures, especially with students whom I tried to reach, but for whom I was unable to change their behavior. There will be students you can't stop for whatever reason, from going down the wrong path.
The Emperor's Club more than any other movie, shows the internal struggles of the classroom teacher.
This movie also shows that for every student you can't change, there will of students where you will make a difference.
Those you will inspire to do their best through all the little things you do with them all year long.
Even though they don't tell you or acknowledge the impact you have on them, in later years, they will remember and be grateful for the things you did.
Other movies I've enjoyed:
Freedom Writers (2007)
Stand and Deliver (1988)
The Ron Clark Story (2006)
The Karate Kid (1984)
Glory Road (2006)
Hoosiers (1986)
Coach Carter (2005)
Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)
Renaissance Man (1994)
Enroll in a fun workshop, seminar or conference or personal,
non-teaching interest.
· Change teaching grade assignments in the school.
· Change schools.
· Go into a different teaching role such as resource,
administration.
· Take on a new task such as a school or district committee.
· Take up swimming, jogging, walking, rowing, cycling.
· Get more sleep.
· Use deep breathing, meditation techniques, music to relax.
· Cultivate allies among students, staff, and parents.
· Find friends outside of teaching.
· Go to out-of-town conferences.
· Collect and mount motivational posters in your classroom.
· Take a vacation, a week-end getaway, or go to a spa retreat.
· Be flexible, or you'll be permanently bent out of shape.
· Join a sports league or a charitable volunteer group.
· Get a pet (rabbit, cat, dog...).
For me, one of the first things I do to relax after having a hard week with my students is to get some inspiration from other teachers through teacher movies.
The Emperor's Club (2002)
I rarely buy movies after I've viewed them.
This movie is the exception.
The Emperor's Club with Kevin Kline is one of my favourite teacher movies. It showed me that although I can try my best, do all I can for my students, I can't "fix" them all. There will be failures, especially with students whom I tried to reach, but for whom I was unable to change their behavior. There will be students you can't stop for whatever reason, from going down the wrong path.
The Emperor's Club more than any other movie, shows the internal struggles of the classroom teacher.
This movie also shows that for every student you can't change, there will of students where you will make a difference.
Those you will inspire to do their best through all the little things you do with them all year long.
Even though they don't tell you or acknowledge the impact you have on them, in later years, they will remember and be grateful for the things you did.
Other movies I've enjoyed:
Freedom Writers (2007)
Stand and Deliver (1988)
The Ron Clark Story (2006)
The Karate Kid (1984)
Glory Road (2006)
Hoosiers (1986)
Coach Carter (2005)
Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)
Renaissance Man (1994)
a good movie resource
here's a fantastic resource site which offers curriculum activities and materials for a wide range of popular movies:
http://www.youthfilmproject.org/programs.htm
http://www.youthfilmproject.org/programs.htm
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Speak First
There are countless recommendations on how to learn English, or any other language for that matter.
While a 'variety of methods' approach may leads to a balanced learning style, the problem is trying to focus on the one method that works the best.
If you think about yourself, you will recall that you learned to speak first.
Speaking a language on a regular, sometimes forced, basis is the single most effective way to learn a language.
This fact was driven home to me when teaching English in China. I found myself in front of 30 High School English teachers. I had come prepared with reams of material all geared for people whom I thought would have some grasp of English. I discovered, to my amazement, that they could barely speak the language.
Yes they knew grammar; some better than I. But the silence at the beginning of that first class was palpable. I quickly jettisoned all my materials and began to encourage them to speak. By injecting a lot of silly humour and many, many games they began to loosen up and speak.
So, if you want to learn English, throw out the grammar books, ditch the writing assignments and immerse yourself orally into the language. There are countless way to do this...just select the ways that are the most convenient for you - but remember: you must push yourself outside of your comfort zone if you want to make serious progress.
If you have any suggestions on how to immerse yourself orally into English, please let me know. I love to find new ways for my students to enjoy speaking English.
While a 'variety of methods' approach may leads to a balanced learning style, the problem is trying to focus on the one method that works the best.
If you think about yourself, you will recall that you learned to speak first.
Speaking a language on a regular, sometimes forced, basis is the single most effective way to learn a language.
This fact was driven home to me when teaching English in China. I found myself in front of 30 High School English teachers. I had come prepared with reams of material all geared for people whom I thought would have some grasp of English. I discovered, to my amazement, that they could barely speak the language.
Yes they knew grammar; some better than I. But the silence at the beginning of that first class was palpable. I quickly jettisoned all my materials and began to encourage them to speak. By injecting a lot of silly humour and many, many games they began to loosen up and speak.
So, if you want to learn English, throw out the grammar books, ditch the writing assignments and immerse yourself orally into the language. There are countless way to do this...just select the ways that are the most convenient for you - but remember: you must push yourself outside of your comfort zone if you want to make serious progress.
If you have any suggestions on how to immerse yourself orally into English, please let me know. I love to find new ways for my students to enjoy speaking English.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Let Someone Know That They Made A Difference
Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
Name the last five winners of Miss America.
Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
Name the last six Academy Award winners for best actor or actress.
Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remembers the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies.
Awards tarnish.
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's some more things to think about:
See how well you do on this quiz!
List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier?
The Lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards.
They are the ones that care.
If you'd like, pass this on to those people who have made a difference in your life.
OR, better still, let your students do this exercise.
(My students students were so frustrated with the first part, BUT got the second part!)
Let someone know they have made a difference in your life.
Better yet, make a difference yourself!
Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
Name the last five winners of Miss America.
Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
Name the last six Academy Award winners for best actor or actress.
Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remembers the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies.
Awards tarnish.
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's some more things to think about:
See how well you do on this quiz!
List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier?
The Lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards.
They are the ones that care.
If you'd like, pass this on to those people who have made a difference in your life.
OR, better still, let your students do this exercise.
(My students students were so frustrated with the first part, BUT got the second part!)
Let someone know they have made a difference in your life.
Better yet, make a difference yourself!
Best site for students and teachers
I have found sparknotes.com to be one of the best sites available for detailed, in-depth notes, student support and lesson ideas.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Being a Successful Tutor
You are a brilliant tutor and have a well-established list of long-term students who refer their friends to you constantly. You spend the time to prepare for each of your students and go the extra mile to be original, creative, and even more entertaining so your students learn effectively while enjoying their lessons with you. Your collection of testimonials is growing and now you almost do not even need to advertise… students call you only because they heard of you from someone else. You have turned into a tutoring celebrity keeping a busy schedule and at the same time desperately trying to sneak in a moment for a massage, run in the park, or even a quiet day of reading at home with your phone off.
Now that you have established your business, you will have the opportunity to step back and look at it as exactly… a business.You are your company. The sooner you realize this fact, the easier it will be for you to maintain it and further develop it. A very good start would be to write down everything that you have achieved so far and then list all the goals you foresee that you will achieve in the future. This simple exercise will give you direction – what are you aiming at? More clients? Sub-contracting other tutors? Increasing your price? Improving the quality of your service? Now that you have all answers (please remember that this is only a beginning point for you and your goals and perspective may change with circumstances or as time goes by) you can draw the map, which will get you there. Your map is your portfolio – business, academic, and personal.
Business
Your business portfolio is going to provide the financials and business development information. Create a system of filing every piece of paper that will be relevant to your business. Example of documents you will need:Revenue spreadsheets: expense and profitInclude both current (where you are) and future (where you want to be in a certain period of time). Record all discounts, sample lessons, promotions, etc. Include everything that brings or spends money from your bank account. The easiest way to keep track of all profit and expenses is by creating invoices/receipts for your clients. Number and date them and file them accordingly – by student name, by topic, or by date. Meanwhile, keep all receipts from your purchases and expenses for accurate calculation of your costs. Remember that as a business owner (even if you don’t have a registered company or business name you must keep these records; in Canada you don’t need to register a company if your revenue is under $30 000/year – consult with an accountant!) you must provide all income sources and write off eligible expenses when you file your income tax. Your business revenue is your personal revenue if you are a sole-proprietor or have a home-based business.
Marketing:
Ad campaigns and referralsRecord all your advertising sources and keep track of how students hear about you. This will show you which sources are worth expanding and which you need to stay away from. For example, if you have been paying $100/month for a newspaper ad but no students actually found you through it, you will not need that expense and it is a dead-end source. If you spent 2 days and $200 to print and distribute flyers and 80% of your students come to you with this very flyer in hand, then maybe you should relocate the $100 from the newspaper ad into printing out more flyers and even pay someone to distribute them for you.
Keeping track of all referrals is extremely important. Who sent whom to you? Are you going to give some sort of reward for the person who referred 3 new students to you? Record all relationships of your students who refer other people to you. Maybe you have included a “buddy discount” in your ad campaign and now people are taking advantage of it. Make sure you know whom these people are. Give them incentive to keep sending you students and reward them for “working” for you.
Academics:
Your academic “map” scripts who you are as a tutor and educator. This is your academic portfolio where you store your teaching materials, research, articles, professional development pieces, ready-to-use materials, demonstration materials, sample lessons plans, etc. This virtual academic bank starts with your educational philosophy and goals, and finishes… never. This is the ongoing work of a professional educator who collects, revisits, reflects and develops every artifact in it. Your academic portfolio will not only demonstrate your methodology and resources, but it will also help you organize your work as an educator. Remember to include your testimonials in this portfolio. There is nothing better than being able to open a page and show your potential clients what past students have said about you or what gifts they’ve given you. Choose the best format to represent your academic portfolio – paper-based, electronic (webpage, blog, etc.) or combined.
Your academic map will also include your students’ files. Keep track of what you teach. Knowing how your students progress and what you have already taught them is precious. It is very important that you include lesson plans you have already used – did they work? Why or why not? Every student has different interests and personality and you will benefit from keeping a diary of your interactions. Believe me, when you have so many students and so many lessons, you will start to forget or mix up students. This is a normal course of the tutoring process and you are not a robot or computer to memorize every little detail. That is why it is worth recording it instead.
Personal:
That’s right! Your personal life also needs organizing. As you are your company, you need to make time for work and you need to make time for rest, vacation, coffee time, breaks, etc. Make sure you always have a calendar handy so you can record appointments, dinners, etc. There is nothing more embarrassing than calling a student to cancel a lesson because you forgot you had a hair appointment at the same time. A calendar is an excellent time-management tool which is a lifesaver when it comes to scheduling.
Friday, January 15, 2010
www.bestofthereader.ca
These e-books are part of a series called Best of the Reader. The stories are from past issues of The Westcoast Reader (1982-2009), a newspaper for adults who are improving their English reading skills.
There are six e-books and a 2010 calendar of special days and holidays. Each e-book has 6 to 8 stories and each story has exercises to go with it. There is also an answer key in each book.
There are six e-books and a 2010 calendar of special days and holidays. Each e-book has 6 to 8 stories and each story has exercises to go with it. There is also an answer key in each book.
How Do You Persuade Anyone To Do Anything?
How do you persuade a child to complete a homework assignment? How do you persuade employees to embrace a change?
We often use rewards. But do they really work? Do they really persuade the brain? I read an interesting study this week on this topic.
Stanford University rounded up two groups of school children. The children were given paper, pencils, and crayons and they were asked to create pictures. The first group was told that they would receive medals for good effort. The second group was just asked to create pictures.
Several weeks later the two groups were reassembled. Drawing materials were again handed out and the scientists measured how long the children played with them. What happened next was a surprise. The children who had received the reward of a medal spent much less time drawing than the children who were not give a reward.
Why did this happen?
It seems like the little voice in your brain says, " Well, let's see....they usually give me rewards for things I don't like doing". This effect has been replicated in many studies. The conclusion seems to be that if you reward children for doing something the long term result can be de-motivating. The "carrot and stick" approach only seems to produce short term change. It appears to destroy the very behaviour that it is designed to encourage.
I don't think adults are much different.
What does work? Unpredictable celebrations. Something like, "Hey you did a great job on that assignment! How would you like to....." Or, " You put a lot of effort into this. How would you like to celebrate?" This approach seems to create long term change! Even simple, small celebrations work wonders on your brain.
We often use rewards. But do they really work? Do they really persuade the brain? I read an interesting study this week on this topic.
Stanford University rounded up two groups of school children. The children were given paper, pencils, and crayons and they were asked to create pictures. The first group was told that they would receive medals for good effort. The second group was just asked to create pictures.
Several weeks later the two groups were reassembled. Drawing materials were again handed out and the scientists measured how long the children played with them. What happened next was a surprise. The children who had received the reward of a medal spent much less time drawing than the children who were not give a reward.
Why did this happen?
It seems like the little voice in your brain says, " Well, let's see....they usually give me rewards for things I don't like doing". This effect has been replicated in many studies. The conclusion seems to be that if you reward children for doing something the long term result can be de-motivating. The "carrot and stick" approach only seems to produce short term change. It appears to destroy the very behaviour that it is designed to encourage.
I don't think adults are much different.
What does work? Unpredictable celebrations. Something like, "Hey you did a great job on that assignment! How would you like to....." Or, " You put a lot of effort into this. How would you like to celebrate?" This approach seems to create long term change! Even simple, small celebrations work wonders on your brain.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Scribblar.com
Scribblar is a free site that is great for online tutoring. Lots of features...worth a visit...
Monday, January 11, 2010
Culips - ESL site of the year 2009
Culips has just been awarded the ESL site of the year award...and its Canadian!!!:
http://esl.culips.com/aboutus/who-we-are/
http://esl.culips.com/aboutus/who-we-are/
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Free Screencast Tool
I know about a tool which is completely online and can help you create screencasts and it is totally free. The name of it is Screentoaster [http://www.screentoaster.com/] and with it you can create tutorials, lectures that can be embeded to any web site or can be uploaded to youtube. One disadvantage is that you cannot edit your records but you can do it with a tool called Any Video Converter Professional.
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