1. Start off with something easy.
Sarah Kay gave some suggestions on how you should start writing poetry by writing lists. For example, start writing a list of 5-10 things I know to be true, or I should've learned by now. Also try 10 things I love/want/had.
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ESL Discussions: Conversation Questions: Speaking Lesson: Social Networking - 0 views
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social networking facebook discussion questions discussion social media conversation esl english language learning language web2.0 technology reference education learning
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1)What springs to mind when you hear the term 'social networking'? 2)Hasn't social networking been a part of human society for tens of thousands of years? 3)Have you joined any social networking sites? Are they fun? 4)Are social networking sites for people who aren't good at meeting people face to face? 5)What's the best social networking site? 6)Should companies ban their employees from using social networking sites at work? 7)What new features would you like to see on social networking sites? 8)Do you think social networking could really be called "social networking'? 9)Have you ever tried to find friends on a social networking site? 10)Do you think your country's leader has a page on a social networking site? What do you think it might contain?
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Wandering thoughts lane: Tips for writing Spoken Word - 0 views
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2. Don't try too hard. Don't try to write super complicated filled with emotions and metaphors poems from the beginning, you'll only end up waisting time and feeling disappointed. Your first poems should go naturally, easy, that way you'll be amazed to see how far you've come after a while.
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3. Inspire yourself Look around you for things to inspire you. For example you can listen to some poetry, maybe one word or one phrase someone recites triggers something inside your brain. Listening to music is also a great inspiration source -at least for me. When I listen to music I can picture the story behind the song (but mostly only when I listen to instrumentals). Also, try to look at the world from a different perspective. When you take a walk try to observe as many things as possible, a funny incident, a person you like, a beautiful view on the landscapes. Inspire yourself from everything around you.
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6. Revise and rewrite your poems If it doesn't sound very good right after it's done that's alright, just give it some time. Focus on writing other poems and come back to revise this one after a while, you'll have a different perspective after you took a brake from it. It'll help you see the bigger picture.
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5. Read your poems out loud I know it sounds like no big deal but trust me it makes a difference.
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4. Read/watch as many spoken word/poems as possible Pay attention to what suits you better, which artists do you like most and why. Understand it and go in that direction. For example if you like an artists that always has funny poems you may be prone to write funny poems, it's likely they'll make you feel more comfortable. You can always experience other types of poems if you want to!
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7. Use your imagination. That's what I love most about artists, they CREATE their world however they want it to be, and they can drag you into their stories faster than you can even realize it. So use your imagination, create whatever you wish and do your best to convince the audience (even if the audience is just you or a couple of friends of yours.) that world you're writing really exists.
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8. Spoken word doesn't have to rhyme So don't struggle to find rhymes. But, if you have a good rhyme in mind. don't hesitate! Make it part of your poetry, find your flow.
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9. Make a special notebook for poetry writing. I bought my poetry notebook just because I liked the cover of it. Every time I pull it out of my bag it makes me smile. Also one more thing I did was to write quotes from my best poems on colored post it notes and stick them on the first page of the notebook. That way every time I open the notebook to write I can read pieces of my best creations and feel proud. It really boosts up your morale.
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10. Be honest with yourself If something hurt you and it still does let it out, don't back from your thoughts and feelings. If you worry your poem will be too cheesy or too sad, stop worrying! just let it be. Acknowledge the fact that those thoughts were haunting your brain for some time now. Get to know them and set them free...and what better way is there to set thoughts free than by poetry?
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11. Write as often as possible And this is, the most important thing of all. Write constantly, even if you have just one or two sentences in mind, just write them down. Also, carry the notebook with you all the time. You never know when something will trigger the inspiration in you.
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"the spoken word has been an outlet for people to release their views outside the academic and institutional domains of the university and academic or small press. The spoken word and its most popular offshoot, slam poetry, evolved into the present day soap-box for people, especially younger ones, to express their views, emotions, life experiences or information to audiences. The views of spoken word artists encompass frank commentary on religion, politics, sex and gender, often taboo subjects in the world of contemporary academic poetry. Spoken word is used to inform or make an audience conscious of some human aspect pertaining to life*"
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shared by izz aty on 09 Sep 14
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Adult ADHD: 50 Tips of Management « Dr Hallowell ADHD and mental and cognitiv... - 0 views
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health ADHD attention psychology 'mental health' brain society social science science medicine
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the single most powerful treatment for ADHD is understanding ADHD in the first place. Read books. Talk with professionals. Talk with other adults who have ADHD. You’ll be able to design your own treatment to fit your own version of ADHD.
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It is useful for you to have a coach, for some person near you to keep after you, but always with humor. Your coach can help you get organized, stay on task, give you encouragement or remind you to get back to work. Friend, colleague, or therapist (it is possible, but risky for your coach to be your spouse), a coach is someone to stay on you to get things done, exhort you as coaches do, keep tabs on you, and in general be in your corner. A coach can be tremendously helpful in treating ADHD.
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ADHD adults need lots of encouragement. This is in part due to their having many self-doubts that have accumulated over the years. But it goes beyond that. More than the average person, the ADHD adult withers without encouragement and positively lights up like a Christmas tree when given it. They will often work for another person in a way they won’t work for themselves. This is not “bad”, it just is. It should be recognized and taken advantage of.
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it equally if not more important for those around you to understand it–family, job, school, friends. Once they get the concept they will be able to understand you much better and to help you as well.
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Try to get rid of the negativity that may have infested your system if you have lived for years without knowing what you had was ADHD
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Listen to feedback from trusted others. Adults (and children, too) with ADHD are notoriously poor self-observers. They use a lot of what can appear to be denial.
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Give up guilt over high-stimulus-seeking behavior. Understand that you are drawn to high stimuli. Try to choose them wisely, rather than brooding over the “bad” ones.
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Don’t feel chained to conventional careers or conventional ways of coping. Give yourself permission to be yourself. Give up trying to be the person you always thought you should be–the model student or the organized executive, for example–and let yourself be who you are.
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what you have is a neuropsychiatric condition. It is genetically transmitted. It is caused by biology, by how your brain is wired. It is NOT a disease of the will, nor a moral failing. It is NOT caused by a weakness in character, nor by a failure to mature. It’s cure is not to be found in the power of the will, nor in punishment, nor in sacrifice, nor in pain. ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS. Try as they might, many people with ADHD have great trouble accepting the syndrome as being rooted in biology rather than weakness of character.
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External structure. Structure is the hallmark of the non-pharmacological treatment of the ADHD child. It can be equally useful with adults. Tedious to set up, once in place structure works like the walls of the bobsled slide, keeping the speedball sled from careening off the track.
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Make frequent use of: ◦ lists ◦ color-coding ◦ reminders ◦ notes to self ◦ rituals ◦ files
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Color coding. Mentioned above, color-coding deserves emphasis. Many people with ADHD are visually oriented. Take advantage of this by making things memorable with color: files, memoranda, texts, schedules, etc. Virtually anything in the black and white of type can be made more memorable, arresting, and therefore attention-getting with color.
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Now that you have the freedom of adulthood, try to set things up so that you will not constantly be reminded of your limitations.
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Break down large tasks into small ones. Attach deadlines to the small parts. Then, like magic, the large task will get done. This is one of the simplest and most powerful of all structuring devices. Often a large task will feel overwhelming to the person with ADHD. The mere thought of trying to perform the task makes one turn away. On the other hand, if the large task is broken down into small parts, each component may feel quite manageable.
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Prioritize. Avoid procrastination. When things get busy, the adult ADHD person loses perspective: paying an unpaid parking ticket can feel as pressing as putting out the fire that just got started in the wastebasket. Prioritize. Take a deep breath. Put first things first. Procrastination is one of the hallmarks of adult ADHD. You have to really discipline yourself to watch out for it and avoid it.
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Accept fear of things going well. Accept edginess when things are too easy, when there’s no conflict. Don’t gum things up just to make them more stimulating.
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Notice how and where you work best: in a noisy room, on the train, wrapped in three blankets, listening to music, whatever. Children and adults with ADHD can do their best under rather odd conditions. Let yourself work under whatever conditions are best for you.
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it is O.K. to do two things at once: carry on a conversation and knit, or take a shower and do your best thinking, or jog and plan a business meeting. Often people with ADHD need to be doing several things at once in order to get anything done at all.
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Do what you’re good at. Again, if it seems easy, that is O.K. There is no rule that says you can only do what you’re bad at.
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Leave time between engagements to gather your thoughts. Transitions are difficult for ADHD’ers, and mini-breaks can help ease the transition.
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Keep a notepad in your car, by your bed, and in your pocketbook or jacket. You never know when a good idea will hit you, or you’ll want to remember something else.
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Read with a pen in hand, not only for marginal notes or underlining, but for the inevitable cascade of “other” thoughts that will occur to you.
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Recharge your batteries. Related to #30, most adults with ADHD need, on a daily basis, some time to waste without feeling guilty about it. One guilt-free way to conceptualize it is to call it time to recharge your batteries. Take a nap, watch T.V., meditate. Something calm, restful, at ease.
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Many adults with ADHD have an addictive or compulsive personality such that they are always hooked on something. Try to make this something positive.
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Understand mood changes and ways to manage these. Know that your moods will change willy-nilly, independent of what’s going on in the external world. Don’t waste your time ferreting out the reason why or looking for someone to blame. Focus rather on learning to tolerate a bad mood, knowing that it will pass, and learning strategies to make it pass sooner. Changing sets, i.e., getting involved with some new activity (preferably interactive) such as a conversation with a friend or a tennis game or reading a book will often help.
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recognize the following cycle which is very common among adults with ADHD: Something “startles” your psychological system, a change or transition, a disappointment or even a success. The precipitant may be quite trivial. This “startle” is followed by a mini-panic with a sudden loss of perspective, the world being set topsy-turvy. You try to deal with this panic by falling into a mode of obsessing and ruminating over one or another aspect of the situation. This can last for hours, days, even months.
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Plan scenarios to deal with the inevitable blahs. Have a list of friends to call. Have a few videos that always engross you and get your mind off things. Have ready access to exercise. Have a punching bag or pillow handy if there’s extra angry energy. Rehearse a few pep talks you can give yourself, like, “You’ve been here before. These are the ADHD blues. They will soon pass. You are O.K.”
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Expect depression after success. People with ADHD commonly complain of feeling depressed, paradoxically, after a big success. This is because the high stimulus of the chase or the challenge or the preparation is over. The deed is done. Win or lose, the adult with ADHD misses the conflict, the high stimulus, and feels depressed.
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Use “time-outs” as with children. When you are upset or overstimulated, take a time-out. Go away. Calm down.
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Learn how to advocate for yourself. Adults with ADHD are so used to being criticized, they are often unnecessarily defensive in putting their own case forward. Learn to get off the defensive.
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Avoid premature closure of a project, a conflict, a deal, or a conversation. Don’t “cut to the chase” too soon, even though you’re itching to.
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Try to let the successful moment last and be remembered, become sustaining over time. You’ll have to consciously and deliberately train yourself to do this because you’ll just as soon forget.
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Remember that ADHD usually includes a tendency to overfocus or hyperfocus at times. This hyperfocusing can be used constructively or destructively. Be aware of its destructive use: a tendency to obsess or ruminate over some imagined problem without being able to let it go.
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Exercise vigorously and regularly. You should schedule this into your life and stick with it. Exercise is positively one of the best treatments for ADHD. It helps work off excess energy and aggression in a positive way, it allows for noise-reduction within the mind, it stimulates the hormonal and neurochemical system in a most therapeutic way, and it soothes and calms the body. When you add all that to the well-known health benefits of exercise, you can see how important exercise is. Make it something fun so you can stick with it over the long haul, i.e., the rest of your life.
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Learn to joke with yourself and others about your various symptoms, from forgetfulness, to getting lost all the time, to being tactless or impulsive, whatever. If you can be relaxed about it all to have a sense of humor, others will forgive you much more.
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Make a good choice in a significant other. Obviously this is good advice for anyone. But it is striking how the adult with ADHD can thrive or flounder depending on the choice of mate.
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Schedule activities with friends. Adhere to these schedules faithfully. It is crucial for you to keep connected to other people.
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Find and join groups where you are liked, appreciated, understood, enjoyed. Conversely, don’t stay too long where you aren’t understood or appreciated.
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10 Things Before You Start A Comic Or Graphic Novel! - MakingComics.com - 0 views
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comics writing project how to draw things comic graphic novel
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"Do you have a long form project in mind? Are you ready to pull the trigger and start the journey? Well, believe it or not, there are some really important things to know and do before you start. But don't just take my word for it either, sometimes you need to work for 20 years in an uphill battle before you can get something important through your thick skull. I know, because that is how it was for me. So, here is my simple list of things to consider before starting your comic project."
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shared by izz aty on 16 Jan 13
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Main - Malaysia - Viral video reveals varsity 'brainwash' tactics, says student @ Wed J... - 0 views
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malaysia politics students youth bawani sharifah zohra education tertiary education free education causes society people community social issues
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Follow kopite 131p kopite has not yet written a personal description. View IntenseDebate profile +133 Vote up Vote down kopite 131p · 11 hours ago Freedom of speech means cutting off others and bullying? Freedom of speech means belittling and humiliating others? Freedom of speech means avoiding a valid question and went to a defensive mode of equating real problems with animals? Freedom of speech means asking others to leave if they don't like it? Geez.... are you Sharifah?
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ponu299 126p · 5 hours ago The students who were all vocally supporting this BITCH are equally responsible for the state of affair of this country. To think that we have student of this mentality, where they don't support their own uni mate, who was bring the topic of free education. To the student this was just a argument between a Muslim and a Hindu. WHAT 1MALAYSIA IS ABOUT.
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· 5 hours ago Typical of Big Brother- UMNO - I speak you listen. No questions allowed. Just follow what I say. Only Big Brother is right. Also - whenever there is a seminar or forum organised by them, it only addresses the muslim crowd. To them, the other races do not exist and they are not bothered.
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ummNO 158p · 12 hours ago Exactly. How can universities teach such blatent behaviour, and they seem to condone it. When I help a person, it does not need to be an indian, malay or chinese. It cannot be based on race or religion. Yet, UiTM Melaka allows it's students to protest against intake of non-muslims. And the authorities and current govt adminstration does nothing. It's as though they condone such behaviour. It's not good for nation building. By their actions, they are making themselves to be exclusive to one race only.
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Follow worried22 82p worried22 has not yet written a personal description. View IntenseDebate profile +40 Vote up Vote down worried22 82p · 8 hours ago An Indian student standing up and speaking about free education whereas most of the Malay students clapped in support of that Listen Listen lady when she asked her to leave the country if she is not happy with the government's policies. What an irony!
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karulann 130p · 10 hours ago not every malaysia have the "privileged" of getting grants. Loans are just burdening the graduates. I say we MUST advocate for free education, regardless of anyone income or place of living, education should be free at any level. Let us stop with the speculation that Malaysia does not afford to provide free education, but now the BN goverment are able to dishes out billions of ringgit for the BR1M, and have "janji" to continue giving every year IF they win and probably MIGHT increase the amount to RM1000.. You do the calculation of how many billions is wasted just like that.. and you get how much? Give me free education instead of RM500 yearly
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Hobbesianism 166p · 11 hours ago We are not angry mind you. We're simply astounded at the fact that there are such people like Ms. Sharifah in what you called the one-sided, barisan friendly forum. In fact, its freaking funny! Is that how you respond to a question, i.e. if you don't like, get out, my education is better than yours, you cannot compare with others, must always listen to elders, animals also got problems? Haha! No wonder you are still sad.
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ankmlysia 153p · 13 hours ago ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing’
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AaronID 156p · 12 hours ago What's even scarier than the dozens, if not hundreds, of these roadshows are the obvious fact so many, so young, are already too far into being brainwashed by BTN/BN! The video of Sharifah belittling and humiliating Bawani is made worse by the cheerleaders, cheering Sharifah, on! Poor kids...
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VJK001 177p · 13 hours ago Why is Sharifah with one sided views allowed to mediate in Universities of Malaysia? No wonder our universities are going down in ranks compared to rest of the world. How can a mediator asked a fellow Malaysian to go to countries of her choice if she don't agree with policies in Malaysia? Imagine the other students clapping and supporting Sharifah! That shows the true strength of our Malaysians university students? The only one outstanding there is little Ambiga Bawani! Syabas Bawani..
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shared by izz aty on 28 Mar 13
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Psychology Facts | Psychology and Handwriting Analysis: Margins - 0 views
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psychology handwriting psychoanalysis people society social phenomenon social science culture commuity
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The ideal adult margins, based on graphology, would be to have the left margin a little wider than the right margin. This would be a healthy left/right balance, meaning you have a healthy relation to the past & future.
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people who keep their margins even all around are most interested in the visual effect. They actually see the paper as almost like a work of art. They are extremely appearance-conscious and interested in beauty, design, symmetry, order, and balance.
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very detailed-minded, and, of course, to give up spontaneity in the process. Such people plan everything ahead to a great degree.
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the person who has a very wide left margin is subconsciously putting up an imaginary barrier between himself and the past. This trait is almost always an indication of someone who’s had a terrible past from which he is eager to flee.
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When you are moving to the right, you’re moving towards your goals and the future. When you stop too soon at the end of your lines, somewhere in your subconscious is a little voice saying, “Uh-oh. I have to stop. I have to return to the left, to the past and the familiar. This is as far as I can go.”
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. This sort of person needs to be protected by four solid walls. He cannot make it on his own. He doesn’t relate to his environment in a normal manner or fit into society in an average way.
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rapid and spontaneous writing. If you’re writing quickly and spontaneously, you will leave wider and wider left margins as you descend (down) the page.
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a tendency to start out brave, going towards the future, but eventually retreating to the past and what is familiar.
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Some people write all the way to the side on both the left and right, leaving no side margin whatsoever. This trait indicates one who leaves no room for other people. Such a person doesn’t see things from other people’s point of view
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He takes up all the space and doesn’t see himself properly in relation to his environment, leaving no room for the rights and opinions of others.
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. The left margin represents “the line of society.” Thus, each time we return to the left, it’s up to us whether we’re going to align the next word, or we’re going to get “out of line.” That small percentage who do not have a straight left margin are those people who cannot conform to society’s standards. These are also people who, quite expectedly, would not do well in a strict nine-to-five job
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With no margins, filling every inch of the paper, indicates someone who feels he must fill every waking moment of his life with an activity. It means compulsively busy, leaving no stone unturned. Very such people have miserly natures as well. This person also leaves no room for the rights or opinions of others
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The lower you start, the more you tend to have formal, respectful feelings toward the person to whom you’re writing, such as a letters/papers to teachers, businesses…etc. You waste more paper to show respect, and you “lower” down on the paper.
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a narrow upper margin means you are feeling more familiar than formal toward the person to whom you are writing. By starting high on the paper, you don’t “bow down” or “lower yourself” to show respect.
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writing until there was no room left - until the writing is crushed. This means someone who delays the inevitable. Such a person is so eager to express himself that he feels it would take too much time to turn the paper over or get another sheet.
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dangerous impulsiveness. People like this bash their heads into the wall and do it again and again - (They don’t learn from their mistakes.) They don’t have the sense to say it to themselves, “Hey, wait a minute. You know, the paper ends, and I have to accommodate.” They don’t say it because they don’t care or think about it
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shared by izz aty on 06 Jan 13
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Teens Favorite Inspirational Movies - 0 views
www.stageoflife.com/TeensFavoriteMovies.aspx
teen teenage patterns adolescent youth survey youth survey entertainment inspirational movies video reference english
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50/50: Confronting the Inevitable by Ryan.Paine (This teen struggled dramatically with the thought of death)
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A Beautiful Mind inspired me to explore the world’s mysteries by Jonesy1106 (“I need to believe that something extraordinary is possible”)
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A Goofy Movie taught me how to be a better daughter by jklawls (Parents have their kids’ best interests at heart)
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The Blind Side inspired me to take risks for others by haleybopc8 (Don’t take life for granted)
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The Blind Side Encouraged Me Never to Give Up by abcdefgh (Don’t let previous failure stop you from achieving your dreams)
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Cyberbully taught me to use my words wisely, not to harm by tonirene (Help save a life by being kind to the bullied)
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The message in Cyberbully opened my eyes to the harmful actions of others by delaneysue (Don’t bully anyone—ever)
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Every Child is Special made me cry for seeing a smile on a child that I hugged today by Roselle (Children with disabilities deserve to be loved and encouraged)
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The Fabulous Destiny of Amelie Poulain pushed me outside my comfort zone by Hatman (This teen identified strongly with a foreign film’s protagonist)
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The Lorax let me think about how a world would be without trees by Lizzy (We must protect the environment before it breaks down)
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Mean Girls showed me that happiness and social status are not directly proportional by cossshmo (Popularity is not important)
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Pay It Forward: The Start of My Passion to Give Back by Kaleilei (It is important to give back to the community—stand up for bullied, donate your time and money, among other things)
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Pay It Forward showed me how our decisions affect others by otto5 (Think about every decision you make)
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Pay It Forward made me realize the ultimate impact of a random act of kindness by hflanagan17 (An act of kindness can change the world)
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The Pursuit of Happyness Encouraged Me to Persevere by sampsoncaitlyn (With determination, you can achieve any goal)
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Taare Zameen Par taught me the importance of volunteerism by Asmaan (The protagonist’s struggle with learning made this teen more sensitive to others’ needs)
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"This is the formal summary report from StageofLife.com on Teens and Movies. Below you'll find our poll results outlining how teens consume movies at the theater and at home along with over 100 of the featured essays from students participating in our monthly national teen writing contest. Knowing teenagers and college students are a prime demographic for the big movie houses, we wanted to find out what films speak to teens and college students. Which movies are the most inspiring? What movies help make a positive difference in this world? So in April of 2012, we asked 4,885 teens who visited our writing contest page that month to name and write about the one film that made the biggest difference in their life. Hundreds of teens participated in the writing contest and shared a story about the film that touched or inspired them the most. "
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shared by izz aty on 19 Feb 12
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ESL Lesson Plan: You Expect A Master Teacher To Be Young? - 0 views
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education school wisdom teaching learning teachers world society people children students perception
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I may be biased, but it seems to me that older teachers have vastly better stories and, usually, teaching strategies, than younger ones. Technologies will come and go, but a good teacher will make an impression forever. In short, don’t let your age be a reason not to pursue a career, or hire someone, as an ESL instructor. Schools are hungry for good dedicated teachers, and in my mind, an older candidate who has a true calling and depth of experience would be an asset to any school!
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Let teachers teach - 0 views
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After so many years, even your spirit can get a little dull and the zeal you may have once had to bring out the potential you recognised in your students, slowly slips away, submerged by all the other urgent, but not nearly as important duties.
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Things that jabbed, that even pierced or hurt at one time may have become so familiar that you couldn’t imagine it any other way. It is a little like going for a wax job or a foot massage. At first it hurts and then your body slowly gets accustomed and you feel numb to the pressure.
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There are undoubtedly places where teachers have to take on a whole gamut of non- teaching duties simply because there is no one else to do these things. If teachers don’t patch up the cracks no one else will. If teachers don’t control the information communication paraphernalia no one else will. If teachers don’t manage student data, records or payments, again no one else will. So we are basically left with no choice. Should that even be, we sometimes wonder.
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Yes, I have a dream. That one day teachers will be allowed to fulfil the purpose of their calling. To facilitate the impartation of knowledge, skills and experience. To mould young minds. To educate. To teach.
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How do teachers who are constantly called to fix technical glitches or spend all their non-teaching periods keeping a record of furniture, writing receipts or updating student data, be able to plan and prepare new pedagogical strategies, classroom activities or even upgrade their personal professional development? How does one find the time and more importantly the energy to meet students, counsel if needed, advise, coach, train, or mentor when the greater part of the time is spent on these "other" duties? This definitely is not anything new. For decades teachers have been crying out to anyone who was willing to listen about workload that was not related to their profession, and about the unnecessary filling of forms, the preparing of redundant and overlapping files.
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shared by izz aty on 28 Feb 14
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25 Documentaries That Will Make You Cry Uncontrollably - 0 views
www.buzzfeed.com/...ll-make-you-cry-uncontrollably
entertainment documentary life sad world society people culture lifestyle social phenomenon social issues
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No list of tear-inducing documentaries is complete without "Sex In A Cold Climate." It follows survivors of Ireland's Magdalene Asylums, and the abuse they endured there, working long hours for no pay, forcibly separated from their children, some being beaten and molested by nuns and priests. The idea that such places existed in our lifetime (the last asylum closed in 1996) is mind boggling, and these women still have not seen justice.
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I really suggest "Under Our Skin." It's a documentary that shows the struggle of Chronic Lyme disease patients and how so many people are going untreated. As a Chronic Lyme disease patient myself, I must say that everything being documented in this film is completely accurate. I would't say this unless I was absolutely confident. I know many documentaries tend to be biased, but this one says it like it is. I promise you won't be disappointed.
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"Dream of a life", a movie about Joyce Carol Vincent, a Londoner. Better if you don't know the details until watching. Will stay with you for long after the film ends but is a very moving story and in David Sedaris' words, "was the best argument for the buddy system I had ever seen" (Although he was writing about someone else).
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I was really hoping to see At The Death House Door listed here, which is available on Netflix and for free on Vimeo. It follows a Texas death house chaplain who worked over 15 years ministering to men on death row, including some he believed to be innocent. Never wanting to burden his family with what he saw, he spoke his feelings into a tape recorder after every execution. He began his job as the kind of person many Americans are, that is, pro-death penalty. See for yourself if that changes.
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No list is complete of tear jerking documentaries without "The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off" Before he died he narrated his own story. Heartbreaking and wonderful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmahlc6n9_A
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I've seen #6 and #12. "My Flesh and Blood" was really good, but it was more disturbing than sad. I cried my goddamned eyes out of my skull during "Bulgaria's Abandoned Children." I had to watch a follow-up just to get through life. Also, docus don't have to be sad or jarring. There is one called "Praying With Lior" about a Jewish boy with down syndrome that made me cry happy tears.
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Highly reccomend watching Project Nim about an experiment raising a chimp like a human child. Also http://www.animalsaustralia.org/features/why-we-think-the-way-we-do-about-animals.php excellent talk about how we perceive different species.
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I recently watched "The Whale" which was simultaneously sad and uplifting. The fact that this whale was seeking the company of humans in very charming ways was such a beautiful example of interspecies connection, it was impossible not to be moved by this. However, what to do about this, given that the whale was approaching dangerous boats and potentially dangerous people, is a real puzzle. Should the whale be indulged the only interaction available to him in his lonely existence, or should we turn our backs on his loneliness to support his physical survival? There is no easy answer, but it does give viewers something to consider in how we regard our animal friends and their needs.
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shared by izz aty on 11 May 14
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The Swedish Model - Education | Frontier Centre for Public Policy - 0 views
www.fcpp.org/...the-swedish-model-education
sweden swedish education free school independent school social reform scandinvian education ESTEkiv
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Reforms that came into force in 1994 allow pretty much anyone who satisfies basic standards to open a new school and take in children at the state's expense
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local municipality must pay the school what it would have spent educating each child itself—a sum of SKr48,000-70,000 ($8,000-12,000) a year, depending on the child's age and the school's location
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Nothing extra can be charged for, but making a profit is fine
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In just 14 years the share of Swedish children educated privately has risen from a fraction of a percent to more than 10%
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What no one predicted was the emergence of chains of schools. Yet that is where much of the growth in independent education has come from
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He then broadens the analogy to hotels and airlines, which make money only if they are popular enough to maintain high occupancy rates.
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Youngsters spend 15 minutes each week with a tutor, reviewing the past week's progress and agreeing on goals and a timetable for the next one. This will include classes and lectures, but also a great deal of independent or small-group study
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Kunskapsporten allows each student to work at his own level, and spend less or more time on each subject, depending on his strengths and weakness
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Each subject is divided into 35 steps. Students who reach step 25 graduate with a pass; those who make it to step 30 or 35 gain, respectively, a merit or distinction
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Teachers update and add new material to the website during school holidays and get just seven weeks off each year, roughly the same as the average Swedish office worker
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“We do not mind being compared to McDonald's,” he says. “If we're religious about anything, it's standardisation. We tell our teachers it is more important to do things the same way than to do them well.
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Sweden's Independent Schools Association has ten members that run more than six schools, and five that run ten or more
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Each child's progress is reported each week in a logbook, and parents can follow what is being studied on the website.
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“Our aim is that by the time students finish school, they can set their own learning goals,” says Christian Wetell, head teacher at Kunskapsskolan Enskede. “Three or four students in each year may not manage this, but most will.”
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tracks the performance of individual teachers to see which ones do best as personal tutors or as subject teachers
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bonuses to particularly successful teachers and is considering paying extra to good ones from successful schools who are willing to move to underperforming ones
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preferred bidder to run two “academies”—state-funded schools run largely free from state control—in London
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run by a not-for-profit arm, since for-profit ventures are banned from Britain's academies programme
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The firm also hopes to open low-cost independent schools in Britain, where it can offer the full Kunskapsskolan experience, free of state meddling
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the returns are solid, rather than stellar: Mr Ledin quotes an average return on capital of 5-7% a year
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If a future government, hostile to school choice, changed the rules, that would be the end of this nascent market.
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The school reforms are popular with parents, he says, and politicians know they meddle with them at their peril. More plausible would be a change to the rules so that independent schools had to match the methods and curriculum of state schools more closely, or perhaps even a ban on profits
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The latter sounds bad, says Mr Stawström, but would not really amount to much: companies could split themselves into non-profit schools and a profit-making body that supplies services, such as teaching materials and consultancy
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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights - 0 views
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THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.
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Article 7. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
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Elbert Hubbard - Wikiquote - 0 views
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A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success. There is no failure except in no longer trying. There is no defeat except from within, no really insurmountable barrier save our own inherent weakness of purpose.
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Every man should have a college education in order to show him how little the thing is really worth. The intellectual kings of the earth have seldom been college-bred.
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Anyone who idolizes you is going to hate you when he discovers that you are fallible. He never forgives. He has deceived himself, and he blames you for it.
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He picked up the lemons that Fate had sent him and started a lemonade-stand. Hubbard, Elbert (1922). Selected Writings of Elbert Hubbard. V. Wm. H. Wise & Co./The Roycrofters. p. 237. Often quoted as "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"
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In these days, a man who says a thing cannot be done is quite apt to be interrupted by some idiot doing it.
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I AM an Anarchist. All good men are Anarchists. All cultured, kindly men; all gentlemen; all just men are Anarchists. Jesus was an Anarchist.
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No man who believes in force and violence is an Anarchist. The true Anarchist decries all influences save those of love and reason. Ideas are his only arms.
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Being an Anarchist I am also a Socialist. Socialism is the antithesis of Anarchy. One is the North Pole of Truth, the other the South
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An Anarchist is one who minds his own business. An Anarchist does not believe in sending warships across wide oceans to kill brown men, and lay waste rice fields, and burn the homes of people who are fighting for liberty. An Anarchist does not drive women with babes at their breasts and other women with babes unborn, children and old men into the jungle to be devoured by beasts or fever or fear, or die of hunger, homeless, unhouseled and undone. Destruction, violence, ravages, murder, are perpetrated by statute law. .
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Young women with ambitions should be very crafty and cautious, lest mayhap they be caught in the soft, silken mesh of a happy marriage, and go down to oblivion, dead to the world.
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To supply a thought is mental massage; but to evolve a thought of your own is an achievement. Thinking is a brain exercise — and no faculty grows save as it is exercised.
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Do not go out of your way to do good whenever it comes your way. Men who make a business of doing good to others are apt to hate others in the same occupation. Simply be filled with the thought of good, and it will radiate — you do not have to bother about it, any more than you need trouble about your digestion.
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Academic education is the act of memorizing things read in books, and things told by college professors who got their education mostly by memorizing things read in books.
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Making men live in three worlds at once — past, present and future has been the chief harm organized religion has done.
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Woman's inaptitude for reasoning has not prevented her from arriving at truth; nor has man's ability to reason prevented him from floundering in absurdity.
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They did not move very far away from where they originally stood. As I moved to the other side of the ship, in preparation for a jump when the right moment came, I called to him, "What are you going to do?" and he just shook his head, while Mrs. Hubbard smiled and said, "There does not seem to be anything to do." The expression seemed to produce action on the part of your father, for then he did one of the most dramatic things I ever saw done. He simply turned with Mrs. Hubbard and entered a room on the top deck, the door of which was open, and closed it behind him. It was apparent that his idea was that they should die together, and not risk being parted on going into the water.
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Issues about Outcomes Based Education - 0 views
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Outcome-based education (OBE) is one of those that is new, even revolutionary, and is now being promoted as the panacea for America's educational woes. This reform has been driven by educators in response to demands for greater accountability by taxpayers and as a vehicle for breaking with traditional ideas about how we teach our children. If implemented, this approach to curriculum development could change our schools more than any other reform proposal in the last thirty years.
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According to William Spady, a major advocate of this type of reform, three goals drive this new approach to creating school curricula. First, all students can learn and succeed, but not on the same day or in the same way. Second, each success by a student breeds more success. Third, schools control the conditions of success. In other words, students are seen as totally malleable creatures. If we create the right environment, any student can be prepared for any academic or vocational career. The key is to custom fit the schools to each student's learning style and abilities.
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The teacher's role in the classroom will become that of a coach. The instructor's goal is to move each child towards pre-determined outcomes rather than attempting to transmit the content of Western civilization to the next generation in a scholarly fashion
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the focus is no longer on content. Feelings, attitudes, and skills such as learning to work together in groups will become just as important as learning information--some reformers would argue more important.
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Where traditional curricula focused on the past, reformers argue that outcome-based methods prepare students for the future and for the constant change which is inevitable in our society.
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Reformers advocating an outcome-based approach to curriculum development point to the logical simplicity of its technique. First, a list of desired outcomes in the form of student behaviors, skills, attitudes, and abilities is created. Second, learning experiences are designed that will allow teachers to coach the students to a mastery level in each outcome. Third, students are tested. Those who fail to achieve mastery receive remediation or retraining until mastery is achieved. Fourth, upon completion of learner outcomes a student graduates.
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According to William Spady, a reform advocate, outcomes can be written with traditional, transitional, or transformational goals in mind. Spady advocates transformation goals.
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Traditional outcome-based programs would use the new methodology to teach traditional content areas like math, history, and science
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An outcome-based program would prevent such students from graduating or passing to the next grade without reaching a pre-set mastery level of competency.
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Transformational OBE subordinates course content to key issues, concepts, and processes. Indeed, Spady calls this the "highest evolution of the OBE concept." Central to the idea of transformational reform is the notion of outcomes of significance.
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Spady supports transformational outcomes because they are future oriented, based on descriptions of future conditions that he feels should serve as starting points for OBE designs
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little mention is made about specific things that students should know as a result of being in school.
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The focus is on attitudes and feelings, personal goals, initiative, and vision--in their words, the whole student.
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It is in devising learner outcomes that one's world view comes into play. Those who see the world in terms of constant change, politically and morally, find a transformation model useful. They view human nature as evolving, changing rather than fixed.
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Advocates of outcome-based education point with pride to its focus on the student rather than course content. They feel that the key to educational reform is to be found in having students master stated learner outcomes. Critics fear that this is exactly what will happen. Their fear is based on the desire of reformers to educate the whole child. What will happen, they ask, when stated learner outcomes violate the moral or religious views of parents?
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Under the traditional system of course credits a student could take a sex-ed course, totally disagree with the instruction and yet pass the course by doing acceptable work on the tests presented. Occasion-ally, an instructor might make life difficult for a student who fails to conform, but if the student learns the material that would qualify him or her for a passing grade and credit towards graduation.
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If transformational outcome-based reformers have their way, this student would not get credit for the course until his or her attitudes, feelings, and behaviors matched the desired goals of the learner outcomes.
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Another goal requires students to know about and use community health resources. Notice that just knowing that Planned Parenthood has an office in town isn't enough, one must use it.
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transformational outcome- based reform would be a much more efficient mechanism for changing our children's values and attitudes about issues facing our society
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Outcome-based education is an ideologically neutral tool for curricular construction; whether it is more effective than traditional approaches remains to be seen. Unfortunately, because of its student-centered approach, its ability to influence individuals with a politically correct set of doctrines seems to be great. Parents (and all other taxpayers) need to weigh the possible benefits of outcome-based reform with the potential negatives.
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consideration of what learner outcomes the public wants rather than assuming that educators know what's best for our children. Who will decide what it means to be an educated person, the taxpaying consumer or the providers of education?
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If students are going to be allowed to proceed through the material at their own rate, what happens to the brighter children? Eventually students will be at many levels, what then? Will added teachers be necessary? Will computer-assisted instruction allow for individual learning speeds? Either option will cost more money. Some reformers offer a scenario where brighter students help tutor slower ones thereby encouraging group responsibility rather than promoting an elite group of learners. Critics feel that a mastery- learning approach will inevitably hold back brighter students.
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With outcome-based reform, many educators are calling for a broader set of evaluation techniques. But early attempts at grading students based on portfolios of various kinds of works has proved difficult. The Rand Corporation studied Vermont's attempt and found that "rater reliability--the extent to which raters agreed on the quality of a student's work--was low." There is a general dislike of standardized tests among the reformers because it focuses on what the child knows rather than the whole child, but is there a viable substitute? Will students find that it is more important to be politically correct than to know specific facts?
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whether or not school bureaucracies will allow for such dramatic change? How will the unions respond? Will legislative mandates that are already on the books be removed, or will this new approach simply be laid over the rest, creating a jungle of regulations and red tape?
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although districts may be given input as to how these outcomes are achieved, local control of the outcomes themselves may be lost.
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Many parents feel that there is already too much emphasis on global citizenship, radical environmentalism, humanistic views of self-esteem, and human sexuality at the expense of reading, writing, math, and science.
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shared by izz aty on 31 May 11
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The Best Way to Learn a Language | The Live in Asia Blog - 0 views
www.liveinasiablog.com/best-way-to-learn-a-language
language learning education language learning esol strategies reference grammar learner learning styles study tips studying
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There are different levels of fluency. At the very least, being “fluent” means being able to communicate well enough to take care of daily tasks, including shopping, ordering food, communicating with drivers, getting medical care, etc. That’s a lot different, for example, than being fluent in the business lingo of your target language. To keep focused, and motivated, define your fluency goals based on your own needs. Then, when you reach a fluency goal, congratulate yourself on a job well done. After that, if you so desire, make a new fluency goal. Doing this will give you motivational “victories” in what can otherwise seem like a never-ending conquest.
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Some people can grab a book, start practicing, and, after some time, master a new language. For the other 99% of us, the best way to learn a language is to use a product that provides some structure. For me, computer-based learning is the best. I can study whenever I feel like it. I can study at my own pace, and I can focus on the topics that I find most meaningful.
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The best way to learn a language is to study it every day. That is not to say that you have to study it all day, every day. It just means that all of your high school teachers, and your parents, were right—cramming is not an effective way to learn something. You will learn far more if you study one hour a day five times per week than if you study five hours on Monday and take the rest of the week off. Be consistent.
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speaking out is the most important part of learning a language. You can memorize a million vocabulary words, but if you are not actively using them, you will not be able to recall them when you need them most. I don’t know what it is, to be honest, but there is something about actually getting the words to come out of your mouth that makes them stick in your head. Linguists often say, “Once you use a word three times in conversation, you own it.”
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You don’t even need a speaking partner. This is one of the only situations in life where it’s perfectly acceptable to have conversations with yourself. Or, even better, sing to yourself. It’s a great way to learn!
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Of course, at some point, you are going to want to talk to a real person. For that, turn to the language learner’s best Internet friend—Skype. Skype is a free Internet chat program that has both video and sound. Get yourself a free Skype account, search forums for a language learning partner, and then get talking! There are millions of people on the Internet who want to speak in your target language. Don’t be shy! Get out there and talk to them–it’s the best way to learn a language fast!
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The human brain naturally likes to categorize things. If you want the best way to learn a language, be good to your brain and give it what it wants. You’ll be glad you did.
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Understand that you can get a great deal done knowing just a little bit of your target language; it’s amazing how repetitive daily conversation is. The quickest way to learn a language, at least at a rudimentary level, is to learn these basic survival phrases.
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The key is to remember that you are trying to communicate, not trying to show how eloquent you are. You can be eloquent later.
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If you want to speak another language, you have to memorize vocabulary. There is no way around it! The simplest, most effective way to learn vocabulary is to make your own flash cards.
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With new vocabulary words, do not make stacks of more than 25-30 cards. It is not efficient to memorize too many words at once. Also, make sure you continue to shuffle the cards as you learn; otherwise, your mind will memorize the order of the words, and you will have difficulty recalling their meanings in a different context.
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review the basics. I’m talking about knowing the difference between nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. I’m talking about understanding subjects, predicates and articles. Understand basic sentence structures.
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when you learn the sentence structure of a new language, you will not just “know how to use it.” You will have to learn, for example, where to place verbs and nouns in a sentence.
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if you can’t recall what articles and verbs are, you will not be able to take advantage these learning tips, and it will take you much longer to figure out how to structure sentences.
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Each of us learns differently. Find out what learning style works best for you and focus on learning in that way.
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when learning a new language, you should always use a variety of strategies. For example, you should not just read and memorize, even if that is your best learning strategy. Focus on that, but also listen to recordings, speak dialogues, write sentences, and learn grammar rules.
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shared by izz aty on 09 Aug 11
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Top 10 Ways to Manage Teacher Burnout - Combating Teacher Burnout - 0 views
712educators.about.com/...teacher_burnout.htm
education teacher teaching new teacher motivation support burnout school work reference
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Every time you think a negative thought reword it in your own mind. Even though this might seem silly, it is the core of internal happiness.
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create an overall task list that you need to accomplish and store this someplace where you can check it over each week. Then make yourself a daily to-do list that is reasonable and doable. Try to limit yourself to 3-5 tasks that you can accomplish in one day. Then when you mark them off the list you can feel a sense of accomplishment, and you will have something to celebrate.
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Each time something happens beyond your control, you can just ask for the courage to change the things you can, the strength to accept the things you cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference.
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While teachers cannot change much of what is thrown at them, they can change their own attitudes towards these challenges.
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When your workday is done, you need to leave the stresses of it and the rest of your life behind, even if only for fifteen minutes. Relaxation and meditation can rejuvenate the body and the spirit.
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laughter often is the best medicine. The natural endorphins that are released while laughing help bring us relief from the stresses of the world.
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Burnout can often be caused by getting caught in a rut. While on the Internet, search for new lessons or materials to help you teach an upcoming topic. Outside of school, find something that you've always wanted to try but haven't done yet.
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try not to bring home work every night. You might want to consider going into school early so that you can complete your paperwork.
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everyone needs a good night's sleep to function properly the next day. I know that I personally need at least seven hours to be productive the next day. Figure this number out for yourself and make a date with your bed each night. Your body will thank you!
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stay away from those who are disgruntled. Instead, find someone who has a positive outlook on life and talk about teaching with them.
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Teaching can be a very stressful job which can sometimes lead to teacher burnout. This article focuses on the top 10 things you can do to combat teacher burnout. 1. Foster Positivity 2. Create Realistic To Do Lists 3. Accept That There Are Things You Cannot Change 4. Learn to Relax 5. Watch a Funny Movie 6. Try Something New 7. Leave Your Teaching at School 8. Get Plenty of Sleep 9. Talk to Someone Positive 10. Celebrate What It Means to Be a Teacher
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shared by izz aty on 06 Sep 11
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ENGLISH PAGE - Types of Verbs - 0 views
www.englishpage.com/...types.html
grammar verbs parts of speech english language learning reference language learning
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Group I Normal Verbs Most verbs are "Normal Verbs." These verbs are usually physical actions which you can see somebody doing. These verbs can be used in all tenses. Normal Verbs to run, to walk, to eat, to fly, to go, to say, to touch, etc.
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Group II Non-Continuous Verbs The second group, called "Non-Continuous Verbs," is smaller. These verbs are usually things you cannot see somebody doing. These verbs are rarely used in continuous tenses. They include: Abstract Verbs to be, to want, to cost, to seem, to need, to care, to contain, to owe, to exist... Possession Verbs to possess, to own, to belong... Emotion Verbs to like, to love, to hate, to dislike, to fear, to envy, to mind...
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Group III Mixed Verbs The third group, called "Mixed Verbs," is the smallest group. These verbs have more than one meaning. In a way, each meaning is a unique verb. Some meanings behave like "Non-Continuous Verbs," while other meanings behave like "Normal Verbs." Mixed Verbs to appear, to feel, to have, to hear, to look, to see, to weigh
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shared by izz aty on 17 Nov 14
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The Nordic countries: The next supermodel | The Economist - 0 views
www.economist.com/...rdic-countries-next-supermodel
nordic scandinavian sweden denmark norway finland
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The Nordics cluster at the top of league tables of everything from economic competitiveness to social health to happiness.
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To politicians around the world—especially in the debt-ridden West—they offer a blueprint of how to reform the public sector, making the state far more efficient and responsive.
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But tax-and-spend did not work: Sweden fell from being the fourth-richest country in the world in 1970 to the 14th in 1993.
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Denmark and Norway allow private firms to run public hospitals. Sweden has a universal system of school vouchers, with private for-profit schools competing with public schools. Denmark also has vouchers—but ones that you can top up.
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Government’s share of GDP in Sweden, which has dropped by around 18 percentage points, is lower than France’s and could soon be lower than Britain’s. Taxes have been cut: the corporate rate is 22%, far lower than America’s. The Nordics have focused on balancing the books. While Mr Obama and Congress dither over entitlement reform, Sweden has reformed its pension system (see Free exchange). Its budget deficit is 0.3% of GDP; America’s is 7%.
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The performance of all schools and hospitals is measured. Governments are forced to operate in the harsh light of day: Sweden gives everyone access to official records. Politicians are vilified if they get off their bicycles and into official limousines. The home of Skype and Spotify is also a leader in e-government: you can pay your taxes with an SMS message
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Nordics have been similarly pragmatic. So long as public services work, they do not mind who provides them
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the Nordics also offer something for the progressive left by proving that it is possible to combine competitive capitalism with a large state: they employ 30% of their workforce in the public sector, compared with an OECD average of 15%
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They are stout free-traders who resist the temptation to intervene even to protect iconic companies: Sweden let Saab go bankrupt and Volvo is now owned by China’s Geely. But they also focus on the long term—most obviously through Norway’s $600 billion sovereign-wealth fund—and they look for ways to temper capitalism’s harsher effects.
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Denmark, for instance, has a system of “flexicurity” that makes it easier for employers to sack people but provides support and training for the unemployed, and Finland organises venture-capital networks.
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Public spending as a proportion of GDP in these countries is still higher than this newspaper would like, or indeed than will be sustainable.
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All Western politicians claim to promote transparency and technology. The Nordics can do so with more justification than most.
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pressures that have forced their governments to cut spending, such as growing global competition, will force more change. The Nordics are bloated compared with Singapore, and they have not focused enough on means-testing benefits
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Nordics are part of the answer. They also show that EU countries can be genuine economic successes. And as the Asians introduce welfare states they too will look to the Nordics: Norway is a particular focus of the Chinese
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You can inject market mechanisms into the welfare state to sharpen its performance. You can put entitlement programmes on sound foundations to avoid beggaring future generations. But you need to be willing to root out corruption and vested interests.
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A Swede pays tax more willingly than a Californian because he gets decent schools and free health care
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you must be ready to abandon tired orthodoxies of the left and right and forage for good ideas across the political spectrum
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The Economist Insights - Expert Analysis and Events | Starting Well - 1 views
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Until the 1980s, preschools in most countries were largely focussed on providing simple child minding. But as economies shift towards more knowledge-based activities, awareness about child development—the need to improve their social awareness, confidence and group interaction skills, and to prepare them for starting primary education—continues to grow. Nevertheless, policymakers still give most attention to the tertiary, secondary and primary levels of education, in descending order of importance, with the least focus given to the early years of child development.
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also broader reasons to invest in preschool. At one level, it helps facilitate greater female participation in the workforce, which bolsters economic growth
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From neuro-scientific research, we understand the criticality of early brain development; from social science research, we know that high quality programmes improve children’s readiness for school and life; and from econometric research, we know that high quality programs save society significant amounts of money over time. Early childhood contributes to creating the kinds of workforces that are going to be needed in the twenty-first century.”
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preschools can help ensure that all children get a strong start in life, especially those from low-income or disadvantaged households.
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especially so in very unequal societies where you get generational and cyclical repetition of poverty and low achievement.”
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the Starting Well Index assesses the extent to which these governments provide a good, inclusive early childhood education (ECE) environment for children between the ages of three and six. In particular, it considers the relative availability, affordability and quality of such preschool environments.
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As economies increasingly compete on the quality of their human capital, policymakers need to ensure that all children get the best possible preparation for primary school.
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Finland, Sweden and Norway top the Index, thanks to sustained, long-term investments and prioritisation of early childhood development, which is now deeply embedded in society
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Europe’s state-led systems perform well, as the provision of universal preschool has steadily become a societal norm. This trend continues to develop. Ireland introduced a universal free year of preschool in 2010, for example, despite chronic budgetary difficulties
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In general, the leading countries in this Index have the following elements in place for their preschool systems: A comprehensive early childhood development and promotion strategy, backed up with a legal right to such education. Universal enrolment of children in at least a year of preschool at ages five or six, with nearly universal enrolment between the ages of three and five. Subsidies to ensure access for underprivileged families. Where provision is privatised, the cost of such care is affordable relative to average wages. A high bar for preschool educators, with specific qualification requirements. This is often backed up with commensurate wages, as well as low student-teacher ratios. A well-defined preschool curriculum, along with clear health and safety standards. Clear parental involvement and outreach. A broad socioeconomic environment that ensures that children are healthy and well-nourished when they enter preschool.
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also a major force in helping overcome issues relating to child poverty and educational disadvantage
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not to suggest that quality preschool programmes are lacking in these countries. But such schemes are not available or affordable to all strands of society, while minimum quality standards vary widely
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Many high-income countries rank poorly, despite wealth being a major factor in a country’s ability to deliver preschool services
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For emerging countries seeking to improve their innovative potential, they need to ensure that as many children as possible have a strong start in life. This is a crucial first step as they seek to transform their economies from low to high value-add activities.
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increased government investment in early childhood development, if directed well, can result in annual returns ranging from 8% to 17%, which largely accrue to wider society. Such returns come from the reduced need for later remedial education and spending, as well as lower crime and less welfare reliance in later life, among other things.
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Among wealthier countries that are making considerable steps towards quality universal provision, many have yet to enforce even a minimum level of preschool as a legal right for children.
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Affordability of preschool is typically worst in those countries where availability is most limited. As simple economics would suggest, those countries with the lowest availability of preschool are also the ones where it is most expensive. This hits lower-income countries hard. In China, the least affordable country in this Index, preschools in Beijing charge monthly fees up to six times as much as a top university. In general, as preschool provision becomes more widely available in a country, it also tends to become more affordable.
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Ensuring a high standard of teacher training and education, setting clear curriculum guidelines, and ensuring parental involvement are some of the main drivers of preschool education quality
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Other factors can help too: reducing student-teacher ratios in classes; ensuring good health and safety measures; and creating clear links between preschool and primary school, to name just a few.
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