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Many children love Halloween. We assume it's because Halloween means candy but many children love more than just the abundance of candy at Halloween time. They really get into the spooky side of the holiday and enjoy the displays of goopy brains and squishy body parts.
For that reason. Halloween games can be really fun. The goopier you make it the more the kids will get into it.
Let’s start with a feely game. This fun game can be found on store shelves but you can easily create it yourself. Make some jello and fill it with a variety of items, like gummy worms, small candy and other items. You can even color the jello to make it too dark to see what's inside. Tell the children to root around in the bowl of jello (the ‘brain’) to figure out what's in it. It's messy but kids love it.
Kids also love the spaghetti game. This game is messy too so be sure they are wearing play clothes or at least a smock. Make a big bowl of spaghetti and fill it with all kinds of items, like plastic bugs, gummy worms and other things that feel a bit strange. Make the children feel around in the bowl of spaghetti and identify the items they feel. Once they are done and cleaned up, have them list as many items as they can remember. Whoever gets the most correct items listed gets a prize.
Another popular game is again an item identifying game. Take a cardboard box painted black both inside and outside, carve a hole in the top just large enough for the children to get their hands in, and fill the box with a variety of items. The things you put in can be related to Halloween or not. You can even include some items that might feel like body parts or brain matter to make this goopy and silly. Have the children guess what's inside the box and award the box itself with all the things in it to the child who guesses the most number of items correctly.
Most kids love making up stories and Halloween is a great time to let their imaginations run wild. Have them spend a bit of time writing out the scariest story they can think of. Some children might need some help not to get carried away making it ridiculously grotesque. Once the stories are written each child will read the story with as much dramatization as they can muster. For variety mix the stories up so no one reads their own then once the story is read, everyone has to guess who wrote the story. The writer should play along so no one knows it was their story. The winner is the child who wrote a story so intriguing and unusual that nobody knew it was his or hers.
Kids love the word find games when you give them a word or words relating to a holiday. Give them Halloween-related words and ask them to find as many scary words as they can. For example, you might give them the word "Halloween" and see how many scary words they can make from the letters. Or you could give them a series of words and let them rearrange the letters in all of the words to create scary words, or even create a story from the scary words. Put a time limit on this game and award a prize for the child who creates the most words in the least amount of time.
These are just a few ideas for Halloween games. Your possibilities are almost endless if you let your imagination go. And remember adults like to play too.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Friday, September 7, 2007
Memory Basics
Human memory is a very complex thing. It is unlike data in a computer. It can sometime let you down especially at what seems like the worst times. I think most people have experienced frustration when they can’t recall someone’s name or a place that they visited. Memory can also cause some confusion, especially when two people experience the same event from different view points. Before we can improve anything first we need to know basically how it works.
Everything you do during the day, even activities that are common or incidental like listening to music or watching television is processed for storage. This processing is known as encoding into memory. Some information gets into memory practically effortlessly, while other things require time. What and how long tends to vary from individual to individual. When we start encoding we use one of two types of attention. We use either selective attention where we focus on a specific situation while ignoring everything else or divided attention, trying to gather everything. Although our brain is more powerful than a super computer it does have its limits. It can not pay attention to too many different things at once. A person that focuses their attention on one single thing does better than someone trying to remember many things simultaneously.
Simply paying attention to something does not guarantee success with remembering it so encoding is further divided into three different levels.
Shallow level (gather): The first level includes the make up of sensory or physical stimuli we collect. For example, we might remember some shapes of printed characters from the newspaper, or the pitch of a particular sound in music.
Intermediate level (gather &name): The object we remember is recognized and is given a name. For example, we will identify an object that drives on the road as a car.
Deepest Level (gather, name, &associate): Includes information that is processed with not only name but also meaning. At the deepest level we make associations that are more likely to be remembered in the future.
It has been shown repeatedly that people’s memories improve when they make some type associations. For example, you could associate someone’s face with a famous person or the reverse, associate a famous individual with a friend of yours.
Psychologists studying the thinking process realize that there is more to memory than just deep processing. They have found the more elaborate the processing, the better you will remember something. The primary reason that elaboration is so successful is because it helps makes something distinct in your mind. Also used to make memories more lasting is the use of mental imagery. Some psychologists believe that mental imagery is so powerful, because people tend to remember images better than words. It has been proven that images can help individuals remember many things like learning a foreign language. An everyday use of mental imagery is remembering where you placed your remote control once you finished watching television last night.
We remember some information for years, and some we forget within a minute or even less. Besides two types of memory there are also three characteristics. Sensory memory is a type of memory that holds information extremely high in detail but is quickly lost. Some examples of sensory memory are the sights you see everyday when you’re looking out a window or the sound of a bird singing. Another type of memory is short term memory. It is information that is usually retained in storage slightly longer than sensory but still short only about 30 seconds or less. Some ways that you can improve short term memory is with rehearsal, which is the repetition of something and chunking which is grouping. If we have to remember a telephone number typically we keep repeating the number. But rather than saying it again & again in a big blob like 7835677876, you can chunk it into 783-567-7876. These techniques can be use to make information more lasting, moving it into the last type, the more stable and permanent long term memory. This is also the type we first think of when we think memory.
Memory is a subject that can fill volumes but an overview is needed to even start looking for tricks to improve it. Now that you know a little of how memory works you can better make it work for you.
Everything you do during the day, even activities that are common or incidental like listening to music or watching television is processed for storage. This processing is known as encoding into memory. Some information gets into memory practically effortlessly, while other things require time. What and how long tends to vary from individual to individual. When we start encoding we use one of two types of attention. We use either selective attention where we focus on a specific situation while ignoring everything else or divided attention, trying to gather everything. Although our brain is more powerful than a super computer it does have its limits. It can not pay attention to too many different things at once. A person that focuses their attention on one single thing does better than someone trying to remember many things simultaneously.
Simply paying attention to something does not guarantee success with remembering it so encoding is further divided into three different levels.
Shallow level (gather): The first level includes the make up of sensory or physical stimuli we collect. For example, we might remember some shapes of printed characters from the newspaper, or the pitch of a particular sound in music.
Intermediate level (gather &name): The object we remember is recognized and is given a name. For example, we will identify an object that drives on the road as a car.
Deepest Level (gather, name, &associate): Includes information that is processed with not only name but also meaning. At the deepest level we make associations that are more likely to be remembered in the future.
It has been shown repeatedly that people’s memories improve when they make some type associations. For example, you could associate someone’s face with a famous person or the reverse, associate a famous individual with a friend of yours.
Psychologists studying the thinking process realize that there is more to memory than just deep processing. They have found the more elaborate the processing, the better you will remember something. The primary reason that elaboration is so successful is because it helps makes something distinct in your mind. Also used to make memories more lasting is the use of mental imagery. Some psychologists believe that mental imagery is so powerful, because people tend to remember images better than words. It has been proven that images can help individuals remember many things like learning a foreign language. An everyday use of mental imagery is remembering where you placed your remote control once you finished watching television last night.
We remember some information for years, and some we forget within a minute or even less. Besides two types of memory there are also three characteristics. Sensory memory is a type of memory that holds information extremely high in detail but is quickly lost. Some examples of sensory memory are the sights you see everyday when you’re looking out a window or the sound of a bird singing. Another type of memory is short term memory. It is information that is usually retained in storage slightly longer than sensory but still short only about 30 seconds or less. Some ways that you can improve short term memory is with rehearsal, which is the repetition of something and chunking which is grouping. If we have to remember a telephone number typically we keep repeating the number. But rather than saying it again & again in a big blob like 7835677876, you can chunk it into 783-567-7876. These techniques can be use to make information more lasting, moving it into the last type, the more stable and permanent long term memory. This is also the type we first think of when we think memory.
Memory is a subject that can fill volumes but an overview is needed to even start looking for tricks to improve it. Now that you know a little of how memory works you can better make it work for you.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Some Forgotten Uses of Common Products
Aside from making a volcano in the younger grades of school vinegar and baking soda have other uses. They have been used for years together and separately as a cleaners and deodorizers. Pay attention and you will see that advertising today is trying to bring back some of the everyday uses. New products with colorful packages are nothing more than these old basics.
Baking soda &/or vinegar can be used to clean many surfaces. If it is made of glass or stainless steel it can be cleaned with either. Even stubborn stains can be tackled with these common chemicals. Jars, glasses, thermoses, coffee pots, cooking pans and baby bottles can be cleaned and deodorized with them. Appliances and counter tops can also benefit. Dishwashers, stoves and refrigerators can be cleaner and smell nicer with the help of vinegar &/or baking soda.
Stains on formica, plastic or marble can be taken care of with a paste of baking soda and it can be used to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from a toaster.
Baking soda can also be used for forgotten purposes like smothering fires without hurting the surfaces it comes in contact with (including cloth). Added to the laundry, baking soda fights grease and oil stains on clothes and smell in diapers. As a poultice it can reduce the pain of burns and the itch of bug bites. It can even be used as a toothpaste or a mouthwash.
Another often forgotten but still effective substance is vinegar. It can have many uses as a grease cutter and streak reducer. Use it to clean windows without leaving streaks or eliminate mildew, dust and odors on surfaces by wiping them with a vinegar-soaked cloth. Clean food containers with a vinegar-dampened cloth to keep them smelling fresh and clean fireplace bricks with undiluted vinegar. Adding vinegar to your catsup and other condiments can make them last longer. And even though it may seem odd, pouring boiling vinegar down drains unclogs and cleans them. A mixture of apple cider vinegar and honey has been used as a cure-all to many things including obesity, hay fever, asthma, rashes, food poisoning, heartburn, sore throat, dandruff, brittle nails and bad breath. Even the more common place uses for vinegar have been neglected. Adding a few drops of vinegar to water prevents discoloration of peeled potatoes and you get fluffier rice by adding 1 tsp. of vinegar to the cooking water.
Our grandparents may have been misguided in some of the notions about why vinegar and baking soda worked but not the knowledge that they did work. In some cases we would be doing ourselves a good turn by using some of the older chemistry today.
Baking soda &/or vinegar can be used to clean many surfaces. If it is made of glass or stainless steel it can be cleaned with either. Even stubborn stains can be tackled with these common chemicals. Jars, glasses, thermoses, coffee pots, cooking pans and baby bottles can be cleaned and deodorized with them. Appliances and counter tops can also benefit. Dishwashers, stoves and refrigerators can be cleaner and smell nicer with the help of vinegar &/or baking soda.
Stains on formica, plastic or marble can be taken care of with a paste of baking soda and it can be used to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from a toaster.
Baking soda can also be used for forgotten purposes like smothering fires without hurting the surfaces it comes in contact with (including cloth). Added to the laundry, baking soda fights grease and oil stains on clothes and smell in diapers. As a poultice it can reduce the pain of burns and the itch of bug bites. It can even be used as a toothpaste or a mouthwash.
Another often forgotten but still effective substance is vinegar. It can have many uses as a grease cutter and streak reducer. Use it to clean windows without leaving streaks or eliminate mildew, dust and odors on surfaces by wiping them with a vinegar-soaked cloth. Clean food containers with a vinegar-dampened cloth to keep them smelling fresh and clean fireplace bricks with undiluted vinegar. Adding vinegar to your catsup and other condiments can make them last longer. And even though it may seem odd, pouring boiling vinegar down drains unclogs and cleans them. A mixture of apple cider vinegar and honey has been used as a cure-all to many things including obesity, hay fever, asthma, rashes, food poisoning, heartburn, sore throat, dandruff, brittle nails and bad breath. Even the more common place uses for vinegar have been neglected. Adding a few drops of vinegar to water prevents discoloration of peeled potatoes and you get fluffier rice by adding 1 tsp. of vinegar to the cooking water.
Our grandparents may have been misguided in some of the notions about why vinegar and baking soda worked but not the knowledge that they did work. In some cases we would be doing ourselves a good turn by using some of the older chemistry today.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Body Temperature
We know that your body temperature works like an internal clock. Variations in body temperature indicate and induce the feeling of being awake or being tired. Body temperature also controls the metabolism, circulation and other involuntary activities of our body. The rise and fall of body temperature during the day should not be misinterpreted as the need to rest or sleep. This happens many a times during the day depending upon the body’s activity level at a given time.
In order to recharge your physical energy. it is recommended, to take a nap of 10 – 45 minutes during the day. This nap should be taken when your body temperature has dropped and you feel sleepy. The nap should not be more than 45 minutes and you should not enter deep sleep. Deep sleep will only induce further fall in body temperature.
When you wake from your power nap, you may feel drowsy and lethargic. It is important to get your body back to normal temperature with the help of light physical movement and exposure to light. A rise in body temperature induces the feeling of alertness, feeling of being energetic resulting in better concentration levels.
Reduction in body temperature induces the feeling of lethargy, tiredness and drowsiness.
It is understandable if you feel tired even when you lead a sedentary lifestyle. This does not mean you need more sleep, but means that you need more movement and less sleep. This happens due to frequent dropping of body temperature.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Salt- More Than Just A Spice
Although you may not realize it, simple table salt has a great number of uses other than simply seasoning your food A chemist would probably be able to tell you why it works, all I know is it does.. My goal is not to debate the salt in food issue, but show you a few other uses for salt.
Around the house some uses may be outdated because salt was replaced by a more modern chemical. Just remember modern does not necessarily mean better only different.
If you sprinkle salt on your shelves it keeps ants away.
Try adding a little salt to the water your cut flowers will stand in. They will last longer.
To fill plaster holes in your walls, use equal parts of salt and starch, with just enough water to make a stiff putty.
Salt has been used as a natural cleaner for ages.
Mix salt with turpentine to whiten you bathtub and toilet bowl.
A mixture of salt and lemon juice can be used to clean piano keys or remove mildew in many places.
Clean brass, copper and pewter with paste made of salt and vinegar, thickened with flour.
Use salt to clean your discolored coffee pot & clothes iron.
Clean greasy pans with a paper towel and salt.
Soak enamel pans in salt water overnight and boil salt water in them the next day to remove burned-on stains.
Before using new drinking glasses, soak them in warm salty water for awhile.
Salt can be used as a neutralizer on variety of stains.
Pour a mound of salt on an ink spot on your carpet; let the salt soak up the stain.
Cover wine-stained fabric with salt, then later rinse in cool water.
To remove grease stains in clothing, mix one part salt to four parts alcohol.
Salt is used as an eliminator to get rid of odors in lots of places.
Freshen sponges by soaking them in salt water.
Remove odors from sink drainpipes with a strong, hot
solution of salt water.
Sprinkle salt in milk-scorched pans to remove odor.
Remove offensive odors from your stove with salt and cinnamon.
Salt and soda will sweeten the odor of your refrigerator.
If a pie bubbles over in your oven, put a handful of salt on top of the spilled juice. The mess won't smell and will bake into a dry, light crust which will wipe off easily when the oven has cooled.
Sprinkle salt in your oven before scrubbing clean.
Outside salt can be used as a helper.
Use salt for killing weeds in your lawn.
Sprinkle salt between sidewalk bricks where you don't want grass growing.
Rub any wicker furniture you may have with salt water to
prevent yellowing.
When cleaning up, eliminate excess suds with a sprinkle of salt.
Inside, salt can be used to enhance your medicine cabinet.
Soak toothbrushes in salt water before you first use them;
they will last longer.
Use equal parts of salt and soda for brushing your teeth and only the dry salt sprinkled on your toothbrush makes a good tooth polisher.
Mildly salted water makes an effective mouthwash.
Rinse a sore eye with a little salt water.
Use it hot for a sore throat gargle.
In the kitchen, salt needs to be moderated more than it used to be but still can be used.
Rub salt on your pancake griddle and your flapjacks won't stick.
Soak fish in salt water before descaling; the scales will
come off easier.
Test the freshness of eggs in a cup of salt water; fresh
eggs sink; bad ones float.
Add a little salt to your boiling water when cooking eggs.
A cracked egg will stay in its shell and salty water boils faster when cooking eggs.
Clean your greens in salt water for easier removal of dirt.
Add salt to green salads to prevent wilting.
Soaking wrinkled apples in a mildly salted water solution perks them up.
Fruits put in mildly salted water after peeling will not
Discolor.
As you can see, common table salt can be put to use in lots of places besides on french-fries. Some you may have known and, some you may not have known. I can only hope that at least one gave you an ‘I should have remembered that’ moment like it did for me.
Around the house some uses may be outdated because salt was replaced by a more modern chemical. Just remember modern does not necessarily mean better only different.
If you sprinkle salt on your shelves it keeps ants away.
Try adding a little salt to the water your cut flowers will stand in. They will last longer.
To fill plaster holes in your walls, use equal parts of salt and starch, with just enough water to make a stiff putty.
Salt has been used as a natural cleaner for ages.
Mix salt with turpentine to whiten you bathtub and toilet bowl.
A mixture of salt and lemon juice can be used to clean piano keys or remove mildew in many places.
Clean brass, copper and pewter with paste made of salt and vinegar, thickened with flour.
Use salt to clean your discolored coffee pot & clothes iron.
Clean greasy pans with a paper towel and salt.
Soak enamel pans in salt water overnight and boil salt water in them the next day to remove burned-on stains.
Before using new drinking glasses, soak them in warm salty water for awhile.
Salt can be used as a neutralizer on variety of stains.
Pour a mound of salt on an ink spot on your carpet; let the salt soak up the stain.
Cover wine-stained fabric with salt, then later rinse in cool water.
To remove grease stains in clothing, mix one part salt to four parts alcohol.
Salt is used as an eliminator to get rid of odors in lots of places.
Freshen sponges by soaking them in salt water.
Remove odors from sink drainpipes with a strong, hot
solution of salt water.
Sprinkle salt in milk-scorched pans to remove odor.
Remove offensive odors from your stove with salt and cinnamon.
Salt and soda will sweeten the odor of your refrigerator.
If a pie bubbles over in your oven, put a handful of salt on top of the spilled juice. The mess won't smell and will bake into a dry, light crust which will wipe off easily when the oven has cooled.
Sprinkle salt in your oven before scrubbing clean.
Outside salt can be used as a helper.
Use salt for killing weeds in your lawn.
Sprinkle salt between sidewalk bricks where you don't want grass growing.
Rub any wicker furniture you may have with salt water to
prevent yellowing.
When cleaning up, eliminate excess suds with a sprinkle of salt.
Inside, salt can be used to enhance your medicine cabinet.
Soak toothbrushes in salt water before you first use them;
they will last longer.
Use equal parts of salt and soda for brushing your teeth and only the dry salt sprinkled on your toothbrush makes a good tooth polisher.
Mildly salted water makes an effective mouthwash.
Rinse a sore eye with a little salt water.
Use it hot for a sore throat gargle.
In the kitchen, salt needs to be moderated more than it used to be but still can be used.
Rub salt on your pancake griddle and your flapjacks won't stick.
Soak fish in salt water before descaling; the scales will
come off easier.
Test the freshness of eggs in a cup of salt water; fresh
eggs sink; bad ones float.
Add a little salt to your boiling water when cooking eggs.
A cracked egg will stay in its shell and salty water boils faster when cooking eggs.
Clean your greens in salt water for easier removal of dirt.
Add salt to green salads to prevent wilting.
Soaking wrinkled apples in a mildly salted water solution perks them up.
Fruits put in mildly salted water after peeling will not
Discolor.
As you can see, common table salt can be put to use in lots of places besides on french-fries. Some you may have known and, some you may not have known. I can only hope that at least one gave you an ‘I should have remembered that’ moment like it did for me.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Travel Games
One of my favorite travel games is chess. Okay, it's just one of my favorite games, and I have three-ounce set with a cloth board, so I can take it anywhere. The last time I used it was in the town center of a small pueblo in the
Educational Travel Games
Some games get you thinking, learning something, or at least showing off what you know. Here's one for the family. Have the driver, or another designated host, asks questions like "What temperature does water boil at?" or "What's the Capital of Columbia?" or "With sales tax of 7.6%, what's the total cost of a $23 sweater?" For the kids to love this one, you may have to pay twenty-five cents for each right answer.
Another car travel game starts with someone looking out the window and randomly selecting an object. Players then try to imagine a creative way to make money with it. Old barns become places to advertise, cows are rented out for kids parties, and an house that is being moved becomes a traveling discotheque.
"Red Car" Travel Games
Guess how many red cars will pass in the next ten miles or ten minutes. It can also be blue cars, trucks, or whatever everyone agrees to. It's considered bad form for the driver to slow down, letting more cars pass, so his guess will be the closest.
One classic travel game involves the alphabet. Try to spot something starting with an "a", and be the first to call it out ("apple tree!"). Since the Qs and Xes are difficult, they can be skipped. The player with the most "firsts," is the winner.
Using the radio, you can have a game in which everyone tries to be the first to call out the name of the artist when a song starts. Then change the station, so you don't have to wait through a whole song to continue the contest. In one car radio game, each player chooses a word. The player whose word is spoken (or sung) first on the radio is the winner.
Here is one you can play anywhere. Someone starts a story with a sentence or two, then each person in turn adds a line to the story. It can get personal, but this usually creates a story that has everyone laughing.
Try one of these on your next trip, especially if you have a car full of kids. They are easy, and unlike my chess game, you don't need anything but a few people to play these travel games.
Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the
About the Author: One of my favorite travel games is chess. Okay, it's just one of my favorite games, and I have three-ounce set with a cloth board, so I can take it anywhere. The last time I used it was in the town center of a small pueblo in the
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Secrets Behind Old Glory Revealed Part 2
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Although schools around the country had already been celebrating the American flag’s ‘birthday’ on June 14 every year for over 30 years, it wasn’t until
During the War of 1812, a young lawyer and amateur poet named Francis Scott Key wrote what later became the
As a child growing up in the
Need eagle with the american flag? Check out American flag for all of your old glory needs.
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Wednesday, June 13, 2007
The Art Of Note Taking
by: Scott Palat
By following these ten steps, you will become a more efficient note taker and this will help improve your overall study skills. With good note taking skills, better grades are just around the corner.
1. If possible, sit near the front and center of the class. You will be less likely to become distracted and will probably find staying focused easier.
2. Use a binder instead of a traditional notebook. This way you can add, rearrange, or rewrite pages of your notes, insert handouts and assessments in the appropriate chronological order and review the material covered in the chapter/unit much easier.
3. Put headings and the date on all papers. Organize them chronologically in your binder.
4. Take notes on loose-leaf paper and keep them organized in a three-ring binder. Make sure that you hole punch and add all of the handouts, assignments, quizzes, tests, etc. to your binder. It usually is best if everything for the entire chapter/unit is kept in chronological order in your binder.
5. Think about what is being said before you write anything down. Do not write down everything the teacher says. Pick out important phrases, terms, and concepts to focus on.
6. Record any examples the teacher may give while lecturing. Examples are extremely important in creating connections in your brain and in helping to jog your memory while studying.
7. Look for cues that teachers give to indicate that something is important. For instance, they may repeat something a few times, change the volume or tone of their voice, write it on the board or overhead, and/or creates lists for you. Be sure to ask them to repeat what they have just said if you miss the initial cue but later realize that you should be writing the material down.
8. Leave some space between portions of your notes so you can make additional comments as you study or read the text.
9. Re-write or even re-TYPE your notes. Not only will your notes be much more organized and make studying easier, but the practice of re-writing notes gives you another opportunity to think about the material as you write or type it again. Make sure that you re- write them in a timely manner. The more time that passes between taking the original notes and re-writing them, the less effective this strategy is.
10. Review these notes often. The more times you see them, the easier it is to commit them to memory and the less time you will spend studying them prior to the test.
Go to www.live-etutor.com to learn more about online tutoring and watch a virtual tour inside of our online classroom. All tutors are screened, qualified and ready to help your child get better grades!
About The Author Scott Palat graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a Health and Physical Education degree. In 2002, Scott started www.ehomeworkhelp.com because he saw a need to help struggling students complete their homework assignments and understand their schoolwork. Since this time, E Homework Help inc. and http://www.live-etutor.com have helped hundreds of students get better grades. See what online tutoring with voice is all about. Our private tutors will help you get better grades and this is a guarantee. View a demonstration right now. Go to http://www.live-etutor.com for more information. |
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Choice Theory
by: Kim Olver
You have listened to me for a year now talking about Choice Theory but I know I’ve never really explained what Choice Theory is. Choice Theory is actually an explanation of all human behavior developed by Dr. William Glasser.
There are basically five components of this theory—the basic human needs, the quality world, the perceived world, the comparing place and total behavior. I’ll give a brief overview of each one, starting with the five basic human needs.
The Basic Human Needs
We are born with five basic human needs—survival, love & belonging, power, freedom and fun. We are all born with these needs but we experience them to varying degrees. One person might have a high love & belonging need, while another person is high in freedom. We are born with these needs and are biologically driven to get them met in the best way available to us.
The Quality World
This is a place that exists inside all of us where we store pictures of things that have satisfied one or more of our basic needs in the past or things we think may satisfy them in the future. These things do not have to meet society’s definition of quality. Alcohol is in the quality world of an alcoholic, steeling cars in the quality world of a car thief, and domestic violence is in the quality world of a batterer. The only two requirements for entry into the quality world are that it meets one or more of our needs and it feels good.
The Perceived World
There is much to be said about the perceived world but for the purposes of this article, all I want to say is that we each have our own perceptions of the world. Our sensory system takes in information through sight, touch, sound, taste and scent, however we all have unique ways of processing that information based on our life experiences, our culture, and our values.
The main thing to remember about the perceived world is that if you encounter others whose perceived world doesn’t match yours, it doesn’t mean one of you is wrong. It simply means you are different. Remembering this simply statement will reduce much of the disagreements and fighting that occurs in people’s lives. Acceptance of this fact would mean we could give up the need to convince others of our point of view. We could simply accept the fact that we see things differently and move on.
The Comparing Place
The comparing place is where we weigh what we want from our quality world against our perceptions of what we believe we are actually getting. When these two things are a match, all is well.
However, when our perceptions and quality world don’t line up, in other words we perceive we are not in possession of the things we want, then we are driven to action to get those things we are thinking about. People generally don’t make a lot of progress or change the things they are currently doing unless they are in some degree of discomfort—the greater the pain the more motivation to try something different.
This is where conventional wisdom tells us that if we want what’s best for other people in our lives, then it is our responsibility to raise their pain level to get them to do things differently because we generally know what’s best for them. Right?
Wrong. We can only know what’s best for ourselves. Remember, our perceived worlds are all different. We have unique values and experiences. How can we possibly know what’s best for someone else when we haven’t been in their skin or lived their life? We can only know what’s best for ourselves.
Total Behavior
There are two main things about behavior. One is that all behavior is purposeful and two is that all behavior is total. Let’s begin with the idea that all behavior is total. There are four inseparable components of behavior—action, thinking, feeling and physiology. These all exist simultaneously during any given behavior in which we engage. The first two components—acting and thinking—are the only components over which we can have direct control. This means that if we want to change how we are feeling or something that is happening in our bodies (physiology), then we must first consciously change what we are doing or how we are thinking.
As for all behavior being purposeful, all behavior is our best attempt to get something we want. We are never acting in response to some external stimulus. We are always acting proactively to get something we want. This means that when I would yell at my son to clean his room after asking him nicely several times, I wasn’t yelling because my son “made me mad.” I was yelling because I was still using my best attempt to get him to do what I wanted, which was to clean his room. This seems like I’m splitting hairs but it’s an important distinction to make when you are attempting to move from a victim’s role to that of an empowered person.
The Implications
Choice Theory pretty much rids us of the idea that people are “misbehaving.” All anyone is doing is their best attempt to get something they want. Of course in the process, they may break laws, disregard rules and hurt others but those are really side effects of doing the best they know how to get their needs met. We are all doing our best—some of us simply have better tools, resources and behaviors at our disposal than others.
If we embrace Choice Theory’s concepts, then our function should be more to educate and help others self-evaluate the effectiveness of their own behavior. Know that often they will continue to do things exactly as they have because it’s familiar and/or because what they are doing really is getting them something they want. It is not our job to stop them, nor is it our job to rescue them from the consequences of their own behavior.
We can only make our best attempt to help others evaluate the effectiveness of their behavior and to choose a different way that perhaps is not against the rules or doesn’t hurt the person or someone else. Then, we need to get out of the way and let the situation play out. This may seem hard to do—like you aren’t doing your job as a parent, teacher, counselor, or supervisor, however, I ask, what is the alternative?
When you attempt to force or coerce or bribe another person to do things he or she doesn’t want to do, you may be successful. You may be able to find the right reward or create a painful enough consequence to get another person to do what you want but in so doing you are breeding resentment and contempt. Your relationship will suffer. If you believe, as I do, that relationship is the root of all influence, then you are losing your ability to influence another by using external control.
About The Author Kim Olver has over 20 years experience in staff development and supervision and is an expert in leadership skills, staff relationships and diversity. Certified in reality therapy/choice theory/lead management/quality school concepts, she works with counselors, schools and businesses to apply these ideas http://coachingforexcellence.biz/ChoiceTheory.shtml Found at http://www.ArticleCity.com/ |
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Four Learning Styles
by: Jean Morgan
There are four learning styles that most people fit in to. Visual/verbal, tactile/kinesthetic, visual/non verbal and auditory/verbal. These four learning styles will help you to understand and process any information given to you. Once you know which style you fall in to, you can begin learning the best ways for you to study.
The visual/verbal learning style means that you learn the best from viewing information both visually and in a written format. It works best for you when your instructor uses the blackboard or an overhead projector. If the most important parts of a lecture are put into a bulletin format or used in an outline, you will find it much easier to follow along. Textbook information and class notes will be a great way for you to study and when you're trying to retain information or remember something, you often can "see" it or picture it in your mind.
Of the four learning styles, the visual/verbal person will want to use color coding to help them retain information from books or notes. Highlighters and different colored pens are a great way for this learner to absorb information. Summarizing important information from your notes or textbook is another good way for you to retain what you have learned. This person might also try flashcards, diagrams, illustrations and print-outs to aid in studying.
The second of the four learning styles is visual/non verbal. This person learns best when they are presented with pictures or visual aids. Instructors who incorporate film, videos, maps or diagrams will hold the attention of the visual/verbal learner. You may not find study groups helpful and would prefer to work in a quiet room. If you're trying to remember something, you might picture it in your mind. These learners often tend to be very artistic.
To aid in your retention of information, the visual/non verbal learner should try using flashcards that have important information on them. Illustrating them with pictures and symbols is another good way to help the information to be retained as well as using highlighters and pens.
The third of the four learning styles is tactile/kinesthetic. This learner enjoys "hands on" activities in the classroom. Any type of lab setting or field work will help this type of person to understand the information given. Instructor's that provide their students with demonstrations, presentations or student learning experiences will be helping the tactile/kinesthetic person learn.
Lectures might be hard for this person to sit through, and that's why it's important for them to sit in the front and take notes. Spelling shouldn't be a concern when you're writing notes and you should write down important words you here or draw pictures to depict them.
When you're studying, try incorporating action into it- read when you're on the exercise bike or walk back and forth while reciting information.
The last of the four learning styles is auditory/verbal. The auditory/verbal learner works best when information is given to them in an oral format. Lectures and group discussions work well for you and listening to audio tape information is a good idea too.
To study more efficiently, you might want to join a study group or find a person that you work with every day for a few hours on certain material. Read information out loud and tape record your lectures.
About The Author
Jean Morgan has several learning websites:
http://www.businessstudent.co.uk
http://www.kinverweb.co.uk
http://www.myinternetmarketingresources.com
jean@jeanmorgan.org
Found at http://www.ArticleCity.com/
There are four learning styles that most people fit in to. Visual/verbal, tactile/kinesthetic, visual/non verbal and auditory/verbal. These four learning styles will help you to understand and process any information given to you. Once you know which style you fall in to, you can begin learning the best ways for you to study.
The visual/verbal learning style means that you learn the best from viewing information both visually and in a written format. It works best for you when your instructor uses the blackboard or an overhead projector. If the most important parts of a lecture are put into a bulletin format or used in an outline, you will find it much easier to follow along. Textbook information and class notes will be a great way for you to study and when you're trying to retain information or remember something, you often can "see" it or picture it in your mind.
Of the four learning styles, the visual/verbal person will want to use color coding to help them retain information from books or notes. Highlighters and different colored pens are a great way for this learner to absorb information. Summarizing important information from your notes or textbook is another good way for you to retain what you have learned. This person might also try flashcards, diagrams, illustrations and print-outs to aid in studying.
The second of the four learning styles is visual/non verbal. This person learns best when they are presented with pictures or visual aids. Instructors who incorporate film, videos, maps or diagrams will hold the attention of the visual/verbal learner. You may not find study groups helpful and would prefer to work in a quiet room. If you're trying to remember something, you might picture it in your mind. These learners often tend to be very artistic.
To aid in your retention of information, the visual/non verbal learner should try using flashcards that have important information on them. Illustrating them with pictures and symbols is another good way to help the information to be retained as well as using highlighters and pens.
The third of the four learning styles is tactile/kinesthetic. This learner enjoys "hands on" activities in the classroom. Any type of lab setting or field work will help this type of person to understand the information given. Instructor's that provide their students with demonstrations, presentations or student learning experiences will be helping the tactile/kinesthetic person learn.
Lectures might be hard for this person to sit through, and that's why it's important for them to sit in the front and take notes. Spelling shouldn't be a concern when you're writing notes and you should write down important words you here or draw pictures to depict them.
When you're studying, try incorporating action into it- read when you're on the exercise bike or walk back and forth while reciting information.
The last of the four learning styles is auditory/verbal. The auditory/verbal learner works best when information is given to them in an oral format. Lectures and group discussions work well for you and listening to audio tape information is a good idea too.
To study more efficiently, you might want to join a study group or find a person that you work with every day for a few hours on certain material. Read information out loud and tape record your lectures.
About The Author
Jean Morgan has several learning websites:
http://www.businessstudent.co.uk
http://www.kinverweb.co.uk
http://www.myinternetmarketingresources.com
jean@jeanmorgan.org
Found at http://www.ArticleCity.com/
Getting Educated
by: Deanna Mascle
1. In 1949, following the Communists' victory in the civil war between Communists and Nationalists, the Common Program establishes the right of all citizens to education and the responsibility of the state to provide it. In which country did this take place?
A.
B. China
C.
D.
B. China
QQ: How many people got that right? The year shouldn’t have left much room for doubt…
2. The 20th century has been marked by the emergence of national school systems among developing nations, particularly in
A. 20 percent
B. 30 percent
C. 40 percent
D. 50 percent
D. 50 percent
QQ: That number is far too high. The QuizQueen was outraged that she only discovered it by accident and that there is not a far greater outcry about the issue.
3. During the Middle Ages, what organization helped preserve learning, especially by saving the manuscripts of Classical Greece and
A. Monasteries
B. Monarchies
C. Masons
D. Knights Templar
A. Monasteries
QQ: Much history and learning would have been lost if the Monks had not preserved and copied ancient manuscripts.
4. Did one of these educational advances not take place during the ninth century?
A. Emperor Charlemagne instituted a revival of learning
B. Al Qarawiyin University was established in
C. King Alfred the Great initiated a revival of learning
D. Muslims and Jews promoted education within their own societies and also served as translators who brought ancient Greek thought to European scholars
E. They are all true!
E. They are all true!
QQ: These events still have implications for modern educators and students.
5. What movement led to the creation of elementary and secondary schools in the 16th century?
A. The Renaissance
B. The Humanist
C. The Reformation
D. The Counter Reformation
C. The Reformation
QQ: Martin Luther’s Reformation movement led to the creation of Protestant elementary and secondary schools, although the Counter Reformation later led to the Jesuits setting up a Roman Catholic school system in many countries.
6. During which century were the foundations laid for the possibility of mass education?
A. 20th
B. 19th
C. 18th
D. 17th
C. 18th
QQ: During this century
7. Which educator developed the teaching method that stresses development of initiative and self-reliance by permitting children to do by themselves the things that interest them, but within strictly disciplined limits?
A. Maria Montessori of Italy
B. Johann Herbart of Germany
C. Horace Mann of the United States
D. Herbert Spencer of England
A. Maria Montessori of Italy
QQ: She first introduced the now world-famous Montessori Method in 1907.
8. Educational systems in the Western world were based on the educational methods of which religious tradition?
A. Roman Catholic
B. Jewish
C. Hindu
D. Buddhist
B. Jewish
QQ: Surprised? You shouldn’t be!
9. Which ancient Greek philosopher created the foundation for the liberal arts education widely embraced by Western educators?
A. Plato
B. Isocrates
C. Aristotle
D. Socrates
B. Isocrates
QQ: He believed in teaching the whole student—mind, body, and soul—to be a well-rounded person.
10. What is scholasticism?
A. The art of earnest study
B. An ordered system integrating both the natural wisdom of
C. Writer’s cramp
D. A paper cut
B. An ordered system integrating both the natural wisdom of
QQ: It was a philosophical and theological movement that took place during the Middle Ages.
11. Which culture has one of the oldest known systems of education, a system that taught religion and promoted the traditions of the people?
A. American
B. Druidic
C. Egyptian
D. Roman Catholic
C. Egyptian
QQ: Maybe you didn’t know the answer, but the other options should have made this easy!
12. Who wrote The Century of the Child, arguing that young children require flexible and creative instruction that responds to each child’s individual needs and talents, which was published in 1900?
A. Maria Montessori of Italy
B. Ellen Key of Sweden
C. Bertrand Russell of England
D. John Dewey of the United States
B. Ellen Key of Sweden
QQ: Barnets århundrade was translated as The Century of the Child in 1909.
13. During what century did science become a part of the courses of study in the universities and secondary schools?
A. 18th
B. 17th
C. 16th
D. 15th
B. 17th
QQ: The foundation of the Royal Society of London for improving Natural Knowledge in 1660 helped simplify the exchange of scientific and cultural information and ideas among European scholars.
14. Why did British religious leader Robert Raikesis found the modern Sunday school movement?
A. To provide secular and religious education to factory children
B. To convert Irish Catholic children to Protestantism
C. To promote the children’s Bible he’s written
D. To up the congregation of the
A.
QQ: He established the first Sunday school at Gloucester in 1780 as a means of furnishing both secular and religious education to children whose employment in the factories prevented them from attending the secular schools.
15. When were the first universities established in northern
A. 8th Century
B. 10th Century
C. 12th Century
D. 14th Century
C. 12th Century
QQ: The Scholasticism movement and renown of such teachers as Saint Thomas Aquinas led to this development although education was still the privilege of the upper classes.
About The Author Deanna Mascle shares more fun themed trivia quizzes with her blog at http://QuizQueen.net. |
Found at http://www.ArticleCity.com/
How Can You Find A Good Quizzes Site
by: Ayman Almoqbel
There is no reservation that using internet is one of the great ways to increase and develop our information, knowledge, experience and also it has been used as an entertainment tool for all ages. Thus, there are many entertainment categories such as games, puzzles, movies,….. etc on the internet. However, what is the constructive type of entertainment that increase our comprehension ?
One of these types is Quizzes games. There are hundreds of sites or may be more providing Quizzes; but do they all add value to us ! ( i.e. Quizzes that give us knowledge and increase our information ). Currently with a lot of sites on the internet today, it is tough to pick out the best combinations of fun and increasing information.
So, how can I find a practical and appropriate quizzes game site and what are the main circumstances that should be available in that site ? there are many features should be existing, for instance free accessing to the quizzes is the first and most important feature ( free registration ) ; there are several reasons for that such as it will make the site more popular. Second, the quizzes game should be challenging; it different from site to site, some websites divide quizzes into levels and other choose time limitation for adding exciting to the web. In my opinion finding a site providing both ( Levels and Time limitation for challenging ) will be more attractive. Third, you must find one that will motivate you to challenge what you know and increase your talent in competition.
So, Quizzes games are great because they are just what their name suggests: games that provide us with fun and promote our knowledge at the same time.
About The Author Aymen Almoqbel: Found at http://www.ArticleCity.com/
|
Monday, June 11, 2007
Can You Draw a Perfect Hexagon?
by: Peter Waycik
It may not sound like a difficult task, but constructing hexagons and other polygons can be a frustrating and daunting task for children and adults. A sketch of a square is fairly simple to make as the corners are familiar right angles that most people have no trouble creating. Every other regular polygon from equilateral triangles to dodecagons and beyond can be a challenge without a highly developed ability to recognize and construct a variety of angles. Thankfully, there is a slick technique for constructing all sorts of regular polygons based on the fact that all regular polygons fit neatly inside of a circle.
For the uninitiated, a regular polygon is a closed figure with equal length sides and equal angles. A pentagon with three centimetre sides and 108 degree angles is a regular pentagon. Regular polygons are the figures that are most commonly used to represent each family of polygons.
To experience the most success with this method, it is recommended that you use a full circle protractor. A half circle protractor will work just fine except the procedure changes slightly. The basic procedure for the full circle protractor is to place the protractor on a piece of paper, make a bunch of dots, and join the dots. The trick is dividing the 360 degrees of the circle by the number of vertices in the regular polygon, and making dots at the resulting interval. In a hexagon, for example, there are six vertices, so divide 360 degrees by six to get sixty degrees. Starting at zero degrees, make a mark every sixty degrees around the full circle protractor; there will be dots at 0, 60, 120, 180, 240, and 300 degrees. Join the dots, and voila; you have a perfect regular hexagon. With a half circle protractor, it is necessary to establish a center point first, so when you rotate the protractor to complete the dots on the other side, it can be lined up properly with the zero point and the center point.
The really nice thing about using a 360 degree circle to construct regular polygons is that it works for all of the regular polygons that one would encounter in an elementary or primary school. This is because 360 is divisible by 24 different numbers including 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 12. To construct an equilateral triangle, for example, first divide 360 by three to get 120. Make dots at 0, 120, and 240, join the dots, and enjoy a perfectly drawn equilateral triangle. Squares are constructed by marking dots at 90 degree intervals, pentagons at 72 degree intervals, octagons at 45 degree intervals, nonagons at 40 degree intervals, decagons at 36 degree intervals, and dodecagons at 30 degree intervals. "But what about a heptagon?" you may ask. Even numbers that don't divide evenly into 360 can be approximated using this method. For example, a heptagon (seven sided polygon) can be approximated quite well using 51 degree intervals. It will be hard to tell with the naked eye that you were one or two degrees off.
One limitation of this method is that there is only one size of circle available, so all of the polygons come out quite large. With a little ingenuity, this limitation can be overcome. One simple solution is to cut out a circle of paper and place it on top of the round protractor. Any paper circle smaller than the round protractor can be used. Make the dots around the edge of the paper circle lining them up with the scale on the protractor. The paper circle becomes an intermediate protractor that can be used just as the regular protractor, but it will make a smaller polygon.
Another limitation is that your students might not be at the point where they can divide or find multiples of large numbers. In this case, you could tell your students at which numbers to make the dots, or create paper protractors with just the intervals marked on them for each polygon.
This is the quickest and most efficient method I have seen for constructing regular polygons. It takes little time to teach and little time to learn, and it makes the construction of regular polygons a simple and painless activity for students. And if you need a bit of a challenge, try the 180 sided polygon with two degree intervals. I'll bet you never guessed you could make one of those so easily!
About The Author
Peter Waycik is an elementary teacher and the creator of thousands of free math worksheets that can be found at his website: http://www.math-drills.com.
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Bottom of Form
Found at http://www.ArticleCity.com/
It may not sound like a difficult task, but constructing hexagons and other polygons can be a frustrating and daunting task for children and adults. A sketch of a square is fairly simple to make as the corners are familiar right angles that most people have no trouble creating. Every other regular polygon from equilateral triangles to dodecagons and beyond can be a challenge without a highly developed ability to recognize and construct a variety of angles. Thankfully, there is a slick technique for constructing all sorts of regular polygons based on the fact that all regular polygons fit neatly inside of a circle.
For the uninitiated, a regular polygon is a closed figure with equal length sides and equal angles. A pentagon with three centimetre sides and 108 degree angles is a regular pentagon. Regular polygons are the figures that are most commonly used to represent each family of polygons.
To experience the most success with this method, it is recommended that you use a full circle protractor. A half circle protractor will work just fine except the procedure changes slightly. The basic procedure for the full circle protractor is to place the protractor on a piece of paper, make a bunch of dots, and join the dots. The trick is dividing the 360 degrees of the circle by the number of vertices in the regular polygon, and making dots at the resulting interval. In a hexagon, for example, there are six vertices, so divide 360 degrees by six to get sixty degrees. Starting at zero degrees, make a mark every sixty degrees around the full circle protractor; there will be dots at 0, 60, 120, 180, 240, and 300 degrees. Join the dots, and voila; you have a perfect regular hexagon. With a half circle protractor, it is necessary to establish a center point first, so when you rotate the protractor to complete the dots on the other side, it can be lined up properly with the zero point and the center point.
The really nice thing about using a 360 degree circle to construct regular polygons is that it works for all of the regular polygons that one would encounter in an elementary or primary school. This is because 360 is divisible by 24 different numbers including 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 12. To construct an equilateral triangle, for example, first divide 360 by three to get 120. Make dots at 0, 120, and 240, join the dots, and enjoy a perfectly drawn equilateral triangle. Squares are constructed by marking dots at 90 degree intervals, pentagons at 72 degree intervals, octagons at 45 degree intervals, nonagons at 40 degree intervals, decagons at 36 degree intervals, and dodecagons at 30 degree intervals. "But what about a heptagon?" you may ask. Even numbers that don't divide evenly into 360 can be approximated using this method. For example, a heptagon (seven sided polygon) can be approximated quite well using 51 degree intervals. It will be hard to tell with the naked eye that you were one or two degrees off.
One limitation of this method is that there is only one size of circle available, so all of the polygons come out quite large. With a little ingenuity, this limitation can be overcome. One simple solution is to cut out a circle of paper and place it on top of the round protractor. Any paper circle smaller than the round protractor can be used. Make the dots around the edge of the paper circle lining them up with the scale on the protractor. The paper circle becomes an intermediate protractor that can be used just as the regular protractor, but it will make a smaller polygon.
Another limitation is that your students might not be at the point where they can divide or find multiples of large numbers. In this case, you could tell your students at which numbers to make the dots, or create paper protractors with just the intervals marked on them for each polygon.
This is the quickest and most efficient method I have seen for constructing regular polygons. It takes little time to teach and little time to learn, and it makes the construction of regular polygons a simple and painless activity for students. And if you need a bit of a challenge, try the 180 sided polygon with two degree intervals. I'll bet you never guessed you could make one of those so easily!
About The Author
Peter Waycik is an elementary teacher and the creator of thousands of free math worksheets that can be found at his website: http://www.math-drills.com.
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Found at http://www.ArticleCity.com/
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