The Alternative Broadcasting Online News Station

The dream of completing your college education or furthering your studies is no longer elusive. The World Wide Web boom has brought education to your key board. Many established and renowned universities are offering degrees in varied disciplines through online courses. Studies done by the Distance Education and Training Council in Washington and other regulatory institutions indicate that over 2.25 million people are registered for online courses at universities in the US.

Before registering for a course you need to spend some time thinking. Do I want to do a course that will further my career or learn something that I have an abiding interest in? Will I be devoted and complete the course work in time? Take a look at your schedules and find out where you will slot in time for study.

Online courses offer great conveniences, flexibility, and a world class education brought to your computer. While choosing a college consider the following:

• What are the basic qualifications you need to be eligible for a course are there any tests you need to take.

• Is the college reliable? Does it have the required accreditations?

• How large are the classes? When the class strength is smaller then each student will receive more time from the instructors. On the other hand a large enrollment indicates success of the course. So you need to carefully weigh all the different aspects.

• Research blogs and other online messaging centers to find out about the opinion and experiences of students who have satisfactorily complete courses or are disgruntled. Read surveys and analysis about online education. Ask the college for referrals. Examine alumni success. Find out what percentage of students successfully complete the program and how many work professionally in the field of study.

• Study the online curriculum as well as suggested time-frame carefully. Find out how many students have been able to complete the course work within the given time. Determine whether the coursework meets your educational needs and career goals. Check how current the course work is and whether the textbooks and study materials are relevant.

• Ask if the university has a 24/7 customer service program and whether you will be eligible for any technical help regarding the software or programs you will need to use. Many universities assign a personal advisor to students one who will answer questions willingly and take care all nitty gritties like enrollment procedures, course work submissions and so on right until graduation.

• Check out the credentials for the faculty, their qualifications and training to conduct an online class room with ease. Otherwise it may be a question of the “blind leading the blind.”

• Read the offer document carefully and ensure that the course is 100% online. Some universities are known to use mail, videotapes, and on-campus programs as part of “online course” work. Ask how long the online program has been in place and are there any rough spots they have encountered. Read carefully the institution’s ethical standard document, most reputed schools have a policy readily available for review.

• Check thoroughly the institutions financial history and current position. Make sure you are not registering with a fly-by-night operator.

• Find out what the accreditations of the university are. In the US accreditations come from Middle States, New England, North Central, Northwest, and Southern Western. They have a membership program as well as a system wherein each others accreditations are acknowledged.

• Most important ask about fees and financial aid. Find out what the tuitions fees are and whether any other costs like lab fees, technology fees and so on are to be paid. You will also have to cost expenses towards maintaining your computer and its peripherals like scanners, printers, and fax modem, as well as Internet costs and provider fees.

Surf the World Wide web and visit directories like : http://www.collegenet.com/ ; http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankindex_brief.php ; as well as http://www.forbes.com/online_colleges.html among thousand other sites. See official sites like http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool/ and http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/educ/edlinks.htm and http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml . It is an important decision to be made and should be made with knowledge and concrete facts.

Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for www.1888Onlinecolleges.com , the premier website to find top ranking colleges online directory including topics on public colleges, private colleges, online college, college course online, information on college costs, financial aid, degrees awarded, enrollments and more. He also freelances for the premier Dating Service site www.1888Dating.com

Power Of Believing

We have all been told or have heard at some point in our lives
that if you truly believe something and have faith that it will
happen then it really will happen. There are those who are
living examples of this concept, and they are the ones who truly
practice believing and have tremendous success. I may quote Bill
Gates as living example of this.

Most scientists who have examined the power of prayer and how
beliefs impact a person’s health agree that a person who
believes they are sick and going to die will not fare as well as
someone who believes he or she can recover and will survive. The
latter usually go on to live a healthy lifestyle. Today various
health camps and even doctors are teaching patients the power of
positive thinking and how their beliefs will impact their
chances of survival.

Since the turn of the Century (2000 and forward) researchers
have begun to take a closer look at the impact that the state of
a person’s mind may have on his health and life. Those who have
completed their studies have found that what we think and the
state of our mind both have a direct impact on our life, reality
and health. For example, a person who is constantly stressed,
spends little or no time meditating, has a negative or bleak
outlook on life, is more prone to sickness, will have an
unhealthy lifestyle and is more likely to be in an unstable
relationship. A person who takes time to meditate, has a
positive outlook and believes he or she can and will cope up
with the situation that he is in, is more likely to be in better
health, look younger and will have more positive fulfilling
relationships. So how does what we believe impact our lives.

What you believe is what you get! That about sums it up all. If
you believe that relationships are difficult and require a lot
of work then you will only attract people who will make the
relationship difficult or force you to put a lot of work into
it. More importantly, if you worry about something, you
basically believe the worst will happen and you will most likely
get the worst.

But there is more to believing than just creating beliefs.
Having positive beliefs is the first step toward creating a
positive and successful life. Believing is something completely
different. Here is an example, you may have positive beliefs
about money; you may have a belief that there are plenty of ways
to make money. But if you do not believe that you will make
money, you would not make the amount that you are hoping for. A
belief is the way you feel about something, it is deeply rooted
and if some one asked you a question about it you would have a
definite answer. Believing something is trusting that what you
want can and will happen. There is not a single doubt that it
will happen, you completely trust and know that it will happen.

In many ways we have been raised to not believe. If you cannot
see it, it is not real that is what we are taught. But believing
is vital to our survival and success. If we could only believe
that everything would work out and trust that what you want can
and will happen you would have remarkable results. Your life
would change in ways you never thought possible. But for some
reason most people just cannot believe that things will workout
for them. They look at past results and judge their future on
those results. and much more ……

For details please visit

http://www.lulu.com/content/207853

http://www.lulu.com/content/206787

http://www.lulu.com/anilkumar

Key To Success

If you want to be successful at anything you first have to
Believe that you can accomplish something. Your key to success
is your belief system. If you have a negative belief system then
your success will be limited. If you have a positive belief
system then you will enjoy success after success and a rewarding
life.

A successful businessman once narrated as to what turned the
time for him when he was doing poorly. It was a picture of a
boat stuck in the sand, with the tide out. The title was ” The
tide always comes back.” Do not ever accept defeat. Never even
think,” I can not.” Instead say to yourself, ” The tide always
comes back.” It will, if you will it so. and much more ……

For details please visit

http://www.lulu.com/content/207853

http://www.lulu.com/content/206787

http://www.lulu.com/anilkumar

In this article were going to explore the new revolution in education that’s taken place in the last 10 years via the internet and how you can turn back the clock so to speak and get that degree and job you’ve always dreamed of.

Quietly and unannounced right now, while I write this article, there are thousands and thousands of people becoming doctors, lawyers, business administrators and nearly every other profession known to man. They are in their bedrooms, living rooms and other quiet places of their own home. Just a computer with internet and time to study is all that’s needed in today’s society to obtain the degree or diploma you always regretted not getting.

These days pretty much anything can be done from the comfort of your home, be it shopping, booking tickets, sending gifts or even education. Education is a top priority for most people as it nearly guarantees that you’ll be in demand and paid handsomely for your knowledge or services. It’s known as distance learning university or online college and university.

An online degree holds the perfect solution for those who had always yearned for some academic degrees but had no interest or resources to join the traditional educational institutions, now you too can join this revolution and turn back the clock so to speak by learning through a distance learning university.

An online education is available in almost every field where you can earn a bachelor’s degree, a master degree or even a certification diploma. The fees for such courses are also very affordable due to low overhead and very little administration by the educating facility.

Some online colleges and universities work hand in hand to provide the on - field training to their candidates to increase their practical experience, helping you to gain more knowledge about your course. An online course such as this, one that forces you in the field right away is absolutely brilliant because you’ll begin to meet new people with whom you will be working with after getting your online education.

Attending an online college and university is a perfect solution for those individuals who are presently employed and need or desire to pursue a different career or further their knowledge in the career their currently in.

Most of the programs will provide you with downloadable lessons that you work at in your spare time; these modules will help you to stay on track and pursue your goal. You’ll be given time frame requirements and projects to work on just like being at a college or university in person.

One large concern people have before endeavoring into an online education is how much support they will get, after all, when you’re in a class setting if you don’t know a question you can often just ask another student or the professor directly. Well don’t worry because online colleges and universities provide all kinds of support to its online students allowing them to complete the course within the specified time frame. With live chat rooms, direct phone calls and email you’re sure to stay connected.

Before selecting any online college or university, it is wise to do some due diligence about the college, their authenticity, their success story, what their class embodies etc. Ask to speak with some previous online students and find out first hand what their experience has been. Also, more importantly, find out if the students that completed their courses are now successfully employed in the field they studied.

Before you enroll yourself to any online college or university it is important to know the degrees they provide and if you are really fit for it. Study the module to check whether they meet your standards or else it will be a mere waste of time and money. Many colleges offer various online programs but most of them are specialized in some fields only. So it is important to make a thorough study and study from the best university for your degree.

Here is a list of some online colleges which you’ll easily be able to find with a simple Google search:

1. Ashworth College
2. Phoenix University
3. Kaplan University
4. Walden University
5. Concord Law School
6. Pierce University
7. Strayer University Online
8. Capella University
9. Aiu Online

An education the online way allows you to have your own liberty, keep your current job with freedoms, pay the bills and at the same time get an advanced education. So if this article has twigged something you’ve always had in the back of your mind, what are you waiting for, get an online college education now!

Written by Chad McDonald for people searching for an online degree program university or in quotes on “online university degree” info. for distance learning purposes.

Leo
Some tragic news hits you hard and makes you re-evaluate your entire life. Use this opportunity to think long and hard about the direction you are taking. It’s also a great excuse to spend a small fortune on getting absolutely slaughtered down the pub using the old ‘drowning your sorrows’ chestnut. Out of all bad there comes some good eh?

Virgo
A really dull month for you Virgoans, or whatever you’re called. With little money, your friends all away on holiday and no Countdown on the telly anymore, why don’t you turn your boredom into something constructive and……I dunno……invent a new board game or something. What do you mean it’s a rubbish suggestion? I’m doing my best to help! I’m just an astrologer - I’m not Jim’ll bloody Fix It you know!!

Libra
Something will happen with something. For even more information on what the coming month has in store for you, why not phone my new premium rate telephone number at the bottom of the page! (Calls charged at just £3.50 per minute)

Scorpio
Isn’t the famine in Africa terrible? All those poor little kids with flies all over them wearing the clothes that we wore back in the 80s. It’s time to do something about it. Why not arrange a concert in a London Park, invite the world’s top musical acts, screen the whole event on worldwide TV and maybe do the same in other major countries around the world? Either that or go through your wardrobe pulling out the stuff you wouldn’t be seen dead in and take it down to Oxfam.

Sagittarius
Some unexpected news will put you in a situation where you have to make a major decision. Take your time and do what I do - think, ‘what would Brian McFadden do?’ Try and imagine yourself in Brian’s position under the same circumstances. How would he handle it? What would he be thinking? Just keep Brian in your heart and mind and you’ll come out of this ok.

Capricorn
A chance meeting with an old flame brings all those old feelings flooding back and before you know it, the pair of you will be at it like Jude Law with his child care staff. Just remember though that Jude is rich and attractive - you are neither and when your partner finds out what you’ve been up to, you’ll be single and penniless for ever. So make the most of your chance encounter and phone my new premium rate ‘How To Have Mind Blowing Sex’ advice line at the bottom of the page. (Calls charged at just £3.50 per minute)

Aquarius
The coming month sees the start of the new football season. My charts indicate that some Aquarians can’t wait for it whilst some can. They also indicate that it’ll be a good season for Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester United or maybe Liverpool and that the Spice Girls may or may not get back together. Get yourself down to the bookies now!!

Pisces
You have to start cutting people a bit of slack. You have very high standards and expectancy levels and people are sometimes going to fall a little short. You have to bear this in mind - particularly when watching the new Ricky Gervais comedy series. It was never gonna be as good as the Office was it? Although it’s still quite funny isn’t it? What about the bit in the first episode with the bloke with the big shoe? Ha! Never gonna win a Golden Globe though is it?

Aries
Just like the animal of your star sign, the ram, it’s the time of the year when you may well be pondering getting a hair cut. With all the Aries in the country rushing out to get their hair cut at the same time, no wonder they call it ‘barber queue season’. Geddit? Ha! I’m bloody wasted here!

Taurus
For the last 3 months, your life has found new meaning. You’ve had something to do every night and you’ve got to know lots of new people. For the first time in memory, you’ve not been lonely. Your previously sad and pathetic existence has had a purpose. All that though is about to come to a grinding halt at the end of August. To help cope with this earth shattering trauma, why not phone my new premium rate ‘How To Cope When Big Brother Ends’ helpline listed at the bottom of the page. (Calls charged at just £3.50 per minute)

Gemini
The star sign Gemini is named after Terry Nutkins’ seal that used to appear on Animal Magic back in the 1980s. And just like the pop singer Seal, your career could disappear into oblivion this month if you don’t watch your back at work. Someone is out to get you. For Seal, it was Robbie Williams who came along, took over the charts and wrecked his career. So just watch out. He might seem like a cheeky chappy from Port Vale with some big tattoos, but he’s out to get ya! Robbie that is- not Terry Nutkins. Although apparently Terry does have a big tatoo saying “Club The Seal” on his midriff.

Cancer
I think there’s something wrong with these bloody star charts. That forecast I’ve done for Gemini is just total and utter blimmin’ nonsense. But it can’t be my charts. They’ve never been wrong yet. It must be…..the stars themselves! Oh my god! I don’t like the way they’re aligning. Something terrible is going to happen! Don’t go out this month! Not just you Cancerons….or whatever you’re called. Everyone! Stay in doors and keep them locked. The last time the stars were aligned like this The Krankies had their own prime time TV show and Les Dennis was considered one of the best up and coming comedy talents in the country! Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your stars are available via http://www.24-7london.co.uk. They are written by a variety of people under the guise of ‘Septic Peg’. 24-7 London is an online entertainment guide to London, England with a sense of humour.

We don’t often think about the powerful effect our words and actions can have on others, but every now and then, the universe decides to show us.

This week, I had a profound experience at my local supermarket. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon, and the store was crowded. So much so that I almost didn’t go in when I saw the parking lot full of cars. I was tempted to leave and resume my normal weekday shopping schedule the following week, but since I really needed groceries and was already there, I figured I might as well get it over with.

As I made my way through the crowded aisles, I passed a man who looked familiar. I paused, pretending to read the label on a can of cat food as I observed him with occasional sideways glances. He seemed to hold a place of importance in my memory, though I couldn’t quite grasp when or where. After several minutes, I caught a remembered whiff of chalk dust and a nostalgic echo of his voice booming out across a quiet classroom, and it all came flooding back to me. He was Mr. Blaise, my high school Creative Writing teacher!

Happiness flooded my heart, and I timidly approached him and introduced myself as one of his former students. He seemed genuinely glad to see me, but his features transformed into an expression of surprised pleasure as I thanked him for the profound impact he’d had on my life.

Back in 1985, I was a shy, insecure girl of sixteen when I entered Mr. Blaise’s classroom. Being a writer was my biggest dream, but I didn’t have a lot of confidence in myself. I had shown some of my writing to family members, but it took weeks of agony and anxiety to share my work with Mr. Blaise. I had nightmares that he would laugh at me and tell me to “get a real job.” Of course, he did no such thing. He encouraged me, shared helpful pointers about how I could improve my writing, and then shocked me by telling me that I had the talent to create a successful career as a writer, if that’s what I wanted to do.

I’m sure he had no idea how powerful his words were to me at the time. He was just doing what a good teacher does; providing knowledge and guidance to a young, impressionable mind. However, his attention and encouragement meant the world to me. He was one of the first people who ever took my writing seriously, rather than making cutesy comments and treating it like a hobby I’d soon grow out of. He was the first person who gave me hope that my dream was possible. Because of him, I began to believe in myself, for the first time ever.

When I related all of this to him in the supermarket, I could tell he was overcome with surprise. He obviously had no idea how important his words were to me, and that his encouragement would spur me on to follow my dream, and actually be successful with the creation of it.

After we parted in the supermarket, I marveled at the way the universe had orchestrated this little meeting between Mr. Blaise and I, and I pondered the reasons for it. I believe there are very few accidents in this world, and more often there are reasons behind seeming “coincidences.” Perhaps Mr. Blaise was feeling burned out on teaching after more than 30 years in the same role, and my words will inspire him to continue on with renewed passion. Perhaps he was struggling with the educational bureaucracy and feeling restricted in his ability to reach his students. Or maybe I simply added a little boost to his mood so he could enjoy a happy Saturday afternoon with his family. I’ll probably never know for sure.

This experience opened my eyes to the powerful ways we can serve as angels for each other. Maybe you have someone like Mr. Blaise in your own life, someone who encouraged you, strengthened your belief in yourself, and helped you to become who you are today. If you can’t reach them to thank them personally, the second-best way to honor them is to do the same thing for others.

Whether your craft is writing, singing, teaching, or working as a dishwasher, you have the ability to reach out and make a difference in the lives of the people you encounter daily. It might be nothing more than a few kind words uttered when someone is at their lowest, or helping to build up the confidence of a shy child. Though it seems like a small effort on your part, it might mean the world to the person receiving your attention and encouragement.

My greatest advice to you is: don’t hold back. When you feel moved to share with someone, do it. When you appreciate what someone has done for you, tell them. You just never know what can happen, the people you can touch, the lives you can change. And don’t be surprised if, someday, someone approaches you and says, “Thank you.”

Wendy Betterini is a freelance writer who strives to motivate, uplift, and inspire you to make your dreams a reality. Visit her website, www.WingsForTheHeart.com for more positive thoughts to help you on your journey.

School leavers in South Africa are forging their certificates in
order to have a better chance of finding employment when they
leave school. The statistics are not pretty. Only 25% of school
leavers will find employment in the formal sector. This means
that 75% of people leaving school will not find work! So what do
they do? Well many of these unfortunate people end up having to,
out of necessity, start their own businesses.

When one considers that my domestic worker who is 27 years old,
unmarried and mother of two, has not been able to find any
permanent work for 9 years. She has worked on a contract basis,
on a seasonal demand basis, for a company that manufactures
calendars. She has been employed for 3 months out of 12. The
rest of the year she has no work. So the one day we are able to
employ her a week, helps in a tiny way to alleviate her rather
impossible situation.

In addition to this, the education system that existed when she
wrote her final exams in 1998, had very little or no relevance
to her challenges that would face her in later life after
school. Since then, the Department of Education has tried to
address the lack of relevance in education through introducing
Outcomes Based Education and specifically courses such as
Economics and Management Sciences (EMS). EMS is aimed at trying
to equip learners with relevant skills they so desperately need
in life after school. This assumes that firstly teachers have
the time, training and inclination to effectively impart this
knowledge onto their learners and secondly, that the EMS
curriculum is relevant to the demands facing them when they
enter ‘the real world’. It is a long road before this situation
is rectified. Don’t believe me? Ask the minister of education
Naledi Pandor. She will tell you that she could do with all the
help she can get.

To create as many jobs as we need is not going to happen over
night. It is going to take years for that to happen. So it’s not
about school leavers finding a job! They need to create their
own! They need a relevant education system that allows them to
look after themselves as they leave the safe schoolyard walls
and enter the harsh realities of life in the ‘real world’! There
has to be a better way, a different way a way that works!

We have to find a better way. The Status Quo is just not
working! For those who are interested in helping us turn the old
order upside down, shake it all around and come up with a
relevant approach, a novel approach an innovative approach that
works, one where we somehow can find a ‘different way’, then
please visit my website on http://www.ka-chi
ngworld.com/programmes/ and let me know how together we can
do this.

* Effects on the brain and psyche.

1. Many people believe that images that we view are harmless, or
that the only harm it inflicts is moral in nature. 2. Our brain
is like a supper sophisticated computer, any image we take in
stays with us and is forever recorded and becomes a part of our
psyche. We may not want to remember certain things we have
scene, but it will always be there, and you may not always be
able to control when it will surface.

Example: I was a Police Officer for ten years and a Detective
for most of that. I also served several years on the Metro
S.W.A.T. team. I have observed more than my fair share of
gruesome sights. I have investigated more deaths and attended
more autopsies than I care to remember. At one point I was
called out for SWAT on an individual that wanted to commit
suicide and was barricaded in is house. I will not go into
detail but while dealing with the particular circumstance I was
exposed to the most horrific scene. As the other Officers I
dealt with the incident and did my job, and later that night I
did not think much about it. Several days later however I
started to experience nightmares, irritability and an inability
to keep from replaying in my mind every dead body I had ever
investigated. I sought help and found out that I along with the
other officers at the scene had been experiencing Post traumatic
stress disorder. I was able to work through the problem and
resume my duties, unfortunately some of my colleagues were not
able to work through the incident and ended up leaving the
profession.

If you think that images can not hurt you think again.

3. when one views pornography several things begin to happen.
Blood vessels dilate the heart rate speeds up and chemicals are
released into the brain. These chemicals are called endorphins
and endorphins are custom made in the body to produce the
feeling of pleasure and euphoria. Each individual produces
endorphins that are designed specifically to work the best for
that person. These chemicals when appropriated in the body in
the prescribed amounts and through normal means, they work
perfectly. Pornography like any other external stimulus acts on
the amount and frequency that these chemicals are released

Pornography actually causes a chemical bath in the brain, when
this happens the endorphins released are 5 to 7 times more
addictive than cocaine. The addiction begins and at that point
the addict can receive a chemical bath just by thinking about
previously viewed pornography, or by rehashing fantasies that
were concocted while viewing pornography. I have known
individuals who would receive an endorphin release just by
hearing the sound the computer makes as it logs onto the
internet.

Prolonged use of pornography will actually alter the chemistry
of the brain. People in this condition need constant stimulation
and endorphin release just to feel some what normal. If the
stimulus stops usually a deep depression or anxiety takes them
over.

Like any other addiction the mild images that you begin with
will soon lose their effect in the release of endorphins, and to
obtain the same level of excitement more and more vulgar scenes
will be sought out until you are far from the person you were
when you started.

As a Police Officer I investigated a young man who started by
viewing swim suit models on the internet, in a matter of months
he had reached the depths of depravity. He had devised a plan to
kid nap, torture and then kill a young girl to gratify his now
warped lusts.

If you indulge in pornography you will become desensitized to
that which is wholesome, good and natural and be left to pursue
that which is filthy, vulgar and unnatural.
www.oinksolutions.com/cms/

To teachers and parents: if your children have problems in
mathematics, reed this article, please. Maybe the cause of the
difficulties is very simple.

For success in school mathematics it is necessary to master
elementary mental computational skills at first. This statement
is obvious not only for teachers. Everybody knows that addition
and subtraction within the limits of 20, multiplication and
division within the limits of 100 are the foundation of all next
arithmetical and algebraic topics. But my practice shows that a
level of the skills, which maybe is suitable for primary school,
very often is insufficient for secondary school. During last
twenty years I investigated why some pupils can not study
mathematics successfully. Now I am sure - the first of the
causes is poor mental arithmetic. If elementary mental
computational skills are not enough good, a pupil has no chances
to understand and master more complicated topics.

How can we diagnose a lack of the skills? The answer seems very
simple. Mental computations must be swift and errorless. We may
say that the skills must be driven to automatism (the top
quality of skills) which means quick and errorless mental
implementation of the simple arithmetical operations.

Thus the computational speed is the first criterion of the
automatism. Meanwhile an error may be caused not only by lack of
skills. There are many other outside causes - a bad condition of
a pupil, a brief distraction of attention and so on. Therefore a
probability of occurrence of an error, which must be
sufficiently low but not equal to zero, must be taken as the
second criterion.

The results of my study allow determining permissible limits of
the average time of implementation of one operation and relative
frequency of occurrence of errors while a pupil implements a
sequence of simple uniform operations. All pupils who had not
reached the limits could not learn mathematics without big
problems. They could not work at lessons of full value and do
homework themselves. Their knowledge and skills were very bad.
In contrary, in those cases when it was possible to improve
their elementary mental computational skills, they began to make
progress.

If you want to know more about the implemented study, you can go
to

http://www.simplar.boom.ru

You can find there a description of the study with some figures
and diagrams, a test for diagnosis of elementary mental
computational skills and a description of two effective ways for
improvement of the skills: 1) The testing tables which are an
effective means for training work. Their using lets to bring up
quickly the elementary mental computational skills to the level
exceeding the calculated permissible limits of the considered
parameters. 2) The teaching computer program for improvement of
elementary mental computational skills. It makes a diagnosis of
a level of the skills; carries out the work on improvement of
the skills; carries out control by a psycho-physical state of a
pupil and by a level of permissible working load; allows
controlling the results of working.

For confirming the influence of quality of elementary mental
computational skills over success in school mathematics bad
achieving pupils (from one to three years after the
multiplication table was completely studied) were chosen. The
work upon development of the skills, which level had been very
bad, was carried out with each of them individually. In 85% of
cases the level was brought to stable correspondence to the
calculated values of parameters. The results exceed the limit
values of the parameters significantly. After that a work upon
main basic topics of school math (common fractions, algebraic
equations and so on) was carried out with the pupils. The work
was successful, and all of them had not big problems in their
subsequent math’s learning. It must be noted that the level of
elementary mental computational skills of actively working
pupils only do not decreases in due course. If a pupil works
passively at lessons and does not carry out home works
himself/herself, the level decreases gradually. In some time it
leads to difficulties in math’s learning.

Thus a level of elementary mental computational skills is a good
means of determination of pupil’s preparedness for successful
studies. The limit values of the considered parameters define
the first threshold of school math’s learning ability. The
pupils who have not crossed this threshold are doomed to poor
progress. It means that results of testing of the skills may be
used for prediction of failure in school mathematics.

MAIN INFERENCES 1) Unsatisfactory development of the elementary
mental computational skills adverse affects progress in school
mathematics. The skills must be driven to automatism. That is
the obligatory condition for success in school mathematics. 2) A
level of the skills may be determined by two parameters: average
time of implementation of one operation and relative frequency
of occurrence of errors. 3) For testing it is handy to use the
standard tables, for which the permissible limits of time and
errors were calculated (http://www.simplar.boom.ru)

Sachem School District teachers completed another professional development activity thanks to the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. The program is called the Strategic Instructional Model (SIM) and looks at how teachers can improve literacy in low performing adolescents

The Strategic Instructional Model

Developed over 25 years of research, SIM works to help teachers recognize what lessons are of greatest importance and target those lessons towards a diverse group of learners. SIM rests on four philosophical principles:

• Low proficiency students can be taught in mainstream classrooms.
• Teacher’s aides, or support teachers, should concentrate on helping students develop learning strategies.
• Subject teachers should organize their lessons so that the material can be understood and remembered by low proficiency students.
• The students should be actively involved in deciding how to learn new strategies.

SIM works on two levels, one addressing the needs of the teacher and the other addressing the needs of the student. For teachers, SIM training provides a method for organizing information in ways that are most useful for students, so that they can understand what they learn and then be able to use it to accomplish tasks. For students, academic coaching develops learning strategies that can be applied to what they learn in school. These strategies range from learning ways to approach written texts, including informational readings and math word problems, as well as ways to express information in writing, as is often required on standardized tests.

Another important element of SIM is the way that it promotes teamwork among teachers, students, and parents. In deciding what content to teach to students, teachers and students work together to determine what information students need and what the best method of delivering that information is. This creates a feeling of comradery in the learning community and helps all stakeholders contribute to the overall success of students.

What Long Island Teachers are Saying About SIM

Many classroom teachers have welcomed SIM as a concrete approach to meeting the needs of their students. After observing a demonstration writing lesson conducted using the method, teacher Jill Kristoff comments, “The SIM sentence writing strategy is a very useful tool for children, teaching them grammar and sentence structure, as well as improving their writing; and because it is taught in steps, children of all abilities can be successful with it!”

What Long Island Schools Students are Saying About SIM

Students agree with their teachers that SIM offers them a lot of structure for understanding what they are learning. After observing the demonstration lesson conducted by University of Kansas teacher – trainer Dottie Turner, one student said, “Ms. Turner helped me a lot with sentences. She taught me what a good sentence needs. Now my sentences are much better with details, and they are not boring.” Another student also believed that she had benefited from the demonstration lesson and expressed her pride in participating in a professional development experience for her teacher. She commented: “The demo lesson was helpful to my writing. It was also a lot of fun. Teachers were sitting in the back, but they were not watching me. They were watching Ms. Turner. I loved that lesson!”

The Sachem School District community hopes that SIM will help local teachers and students achieve higher statewide assessment scores by including all students in the learning experience. The Strategic Instructional Model meets the guidelines for the No Child Left Behind Act and studies have shown improved academic performance for all students. Long Island schools welcome this added tool for improving the achievement of their students and look

Stacy Andell is a staff writer for www.schoolsk-12.com, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Stacy has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues. For more on Long Island schools visit www.schoolsk-12.com/New-York/Long-Island/index.html

Before you enter a college or university to get your online criminal justice degree there are certain things that you should know. These are:

1. Find out the difference between different levels of online degrees:

You can get online associate level degrees, bachelor level degrees, master level degrees and even PhDs. Depending on your existing level of educational achievement you have to make an appropriate choice as to what level of online degree you can go for or are eligible to get.

2. Find out the difference between different types of online degrees:

Online criminal justice degrees are available in many different majors or specialisations. Depending on your own inclinations and research about various career options you have to decide which type of online degree will be just right for you – which major, program or degree you should opt for. So find out about all the options available to you when it comes to online degrees in criminal justice.

3. Find out which online university or college is best for you:

There are hundreds of colleges and universities offering online degrees. But not all of them are equally good. Some are good, some are not-so-good and some are outright bad. Look at costs, time factor, course content, faculty, accreditation and transferability of credits, and all other possible factors that can impact your decision about which college or university is best for you. It is not easy to compare different colleges and universities and there are many dangers. Hence, the more thorough your research the better will be your choice.

4. Find out all you need to know about accreditation:

Almost all online colleges and universities offering online degrees boast of some accreditation or the other. But all accreditations are not the same. Accreditations by any of the eight regional accrediting bodies funded by the US Department of Education and authorised by the department to grant accreditations, are the most valuable and absolutely risk-free. Accreditations from other bodies are risky. Two states – Michigan and Oregon – have also put out negative lists as to which colleges and universities are not recognised or rather degrees from such colleges and universities are not recognised. The Michigan list also contains a list of accreditation bodies that are not recognised. Make it a point to find out whether the college or university you are thinking of entering is not in any of these two lists because then the degree that you earn will be worthless. In short, avoid colleges and universities known as diploma mills.

5. Find out about for-profit institutions such as ITT Tech:

For-profit institutions such as ITT Tech market their programs very aggressively. While such institutions may have a lot of good things going for them there are many bad points that these institutions do not care to advertise. Please research thoroughly all aspects before entering for-profit institutions such as ITT Tech.

6. Find out about for-profit universities such as the University of Phoenix:

The University of Phoenix is the unchallenged market leader in the for-profit education services industry. It is also the largest and the oldest university offering online degrees. It is also a very aggressive advertiser. Though it is a pioneer in online education and can boast of many innovations in the field of online education, not everything may be right about the University of Phoenix. Thoroughly check all the facts that they do not care to advertise and then make your choice – don’t just go by advertising or past reputation.

7. Find out the basics of an online criminal justice degree:

Find out about various careers, majors and specialisations. Find out about course curriculum, misconceptions about online degrees and all else that you need to know before going for an online criminal justice degree.

8. Find out about careers and salaries:

An online degree can open up many different types of careers. Find out which type of degrees will open up which type of careers as well as the possible or average salaries associated with each of these types of careers before deciding on any particular online degree in criminal justice.

9. Find out what all you will need to get an online criminal justice degree:

Find out what materials you will need, what kind of pre-requisites you must have, how difficult the program will be, what kind of syllabus you will face and so on before deciding on any particular online criminal justice program.

10. Find out what online criminal justice courses are like:

Find out the various differences and similarities between online and traditional courses. What kind of time will be required, what credentials will be required, what kind of homework will be required, what kind of classroom environment or teaching and learning environment you will have and so on before deciding on any particular online criminal justice program.

Jim Greenberg recommends you visit the Online Criminal Justice Degree Guide for more information on enrolling in an online criminal justice college. See www.ocjdg.com/2006/02/the_abcs_of_enr.html for more information.