Archive for March, 2010

What is a Teaching Assistant?

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

The role of teaching assistant is an interesting, challenging and rewarding one. The work will vary depending on the age of pupils, their home environment and the school itself. Through working closely with the teacher the teaching assistants quickly become their eyes and ears. This vital role can be split into four parts supporting; the teacher, the pupil, the curriculum and the school. Supporting the teacher – as a classroom assistant you can assist with administration, planning learning activities, developing support materials, helping to assess progress, supervising lunchtimes and playground activities and helping with minor accidents. Supporting the pupil – by reading to them or listening to them read, looking after small groups working on a joint task or individual pupils with a project, assisting all to develop social skills. Supporting the curriculum – by use of specialist equipment such as computers and observing and recording pupil’s progress in specific areas listed in the curriculum Supporting the school – as a classroom assistant you can work alongside and encouraging parents and other professionals, helping out at parents evening and other such events. Does a Teaching Assistant need qualifications? Currently no formal qualifications are needed to become a teaching assistant but completing a relevant teaching assistant course is excellent preparation for this important role. The teaching assistant qualification can also help an applicant to stand out in the selection process when it comes to getting a job. Experience of working with children can also be a great help and this can often be gained by voluntary work.

Learn English Online – Why is it Better?

Monday, March 29th, 2010

To learn English online, you need not worry about where to find the right site. Learning the language online has never been easier nowadays. The learning environment has drastically changed ever since the internet hit the globe. Today, there are literally thousands of websites dedicated to online English learning. Some have very basic programs while many more have sophisticated and effective learning methods that will surely make you speak native English in a very short time. This sites are truly dedicated to make you learn English online in the most effective and comprehensive way. But why do so many people choose to learn English online when there are many schools and Universities offering the same course in their classrooms? If you choose to learn to speak English in a classroom, you have the advantage of being able to communicate with your classmates in a totally conversational way. You get to build your confidence as you speak with them and your understanding of the language will also improve as they speak with you. Many have argued that in a classroom setting, your daily communications with your teacher and classmates help you improve your skills and learn co-dependently at first. Then, as you progress, you will learn independently. There are also those who argue that in a classroom environment, there is more interaction between the teacher and the students and the learning process is set in a consistent and regular pace throughout the session. And the debate goes on and on. Looking at it closely, there are also many advantages in choosing to learn English online versus the traditional classroom setting. There are now millions of students enrolled online and the number is growing rapidly each year. Below are just a few of the many reasons why many are now opting to go avail of English lessons and courses online instead of enrolling in a classroom. Whenever, wherever: This is probably the first and most important reason why many have chosen online English courses. Students taking English lessons online can go to class whenever they want, wherever they are! They can learn to speak English in their most convenient time at the most convenient place! This means that they can do other work first—like go to the office, attend to their children or render voluntary work—and then go and learn to speak English after. Open and available 24/7: Because the site is an online global site, then course materials and sessions are always available 24 hours a day, seven days a week! Students have the freedom of getting their English lessons, discussions, explanations, comments and recorded conversations even if they have been absent for the past five sessions! Compare that to a classroom setting! Be absent for five sessions in a classroom and you loose a lot of the lessons. Better interaction: Many have argued that online English learning discourages participation and interaction. But contrary to popular opinions, choosing to learn English online allows a student to have more interaction with their peers! In a classroom environment, only the most talkative student has a say about everything. But in a controlled online learning environment, everyone has a say and can learn to speak English through discussions because the online teacher is the moderator and controller of the English class time. Shy students have a chance: Because everyone has a chance to speak in the online classroom, speaking English will be much less intimidating to the students. Many virtual classrooms practice anonymity so that all students have a level playing field. Everyone can learn English online no matter what gender, race, or age they are. Discrimination is not an issue in an online English course. There are many other reasons why many prefer online English classes over the traditional classroom learning. If you want to learn English online, then now it’s the perfect time.

How To Learn Hindi: Keeping Up Your Motivation

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

Learning a language takes a lot of work over a long period of time, and your efforts in how to learn Hindi probably won’t be any different. You might start your Hindi course with a lot of enthusiasm, but keeping your momentum over time takes work. Here are some tips for you to keep yourself motivated in your efforts how to learn Hindi. Start by thinking that you can do it. You learned English. And you learned to read and write the Roman alphabet, starting from a time when the letters just looked like marks on a page. You may speak other languages, too, and you may have learned other alphabets. Each language that you learned opened doors to communication with people and to learning that would be impossible otherwise. You can succeed in your Hindi course, too, and have the same reward of unique communication and learning. Take the “slow but steady” approach. Don’t try to learn too much in one sitting, or one day, or one week. Break your learning plan into smaller, easily doable chunks. Don’t forget to review frequently. You will accomplish much more lasting learning that way. And you won’t be overwhelmed by a long stretch of study or a long list of items to master. The best way how to learn Hindi is to give yourself a regular schedule, including homework. Plan to study Hindi at a regular time, such as for an hour after dinner. Then, later, do your self-assigned “homework. ” For example, you could use fifteen minutes of your lunch break the next day to review the new skills you studied the night before. Look over the grammar and vocabulary lessons that you have already studied, quiz yourself on your verb conjugations or practice your writing skills. Think outside the classroom box. One of the best things about studying languages is that you get to read and understand media that you wouldn’t otherwise. For example, you will be able to read and understand Hindi newspapers online, or enjoy a Bollywood movie. Although you need to pay attention to your Hindi course materials, don’t limit yourself to them. Embrace Hindi language materials online, on screen or by podcast, or in any other way that you can find them. Seek out Hindi-speaking friends and have conversations with them that you can only have because you are learning their language. What a great way how to learn Hindi! Set short-term and intermediate goals. You have set the admirable long-term goal of completing a Hindi course. But don’t forget to set shorter-term goals, too. For one thing, you will meet them faster. For another thing, you will be able to recognize the accomplishments that you have made, and that will motivate you to work toward the next goal. Reward yourself for reaching your goals. Give yourself a treat for reaching all your goals, including the small, short-term ones. Enjoy a Hindi movie or video, invite your friends over for an Indian meal or take yourself out to an Indian restaurant. Of course, the best reward for tackling your Hindi course is that, when you are done, you will be able to speak Hindi. So, in addition to setting your short-term goals, keep that over-arching goal in mind. You are working at how to learn Hindi. What an adventure that is!

Online Marketplaces – A College Textbook Answer to High Costs For Students

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

Not only are tuition costs skyrocketing, but so are the books that must be purchased even before an individual enters their first classroom. In fact, the average college student spends $900 every year on textbooks. However, this need not be the case. If college students knew which books to buy for their classes well in advance, they could purchase them online and save up to 90 percent. Yet less than a quarter of students currently buy at least one of their textbooks online. It’s not because they don’t want to, but rather because they simply don’t know which books they need until the first day of class. In reality, most colleges receive a percentage of textbook sales from their contracted bookstores, with their greatest advantage being timing. If the school informed the students of which books they needed for their classes months or even weeks in advance, most students would buy their textbooks online. Since this rarely – if ever – happens, most individuals are forced to purchase their books at the campus bookstore because they cannot even afford to wait one or two days to begin their reading. Things are changing for the better, though. Next summer a federal law goes into effect that will require colleges to list the required materials and their respective costs at the campus bookstore in online course schedules. Publishers will also need to disclose book prices in marketing sent to professors who may not realize the costs. This is a huge score for college students across the country. They will now have the ability to shop around. For now, the key for students is to be proactive by emailing their professors before classes begin to find out which books they need and purchase them online. Online marketplaces provide the greatest savings. For instance, at ValoreBooks. com, a leading student online marketplace for college textbooks, a used copy of a first-year college textbook like, “Biology” eighth edition by Campbell and Reece, which lists for $183. 53, was available for $70. 13. The same book was offered on Amazon. com for $130. 25. So, stop complaining and get proactive. Find out what book you need in advance and buy it online. Save your money. You worked too hard for it and there are better things to spend it on.

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