Posted by admin on May 20, 2011 under education | 
Whether you are brand new to the academic world or comfortably tenured, it’s never a bad time to think about teacher professional development programs. Educational theorists contend that an instructor’s development never really stops, instead spanning an entire career. While that is undoubtedly true, there’s also merit to accelerating the developmental process by entering into specific programs designed to help you became the best at what you do.
One of the great advantages of the time we live in is the unbelievable amount of resources available for free online. Thanks to simple searches, you don’t have to go blindly into any decision. English teachers can make sure they’re providing reasonable interpretations of Hamlet and math teachers can understand why mnemonics may not be the best trick for helping students to remember equations. My apologies if you’re a math teacher and that last tidbit just undermined your lesson plan.
My point is that while most educators think of development as attending yearly conferences or workshops, perhaps by mandate, there are online alternatives that are just as fruitful and discipline-specific. Science teachers can stop worrying about when they’re going to find time to figure out graduate schools with the best biology departments, and instead start coming up with better and more interactive ways to work with students. It’s sad to think that these kind of resources are underutilized simply because so many people are unaware they’re out there. Even graduate school can be done online and usually for a lot less money than traditional enrolment.
Posted by admin on May 18, 2011 under legal |
Ask yourself this question: when you took out your last loan, did it include a PPI claim? Payment protection insurance is one of the many ways that lenders make extra money off of unwary consumers by adding in additional fees and unnecessary services, a practice that ran rampant until only a few years ago when investigations from several government bodies (such as the Financial Services Authority) cut down the practice and imposed numerous fines on shady banks involved in such bad deals. However there are still approximately 20 million PPI policies in the UK, of which only 2 million ever actually receive benefits. As a result PPI policies have grown to be much more profitable than the actual loans themselves, wherein the lending company only receives an 85% profit on their investment.
The key to the issue is knowledge. It is extremely important for you to know if you are currently holding onto a PPI policy as part of your personal loans, mortgage, car loan, credit card, or any other line of credit. Even home insurance policies often have a PPI attached, especially older policies. It would be useful to know if you have the ability to file a PPI claim if your financial situation changes for the worse, or to reclaim the money you spent on premiums if you don’t feel you need the program. Despite what many lenders will say, payment protection is an option program, not compulsory. Always remember that, and remember that you have the right to get that money back if you were sold the policy under suspicious terms.
If you do possess a PPI policy do some research on the internet to learn what traits qualify a PPI policy to be reclaimed. There is a significant chance that you can pay off a great deal of your debt simply by recovering this money (as well as the interest you were charged for it, or the interest it earned while being “loaned” to your lender). Pressing your case may be one of the best moves you will make in a long, long time.
Posted by admin on May 17, 2011 under education |
If you are interested in pursuing a career as a supervisor, manager or essentially someone in a leadership position, then a masters in educational leadership might do you some good. To prepare for this course, you need to have at least two years of good teaching or any related working experience to help you absorb the lessons faster. You also need two separate letters of recommendation from a previous professor or supervisor, along with a resume of your skills and educational background. Be ready to show your official school records, both in photocopy and original form. Lastly, a cover letter is needed, which varies in length from a simple email to a 4-paged document. This letter should detail why you are interested in taking the program and how you see yourself benefiting from this program. It is just like applying for a job but this time you are applying so that you can learn how to be a more effective and efficient leader. Leading a team involves great problem solving creativity, as well as people management, a lot of patience and a specific strategy. Some equate it to classic warfare strategies, where the smallest movement can benefit the whole team. Knowing how to make sound decisions and how to arrive at this decision, can help you make your path as a CEO much smoother and faster. Masters in educational leadership not only shows you theories but most of their curriculum is based on real-life situations so you can be assured that the items are indeed practical, up to date and most of all, very useful.
