Obstacles to creating an unschooling atmosphere

Unschooling. It's a buzz word. We've heard about it on USA Today. We've heard it associated with whole foods, the hippie movement, and anarchy - but for those of us who have chosen unschooling as a way to parent our children, we see the concept as a way of life.

As we move our brood toward unschooling or immerse ourselves in the teachings of John Holt and Sandra Dodd, many of us find that there are more obstacles to overcome than we first thought. It's not as easy as it looked on the pages of that RV family's blog.

Obstacle 1: You, yourself, and you.

This is the toughest nut to crack for most of us. As a former public school student and former public school teacher, thinking outside of the schooling box has been nigh unto impossible. What about my child's "reading level"? How will he or she "score" on the SAT and other competitive exams? How will I "teach" math?

The first way around this foreboding obstacle is to start over. De-school. Begin the process now. Stop thinking about teachers and reading levels and standardized tests and start thinking about your child as a natural learner. Start thinking about all of the skills necessary for life as things that are tangible - think back on your toddler as he or she learned to walk. Your baby as she learned to crawl. Your son as he counted on his fingers and learned which color matched which word. School was not necessary. Questions, curiosity - these are the tools of learning. It is our job to present our children with a fascinating world in which to live. The learning is up to them.

Obstacle 2: Your "classroom".

While the world is truly the classroom of the unschooling family, the home of the unschooling family has got to be an exciting part of that world. We see unschool families portrayed as junk food eating, TV junkies who sit around all day starting at the boob tube and playing video games while munching on hot wings and potato chips and going to bed at 2AM. There is unschooling, and there is neglect.

Neglect is allowing your child to do whatever they want in an environment that looks just like that of a child who goes to school. Unschooling is providing an rich educational environment in your own home.

This might mean you can't have those red leather couches or that breakable antique vase. It means that you might need to save up for aquariums, terrariums, bookshelves, and puzzles. A microscope might replace that antique vase. You'll need to invest in park passes and interesting magazines and maybe a personal computer for each kid. You'll need to strew math puzzles and video games and documentaries and tickets to the museum opening. Instead of checking out, the unschooling mom and dad have to check IN. Use your local library and make friends with some lab technicians. Get your child's brain ticking by making your home an exciting place to be and each day an exciting adventure. Life does not have to be boring. Learning does not have to be fact-dumping and multiple choice tests and hand-raising for potty breaks - but YOU, the parent, have to be willing to invest the time to make the change.

3. The others.

You know who I mean. Your mother-in-law. Your mother! Your other mom friends. The homeschool playgroup. The waitress at the restaurant asking "shouldn't you be in school?" to your eight year old as she peruses the menu. The dad who asks why your kid can't read yet when he hands out baseball uniform shirts. They create a huge obstacle to a conducive unschooling environment.

Know your rights. Know what the law says about radical homeschooling options. Be ready to tell anyone who asks just what your legal rights are in choosing your child's education.

Know why you're doing what you're doing. Have positive responses to all those negative comments. Keep records of your child's achievements in a huge binder to show off. Take note of the things your child can do vs. the things the traditionally schooled child can do and be ready and armed with those things when questioned.

Find other unschoolers. Maybe none live near you. Join a blog community. Attend an unschooling conference. Join an unschooling forum. Make your voice heard and ban together with like-minded parents.

Be pro-active. Live your own passions. Hug your kid. The obstacles may be mighty, but truth in experience is a powerful antidote.

Alternative scheduling options at the secondary level

Adolescents have natural need for more sleep than younger children have and are involved in sports and employment that make time demands. Sometimes it becomes hard for them to attend school during a set schedule. The recommendation has been to alternate the start times between elementary students and secondary students, but that does not help the students who are involved in employment. Many secondary students have employment to help their family or to finance their automobile and dating needs. Without flexibility, these students might not graduate.

Online Education

Secondary students online can take many classes online. The students can take them during the usual time of the high school in the area or at a time that meets there attention span or employment or sports schedule. Many students need to take classes online because health concerns prevent them from attending open classes for long periods.

The presidential election brought this situation to the limelight when Vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin explained her daughter's boyfriend was taking classes online so he could participate in an apprentice program on the pipeline. He later left the apprentice program because he was not entitled to be in the apprentice program without a high school diploma. Her daughter took classes online as well because of her pregnancy. There are many others ways to deal with the attention, health and employment needs of students.

Scheduling the Day

Many schools have added two alternative periods in the day. The traditional class schedule is hour 1-6, but there is now a zero and a seventh and some have added an 8th. The 0 hour starts an hour prior to the day started. Many involved in spring sports find the addition of a 0 hour prevents them from being away from the class while traveling to sport events.

Many alternatives exist for secondary students. Other schools offer a night school program that starts the hour that the traditional school ends. The aim for these classes is the students who must work to support their families. Pasco Washington School District offered night school as a way to provide education for the students who must work in the fields to support their families. Many of the migrant students found this as a means to graduate. Alternative high schools allow students to following an alternative schedule or even work at their own pace.

As the population is the country changes, the school system must change as well. With an open mind, the needs of all students wanting an education can occur.

Feedback on Assignments

Asking for, and receiving, feedback on college assignments is a very important part of a student's progress through college. Without feedback, it is hard to pinpoint exactly where you are going wrong so that you can ensure it doesn't happen again. However, there are a number of reasons why students don't ask for feedback on assignments.

*Too busy


This could refer to either the student or the professor, or both. Students often lurch from one assignment to another; trying to fit it all in alongside a social life can be very stressful. Professors are also busy people and may be difficult to pin down to a meeting. As a result, students end up relying on a few scribbled notes on their assignment that don't really help them understand where they are going wrong. If prepared, it shouldn't take you long to say what you need to say and it will be worth it in the end. online education

*Afraid of negative feedback on college assignments

You may have already received a grade, or you may just suspect that your assignment isn't up to scratch. Either way, you are afraid of asking for feedback because you know it is going to be negative. However, this is the most important time to ask for feedback. It is only through mistakes that you learn how to improve; there is little doubt that if you are criticized for doing something wrong, you won't make the same mistake again. In any case, you may find the feedback isn't as negative as you suspected.

*Unsure how to ask

Aware that your professor is a very busy person, you may be unsure how to ask them for their feedback. Certainly, if you are not organized, you could get a very confusing reply. However, provided that you sit down, think about exactly what it is you want to know and then how to word it, you should be able to find out what you need. If you don't, you can always try asking another professor or member of staff for clarification.

*Unhelpful feedback in the past

You may have asked for feedback in the past, only to have received confusing or conflicting information, or possibly very little information at all. This is bound to put you off asking for help again. However, it is worth thinking about where you may have gone wrong in asking for feedback the last time. Alternatively, you should think about asking someone else for their feedback. If your questions aren't topic-specific, you will almost certainly be able to find someone more helpful. online degree courses

*Fear of looking stupid

Many students are scared of asking for advice or feedback, because they are afraid of asking something that they ought to know and that possibly everyone else already knows. In this case, you may not want to ask in public, but you could still make a personal appointment with your professor. Alternatively, you could get together with classmates, find out if you really are the only one who doesn't already know the answer, and approach your professor together.

When it comes to asking for feedback, don't be hesitant. Even if the feedback is negative, or makes you feel stupid, you will learn from it - and that is far more important that sitting back and not doing anything.

Be Substitute Teacher in Florida

No matter where you live in Florida, the tedious process of job hunting while searching through your local classifieds or searching popular job websites such as career builder or monster is not particularly fun. However, in your search you might come across an eye-catching post detailing “Full-Time Substitute Teacher Opening”. As you circle or save the text, you consider that this might be the employment or career opportunity that you have been looking for.

However, you may want to keep in mind that every state has a different requirement which need to be fulfilled in order to qualify for the position opening. If you happen to live in the state of Florida, you might be wondering what exactly the requirements are. how to snake hunt

What are the requirements in the state of Florida? Are the requirements the same requirements as a teacher? Does a Substitute Teacher position require a college degree? Do I need any technical training for this type of job? And if I have all of the necessary requirements, what do I need to do in order to score an interview?

In the state of Florida, there is a state mandated Substitute Teacher course which is a possible primary requirement for Substitute Teaching. Depending on what county you live in, course requirements, educational requirements, and experience may vary.

One of the most common basic requirements is usually a completed Substitute Teacher certification course. Some counties in the state of Florida offer these courses directly through the local school board at various locations or even offer online course which will save you money and time. career options

A Substitute Teacher is not required to hold a bachelor’s degree in Education, however some school board districts in the state of Florida are asking that you possess a minimum of 60 college credits equivalent to an Associate’s Degree and hold 2.5-3.0 GPA on your official college transcripts. Educational and training requirement information specific to your county school board can be found at your local school board’s district office or at the official website.

Now that you have discovered whether you hold the necessary requirements in order to successfully submit your application, there may be a few additional tasks that you will need to complete such as an oral and written communications exam, criminal background check, fingerprints, and processing fees. Please check with your local school board office for these additional requirements.

Megalithic World - Exploring the World of Megaliths

A megalith is a term used to describe structures erected for ceremonial, astronomical, and religious purposes, and as monuments. Megalith building dates back to at least 5000 B.C. Many of the more famous megaliths were constructed between then and 1500 B.C.

These structures were built without the use of modern machinery, or even horses. The design of these structures strong mathematical and architectural skills for design and erection. Many megaliths served as sophisticated solar and lunar calendars, as well as for astronomical observations. Megaliths have been found all over the world. Faithful Mate for Women

There are five categories of megaliths. The first category is alignments, meaning stones placed in rows and other shapes other than circular. The second category were used as burial chambers and are underground chambers by a mound of some kind. Another category is monoliths, also called menhirs, made of single standing stones. Monument memorials built to gods or community leaders is another category. The last category is stone circles.

Some monoliths are formed naturally and gain mythical importance. In the Australian desert is one such example, Uluru. Also called Ayres Rock, this is the largest monolith in the world. It continues for more than three miles below the surface.

Stonehenge : Stonehenge is probably the most famous megalith in the world. It is between 4,000 and 5,000 years old and was built by the Neolithic people of Britain. Building it probably took 30 million hours of labor. Some of the stones used in the structure came from 240 miles away. Its exact use is unknown, but it is theorized that it was used as a temple or a graveyard. Simple astronomy was studied here. It is actually aligned with the place the sun rises on the summer solstice. Regain Your Virginity

The Newgrange Passage Tomb : Located in Ireland, the Newgrange tomb was probably built in 3,200 B.C., making it older than both Stonehenge and the pyramids in Egypt. A long passageway leads into a large chamber. On the winter solstice, light enters a roof box and lights the entire chamber. The large stone surrounding and inside the tombs are decorated with Megalithic art, including spirals, concentric circles, triangles, and other images.

Easter Island : Easter Island, one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world, has a series of over 900 giant statues erected over a span of 500 years. According to local folklore, these maoi are spirits of powerful ancestors. Once the center of ancestral worship, these giants are built on platforms called ahu. universities in india

Megaliths have captured our imagination. There have been several fantastical explanations for how they were built. Did the local people learn how to leviate rocks? Are they the product of UFO’s? Probably not, but there is still much to learn about these prehistoric structures and the societies that built them.

How to Diagnosis Allergic Diseases

The severity of allergic diseases can range from being deadly or just annoying, depending on the type and extent of a person's sensitivity to a substance and the way the body reacts to its presence.

To diagnose an allergic disease, an allergist (doctor who specializes in treating allergies) will usually start with a detailed family history. Allergic diseases tend to run in families, so a family history of allergies is an important diagnostic clue. The allergist will also ask the patient about his or her symptoms as well as his or her living and working environment. For instance, if a patient notices a coughing, sneezing, and a stuffy nose whenever he or she is in a room with carpeting, the allergist will want to know that. Carpeting often harbors many different allergens that can make sensitive people sick. If the patient is experiencing digestive problems, the doctor will ask about his or her diet. If a patient is having skin reactions, the doctor will want to know about items the patient comes into contact with.

Next, depending on the patient's symptoms, the doctor may do a skin test. In this test, the patient bares his or her back or forearm and is exposed to a number of different well known allergens through a slight pin prick on the skin. The doctor observes any skin reactions the patient has and makes a note of them as well as the severity of the reaction. The doctor may also draw blood for further testing and, perhaps, have a chest x-ray taken. Natural Remedies for Colds

Another way of finding out about potential sensitivities, particularly when a food allergy is suspected, is avoidance testing. The doctor may prescribe a very strict diet, gradually adding in new foods until the patient has a reaction. If, for example, the patient is allergic to milk, he or she would have a reaction after ingesting something with milk in it. That reaction would tell the patient that he or she should not ingest milk products.

Of course, sometimes allergies are diagnosed during an emergency. Allergic attacks happen when the body's immune system overreacts to an ordinarily harmless substance and sometimes the overreaction can be life threatening. For instance, a small child might have a severe allergic attack after being exposed to peanuts or being stung by a bee. He or she might have had less intense reactions in the past, but the immune system "remembers" past attacks and prepares for them. The next attack might be much more severe, causing an anaphylaxis, which is a reaction that involves two or more body systems. The child would hopefully be rushed to a hospital, where a doctor would diagnose him or her with an allergy. light and dark corn syrup

There are so many different types of allergens and many of them can affect people in different ways. While some allergies just cause seasonal misery, others can be deadly. A visit to an allergist can literally be a lifesaver for those who are exceptionally sensitive to certain substances. But help from an allergist can also be a figurative lifesaver for those who just need help dealing with occasional mild allergies, too.

Drowning Symptoms Causes and Treatments

Drowning occurs when someone parishes by water suffocation. This of course can be applied to other liquids as well but is most common with water. Drowning and near drowning often occur to individuals who do not wish to enter the water, those who experience boating accidents, for example. Often when someone falls into cold water it can become incredibly dangerous.

An individual who is submerged into cold water can find themselves powerless over the extreme chilling effect that the cold water has on their body. Other instances occur even in shallow water. Children, for example, have been known to drown in wading pools, as well in their homes. In the US alone 5025 people drowned annually. school life easier

Drowning Symptoms

Drowning happens when H2O or other liquids are inhaled into the person's lungs. This often occurs when the individual is trying to gasp for air while attempting to stay afloat in the body of water they are in. When water makes its way into his air passage which travels to his lung, the larynx muscles will contract, thus preventing more water from entering into the lungs. But these very same contractions also deter air from entering lungs. Without air into the lungs the body will stop breathing, therefore you will lose consciousness and eventually die. When a person cannot swim they cannot prevent themselves from drowning, keeping afloat on the water surface. colleges and universities in india

Drowning Symptoms Treatment

Methods of rescue: Persons who are trained in rescue and techniques in water should attempt to swim to the drowning individual. In many cases rescuers struggle with the victim, in which the victim ends up pulling the rescuer underwater, then putting him at risk. If the individual is near, you could reach out with a fishing pole, or even a tree branch. If there are no items like this around, you could get a hold of an object that is secure to the ground and attempt to reach out to the victim. If the person is at a further distance, attempt to toss a flotation device i.e. life jacket, for the victim to stay afloat with.

Drowning Causes Diagnosis

Giving first aid: If the victim when rescued has stopped breathing, they should receive artificial respiration, otherwise known as rescue breathing, ASAP. The individual who's giving the artificial respiration must ensure that he does not give up to quickly. There have been people who have been trapped in freezing cold water for more than an hour and have been saved through the use of artificial respiration.

Distance Learning Courses Organize Study Time

It is very important to be organized when you are planning your study time for distance learning courses. You may not have a teacher that will look at you face to face and ask if you have been studying so you might have to do more on your own. Consider the following strategies.

Decide how much study time you need

You want to make sure to give yourself enough time to study for your distance learning courses. Just because it is distance learning courses does not mean that it should not be taken seriously. If you are not sure of how long something will take, then give yourself extra time so that you may finish early but you will not run out of time.

Make sure that you do not procrastinate and then cram

Just like it is important to avoid procrastination when taking classes in a traditional program, it is important to do so with distance learning. Once you know about how much time you want to study, you will want to make sure that you plan time well in advance. For instance, If you feel that you need five hours to study for a test you might not want to plan it all for the day before the test. It can be difficult to study for that long in a row, and you might have trouble absorbing it all or staying efficient. Instead you might want to spread it into two days, three days or whatever you feel that you need.

Study at the times that you are most efficient and effective

If you are a morning person, then make your study time then and the same goes for if you are a night person. You want to be able to absorb the material as much as possible, and you should do it when you are at your best. Also consider when you can get some quiet time without distractions. It can be difficult to study in a crowded house, for instance, and you might want to choose times when you are alone.

Write out your study schedule

No matter what you plan to study, if you do not write it down, you might forget what you had planned. You can get a calendar to specifically write down your study time. Also, you should keep track of the progress you are making and adjust your schedule as necessary. For instance, if you only get half of what you had hoped done, then you should schedule more time.

If you are organized with your study time for your distance learning courses, you may be more successful in your classes. Consider the above tips for organizing this.

Fashion Tips for Vegans

We’ve heard it all, but this one is very NEW. Many people have complained throughout the years about clothing made out of animal skins, such as snakes, crocodiles, leopards…etc. Well, this time, these animal rights protectors will have a special clothing line just for them, and this should be encouraged to expend to the point where we only have vegetarian shopping guide, fashion for vegans, or organic vegan fashion. You can participate even if you eat meat, but cruelty to the point of ripping the animal’s skin to wear it, is horrifying if you go deep and think about the actual process of that action. Online Education India

You have several websites to shop online for vegan clothing, online vegan shoes, and online vegan brands. You could try www.greenpeople.org, www.veganstore.com, www.veganvillage.co.uk, and www.fashion-conscious.com, which are only a few amongst the places to purchase from. This new trend is not about to stop, but it’s ravishing the market, slowly, but surely for vegetarian shopping guide. If you prefer going to real life stores, you have “Cosmo’s Vegan Shoppe” in Marietta, GA, also Crystalynkae stores in various areas, such as San Diego, Denver, Atlanta, Washington DC, and Massachusetts. You could also buy their vegan handbags online and vegan clothes shoes at www.crystalynkae.com. There will be a Vegan Fall Fashion Show 2010 held in Albany, New York this October 2nd at 1:30pm for the Vegan Expo.

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This will be the first time for the Vaute Couture, as they call it with a “V” on purpose instead of “H”, to show everything fromclothing , handbags, hair products, and make-up. They use different fibers, and even recycled bottles. It is a great opportunity to prove to you that you can live without hurting animals for alternative clothing vegan. I mean imagine the animals doing that to us to look pretty, does that sound fair to you? I don’t think so. Some ways need to change and this is a revolutionary action, which is huge to influence the world and open our eyes about the fact that the clothes we buy might be gorgeous, but at what price? Go Vegan, and stay there is the path to compassion, friendliness, and true beauty. How to Make Your School Life Easier

Some of you might be happier when purchasing a cruelty-free product, and not have a guilty conscious afterwards. I guess we get carried away and not care much as life goes by, but this awareness is a wake-up call for all of us. We can look sexy, be attractive, and hot without necessarily wearing blood on our skins. Think about it for a second!

Top MBA Schools - Are They Really Worked Out

As per the surveys and recorded data of MBA admissions and enrollments by the students has introduced an interesting graph of management schools and institutes. As India is one of the biggest countries of the world with twenty seven states and seven unions comprises number of MBA schools and colleges have reputation and brand name worldwide. Like Delhi University, IIM, XLRI of Jamshedpur, S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, XIM of Bhubaneswar and many more. As per data and analysis western India comprises four MBA schools out of top 10 India’s MBA colleges. On other hand northern India comprises two of India’s top 10 business schools. But there are some ranking position that definitely shocked us like Symbiosis SCMHR, with highly expectations and respectable 25th rank overall where Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies positioned no. 10 and S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research positioned overall no. 9. These two mumbai mba institutes really did their home work by capturing education market. Previously this no. 9 and no. 10 position had captured by DMS and IIFT, mba institutes of Delhi.

Rest of the top mba schools remain on the captured position with Indian Institute of Management – IIM of Ahmedabad at the top followed closely by Indian Institute of Management of Bangalore and Calcutta. All these changing position depicts the ever changing interest of management students of India. Mumbai’s L.N. Welingkar Institute of Management jumped from 43 position in last year to 16 position in this year. Where as XLRI of Jamshedpur and XIM of Bhubaneswar behinds the most in this regard. If we talk about IIM it remains on the top not only in domestic but also in globally list because of UK and US publications that only consider those b schools that have listed with an Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. On following this now, IIM-C is eyeing on such an accreditation to get a status of accredited mba programs. This is first mba institute to show such types of interest on global basis. If IIM of Calcutta gets such accreditation then it may possible for other IIMs to with stand for the same. All these efforts of IIM will strike the interest of foreign students regarding mba admission in Indian top mba schools. This further adds outstanding shine on the board of IIM.

All these top rated accredited mba colleges and universities have played an important role for the students in getting high salary package jobs. Not only from India and but in foreign countries students with good and A grade academic records always keen to start their career with world leading companies for their better career and future prospects.

Below is the list of top MBA ranking schools worldwide offer quality education in various management themes,

• London Business School
• Harvard Business School
• Stanford University GSB
• Columbia Business School
• IE Business School
• University of Chicago
• Indian School of Business
• IMD
• Yale School of Management
• HEC Paris
• Esade Business School
• University of Cambridge
• Ceibs
• Northwestern University
• Rotterdam School of Management
• Nanyang Business School

All these MBA schools and colleges have gained an excellence in providing top rated mba courses to students visit from different sections of the world. As management education includes the study of international behavior in respect of business and competition analysis. Therefore, there are many colleges and universities offer management studies but only few of them really work out for students, for their career and future prospects.