Co-curricular values play a very significant role in inculcating different values in the students. For all-round development of personalities of the students co-curricular activities are considered to be very important now-a-days. Previously the term "extra-curricular activities" was used for outdoor activities and other cultural programmes organized in the school. But now-a-days this term has been discarded keeping in view the importance of these activities. In many progressive schools there is an allotment of certain periods for these co-curricular activities in their regular time table.

Through these activities, many values can be inculcated profitably. Co-curricular activities form an integral part of the modern school curriculum. They should be made more and more purposive and fruitful as well as value oriented with the democratic base and purposeful pursuit. This can be done, provided children have an opportunity of having living experience of moral life through these activities.

In programmes of outdoor activities, the children are taken out of the school to the areas of adventure, appreciation of art and culture and the places of historical values. They can be brought avenues in the training of initiative, team-work, self-discipline and learn much about our cultural heritage and historical details. Besides games and sports, there are several outdoor activities, namely, NCC, Scouting & Guiding, Mountaineering, Trekking, Excursion, Field trips etc., which may serve the purpose of inculcation of desired values among the students and formation of character.

Almost all the schools and colleges various festivals are organized at deterrent levels festivals may be classified into three heads:
1. National Festivals
2. Religious Festivals
3. Birth/Death anniversaries of great persons.

Besides these, there are so many occasions like Sports Day, Teachers' Day, Parents' day, Annual Day, UNO Day, etc., when some literary and cultural activities are carries out in the school. Through these activities, the qualities of leadership, self-discipline, co-operation, team-work, etc., can be easily developed. Through these activities, new dimension can be given to the personalities of the students.

Each person can trace contribution of some teacher who helped that person to transform into a good human being with a more positive self-image, more self-confidence, more commitment and motivation to pursue excellence. This role of a teacher is universally acknowledged. In education, a teacher is one who helps students or pupils, often in a school, as well as in a family, religious or community setting.

A teacher is an acknowledged guide or helper in processes of learning. A teacher's role may vary between cultures. Academic subjects are emphasized in many societies, but a teacher's duties may include instruction in craftsmanship or vocational training, spirituality, civics, community roles, or life skills. In modern schools and most contemporary occidental societies, where scientific pedagogy is practiced, the teacher is defined as a specialized profession on the same level as many other professions.

In the 13th chapter of the "BHAGAVADGITA" the characteristics of a real teacher are laid down as follows : absence of pride, free from hypocrisy, non-violence, forgiving nature, straight forwardness, service of the preceptor, purity of mind and body, steadfastness and self-control.

In line with this, centuries ago in this land of Vedas the teacher devoted all his time for the upliftment of his pupils in all directions - knowledge, morals, values etc. He was called the 'Guru or Acharya'.

Guru Brahma Gurur Vishnu
Guru Devo Maheshwaraha
Guru Saakshat Para Brahma
Tasmai Sree Gurave Namaha

Guru is verily the representative of Brahma (Creator), Vishnu (Preserver) and Shiva (Transformer). He creates, sustains knowledge and destroys the weeds of ignorance. I salute such a Guru.

Polly was eighteen years old when I became her teacher. Surprising, as it might seem, she was in high school and did not have a viable communication system in place. She had been dropped from Speech Therapy years ago for lack of progress. That often happened to nonverbal students in the district where I worked. It was part of the criteria that I obviously did not agree with.

Polly was everyone's friend. Most of the students and faculty knew her. She did not have any problem initiating, particularly when it came to social interactions. By pointing and using gestures, she would say hello or comment on a person's hair style, clothes, and accessories.

Like many nonverbal students, Polly had significant movement difficulties, both gross and fine motor. It was difficult for her to throw or catch a ball or participate in physical exercises. She could not tie her shoes, print, or draw on her own. I feel much of that could have been alleviated by motoring and slow removal of prompts until movement patterns became automatic.

I introduced PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) to her and she took to it easily. I began by having her select pictures to request her desired breakfast items. When she was proficient selecting the pictures, I provided facilitated support, as I had her type the names of the items on the pictures at the same time. Within months, she was typing the words independently and handing me the communication device or using a voice output device. She no longer needed to select the pictures since she had a propensity for spelling. Polly was highly motivated and continued to use a communication book to learn how to spell new words. Since she demonstrated this progress, the Speech Therapist, was able to have her reinstated in Speech Therapy for augmentative communication needs.

Unlike most of my nonverbal students, who hit the keys independently, Polly did not need me to hold the keyboard or be in her proximity. She could communicate with a wide variety of people both at home and school. She typed with true independence.

It is important to mention that even though her vocabulary of printed words quickly expanded, her independent typed communications showed language deficits similar to verbal students diagnosed with moderate autism that I have worked with. Obsession on calendar skills, photographic memory, narrow area of interest, pragmatic and syntactic language difficulties were apparent.

What differentiated Polly from my students who were unable to make that final leap to independence? I don't know since she certainly shared their movement issues. I suspect it might have been her ability to initiate and her intense desire to interact socially. Using it in conjunction with PECS from the beginning might have also had an impact.

Polly was independent and I wanted to keep her that way. On a rare occasion, Polly joined two of my supposedly very low-functioning nonverbal "agent/facilitator" dependent students who typed. I passed the keyboard around the group as the three of them took turns typing: "Great teacher of untrained thought encompasses our reality by entraining our souls to join as one regulating the transmission of commingled thought bereft of time and and space yet clear and fluid." It was interesting!

Lessons from Polly:

* Some students are highly motivated once given a vehicle for their expression.
* Ability to initiate and/or socially interact may be necessary component for students to become totally independent of an agent. Strategies to develop initiation of action or verbal attempts should be incorporated throughout the school day.
* Movement difficulties need to be addressed early and consistently. Motoring and repetition is key!
* Some nonverbal students, who type with total independence, may show language deficits and perseverations similar to verbal students with autism.
* Some students, even though independent, may illicit more profound communications when "joining" with others.

I have served as a teacher of individuals with autism. The emphasis of my anecdotes and articles is the anomalies or phenomena, I have experienced. Please click on comments to add your own stories or experiences.

Many folks in America ask what is wrong with our kids, what is wrong with our schools and why are Americans losing out to other nations in world rankings? Are these questions and accusations correct? There is a lot of blaming running around. Teacher Unions blame the top heavy school systems. Little Johnny's mom blames the teacher. The taxpayer's blame the Politicians and the government keeps raising taxes to solve this problem.

Unfortunately, now if you were to take the number of students and the school districts budgets, you find that the average cost per student is over $10,000 per year. Yes, it's true, and I bet you never knew. It's also true that most of the public when asked what that number is think it is about $2500 to $5,000 and that is a very low estimate. It is a number that it probably should be, but isn't.

Worse, with all this money being spent, the schools are not getting the job done and many see the schools as a giant baby-sitting location, and not a place of education. Some go so far as to ask; "Can We Really Train Kids for the Future Under the Current Format?" The answer to that is; Most Likely NO! Now, that in itself is a scary thought indeed.
What needs to change?

First, we need to leverage technology and that does not mean stick a bunch of computers in the back of every classroom, rather it means to use the tools and software to help teach. Avatar instructors for instance, interactive computer games, roll playing online, collaboration with other students and teachers that are technologically savvy. Basically, everything needs to change and soon.

Literacy is driven by the habit of reading and not just by writing well or learning how to write well. Reading is a habit that drives you on from one book to another in search of knowledge. Reading does not bore one if pursued endlessly. Right from grade one, it may be recollected, that at the end of the year we had to report on the number of books we had read in the course of the whole year. Somehow one book led to the reading of another and yet another. No boredom and no strain - just a thirst for more and more of those books. That is what reading is supposed to do to you, if you keep at it continuously.

Even though writing contributes to our growth as a person, it is reading that makes us what we are. There's so much to learn from books.

Reading improves Your Mental Aptitude

Reading helps develop a stronger mental aptitude. How then will a novel help when it is not related to any of the subjects at school? In fact how can it increase mental aptitude?

Keeping the brain active helps it remain alive and thinking. This is what reading does to you. Scientists have stated that we use so little of our brains - what with all the equipment around us - that our brains are not as sharp, and slow to function. At the drop of a hat, we reach out for that calculator rather than exert the brain to work out a small mathematical problem or calculation.

Reading helps keep our brain thinking and imagining. The words out there staring us in the face as we read, help put the brain into the action surrounding the thoughts and ideas projected. So doesn't this make you smarter?

Does Reading Help You Earn More?

It's true that earlier people worked hard and earned well too without the education that is available today! But that is how life was earlier, and they made a success of it in spite of little or no education at all.

Some people succeed without a formal education but, is it not better to make a position in life with education than to make it well in life without education? Would you rather be the sales man in a car store or be the owner of the car store? This is what you have to decide for yourself. Reading helps you rise in life by creating dreams for yourself and helping yourself progress by the day.

Reading helps you gain knowledge in subjects which you have not been introduced to at school. Learning never comes to an end and books help you pursue this thirst for knowledge.

In much the same way that mathematical equations yield specific verifiable quantities, public education's primary measurable product, learning (L), may be determined according to the variables contained in a basic computational formula. Take, for instance the formula for the area of a circle, (A = pi r (squared) ).

Pi, or the value 3.1416, is a mathematical constant, which never varies in value, it being the means whereby the correct result of the formula is attained. The ultimate result of the formulaic computation, for the area of any circle, is, consequently, determined by pi's consistent use. If the constant, pi, varies in the slightest degree, the computation will yield an incorrect calculation, regardless of the correctness of the circle's radius, 'r,' the one and only variable in the formula. Similarly, a basic formula for any particular type of learning may be expressed as:
L (learning) = {TQ (teacher quality) x IE (instructional environment) x IA (environmental atmosphere)}(squared) x SP (student preparedness).

In this particular formulaic context, a quantity of quality learning will vary directly according to
1) the instructional quality of the teachers,
2) the mental and behavioral preparedness of the students, and
3) the conduciveness of the environmental atmosphere to learning.

The only independent variable in the learning formula is (IE), the instructional environment. That is, the physical location where the learning occurs, such as in a traditional school classroom, beneath a tree, in a garden, or, perhaps, in a pool parlor. Where the physical environment is located is of no real consequence if an effective environmental learning atmosphere is produced and maintained through quality instruction and optimal student preparedness. As is shown in the formula, the product of the variables within the brackets, squared, will be multiplied by (SP), student preparedness. This, student preparedness, is the one essential value, the veritable constant, which is totally beyond the control of the teacher and the school administration, which can cause the entire formula equation to yield a less than satisfactory product. This is the (pi) of the learning formula. This key formulaic term, expressed in behavioral units, must remain at an optimal level at all times during a teaching episode, for a mutually pleasant learning atmosphere to exist, and for a quantity of academic learning to be conveyed and assimilated by the learner. Effective, or ineffective, parenting, at home, is the only means for measuring the value of this particular variable, that is, unless the state steps-in and assumes the parenting duties consigned by nature to the natural parents, or, by law, to other caregivers.

A city or county public education district may, therefore, hire the highest quality teachers (cum laude graduates in all of the core disciplines who consistently produce the most attractive and innovative lesson plans), build the most elaborate and state-of-the-art classroom and laboratory facilities, and, ultimately, have the most unmotivated students, the majority of whom attend school not desiring to learn, only attending class because they are forced to do so. If this is the case, such a school district will experience a dismally low-level of student learning achievement, and the cause will not lie with the teachers, but with the parents of the students.

When speaking of educational motivation, one of the most common paradigms used comparatively by authorities in the discipline is that of Abraham Lincoln and his voracious thirst for learning. According to his own autobiographical words, Lincoln learned to read and write by the light of a log fire in a log cabin fireplace. His mother began reading the Bible to him when he was three-or-four years of age, and he learned, with her help, to make his alphabetic letters, and to spell, by effectively using the burned ends of sticks as pencils, which he used to write, and solve arithmetic problems, on slate tablets. I suppose that there is no accurate way to fully measure the total effect that his mother had on the great man, but Lincoln, as a young learner, may be considered logically as, either, a gifted prodigy, who would have excelled under any environmental condition, or as a child with an ordinary mind who, through environmental influences and extraordinary tenacity, prevailed as an example of someone dynamically rising to the occasion. Most people tend to believe the latter as more true, and use Lincoln as a working example of successful learning and social mobility. Moreover, there have been other, less publicized, examples of ordinary children who have, through environmental stimulation, achieved academic greatness; and all of these children have had parents, or adult caregivers, who have been instrumental in encouraging and fostering academic motivation to learn.

I struck-up a conversation recently with an Arkansas public middle-school teacher who was visiting Washington, D.C. for the first time with a group of his Arkansas teaching colleagues. We were on the Metro Blue-line train heading to Franconia-Springfield, and I asked this thirty-something male English teacher what he thought was the greatest learning distraction in his classroom. He replied very bluntly that student discipline, and the role the Arkansas teacher has to serve as a classroom surrogate parent, were the greatest hindrances to productive learning. Surprised that teachers are being paid to provide parenting to wayward students, I asked him how much time, on the average, he expends to the parenting component during a fifty-minute class. He answered that nearly half of his class time is ordinarily spent teaching adolescent students proper behaviors and values that they should be learning at home. I countered with an observation that, by using half of the class time to prepare the students to learn, there wasn't much time left to learn English. Chuckling, he said he was lucky to present three good English lessons-per-week out of the twenty-five classes he was assigned to teach. He went on to say that the duties of the Arkansas teachers to prepare the students for the standardized state academic skill assessment tests also preempted disciplinary classroom instruction time by more than 40-percent of time left for quality teaching.

In a nutshell, student discipline (civility and mutual respect in the classroom) went out-the-window with the power of the classroom teacher to discipline according to prevailing need, which, of course, included paddling. When the teacher, by law, had to begin referring chronically disobedient students from the classroom, to an assistant-principal, for the administration of "affirmative discipline," the students immediately realized the sort of illicit behavior which would get them ostracized from a classroom, and so began the disciplinary revolving door. If a particular teacher's instructional demeanor didn't readily appeal to a student, a sudden vulgar epithet, diatribe, or a spit-laden paper-wad thrown hard at a fellow-student or, perhaps, at the teacher, would be grounds for instant ejection from the classroom. Instead of the teacher controlling the students' behaviors, the student became adept at controlling the teacher's reactions.

The ineffective application of affirmative discipline, accompanying the disempowerment of the classroom teacher, began in the early 1970s, when a few permissive parents began objecting to teachers, and coaches, corporally disciplining their behaviorally recalcitrant sons and daughters. I recall, from my own childhood learning experiences (1958-70) the ubiquitous wooden paddle hanging from the classroom wall, which bluntly told the students at the beginning of the academic year to behave in class and pay attention, or, else, suffer the consequences. And it ordinarily worked. I saw very few 'licks' administered in the classrooms, and during the 1950's and 60's, there was an incredibly high rate of learning in the public schools around the nation, especially in math and science, primarily due to the increased interest in space exploration. Moreover, there were many more social and familial advantages prevalent then, which were concomitant with high achievement by pre-adolescent and adolescent students in the public schools.

From 1945 until around 1970, parents were much more involved in their children's lives, especially their educational pursuits, than from 1970 until the present day. During the decade of the 60's, attention-deficit and hyper-activity were not accepted and formally classified as medical and psychological disorders in children. In most public schools around the nation, a child's inattentiveness and behavioral dysfunctions in class were promptly addressed by the teacher, and then by the parent, at home. At a time when a majority of parents totally supported the disciplinary actions of their children's teachers, and, later, at home, dealt assertively, yet lovingly, with the child's inappropriate classroom demeanor, the dysfunctional issue was usually resolved within a day-or-so. Of course, there were organic medical problems with a few students then, such as fetal-alcohol syndrome, crack babies, etc., as there are now; but the majority of disciplinary problem students merely had, and presently have, correctable attitude problems.

That was when most American parents were integrally involved with their children's educational endeavors, by helping them to properly complete their homework in the evenings and encouraging them on a daily basis to excel in their studies. When these practices ceased to be an above-average occurrence in most American homes, the learning curve plunged dismally. Presently, a greater number of parents want to blame their children's inattentive and aberrantly hyper behavior, displayed at home merely to get the attention they rightfully deserve from their mothers and father, on what is fallaciously regarded today as medical and psychological disorders. Sadly, most American public school parents are presently in a state of denial, deferring accountability for their refusal to be actively involved in their children's education, to the school districts, most saying, "We pay our taxes. You deal with (parent?) our children."

As a former classroom teacher, in the public and private schools, I can speak assuredly that typical inner-urban public school classrooms, especially in school systems such as the Washington, D.C. Public Schools, are hardly manageable because of the dearth of proper parenting in the homes of the typical students. The reason I say this is that the dismal learning atmospheres in the DC public high schools are hardly comparable to that of the private and parochial high schools within the same area, which work with much lower budgets and resources. Interesting it is that when parents enthusiastically pay-out for tuition, books, uniforms, and incidentals for their children, associated with an academic year at, for example, a Catholic school, they usually are very concerned, and involved in their students' education. Also quite interesting is the fact that, in 98% of the private and parochial schools, discipline is solidly within the purview and discretion of the classroom teacher.

In Northern Virginia's Fairfax County, the current pride of the Fairfax County Schools is Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. More than 2,500 applicants applied for 485 seats in the Thomas Jefferson freshman class. Resultantly, Asian American students got 219, or 45 percent of the total, while white students got 205, or 42 percent. Meanwhile, the incoming freshman class will have 10 Hispanic and nine black students. Those low numbers come as the Fairfax County School Board prepares to review T.J.'s admissions policy this month. What does this essentially mean according the learning formula? A long story short, Asian students generally have parents who are integrally involved with their children's achievement in the public schools. Most Asian students are focused on learning and high achievement, not merely passing grades. Thomas Jefferson High School, consequently, has a standard classroom learning environment comparable to that of the best private school in the nation, which, with the best teachers, best classroom technology, and best labs, produces a substantial quantity of learning. You might say that the average student at Thomas Jefferson is prepared every school-day morning to attend her classes and learn. The main reason that the DC Schools are in such turmoil is, sadly, the absence of that basic level of preparedness essential to all effective learning.

If DC Mayor Adrian Fenty expects Chancellor Michelle Rhee to make a difference in the overall learning output of the DC Public Schools, he should immediately establish a mandate for Rhee to set severe penalties for the parents of DC students who refuse to establish home environments conducive to learning. What would this comprise? In the same manner that parents of recalcitrant juvenile offenders have, in some states, been held financially and criminally liable for the malicious actions of their sons and daughters, parents who do nothing to encourage their children to learn in the classroom should be, either, fined or jailed. Millions of dollars are paid-out every year to finance free public education for every normal school-age youth in the nation. When this teaching effort is intentionally thwarted by uncaring parents, there is a gross waste of money and resources that should be addressed under law. Moreover, when a parent is ethically forced, because of poor learning environment, to remove her child from a public school, in order to, either, home school or enroll the student in a private or parochial school, something is drastically wrong with the system, which should be promptly rectified.

What greater natural resource is there than the children of the American republic? And like every other natural resource with which hedonistic American ingenuity has dealt, our children are being regarded as expendable. I would rather call it stupidity than ingenuity, because the average U.S citizen would do anything to make a profit in dollars and cents. The inane evisceration of North American ecology, the extinction of over 125 species of animal life worldwide, and the tragic destruction of the earth's atmosphere are examples of the careless regard that Americans have demonstrated for precious natural resources. When dealing with the future of our planet, some man or women, now a boy or girl in the public schools, might eventually discover the esoteric key to environmental stability. Nonetheless, the current chaotic state of things is filled with amorphous generalities, of if's and but's flying about in random patterns, signifying absolutely nothing. To sum it up sardonically, James Clavell supposedly quiped, "If if's and but's were beer and nuts, we'd have a hell of a party."

Student learning communities are same as regular classes, but they are groups of different classes connected throughout the academic term. You might be unaware of this new form of learning, so here is a piece of information on what exactly are these student-learning communities.

Student learning communities enroll common cohort of individuals. In such classes, you have the option of learning different subjects under one roof. Thus, the syllabus of the learning communities is not restricted.

These learning communities are of three types student cohorts, linked courses and coordinated study.

Student cohorts consist of small group of students participating in large classes. This type of learning is effective, because a teacher may coordinate with students located in different parts of the state using web conference facility. This type of student learning community also helps to build intellectual connection as well as community building.

In linked course, you may enroll yourself in two to three classes, connected in a thematic manner. It means that this class consists of students, who study the same core subjects. The faculty formulates the course contest and arranges the same program entirely, which makes this course different from others.

In case of coordinated study, learning communities involve courses taught by faculty members. The study program has defined subjects, which teachers need to follow and teach it to their students.

Next, living learning student communities are another type, wherein students have to enroll and reside in residence halls provided by the institutions. Most higher education colleges use this structure of learning. In this type, students and teachers reside in same location within the institution. In some communities, upper class peers teach the lower class students.

Importance of Student Learning Communities:

Student learning communities have increased the retention rate of students, enhanced their academic achievements, amplified student involvements as well as intellectual development and students complete their degrees on time.

You can opt for any of such communities, because after enrolling in them, students become mature intellectually. In this type of learning, faculty members continually revise the syllabus, so that students get to study the new content that has value in present days. Faculty members act like mentors and help students with their studies related problems during the tutorial

Such programs inhibit skills such as liking for reading, writing as well as speaking in students, so that they not only become excellent academically, but also excel in other areas. Thus, the syllabus has a proper amalgam of general curriculum as well as real life teachings.

Overview:

Student learning communities also address several societal issues such as increasing the fragmentation of studies. They also take efforts to decrease the hostility of students towards participation in other college events.

In learning communities, emphasis is on collaboration, experiential learning as well as interpersonal dialogue. It allows the students to relate college learning, while dealing with personal as well as global questions.

Finally, learning communities strengthen the partnership between academic affairs and students. These programs are low cost and you can benefit highly from them. All that you need to do is locate an institution, which implements study structure of learning communities.

Given its importance in infrastructure and manufacturing-worldwide demand for it keeps increasing-steel is a crucial part of everyday life. (For example: A given car will be sixty-six percent steel. The industry itself, as well as the scrap-metal recycling industry it in turn gives rise to, is a major employer, and one of the engines of economic development the world over. It accounts for up to sixty-five percent of the typical household appliance.) Yet many don't realize that there are, in fact, several kinds of steel, each having its own particular molecular arrangements-and hence its own particular qualities and strengths.

Steel has been made for at least three thousand years-bits of it dating from 1400 BCE, or thereabouts, have been found in East African sites. Chemically speaking, it's an alloy-a material made up from two or more elements (materials made up of only one kind of atom), one of which elements has to be, in this case, iron. The temperatures needed to actuate the steel making process are pretty high-in excess of 1370 degrees Celsius-but methods for reaching these temperatures have existed for, it seems, more than six thousand years. What makes steelmaking a more subtle art is the fact that the processes by which it's manufactured have an influence over which elements mix-and to what degree-with steel as it's being made, and the smallest changes in manufacturing method can thus lead to a steel with a very different molecular shape-and very different physical properties-than others.

Today, steel may be made via a process called oxygen steelmaking. It involves molten iron being poured into a heatproofed container called a ladle, then dumped into a furnace, in which a precise ratio of old scrap steel is already inserted (to maintain certain chemical balances that catalyze the reactions desired). Nearly-pure oxygen is blown into the steel and iron, which (a) raises the temperature inside the furnace, (b) burns away the carbon and (c) purifies the steel. (Earlier methods used air rather than pure oxygen, but this didn't allow for the same precision-air is, after all, a compound, in which elements like nitrogen mix with oxygen.) Other chemical cleaning agents are introduced later to create slag, a material that forms on the surface of the molten steel to absorb chemical impurities. Slag is good-it drains impurities from the rest of the steel.

At this point the furnace may be emptied (tapped) into a giant ladle, where it is further refined-and this is where the different varieties of steel may be produced. Here it is alloyed-mixed-with other materials, each of which creates a different molecular arrangement with the steel and, thus, creates different properties in the steel itself.

Most modern steel tends to be carbon steel, made wholly from iron and carbon. Once in a while, though, to create a somewhat stronger steel, manganese (or other elements) may be added. This kind of steel-high strength low alloy steel-is more expensive but, as stated, stronger. Stainless steel-named not because it is stainless but because it stains less than other sorts of steel-is created by introducing chromium and sometimes a bit of nickel. (Officially, this corrosion-resistant metal must be made of at least eleven-and-a-half-percent chromium.)

Or let's say a steel tool that is heat-resistant is needed-even to temperatures beyond those at which steel typically melts. For that, steel leavened with cobalt or tungsten may be necessary, which creates a tough steel called tool steel. The implements in a basement workshop are most likely made from tool steel; it's often used in drills, axes, and anything else that needs a cutting edge that won't dull.

There are many other ways to alloy steel-these are just some of the more common. In any case, steel isn't the name for just one kind of thing-it's an umbrella term for many kinds of iron-based alloys that see every imaginable kind of use.

Anyone wishing to begin a career as a medical transcriptionist should attend one of the accredited medical transcription schools. The Approval Committee for Certificate Programs (ACCP) is a joint program of the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) to accredit these type of schools. The AHDI website contains a list of accredited schools, which is updated quarterly.

At present, the accredited schools include A&H Training Corporation, The Andrews School, CanScribe Career Centre, Career Step, Central Texas College, Everett Community College, Exact-Med/United Tribes Transcription Training, Lakeshore Technical College, Medical Transcription Education Center, Inc., MSU-Bottineau, Richmond Community College, Seminole Community College, and TRS Institute.

These schools all follow the ADHI's Model Curriculum and produce competent entry level transcriptionists. These programs are consistent in producing good results, so it would be best to attend one of these schools rather than one of the many other programs available around the country.

One great thing about the accredited schools is that they all offer an online option. By following an online or distance education program from one of these accredited schools anyone can get their medical transcriptionist training from home on their own time. People can study at one of the accredited medical transcription schools while working at their full time jobs, and many of the programs have rolling admissions and allow you to start when you are ready rather than waiting until the beginning of a semester.

Once a student has finished his or her education at one of the approved schools, they can start work as a medical transcriptionist. Many of the schools help to place their students upon completion of their program. There are a lot of job opportunities to work from home, as well as those working in offices.

After completing a program of study, you can take an AHDI exam to become a registered medical transcriptionist, and after gaining two years of work experience, you'll be eligible to take the certification exam of the AHDI.

If a person has a CCNA certification, it means that he has the necessary skills that networking professionals use in installing, configuring, and troubleshooting routed and switched computer networks and systems. They are also capable of implementing and managing connections to remote sites using the WAN. Moreover, they are equipped with basic knowledge on network security issues, wireless computer networking, and other performance-based computer skills.

What is a CCNA certification?

CCNA stands for the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification. It is the entry-level certification of Cisco. Such is a pre-requisite for the other higher levels of Cisco certifications.

Basically the CCNA certification is the first step towards the series of Cisco IT certifications. It is best suited for IT help desk engineers, field technicians, computer networkers, and other IT professionals involved in managing the processes of computer networks.

What is the next step after getting a CCNA certification?

After an IT professional has gained the CCNA certification, he can then move forward and acquire the other Cisco Certifications. These include the CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) certification which is designed for network administrators and network technicians; and CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) certification which is tailor made for senior network administrators and high level positions.

What are the topics that are included in the CCNA certification exam?

An individual aspiring for a CCNA certification should be knowledgeable with the basic history of networking. He should also be able to identify and utilize the OSI reference model and the basic principles used in network designs. Also, he should be able to construct and design both local-area networks (LANs) and wide-area networks (WANs). Knowledge on Ethernet and VLANs is also necessary as well as skills in IP addressing, and knowledge on TCP/IP protocols (ARP, RARP, BOOTP, and ICMP).

Moreover, the aspiring candidate should be proficient with routers and routing protocols, bridges, and switches. He should also be an expert with the Cisco IOS (Internetwork Operating System) and lastly, he should have prime knowledge on computer network management and security.

What other things should an aspiring CCNA know?

There are no pre-requisite tests for getting CCNA. Generally, the exam for the CCNA certification will last for two hours as it is only comprised of seventy eight questions.

In order to pass the exam, the aspiring candidate should be able to answer at least sixty three questions correctly. Also, before any individual can take the certification exam, he is required to pay an average of a hundred dollars as exam fee. Once the aspiring candidate pass, the results will be valid for three years. However, an official recertification exam should be taken at the end of the validity period.

How can one be prepared for a CCNA certification exam?

The aspiring individual should be able to get hands-on experience with computer systems, as well as formal IT trainings. In addition to that, an individual can opt to find an official Cisco Learning Partner. Such organizations will offer aspiring candidates with "live" preparation courses and materials.

If an IT professional cannot avail of actual training courses, he can study for the CCNA certification exam using books and online sources. Aside from step-by-step tutorials and lectures, an aspiring candidate can access comprehensive practice exams for the CCNA certification. In doing so, he can assess his present knowledge and capability to be CCNA certified.

"I'll tell you exactly what they need... a bloody good clip round the ear!"

This was the response of a taxi driver recently when I told him I was on my way to a school to discuss how to improve pupil behaviour. It is a popular view.

Every school staffroom around the world is filled with different opinions on how the issue of bad behaviour should be tackled but an alarming number of teachers feel the answer lies in adopting a punitive stance.

The infliction of physical pain as a deterrent to unwanted behaviour was abolished in schools around 50 years ago which has left many teachers practically powerless when dealing with challenging pupils purely and simply because they still rely on a reactive, punitive approach.

"We can't cane them so what can we do?"...is the cry of many frustrated teachers. An interesting point is that some teachers wouldn't need to cane them even if it was still allowed.

One definition of insanity is 'doing the same thing day after day and expecting a different result' and there are some teachers who shout at, threaten, belittle, embarrass and unfairly punish difficult pupils whilst holding on to the deluded thought that more of the same will eventually bring about a positive change.

I can see four main drawbacks with the hostile/punitive approach:

Firstly it relies on a 'punisher' being present and therefore doesn't promote self-monitoring - responsibility is taken away from the pupil. A focus on 'controlling' pupils through punishment will breed, at best, reluctant compliance.

Anyone can 'make' a child behave - with a harsh enough punishment - but this form of control doesn't promote or teach good behaviour; it merely says 'don't do that!' and does nothing to clarify the how and why of appropriate action. In these days of ineffective parenting, hedonistic attitudes and a media obsessed with smut and violence many young people simply haven't been shown 'how' to behave appropriately and have no self-motivation to do so. If we want behaviour to improve we need to develop responsibility in our young; external control through punishment (and rewards for that matter) simply takes it away from them.

Secondly it only produces a temporary reduction in the unacceptable behaviour. Once the punishment has stopped the behaviour often resumes... leading to an increasingly frustrated member of staff . Logic dictates that with a punitive/hostile approach, if a mild punishment doesn't work, the level of punishment must be increased until it has the desired effect. It begs the question: "Where on earth do we draw the line?"

Thirdly it damages the all-important teacher/pupil relationship. Those who adopt the punitive/hostile approach when dealing with pupils tend to see relationships as a waste of valuable time and aren't concerned about the feelings of the pupils they teach. It's ironic that these teachers are often the ones who complain most about standards of behaviour in school.

On the other hand, teachers who choose to see 'problem' pupils as 'pupils with problems' and reach out with offers of support, assistance, trust and respect generally have the most success in terms of preventing and dealing with incidents of bad behaviour. Those who see positive relationships as an essential part of teaching can often perform miracles with the most challenging pupils - without need for punishments, without complicated and intricate reward systems and no matter how disorganized, unstructured or incomplete the school's policy is for managing behaviour.

Finally, and perhaps most worryingly from the point of view of a teacher, excessive punishment increases fear, distrust and resentment among pupils... sometimes even the desire to take revenge.

While it's true that punishments can make compliant, normally well-behaved children follow rules, they can cause strong-willed non-compliant children to rebel. A simple way of looking at it is that punishments only tend to work with those children who already behave but don't work on those who need to learn to behave. I received my fair share of canings, whippings and slaps as a youngster - both in and out of school - and can say hand on heart that it didn't make me behave better. It simply made me more adept at not getting caught and sowed the seeds of revenge and disgust towards those who tried to control me.

What is the answer? Ok, so punishments aren't the answer. What is? Surely I'm not suggesting we let them off whenever they do something wrong?

No. I'm suggesting two very rational alternatives.

First - focus on preventing behaviour problems from arising in the first place. Second - 'teach' kids to behave responsibly through consistent boundaries and fair, sensible consequences. Like I said, this isn't rocket science.

Preventing problems comes naturally to committed teachers. From a positive attitude that sees problems as learning opportunities they continually strive to help challenging pupils. They set up a consistent framework of rules and routines to automate their classrooms and provide necessary boundaries. They then focus on meeting pupil needs through clear communication, positive relationships, encouragement, recognition and highly engaging activities, whilst operating as role models for the behaviour they expect. When these factors are in place, problems are kept to a minimum. The needs-focused approach at www.behaviourneeds.com goes into this in more detail but the bottom line is this... when needs are being met there are fewer reasons to misbehave.

Regardless of how much we focus on prevention we are undoubtedly going to experience problems in class and that's where consequences come in. Consequences turn problems into learning opportunities.

Consequences are a respectful, fair, democratic response to misbehaviour. Unlike punishments they don't ridicule, they don't embarrass, they don't humiliate and they aren't unfair. Kids are quick to notice unfair and unwarranted punishments metered out by angry teachers and just as quick to voice their opinion in response to this. The teacher who goes over the top in terms of punishment or embarrassment given to a single pupil can find the whole class turning against them. And that can suddenly make a relatively small problem about 35 times bigger. Consequences are different because they focus on the behaviour being displayed, not on the child. All too often teachers slip into labeling young people because of their behaviour and this has the effect of making punishments seem like personal attacks.

Above all consequences teach responsibility and accountability - they teach the behaviour we want to see. It's often said that life is the greatest teacher and sensible, well-thought-out consequences help young people learn from their own mistakes.

Consequences generally involve temporary removal or limited access to whatever was causing the problem and thereby teach that correct behaviour leads to a more desirable outcome. Here is a selection of consequences, together with an example of a punitive alternative.

If they misuse or break equipment: take it away from them for a short while:

- "Stop swinging on your chair. If you do it again I'll take your chair away and you can sit on the floor/stand for ten minutes."
- "You know you're not supposed to wear a hat in school. Put it in your bag or it goes in my bag until the end of school."

- "Put your headphones away or I will keep them in my locker until the end of the day."

Punitive:
- "Right that's it! I've told you about headphones in class. I'm taking those and you can get them back when I'm ready!"
- "You've lost those now until the end of term!"
- "Get that hat off now you look ridiculous and it's against school rules! Go and stand outside the staffroom until I'm ready to come and get you!"

If they are late or are costing you time: take away some of their time:
- "Vicky you are 3 minutes late for the lesson. You will be leaving 3 minutes after everyone else."
- "Simon you've wasted 5 minutes of lesson time. You will return at the start of break time to do five minutes work."

Punitive:
- "I'm sick of you wasting my time! See how you like it - you've got detention every lunch time this week!"

If they abuse privileges, remove the privilege for a while.
- "You girls were allowed to sit in the canteen area at break time with the agreement that you wouldn't fool around. You've lost that privilege for 1 week."

Punitive:
- "I trusted you to behave and you've shown that you can't. You can no longer stay in during break!"

If they display inappropriate behaviour, have them practice behaving appropriately:
- "Daniel you were told not to run in the corridor. You will spend break time practicing walking instead of running."
- "All five of you have taken far too long to line up quietly. Come to my room at the start of break and we'll spend ten minutes practicing."

Punitive:
- "Don't run! I said DON"T RUN! Right, you've got yourself two detentions - one for running and one for ignoring me!"

If they disrupt activities, separate them from the activity temporarily.
- "You've shown me that you can't work sensibly as part of your group. You can sit next to me and work on your own for the next ten minutes. When you've managed to do that I'll let you return to the group."

Punitive:
- "Get OUT!"

Teachers are educated people and yet many don't seem to be able to grasp this - the more you make life uncomfortable for pupils and the more you rely on punitive measures, the worse they will treat you and the harder your job will become. Bottom line: If you want an easier life in the classroom, ditch the punitive/hostile approach.

The study of animals takes place throughout the elementary years. Imagine the enthusiasm in children if learning about animals included using their favorite toys?

Within the world of Webkinz, there are animals of all sorts; dogs, cats, farm animals, wild animals, reptiles, birds, etc.

Thinking about the types of content expectations that range through the grade levels there are easy applications for hands-on and multidisciplinary learning with the Webkinz pets. Whether you are studying habitats, predators, types of animal coverings, or food chains I can show you how to harness the enthusiasm kids have for the Webkinz pets to increase the learning in your classroom.

Let's start by thinking of simple sorting exercises. There are an endless number of ways to categorize the Webkinz pets. This may depend upon which animals the children bring with them to share in this activity! But, since most children I talk to have more than twenty pets, I bet you could gather an extensive set of animals to work with in your classroom without investing in them yourself. Note: Before having children bring their pets to school, be sure that each pet is labeled with the owner's initials and all secret code documents removed.

Use hula hoops on the floor to compare the animals. The hula hoops simulate the circles of the Venn Diagram. You might use two hoops or three depending upon what characteristics you are comparing. For comparing more than three characteristics you might use meter sticks to make columns for animals instead. Some suggested classifications for sorting include: omnivore, herbivore, carnivore; color; jungle, forest, farm, or house; mammal, reptile, bird, amphibian; feathers, scales, skin, or hair; legs or wings; how many legs; pet or not pet; long hair, short hair, no hair.

During or after classifying the animals on the floor students can transfer the information onto charts or venn diagrams.

How about building a food chain or food web by laying the animals out on the floor. After creating the web it can be transferred to paper or computer (especially with a mapping software such as Inspiration or Kidspiration).

Other animal study ideas include choosing a Webkinz pet and making a brochure that is about that real animal. A tri-fold brochure could include five sections about the animal in real life. Then one segment could be about the child's Webkinz pet. This could include a digital photo.

A writing activity could include the topic, "Make Me Love Your Pet" and the child uses descriptive writing to captivate an audience with the antics of his or her pet. Or, with a photo of the pet on top, children could write Missing Pet advertisements, acrostic poems, or animal adventure tales.

These are just a couple of activities that can make learning exciting within your classroom by using the enthusiasm kids have for their toys and turning toys into learning tools.

Kathy Cothran is an elementary media specialist committed to helping teachers turn toys into learning tools. Her vast teaching experience ranges from preschool through Master's level education classes.