Go Green for Preschool: Using Recyclables to Teach Your Child
Under your supervision, your child's booster seat at the kitchen table can be transformed temporarily into a "school desk", on which fun, homemade manipulatives can be sorted and formed into letters and numbers. If you cringe at the mentioned of the word "homemade" and think only the "Martha Stewarts" of the world can handle that-be assured-my suggestions are easy with a capital "E".
"Recycling" Creativity
Recyclable items are everywhere in your home, look around at what you routinely recycle or throw out. Toilet paper rolls can be collected and turned into puppets. If you are not the artistic type, don't fret-a quick marker-drawn face on one end of a toilet paper roll and instantly you have a Superhero! Kids love to pretend, so with just some encouragement from you, and that "artistic handicap" of yours will help them exercise their imaginations. Have your little ones insert their fingers in the center-and your puppet comes alive for the cost of the ink! Gather your recyclables and do a little brainstorming!
Gather Up Collections of "Stuff"
I collected lids from milk and juice bottles, disinfected them, and tossed them aside in a plastic container on my counter. Within a few weeks, I had an interesting collection that were great for learning patterns, an important pre-reading and pre-math skill. Look for plain-colored plastic lids vs. the ones with writing on them. Collect ones that match in size and color, and also collect a variety of sizes for sorting. Add a few plastic bowls and you can play endless sorting games! "Going Green" never was such fun!
Look At "Junk" Differently
Ideas will abound when you check-out your recycling bins. Margarine tubs with lids can be slit at the top, and "Presto" you have a cash register for playing money games. Egg cartons can be transformed into boxes for you child's collections. Newspaper taped together can be morphed into large sheets of drawing paper. Kids love to color to "themselves" after having their whole bodies outlined with fat markers on a large sheet of paper.
Old magazines can be treasure troves for photographs to decorate your creations. We glued magazine, cut-out photos to paper plates, tied them together on one side with yarn and made instant "books". This is a fun way to allow your child to practice her "writing" skills. I still have a motorcycle-themed book in my son's keepsake box! Include your child in this discovery process. You can ask him, "How can we use these plastic lids for school?" You will be amazed at the suggestions you will get!
Explore New Ideas For Old Items
Once you start on the adventure of making your own preschool supplies you will never look at a box the same way again! Shoeboxes can be transformed into panoramas with glued-in miniature toys and crayon-colored backgrounds. Appliance boxes decorated by your preschool artist and with windows cut-out (by an adult); can become a cozy "Reading Room". Just add a light source through the "ceiling" and throw some pillows inside.
Cereal boxes can yield a harvest of colorful, cut-out letters. Cover them with clear contact paper and they last forever! Busy, little fingers love to sort them. Empty shoe boxes decorated with construction paper, convert into light-weight building blocks. Your child's architectural designs with be limitless and environmental-friendly!
Brainstorm Around The House
Look around your home for inexpensive items that you normally stock. Dried beans and spray-painted pasta make excellent finger-friendly counters. I found numerous uses for bulk-bought plastic straws and coffee stirrers. We bound them together to show One-Tens-and-Hundreds. We formed letters with them on the floor. We used them as puppet arms.
Multi-shaped pasta and Fruit Loops can be used to make patterned necklaces. Tape one end of a length of yarn to a table top and let little fingers do the threading. Remove and tie in a bow and let the Artist wear her masterpiece. Paper plates can be transformed magically into masks. Coffee filters are great for mini-drawing paper, puppet hair, and mini-Art frames. Your house is full of preschool curriculum!
Keep you eyes open and let your imagination run wild! Cookie sheets can double as a surface for magnetic letters or a base for messy projects. Bowls, pans, and lids can be musical instruments, just add a plastic serving spoon and a child's energy! It might be noisy, but it is unbeatable (excuse the pun) as an introduction to rhythm for little ones. Drums made from round oatmeal boxes decorated with construction paper are easy to make. Paper towel rolls, with wax paper and a rubber band on one end, can be turned instantly into a kazoo! You and your child can make music with things that you already have in your house.
Handmade vs. Manufactured
Contrary to what you think "expensive and factory-made", does not equal "educationally-successful", or for that matter, "memorable". My oldest daughter, who recently graduated with honors from a local public high school, still talks with fondness of the homemade school supplies we used in her preschool years. She recently paid me the greatest compliment by saying she wanted to teach her kids in the exact same way that I taught her.
I'm not saying throw out every whirling, buzzing, manufactured gizmo that overflows from you child's bedroom, but I am encouraging you to move toward the fun and simplicity of homemade toys and games. You will never regret it! It's Green and it's cheap--good for the environment and your bank account!
About the Author
Pamela Palmer is the founder and writer of Natural Cleaning Product Reviews at http://www.greenkeen.blogspot.com . Pam is also a contributing “Green” writer for the ezine, Suite 101, http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/pamelapalmer .
She has written for Clay Times Magazine, a ceramics magazine for artists, teachers, and students and other print publications, as well. She resides in Western Maryland, near the mountains and enjoys writing poetry from the porch of her almost one-hundred-year-old house. She is the wife of a very patient man for the last 21 years and is Mom to two energetic teens, a goofy dog and a street-smart cat. Visit her poetry blog http://www.goldapples.wordpress.com when you get the chance.
COA Preschool Program Offers Specialized Programming
Breaking the Technology Barrier: Using Technology in Education
Running Head: Breaking the Technology Barrier
Breaking the Technology Barrier: Using Technology in Education
Patrick Wellert
ETC 558
Northern Arizona University
Abstract
It has long been difficult for teachers to effectively communicate the objectives and goals in a fun and exciting way that reaches the students. In the changing times teachers need to find ways to include students into the lesson using the technology made available to them. It has long been believed that teachers need to get over their fear and use technology openly with students in order to meet their educational needs. By including students into the lessons teachers will experience a more positive classroom experience.
Breaking the Technology Barrier: Using Technology in Education
Technology and education have always seemed to go together. In order to prepare students for the workplace or college they need to be able to be exposed to it. Teachers in the classroom use technology believing that the students are gaining valuable information and retaining the concepts taught but in reality the students need to be involved in the lesson and actively participating in activities that include technology. Student engagement is critical to student motivation during the learning process. The more students are motivated to learn, the more likely it is that they will be successful in their efforts. (Beeland, 2002).
Uses of Technology
There are numerous uses of technologies that are available to teachers to include students into the classroom’s lesson. These include Interactive Whiteboards, Proximas, PowerPoint games, interactive DVDs, Ventrilo chat software, Myspace, Blackboard, and scavenger hunts. To put the uses of technology into an effective practice, teachers need to help students set achievable goals; encourage students to assess themselves and their peers; help them to work co-operatively in groups and ensure that they know how to exploit all the available resources for learning (Hall, 2006). The following are how some technology is used to help students learn.
Interactive Whiteboards
There are two different types of whiteboards. The first is a virtual version of a dry erase board. It allows students to see what the instructor or other students write or draw using a special pen. The second functions similar to a normal whiteboard but also contains a projector screen, an electronic copy board or as a computer projector screen on which the computer image can be controlled by touching or writing on the surface of the panel instead of using a mouse or keyboard. They function by connecting a projector to the whiteboard panel with the use of a computer and software. It is important to know the different functions in order to determine which whiteboard is right for the educator. By knowing the difference you can also learn the terminology and understand the basic functions of each.
Proximas and PowerPoint
PowerPoint is a software program that is being used in the classroom as a tool to incorporate learning activities into the curriculum. PowerPoint enables teachers and students to actively create presentations with graphics, charts, diagrams, and pictures in their slideshows to help make often complicated ideas and lessons more manageable and understandable. It is a way for students to engage in research, and present information to their peers. When students are actively learning, taking an active role in the learning process, they seem to understand the information better, and enjoy the lesson. The use of a game also allowed Jones and Mungai to directly address the learning style needs of the visual (58%) and tactile learner (22%), which represents eighty-percent of those involved in the content related courses. When constructed with different learning styles in mind, games can often accelerate the learning process (Jones & Mungai, 2003). By itself PowerPoint is not a cure-all remedy, but rather a tool that needs to be understood and used properly for it to be effective as an active learning tool. It also has shown that students that did use PowerPoint as a learning tool were more engaged in the discussions (Rowcliffe, 2003). This will encourage teachers to use PowerPoint as a way to involve students into a lesson by stimulating discussion. For PowerPoint to take place in a classroom an Interactive Whiteboard or a Proxima is needed. A Proxima displays a computer screen onto a screen much like a projector at a movie theater. The user is able to display items such as websites, PowerPoint, and interactive games. A way for students to interact using this technology is through games created by teachers and used in the PowerPoint lesson. Games such as Hollywood Squares, Jeopardy, and Who Wants to be a Millionaire are created using slides and links to answer the questions. Teachers may use a blank template and fill them with different answers for the students to use as a review. Teachers may even let the students create their own review using the blank templates. This activity can also be used in a small group or team setting.
Advantages to the Students
Learning sciences research tells us that students learn much better “by doing” rather than “by listening.” This means that passive learning – the traditional lecture – is being replaced in our classrooms by more active learning activities that emphasize student problem solving, discussion, presentation and other “authentic” learning-by-doing-activities. (Day, 2004). By including students into the lesson it opens up a realm of possibilities because students can retain roughly only 10% of what they write down.
Teacher Apprehension
So why are teachers not using technology that engages and interacts more frequently with students? There are many reasons why teachers feel apprehensive or uncomfortable using an interactive whiteboard, proxima and PowerPoint. The first of which could be the length of time from their college prep program until now. Teachers often get exposed to and learn new technologies in their teacher prep courses. Some might not have been prepared enough upon entering the workforce. Although the availability of technology in American schools has increased (US Department of Education, 2000), information released by The National Education Association (2004) indicates that less than 35% of public school teachers feel they are "well prepared" or "very well prepared" to use this technology effectively.
The second reason is blockage from the school’s control or security system. Teachers claim that the firewalls and filtering systems create blockage in their attempts to educate and communicate with others with technology (Murray, 2004). The teachers and other users can become frustrated when they do not understand why a certain item like a website used for a scavenger hunt or a hyperlink in a PowerPoint are not available.
The inconsistency from school to school is another reason. At one site there may be access to all different types of technology while at another the absence is very evident. The general public perception is that our schools are using technology and managing our resources in that area well. In several surveys done some schools do show nearly 100 percent use of technology while in others the use of technology is nonexistent (Starr, 2003).
Summary
The research has shown that there are proven benefits to using technology in the classroom. The ability to integrate technology into the classroom can add valuable information and ideas to our students.
By facilitating Proximas, PowerPoint, and interactive whiteboards our teachers will be able to reach a broader audience of learners.
References
Beeland, W.D. (2002). Student engagement, visual learning and technology: can interactive
whiteboards help? Retrieved May 31, 2008, from www.apexavsi.com
The empires of the future, said Winston Churchill, are the empires of the mind. He speaks with justice. While in ancient times was the brute force power, a good education is now the most effective weapon in a country. Clearly, there is a greater challenge than ever for teachers to arrive at innovative ways of teaching. One such innovation is the videoconference.
Two sides of the Jury Experts believe that in general no no difference in learning through videoconferencing and traditional learning, which is face to face and from inside a classroom of four walls. Students are exposed to the same amount of knowledge, teachers go through the process of preparing their lessons.
The downside of teaching through videoconferencing, however, is that it is half ripe for abuse. Because teachers do not have to physically interact with their students, there is a greater risk of teaching strategies mediocre and style. The same applies to ineffective learning by students, precisely because the teacher can not physically and immediately assess how white of a student's eyes, for example, or the frequency with which the student had scribbled in his notebook instead of taking notes.
Lessons from a Virtual Classroom In essence, videoconferencing is a good innovation to education, as democratizing access to knowledge. In fact, through videoconferencing, knowledge can be shared anywhere in the world, no matter how inaccessible this place can be.
With the advent of technology in almost every aspect of life, more and more schools are offering online education. The surprising result is that there are also more and more students who have come to accept this mode education. In fact, visionaries predict that sometime in the future, video will become a vital cog in the wheel knowledge. Will be replaced the standard method of face to face teaching. Teachers will be teaching real lessons - from virtual classrooms, in real time.
The secret to become an effective virtual teacher is not in how well they are familiar with video conferencing technology (although this knowledge is an advantage), or rely on how well you enunciate words to overcome certain period of time video-audio. Everything depends on that old standby: the lesson plan.
Writing the Plan Virtual Lesson So how does one become a good online teacher? The secret is not only familiarity with videoconferencing technology, but also continued adherence to a very old and often overlooked artifact of the classroom: lesson plan.
There is a need for teachers to plan their strategy for virtual learning. Thus, to answer the following questions would certainly help:
1. What do you expect students to learn after each lesson? 2. How will you present the issue? 3. 3. What materials are used to support the lesson? Will you use visual aids or audio clips? 4. How long will the lesson?
Videoconferencing in schools today Videoconference as already used by some educators and students, is still in kindergarten, which education is concerned. Over time, however, go to school the same So did other innovations. When this happens, learning through videoconferencing could be not only be be a new experience but a rewarding one that.
All children have an incredible natural ability to learn. Before the age of five a child can easily take in an amazing amount information. Using flash cards is the easiest way to impart a huge amount of knowledge to a young child. If the child is younger than four it will be easier and more effective, before three, it gets even easier, and before two the easiest and most effective of all. The use of flash cards to teach babies is largely attributed to Glenn Doman who popularized this method. Doman’s books are available from Amazon. And there are a lot of proof available that it actually works to make tiny children smarter. Flash cards can be used to teach a baby to read, learn mathematics and gain an encyclopedic knowledge. According to the Doman method;
- The child before five can absorb information at an amazing rate.
- The more knowledge a child absorbs before the age of five, the more he retains.
- The child before five has a large amount of energy dedicated to learning.
- The child before five has a insatiable appetite to learn.
- The child before five can learn to read and wants to learn to read.
- All little children are linguistic geniuses.
Therefore can there be, any doubt that since a child before five can learn an entire language, he can therefore learn as many languages as are presented to him? The answer is an emphatic “No!”
So At What Age Should A Parent Begin The Process Of Learning?
One year of age or younger is the ideal time to begin if you want to expend the least amount of effort in teaching your child using flash cards. You can actually begin the process of teaching your baby right from birth. Although at birth, the skill of recognizing movement and shapes is the starting point, it is actually a program of visual stimulation.
Lets stop and think for a moment. We speak to the baby at birth, this helps the auditory pathway to grow. We can also teach the baby to read and provide the language of mathematics through the eyes, this helps the visual pathway to grow. There are two vital points involved in teaching your child. Your attitude and method, as well as the size and orderliness of the teaching materials.
The Best Time To Teach
The most suitable time is when mother and baby are comfortable, both physically and emotionally. If the baby is uncomfortable, tired or hungry, the teaching process should be delayed or cancelled. Find out what is causing the baby’s discomfort and pacify him before starting.
If it is the mother who is in an irritable mood, it is also not a good time to teach. All mothers and babies have days when things don’t seem right and it is unwise to teach a child anything. It is better to take a long term approach and understand that there will be many days ahead when both mother and child are more relaxed and happy and a lesson plan can therefore go on smoothly and enjoyably. On such days, the least amount of time and effort can be spent learning, on a happy note.
The Best Duration
Lessons should be enjoyable and happy. It should be approached like a game and your cheerful voice should reflect this. However, ensure that the length of time you play the game is very short. At first it will be played three times a day, but each session will involve only a few seconds. The parent should determine the timing to end the learning session and stop before your child wants to stop.
How To Use The Flash Cards
In teaching reading, math or encyclopedic knowledge using flash cards, parents have to recognize that Children love to learn and they do it very quickly. Therefore you must show your material very quickly. We adults do almost everything too slowly for children and this is very evident in the way adults teach little children. Generally we expect a child to sit and stare at his materials, to look as if he is concentrating on them. We expect him look a bit unhappy in order to demonstrate that he is really learning. But children don’t think learning is painful, grown-ups do.
When you show your cards do so as fast as you can. You will become more and more good at it as you do it more often. Keep practicing until you feel comfortable. The materials chosen should be sturdy and carefully designed to be large and clear so that you can show them very quickly and your child will see them easily
How To Teach Reading Using Flash Cards
White hard paper or stiff cardboard is the most ideal material to use to make baby learning flash cards, when teaching a baby to read. Ordinary printing paper may be too flimsy to allow you to switch your flash cards in a fast pace. Remember, it’s all about speed. Write the words using a broad-tipped red felt pen. The letters should be about 3 to 4 inches or 7cm to 10 cm. You can group the cards according to items found in the house like Chair, Table, Fork, Spoon. Or species of animals like mammals, for instance - Lion, Tiger, Monkey or even vehicles, like Aeroplane, Car, Truck etc.
Do not be concerned if the words seem a bit tough for a tiny child to learn. Just go by faith. Use one group of words for 3 days or so, and then replace 1 word a day with another group. Keep your lessons short, maybe 10 words a session, each session 3 times a day. To flash the cards, move the card from the back (nearest to you) to the front (facing your child). As you put the card in front of your baby, say the word out loud with enthusiasm. Write the word in pencil behind the card so you don’t have to turn them to face you to know what word you are flashing to your child. As you move the card to the front to face baby, read what you have written behind the card and say “This word says Tiger”, for instance.
How To Teach Math Using Flash Cards
You must understand the numerals like 1, 2, 3 ….and so on are abstract terms for babies. To teach your child math, you must start with a quantifiable symbol like a dot. You can buy stick-on red dots from the stationery shop. Cut or purchase white index cards 11 inch by 11 inch. To teach numbers, stick 1 red circle dot for the number one, Two dots for the number 2 and so on. Write the numbers on the back of the card so that you know which dot cards you are flashing to your baby. In the same manner as reading, move the cards from the back (nearest to you) to the front (facing baby) and as you do, say “this is one”, “this is two”, etc. You can flash the cards in sequence in the beginning, from 1 to 10 for example, then 10 to 1. You can make as many dot cards as you can. Later on, you can progress to addition or subtraction problems. For instance, to teach a baby 1+2=3, you need a 1-dot card, a 2-dot card and a 3-dot flash cards. As you flash the cards in mathematical sequence, you say “One plus two equals three”.
As a teacher to your baby, you now understand the basic steps in the Reading and Math pathway. The pathway just described is the method to follow and it works. However, it may be worthwhile for you to invest in an affordable baby education software tool that will take away the chore of making cards, for reading and math. Such computer programs can even store the lesson plans, do the calculation and generate the dots on the computer screen for you. You can also give your baby encyclopedic knowledge with the picture files that comes along with it or it can also flash pictures you have taken with your digital camera. The use of technology has certainly helped parents bring out the genius in their children quickly and easily.
About the Author
Elaine Mak is committed to helping parents teach their babies how to read and learn math early. Together with like-minded parents, she has developed an amazing program called the Genius Maker to bring out the best in your child. To find out more about her free and popular ecourse, please visit http://www.TeachMyBaby.com
Church Letter Writing Success Mini Course - Tip 10 of 13
Church Letter Writing Success Mini Course - Tip 10 of 13 It is recommended you use all 13 Tips in your Ezine
Our tenth lesson in "13 Tips For Church Letter Writing Success" will again build off the letter "T" in our Church Letters acrostic.
So far, we have looked at the following: C - Be Clear H - Be Hopeful U - Be Understanding R - Be Responsive C - Be Consistent H - Be Helpful
L - Be "Letter-Ready" E - Be Evangelistic T - Be Tactful
Today, we will take a look at:
T - Be Timely This is similar to a previous point on being "Letter-Ready".
Being timely is knowing when to send a letter or e-mail and then sending it off with a prayer for God's anointing and blessing to be upon the reader as they open it.
In the "Send Out Cards" system (www.churchcards.net), the founder of the system Kody Bateman encourages people to send cards when they are "prompted" within themselves to do this. Well, as Christians, we know that this "prompting" is often the Holy Spirit speaking to us to reach out and minister in some way.
This could be through the sending of a letter, or card, or performing a "random act of kindness" to bless someone in need. Some great ideas for this can be found at www.servantevangelism.com
If you say you are going to send the person a note, or follow up with a phone call, or show up at a certain time, then be a keeper of your word. James 5:13 - "Above all, my brothers, do not swear--not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned."
While ministry leaders are busy, and rightly so, there can be nothing so discouraging for a person to sit and wait for an expected phone call that was promised in service on Sunday!
None of us will ever have the perfect memory, yet we don't want to develop a character trait of forgetfulness that in turn will be seen as a non-caring attitude.
Use reminder tools such as Outlook, or PDA's, or just an old fashioned notebook! (Just don't forget to check your notebook!)
Below is your tenth complimentary letter which you may modify and use in your own church communications.
(Congratulations on New Business)
I’m writing with a glad heart to congratulate you on launching your new business. I can only imagine the excitement you must feel right now over the blessing that God has granted you.
I trust that you are aware of not only the benefits you can reap from opening your own business, but the real possibility for setbacks. Your God-given strength and courage have aided you at each step toward this goal, and they will not abandon you as long as you seek guidance from Jesus Christ. Be mindful of the message Jesus gave us, that he is “the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5) When we trust in and listen to Him, he will do the same and help us to achieve with Him what we could never do alone. A business founded on the values of Jesus can not only be a successful for its proprietor, but also for the entire community.
Your family here at Christian Life Church wants only to see you do well and do God’s work. I encourage you to spread the news of your new endeavor amongst your friends in the church as they might be interested in your services and supporting your business with their patronage. This is a joyous occasion in which we can come together and assist one of our brothers/sisters in a new enterprise.
If there is any advice or guidance that I can provide, please do not hesitate to contact me at my office. I wish the best for you and will keep your success – spiritual and personal – in my prayers. Remember that you are blessed, and that with Jesus Christ in your life there is nothing that you cannot achieve.
Your pastor,
Rev. John Doe
About the Author
Church Letter Writing Success 13 Part Mini Course by
Norman Lawrence of http://www.churchletters.net
Visit the site for nearly 40 Categories with over 450 Letters
written by a Pastor FOR Church and Ministry Leaders.
Islam word has been derived from arabic languge word salam, it meaning is peace ofcourse islam is religion of peace and humanity , which is not only religion of muslim but also religion of the entire universe.Since the early 1980s, commentators have argued that Islam is suffering a crisis of identity, as the crumbling of Islamic civilization in the modern age has left Muslims with a profound sense of alienation and injury. Challenges confronting Muslim nations -- failures of development projects, entrenched authoritarian regimes and the inability to respond effectively to Israeli belligerence -- have induced deep-seated frustration and anger that, in turn, contributed to the rise of fundamentalist movements, or as most commentators have preferred to say, political Islam. But most commentators have been caught off guard by the ferocity of the acts of mass murder recently committed in New York and Washington. The basic cruelty and moral depravity of these attacks came as a shock not only to non-Muslims, but to Muslims as well. The extreme political violence we call terrorism is not a simple aberration unrelated to the political dynamics of a society. Generally, terrorism is the quintessential crime of those who feel powerless seeking to undermine the perceived power of a targeted group. Like many crimes of power, terrorism is also a hate crime, for it relies on a polarized rhetoric of belligerence toward a particular group that is demonized to the point of being denied any moral worth. To recruit and communicate effectively, this rhetoric of belligerence needs to tap into and exploit an already radicalized discourse with the expectation of resonating with the social and political frustrations of a people. If acts of terrorism find little resonance within a society, such acts and their ideological defenders are marginalized. But if these acts do find a degree of resonance, terrorism becomes incrementally more acute and severe, and its ideological justifications become progressively more radical.
To what extent are the September 11 attacks in the US symptomatic of more pervasive ideological undercurrents in the Muslim world today? Obviously, not all social or political frustrations lead to the use of violence. While national liberation movements often resort to violence, the recent attacks are set apart from such movements. The perpetrators did not seem to be acting on behalf of an ethnic group or nation. They presented no specific territorial claims or political agenda, and were not keen to claim responsibility for their acts. One can speculate that the perpetrators' list of grievances included persistent Israeli abuses of Palestinians, near-daily bombings of Iraq and the presence of American troops in the Gulf, but the fact remains that the attacks were not followed by a list of demands or even a set of articulated goals. The attacks exhibit a profound sense of frustration and extreme despair, rather than a struggle to achieve clear-cut objectives. Some commentators have viewed the underpinnings of the recent attacks as part of a "clash of civilizations" between Western values and Islamic culture. According to these commentators, the issue is not religious fundamentalism or political Islam, but an essential conflict between competing visions of morality and ethics. From this perspective, it is hardly surprising that the terrorists do not present concrete demands, do not have specific territorial objectives and do not rush to take responsibility. The September 11 attacks aimed to strike at the symbols of Western civilization, and to challenge its perceived hegemony, in the hope of empowering and reinvigorating Islamic civilization. The "clash of civilizations" approach assumes, in deeply prejudiced fashion, that Puritanism and terrorism are somehow authentic expressions of the predominant values of the Islamic tradition, and hence is a dangerous interpretation of the present moment. But the common responses to this interpretation, focusing on either the crisis of identity or acute social frustration in the Muslim world, do not adequately explain the theological positions adopted by radical Islamist groups, or how extreme violence can be legitimated in the modern age. Further, none of these perspectives engage the classical tradition in Islamic thought regarding the employment of political violence, and how contemporary Muslims reconstruct the classical tradition. How might the classical or contemporary doctrines of Islamic theology contribute to the use of terrorism by modern Islamic movements?
By the eleventh century, Muslim jurists had developed a sophisticated discourse on the proper limits on the conduct of warfare, political violence and terrorism. The Qur'an exhorted Muslims in general terms to perform jihad by waging war against their enemies. The Qur'anic prescriptions simply call upon Muslims to fight in the way of God, establish justice and refrain from exceeding the limits of justice in fighting their enemies. Muslim jurists, reflecting their historical circumstances and context, tended to divide the world into three conceptual categories: the abode of Islam, the abode of war and the abode of peace or non-belligerence. These were not clear or precise categories, but generally they connoted territories belonging to Muslims, territories belonging to enemies and territories considered neutral or non-hostile for one reason or another. But Muslim jurists could not agree on exactly how to define the abode of Muslims versus the abode of others, especially when sectarian divisions within Islam were involved, and when dealing with conquered Muslim territories or territories where sizable Muslim minorities resided. Furthermore, Muslim jurists disagreed on the legal cause for fighting non-Muslims. Some contended that non-Muslims are to be fought because they are infidels, while the majority argued that non-Muslims should be fought only if they pose a danger to Muslims. The majority of early jurists argued that a treaty of non-aggression between Muslims and non-Muslims ought to be limited to a ten-year term. Nonetheless, after the tenth century an increasing number of jurists argued that such treaties could be renewed indefinitely, or be of permanent or indefinite duration. Importantly, Muslim jurists did not focus on the idea of just cause for war. Other than emphasizing that if Muslim territory is attacked, Muslims must fight back, the jurists seemed to relegate the decision to make war or peace to political authorities. There is a considerable body of legal writing prohibiting Muslim rulers from violating treaties, indulging in treachery or attacking an enemy without first giving notice, but the literature on the conditions that warrant a jihad is sparse. It is not that the classical jurists believed that war is always justified or appropriate; rather, they seemed to assume that the decision to wage war is fundamentally political. However, the methods of war were the subject of a substantial jurisprudential discourse. Building upon the proscriptions of the Prophet Muhammad (SWS), Muslim jurists insisted that there are legal restrictions upon the conduct of war. In general, Muslim armies may not kill women, children, seniors, hermits, pacifists, peasants or slaves unless they are combatants. Vegetation and property may not be destroyed, water holes may not be poisoned, and flame-throwers may not be used unless out of necessity, and even then only to a limited extent. Torture, mutilation and murder of hostages were forbidden under all circumstances. Importantly, the classical jurists reached these determinations not simply as a matter of textual interpretation, but as moral or ethical assertions. The classical jurists spoke from the vantage point of a moral civilization, in other words, from a perspective that betrayed a strong sense of confidence in the normative message of Islam. In contrast to their pragmatism regarding whether a war should be waged, the classical jurists accepted the necessity of moral constraints upon the way war is conducted.
Muslim jurists exhibited a remarkable tolerance toward the idea of political rebellion. Because of historical circumstances in the first three centuries of Islam, Muslim jurists, in principle, prohibited rebellions even against unjust rulers. At the same time, they refused to give the government unfettered discretion against rebels. The classical jurists argued that the law of God prohibited the execution of rebels or needless destruction or confiscation of their property. Rebels should not be tortured or even imprisoned if they take an oath promising to abandon their rebellion. Most importantly, according to the majority point of view, rebellion, for a plausible cause, is not a sin or moral infraction, but merely a political wrong because of the chaos and civil strife that result. This approach effectively made political rebellion a civil, and not a religious, infraction. The classical juristic approach to terrorism was quite different. Since the very first century of Islam, Muslims suffered from extremist theologies that not only rejected the political institutions of the Islamic empire, but also refused to concede legitimacy to the juristic class. Although not organized in a church or a single institutional structure, the juristic class in Islam had clear and distinctive insignia of investiture. They attended particular colleges, received training in a particular methodology of juristic inquiry, and developed a specialized technical language, the mastery of which became the gateway to inclusion. Significantly, the juristic class engaged as a rule in discussion and debate. On each point of law, there are ten different opinions and a considerable amount of debate among the various legal schools of thought. Various puritan theological movements in Islamic history resolutely rejected this juristic tradition, which reveled in indeterminacy. The hallmark of these puritan movements was an intolerant theology displaying extreme hostility not only to non-Muslims but also to Muslims who belonged to different schools of thought or even remained neutral. These movements considered opponents and indifferent Muslims to have exited the fold of Islam, and therefore legitimate targets of violence. These groups' preferred methods of violence were stealth attacks and the dissemination of terror in the general population. Muslim jurists reacted sharply to these groups, considering them enemies of humankind. They were designated as muharibs (literally, those who fight society). A muharib was defined as someone who attacks defenseless victims by stealth, and spreads terror in society. They were not to be given quarter or refuge by anyone or at any place. In fact, Muslim jurists argued that any Muslim or non-Muslim territory sheltering such a group is hostile territory that may be attacked by the mainstream Islamic forces. Although the classical jurists agreed on the definition of a muharib, they disagreed about which types of criminal acts should be considered crimes of terror. Many jurists classified rape, armed robbery, assassinations, arson and murder by poisoning as crimes of terror and argued that such crimes must be punished vigorously regardless of the motivations of the criminal. Most importantly, these doctrines were asserted as religious imperatives. Regardless of the desired goals or ideological justifications, the terrorizing of the defenseless was recognized as a moral wrong and an offense against society and God.
It is often stated that terrorism is the weapon of the weak. Notably, classical juristic discourse was developed when Islamic civilization was supreme, and this supremacy was reflected in the benevolent attitude of the juristic class. Pre-modern Muslim juristic discourses navigated a course between principled thinking and real-life pragmatic concerns and demands. Ultimately, these jurists spoke with a sense of urgency, but not desperation. Power and political supremacy were not their sole pursuits. Much has changed in the modern age. Islamic civilization has crumbled, and the traditional institutions that once sustained the juristic discourse have all but vanished. The moral foundations that once mapped out Islamic law and theology have disintegrated, leaving an unsettling vacuum. More to the point, the juristic discourses on tolerance towards rebellion and hostility to the use of terror are no longer part of the normative categories of contemporary Muslims. Contemporary Muslim discourses either give lip service to the classical doctrines without a sense of commitment or ignore and neglect them all together. There are many factors that contributed to this modern reality. Among the pertinent factors is the undeniably traumatic experience of colonialism, which dismantled the traditional institutions of civil society. The emergence of highly centralized, despotic and often corrupt governments, and the nationalization of the institutions of religious learning undermined the mediating role of jurists in Muslim societies. Nearly all charitable religious endowments became state-controlled entities, and Muslim jurists in most Muslim nations became salaried state employees, effectively transforming them into what may be called "court priests." The establishment of the state of Israel, the expulsion of the Palestinians and the persistent military conflicts in which Arab states suffered heavy losses all contributed to a widespread siege mentality and a highly polarized and belligerent political discourse. Perhaps most importantly, Western cultural symbols, modes of production and social values aggressively penetrated the Muslim world, seriously challenging inherited values and practices, and adding to a profound sense of alienation. Two developments became particularly relevant to the withering away of Islamic jurisprudence. Most Muslim nations experienced the wholesale borrowing of civil law concepts. Instead of the dialectical and indeterminate methodology of traditional Islamic jurisprudence, Muslim nations opted for more centralized and often code-based systems of law. Even Muslim modernists who attempted to reform Islamic jurisprudence were heavily influenced by the civil law system, and sought to resist the fluidity of Islamic law and increase its unitary and centralized character. Not only were the concepts of law heavily influenced by the European legal tradition, the ideologies of resistance employed by Muslims were laden with Third World notions of national liberation and self-determination. For instance, modern nationalistic thought exercised a greater influence on the resistance ideologies of Muslim and Arab national liberation movements than anything in the Islamic tradition. The Islamic tradition was reconstructed to fit Third World nationalistic ideologies of anti-colonialism and anti-imperialism rather than the other way around. While national liberation movements -- such as the Palestinian, Kashmiri or Algerian resistance -- resorted to guerrilla or non-conventional warfare, modern day terrorism of the variety promoted by Osama bin Laden is rooted in a different ideological paradigm. There is little doubt that organizations such as the Jihad, al-Qaeda, Hizb al-Tahrir and Jama'at al-Muslimin were influenced by national liberation and anti-colonialist ideologies, but they have anchored themselves in a theology that can be described as puritan, supremacist and thoroughly opportunistic. This theology is the byproduct of the emergence and eventual dominance of Wahhabism, Salafism and apologetic discourses in modern Islam.
The foundations of Wahhabi theology were put in place by the eighteenth-century evangelist Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab in the Arabian Peninsula. With a puritanical zeal, 'Abd al-Wahhab sought to rid Islam of corruptions that he believed had crept into the religion. Wahhabism resisted the indeterminacy of the modern age by escaping to a strict literalism in which the text became the sole source of legitimacy. In this context, Wahhabism exhibited extreme hostility to intellectualism, mysticism and any sectarian divisions within Islam. The Wahhabi creed also considered any form of moral thought that was not entirely dependent on the text as a form of self-idolatry, and treated humanistic fields of knowledge, especially philosophy, as "the sciences of the devil." According to the Wahhabi creed, it was imperative to return to a presumed pristine, simple and straightforward Islam, which could be entirely reclaimed by literal implementation of the commands of the Prophet(PBUH), and by strict adherence to correct ritual practice. Importantly, Wahhabism rejected any attempt to interpret the divine law from a historical, contextual perspective, and treated the vast majority of Islamic history as a corruption of the true and authentic Islam. The classical jurisprudential tradition was considered at best to be mere sophistry. Wahhabism became very intolerant of the long-established Islamic practice of considering a variety of schools of thought to be equally orthodox. Orthodoxy was narrowly defined, and 'Abd al-Wahhab himself was fond of creating long lists of beliefs and acts which he considered hypocritical, the adoption or commission of which immediately rendered a Muslim an unbeliever. In the late eighteenth century, the Al Sa'ud family united with the Wahhabi movement and rebelled against Ottoman rule in Arabia. Egyptian forces quashed this rebellion in 1818. Nevertheless, Wahhabi ideology was resuscitated in the early twentieth century under the leadership of 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Sa'ud who allied himself with the tribes of Najd, in the beginnings of what would become Saudi Arabia. The Wahhabi rebellions of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries were very bloody because the Wahhabis indiscriminately slaughtered and terrorized Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Mainstream jurists writing at the time, such as the Hanafi Ibn 'Abidin and the Maliki al-Sawi, described the Wahhabis as a fanatic fringe group.
Nevertheless, Wahhabism survived and, in fact, thrived in contemporary Islam for several reasons. By treating Muslim Ottoman rule as a foreign occupying power, Wahhabism set a powerful precedent for notions of Arab self-determination and autonomy. In advocating a return to the pristine and pure origins of Islam, Wahhabism rejected the cumulative weight of historical baggage. This idea was intuitively liberating for Muslim reformers since it meant the rebirth of ijtihad, or the return to de novo examination and determination of legal issues unencumbered by the accretions of precedents and inherited doctrines. Most importantly, the discovery and exploitation of oil provided Saudi Arabia with high liquidity. Especially after 1975, with the sharp rise in oil prices, Saudi Arabia aggressively promoted Wahhabi thought around the Muslim world. Even a cursory examination of predominant ideas and practices reveals the widespread influence of Wahhabi thought on the Muslim world today. But Wahhabism did not spread in the modern Muslim world under its own banner. Even the term "Wahhabism" is considered derogatory by its adherents, since Wahhabis prefer to see themselves as the representatives of Islamic orthodoxy. To them, Wahhabism is not a school of thought within Islam, but is Islam. The fact that Wahhabism rejected a label gave it a diffuse quality, making many of its doctrines and methodologies eminently transferable. Wahhabi thought exercised its greatest influence not under its own label, but under the rubric of Salafism. In their literature, Wahhabi clerics have consistently described themselves as Salafis, and not Wahhabis.
Salafism is a creed founded in the late nineteenth century by Muslim reformers such as Muhammad 'Abduh, al-Afghani and Rashid Rida. Salafism appealed to a very basic concept in Islam: Muslims ought to follow the precedent of the Prophet and his companions (al-salaf al-salih). Methodologically, Salafism was nearly identical to Wahhabism except that Wahhabism is far less tolerant of diversity and differences of opinion. The founders of Salafism maintained that on all issues Muslims ought to return to the Qur'an and the sunna (precedent) of the Prophet. In doing so, Muslims ought to reinterpret the original sources in light of modern needs and demands, without being slavishly bound to the interpretations of earlier Muslim generations. As originally conceived, Salafism was not necessarily anti-intellectual, but like Wahhabism, it did tend to be uninterested in history. By emphasizing a presumed golden age in Islam, the adherents of Salafism idealized the time of the Prophet and his companions, and ignored or demonized the balance of Islamic history. By rejecting juristic precedents and undervaluing tradition, Salafism adopted a form of egalitarianism that deconstructed any notions of established authority within Islam. Effectively, anyone was considered qualified to return to the original sources and speak for the divine will. By liberating Muslims from the tradition of the jurists, Salafism contributed to a real vacuum of authority in contemporary Islam. Importantly, Salafism was founded by Muslim nationalists who were eager to read the values of modernism into the original sources of Islam. Hence, Salafism was not necessarily anti-Western. In fact, its founders strove to project contemporary institutions such as democracy, constitutions or socialism into the foundational texts, and to justify the modern nation-state within Islam. The liberal age of Salafism came to an end in the 1960s. After 1975, Wahhabism was able to rid itself of its extreme intolerance, and proceeded to coopt Salafism until the two became practically indistinguishable. Both theologies imagined a golden age within Islam, entailing a belief in a historical utopia that can be reproduced in contemporary Islam. Both remained uninterested in critical historical inquiry and responded to the challenge of modernity by escaping to the secure haven of the text. Both advocated a form of egalitarianism and anti-elitism to the point that they came to consider intellectualism and rational moral insight to be inaccessible and, thus, corruptions of the purity of the Islamic message. Wahhabism and Salafism were beset with contradictions that made them simultaneously idealistic and pragmatic and infested both creeds (especially in the 1980s and 1990s) with a kind of supremacist thinking that prevails until today. The predominant intellectual response to the challenge of modernity in Islam has been apologetics. Apologetics consisted of an effort by a large number of commentators to defend the Islamic system of beliefs from the onslaught of Orientalism, Westernization and modernity by simultaneously emphasizing the compatibility and supremacy of Islam. Apologists responded to the intellectual challenges coming from the West by adopting pietistic fictions about the Islamic traditions. Such fictions eschewed any critical evaluation of Islamic doctrines, and celebrated the presumed perfection of Islam. A common apologist argument was that any meritorious or worthwhile modern institution was first invented by Muslims. According to the apologists, Islam liberated women, created a democracy, endorsed pluralism, protected human rights and guaranteed social security long before these institutions ever existed in the West. These concepts were not asserted out of critical understanding or ideological commitment, but primarily as a means of resisting Western hegemony and affirming self-worth. The main effect of apologetics, however, was to contribute to a sense of intellectual self-sufficiency that often descended into moral arrogance. To the extent that apologetics were habit-forming, it produced a culture that eschewed self-critical and introspective insight, and embraced the projection of blame and a fantasy-like level of confidence. In many ways, the apologetic response was fundamentally centered on power. Its main purpose was not to integrate particular values within Islamic culture, but to empower Islam against its civilizational rival. Muslim apologetics tended to be opportunistic and rather unprincipled, and, in fact, they lent support to the tendency among many intellectuals and activists to give precedence to the logic of pragmatism over any other competing demands. Invoking the logic of necessity or public interest to justify courses of action, at the expense of moral imperatives, became common practice. Effectively, apologists got into the habit of paying homage to the presumed superiority of the Islamic tradition, but marginalized this idealistic image in everyday life. Post-1970s Salafism adopted many of the premises of the apologetic discourse, but it also took these premises to their logical extreme. Instead of simple apologetics, Salafism responded to feelings of powerlessness and defeat with uncompromising and arrogant symbolic displays of power, not only against non-Muslims, but also against Muslim women. Fundamentally, Salafism, which by the 1970s had become a virulent puritan theology, further anchored itself in the confident security of texts. Nonetheless, contrary to the assertions of its proponents, Salafism did not necessarily pursue objective or balanced interpretations of Islamic texts, but primarily projected its own frustrations and aspirations upon the text. Its proponents no longer concerned themselves with coopting or claiming Western institutions as their own, but defined Islam as the exact antithesis of the West, under the guise of reclaiming the true and real Islam. Whatever the West was perceived to be, Islam was understood to be the exact opposite.
Of course, neither Wahhabism nor Salafism is represented by some formal institution. They are theological orientations and not structured schools of thought. Nevertheless, the lapsing and bonding of the theologies of Wahhabism and Salafism produced a contemporary orientation that is anchored in profound feelings of defeat, frustration and alienation, not only from modern institutions of power, but also from the Islamic heritage and tradition. The outcome of the apologist, Wahhabi and Salafi legacies is a supremacist puritanism that compensates for feelings of defeat, disempowerment and alienation with a distinct sense of self-righteous arrogance vis-à-vis the nondescript "other" -- whether the other is the West, non-believers in general or even Muslims of a different sect and Muslim women. In this sense, it is accurate to describe this widespread modern trend as supremacist, for it sees the world from the perspective of stations of merit and extreme polarization. In the wake of the September 11 attacks, several commentators posed the question of whether Islam somehow encourages violence and terrorism. Some commentators argued that the Islamic concept of jihad or the notion of the dar al-harb (the abode of war) is to blame for the contemporary violence. These arguments are anachronistic and Orientalist. They project Western categories and historical experiences upon a situation that is very particular and fairly complex. One can easily locate an ethical discourse within the Islamic tradition that is uncompromisingly hostile to acts of terrorism. One can also locate a discourse that is tolerant toward the other, and mindful of the dignity and worth of all human beings. But one must also come to terms with the fact that supremacist puritanism in contemporary Islam is dismissive of all moral norms or ethical values, regardless of the identity of their origins or foundations. The prime and nearly singular concern is power and its symbols. Somehow, all other values are made subservient. <!-- / message -->
Music classes are a sure way to achieve your child's confidence, concentration and skill mathematics. One of the best ways to start is to play the piano. However, it can be frustrating if your child is not ready. Here are five questions that should be asked before you start piano lessons.
1. How old is your son?
Although not always up to the age of your child as to whether they are ready for piano lessons, most children are at an appropriate age to start piano lessons between the ages of five and seven. There are some children who are ready from just three years, and there are those who must wait until they are eight years.
Even if your child meets all relevant criteria, but remain be young, they can begin piano lessons.
2. How long does your child's attention span?
It is essential that your child has a good capacity care, because you must have the ability to sit and pay attention for about half an hour for the lesson. Apart from this, the child also need to practice for at least 15 minutes every day.
If your child can sit patiently for about 20 minutes and read a book or color, then are more likely to be ready to begin piano lessons. However, if your child can not sit still and pay attention to anything for any length of time, advised to wait a little longer. Once your child is in first grade at school, then they certainly will have a period of time sufficient attention to classes piano.
3. Does your child hear a note at a time on the piano?
Children will more often than not only pounds the piano keys, playing for the first time, or going to play many notes simultaneously. However, as they develop control will be possible for them to play one note at a time.
Is it possible that a child to play one note at a time as they develop the art of writing. However, your child can begin piano lessons if they start to play one note at a time on the piano before have the ability to write.
4. Does your child recognize letters and numbers?
It is essential that your child knows the difference between his left hand and right, the numbers 1 through 5 and the letters A through G before starting piano lessons.
Your child will learn these skills very quickly once attending garden infants. If your child knows the letters and numbers before kindergarten, then you can start with piano lessons.
5. Does your child have an interest in music?
Your child is ready for a more formal musical education, if they are constantly playing the piano, banging pots and pans or dancing to music. Weekly piano lessons should be done, therefore it is essential that the child is interested enough in music to continue with the lessons.
If your child shows an interest in music, but appears ready in every other, then it may be best to wait until are a bit more piano lessons before you start.
Therefore, if the child recognizes letters and numbers and are interested in music, can sit for 30 minutes and lessons is to play individual notes on the piano, then your child is ready to proceed with piano lessons regardless of age.
Most children are ready for piano lessons for their first degree. However, if you think your child is not ready for lessons, for whatever reason, then it is advisable to wait a while longer.
About the Author
Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development.
Kindergarten Prodigy: Piano Lessons for Young Children : Lesson Two: Piano for Prodigies
"what Should I Write About" How to Select Your Topic
"What Should I Write About" How to Select Your Topic
At the beginning of this process, you may feel as if you have entered a strange territory without a map. You need guanidine for choosing your topic if you must select your own or for narrowing a general topic assigned to you. This section shows you how to get ideas for topics and what subjects are best to avoid.
Three Criteria for a Topic
Whether you write a literary, argumentative, position, or description paper, the subject you select must meet three important criteria.
The topic should interest you.
It should be written your abilities.
There should be enough information available on it to complete a paper.
The first criterion is the most important. Something besides fear of failure has to sustain you through all the hours it takes to research, write and revise a report of term paper. Make the paper a process of discovery for yourself, something you want to know or say about a topic. That desire will help to see you through to the end of the project.
The second criterion is also essential. You may be interested in a topic, but not have the background of ability to handle it in a paper. Say, for example, you are interested in the flights or voyagers 1 and 2. You want to do a report on some of the computer programs that send commands to the small spacecrafts. The scientific journals are filled with complex diagrams and explanations, but you find none of it makes any sense to you. You have no background in computer programming and no ability to translate technical information into plain English.
You will either have to find a book or an article that translates the material for you or find another topic—perhaps what voyager 2 revealed about the rings of Uranus or the surprises the spacecraft uncovered as it passed by the outer planets. Although the topic about the computer programs fulfills two of the three criteria—it interests you and there is plenty of information—if it is beyond your abilities, you will not be able to complete a paper successfully.
Finally, make sure enough information is readily available for you to develop your paper. For instance, you may have heard about rock-and-roll bands springing up in Tibet. The subject intrigues you, and you feel you have enough musical background to write about it. But your preliminary research turns up only a half-page article in a weekly news magazine. Obviously, you are not going to be able to build a ten- or fifteen- page report on one short article. A better topic may be the rise of rock bands in China and Japan, a phenomenon covered in the U.S. and international press.
Finding a General Area of Interest
Suppose your must choose the topic of a paper yourself. Although this task might seem somewhat overwhelming at first, it can be broken down into manageable steps. The first step knows where to go for ideas about general of broad subject areas.
There are several major sources for topic ideas; textbooks; reference books that list term paper or report topics; teachers and librarians; your own or your friends' interests and experiences; and on-line databases, Internet, and Web sites. If you must do a term paper for a history course, for example, skim through your history textbook to find a broad subject area that interests you. Perhaps you find the European voyages of discovery appealing. Or your interest may be piqued by the medical practices of the Middle Age or the complex politics of the Balkans in the mid-1990s.
If your textbooks do not provide a topic of interest, investigate the reference section of any bookstore or library. You are likely to find books that list hundred of term paper or report topic under all subject areas—history, literature, art social science, political science, and psychology. One of these topics may appeal to you.
Teachers and librarians are also good sources for ideas. They can help you to pinpoint an area of interest or can suggest topics that you haven't considered. It is a good idea to get to know your reference librarian, and this can be one way to introduce you. Good reference librarians are invaluable guides through the maze of research and reference sources. Their expertise can save you hours of effort.
If none of these sources yields any result, you can fall back on yourself or on your friend. Think about the movies, magazine, books, or activities that interest you: science fiction, sports, the war on drugs, international relations, music, the environment, psychic phenomena.
What would you like to know about these topics? What opinion do you have about them? Do you think drugs should be legalized? Do you feel that the government should do more or less to help protect the environment? In your opinion, have science fiction movies or TV series had any impact on shaping our current world? Should professional athletes be allowed to play in the Olympic Games? Are psychic phenomena real or imaginary?
One of these four sources—textbooks, reference books, teachers and librarians, your own or your friend' interest—will give you a general topic area for your paper.
Subject Areas to Avoid
Part of the process of choosing a topic knows which subjects not to use. In your search for a topic, keep in mind these guidelines for subjects to avoid.
· Subjects that is too recent. If a new law has just been passed, for example, there will not be enough information about its impact to serve as the subject of paper.
· Subjects that istoo sensitive or controversial. Some issues, such as the firing of a popular principal or a recent racial incident in school, are highly emotional and likely to provoke strong reaction on all sides. It is often difficult to find objective information to present a fair treatment of the topic.
· Subjects that ishard to investigate. This can include subjects that are too narrow or specialized to have much information, too technical for your own and the readers' background, or for which information is too difficult to acquire. For example, the information may be in specialized libraries closed to the public, in international institutions, or written in a language you can not read.
· Subject that are distasteful or uninteresting to you. You may be tempted to accept any topic just to have something to write about. However, material that is unappealing to you at the beginning will tend to become more so as you would on it. If you dislike the subject of your paper, it's a good bet your readers won't like the way you write about it. Your own distaste or boredom will come across in your writing.
Remember the three criteria mentioned previously as you search for a usable topic: It must interest you, it must be within your abilities, and there must be enough information readily available on the topic to complete a paper.
The authors wish to thank the wonderful folks for their years of dedication and faith in all our work, and all the successful students who have used our site.
For information about all aspects of paper writing especially essay, term paper, research paper, thesis and dissertation please visit the author’s Web site.
Katharine Hansen
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Beyond Belief 2008 -40- Chris Mooney & Sheril Kirshenbaum 2-3
Sat Under Observation: Test Format, Sat Study Plan, And Strategies
SAT is an interesting and impartial test. Another thing less known about the SAT test is that it does not reflect the sum total of a student's academic skills. Rather, it's a platform that tests students on the basis of their reasoning skills. The SAT score is not the only thing that you need to get admission in a good college- past academics, recommendations and extracurricular activities are also important. However, most reputed institutions consider the SAT scores for admissions.
The SAT test format
There are three main sections in the SAT- Math, Critical Reading and Writing. These sections are further subdivided into eight sections with questions on reading comprehension, grammar, arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. A 25-minute essay is also required to be completed. The essay section appears first on the SAT. Including breaks, the SAT becomes a four hour and ten minute test. It is therefore important to get a good night's sleep on the night before the SAT test day.
SAT Test Preparation
SAT, being a standardized test, requires a systematic study plan. No one book can guarantee you a good SAT score. Therefore, you should familiarize yourself with the test through SAT practice tests. By taking a number of SAT practice tests, you can develop a better idea of the test pattern, difficulty level, and time management. The SAT test is designed keeping in mind an average high school senior. This is the reason why topics such as trigonometry, advanced geometry, calculus and higher level math functions do not appear on the test.
Test preparation should begin with revising the concepts that you would have studied in high school. Next in line are untimed SAT practice tests. Finally, you should start solving timed SAT practice tests. Attempt easy questions first and then move on to difficult questions. If you are stuck with a question, skip it. Move to the next question. Hours of study and solving SAT practice tests could help you develop a winning approach for the SAT test.
Learning Center, Private Tutor or Online Assistance
To choose from these, parental involvement is a must. Let your parents decide whether they can afford the fee structure of these tutoring methods. A learning center, for instance, might charge a few thousand dollars for SAT test preparation. A private tutor, on the other hand, would charge less, but might not be available as per your convenience.
Cost Incurred in case of Learning Center: test prep fee, commuting costs, commuting time
Cost Incurred in case of Private Tutor: Tutoring fee, commuting cost and time (if not a home tutor)
Cost incurred in Online Tutoring: Tutoring fee
Before choosing a SAT test preparation institute or tutor you should look into four things- teaching methodology, syllabus, cost and convenience
Prepping for the SAT calls for a well laid study plan that incorporates all aspects of the SAT- concepts, vocabulary, grammar, elimination, guessing, and reasoning. It is good to start early. Consistent study is crucial to cracking the SAT. Burning the midnight oil is not necessary. Cramming a week before the D-day is not suggested.
About the Author
The Author brings over 6 years of e-learning and online tutoring experience. Having a deep understanding of pedagogy and child psychology, the writer has developed numerous strategies to improve e-learning and online tutoring for Grades K-12 and higher through various techniques that question the conventional ways of instructing.
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