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Posted on February 27, 2012October 13, 2013 by admin

Using Famous Examples in Class

As a teacher moves from a general concept to specific details, it’s always helpful to make use of famous examples. Imagine a Halloween class about vampires. Don’t you think the Twilight series will enliven the atmosphere? If you’re a music teacher, you can talk about the changes in the music scene from Wolfgang Mozart to Elton John to Justin Bieber. If you’re a supply-and-demand teacher, you can bring up famous economists and their outstanding contributions once in a while.

The importance of covering famous people, events and things during classes can be summarized into three aspects.

Inspiration

Teachers can ignite inspiration in the class if they discuss the lives of famous people. The leadership of Martin Luther King can still be taken as an effective example of resolving issues on cultural indifference and violations of human rights. Talking about Steve Jobs and Bill Gates can inspire technology-intelligent kids to develop their computer and Internet interest and skills. Socrates’ way of questioning will remind students that curiosity will lead them to the path of wisdom and knowledge.

Appreciation of History

A chemistry teacher who jumps into discussion of the periodic table without explaining how it was derived is missing a lot. The students, especially those who detest science, won’t cherish the remarkable discovery at all. Narrating how Dimitri Mendeleev developed it would enable them to appreciate its importance in our daily lives. They may not stop grumbling when they try to memorize which elements are considered noble gases, metallic and non-metallic, etc. but at least they would understand its usefulness and they would realize that perhaps no other genius can arrange the elements as orderly as how famous chemists did.

Easier Explanation

When you coach a child to act as a villain for a school play and you find it hard to explain the kind of rage you’d love the scene to have, don’t you think a short description of Joker in Batman would help? When you teach basketball techniques, grabbing a picture of Michael Jordan and explaining how well he can manage the ball during crunch time will let kids visualize a difficult scenario in the court. If you want toddlers to remember the values of friendliness and positivism, show them a video of that eight year old adventurous Latina who always carry a purple backpack. They will certainly remember that helpfulness is all about famous Dora and friends.

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Posted on February 23, 2012October 13, 2013 by admin

Success Comes to Those Who Stay as Close to the Edge

I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center. – Kurt Vonnegut

The sweetness of success, they say, comes to those who do not quit; it knocks on the doorstep of the persistent, and finds its way into the backyard of the goal-driven. Oh, so you’ve heard some of these finest quotes before? Hackneyed, you say?

Here’s something new that you might find worth pondering over. For the great author-satirist Kurt Vonnegut, it does not really matter whether you’re smart, persistent or goal driven. All of the aforementioned count for nothing if you’re rooted on the same spot where you stood seven, five or three years ago. It narrows down to allowing yourself to going as close to the edge. Most popular quotes on success, the conventional types, rarely talk about this though.

Educators are often the primary source of these nuggets of wisdom. After all, a fine man is often initially molded into what he has become now at school, specifically during a child’s formative years. Teachers should be open to ideas that may sound radical, it is through this frame of mind that excellent and profoundly original ideas are born. By remodeling one’s flow of thoughts and philosophy, a teacher can pass on the quotes on education that veer away from the stereotypical, — ideas such as staying as close to the edge to see all kinds of things that one can’t see when rooted in the center.

When taught early in life to push themselves to the edge, children are most likely to be creative, innovative, and most of all, they see things that majority of the flock do not. When a child has these triumvirate of qualities, success is certainly a stone’s throw away .

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Posted on February 22, 2012October 13, 2013 by admin

The Finest Quotes – How They Inspire Us

Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. – John Dewey

If I look back at my thirty years of existence in this world, I would say that I have never stopped educating myself, whether formally – in an institution or informally – learning from my daily experiences. I owe this to the way my parents inculcated in me the wisdom of never-ending learning. In many ways, education has molded me to be the person that I am right now.

It is just disheartening that that there are many people now in the country who have limited or no access at all to education even though it is legislated as a right. It is also just as disheartening to hear people say that they have chosen a certain college program because they have no more choice or because it is less challenging intellectually. These scenarios are real but they can be challenged.

For instance, in our day and age where the internet is a very powerful tool for almost anything, we can certainly use cyberspace to our advantage. Here’s a simple digital revolution that is easy yet prophetic: Why not simply post on your websites or blogs, or on Facebook and Twitter some quotes on education? Who knows, somebody might get inspired by your post and dare to care.

It is amazing how a few words of a passage can actually be enriching and life-changing. Parents or guardians may use some positive quotes as an initial tool to ignite the fire among their children so they become interested in studies. This can be a non-threatening way to let them see the value of education and get them to learn, relearn, or unlearn. Teachers, on the other hand, can whet their appetites by searching for interesting quotes on success and think of ways to impart them in the classroom setting. This could be an interesting yet challenging responsibility on the part of the teacher. An example might be to ask their students to look for quotes on education that interest them and make a reflection based on their chosen passage.

Many people will benefit from the finest quotes. We have to use them if we still hope to create a good future for ourselves and our children’s children. Let’s start this revolution now.

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Posted on February 22, 2012October 13, 2013 by admin

Motivate Your Students with Helpful Quotes

We all grew up with the notion that action speaks louder than words. Many people forget that famous revolutionaries in the past and leaders of today got their inspiration from spoken or written words. It is not a surprise that at present, we hang on to their every word and those that hit our nerves become the finest quotes we ourselves repeat over time. They serve as reminders of the things that we can accomplish, of our dreams to accomplish and of beautiful ideas to remember.

This is why most educators find it helpful to surround their students with quotes on education and quotes on success in the classroom. How do you choose which quotes to post? First, it all depends on what you are trying to communicate to your students. Do you want them to be more honest or accountable with their actions? Then choose quotes that talk about virtue of telling the truth. Do you want them to read more books? Quote your favorite authors or take quotations from famous literature. It also depends on the kind of subject you teach in the classroom. If you are a Science teacher, it would be good to motivate your students with sayings from Einstein or Marie Curie. Nobel Peace Prize laureates are also a good source of quotations for modern day acts of greatness.

Their written word endures for generations to come. The quotes transcend time and can be applied in all of life’s circumstances. What keeps us reading quotes is the wisdom we get and there is more where they came from. However, we must remember that quotes need not come from famous people. As teachers or educators, your students hang on to your every word and they quote you on a daily basis. There is nothing more motivating than learning and as each spoken word becomes notes, they also turn into knowledge that you will live with for a lifetime.

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Posted on November 17, 2011April 24, 2014 by admin

Basketball for Children – Feel, Handle and Shoot

Before you buy Nebraska Cornhuskers Men’s Basketball tickets, Oklahoma Sooners Men’s Basketball tickets and Oklahoma State Basketball tickets, why don’t you read some tips on how to incorporate basketball in your preschool activities? It’s impossible to implement all the rules into the classroom but you should not miss the opportunity to let them appreciate the sport.

Multi-sensorial Approach

Bring an actual ball into the classroom and have a short interactive description about it. Discuss about its shape, colors and size. Let them touch the rubber and describe how it feels. Dribble in front of the class and ask them about the ball’s movement. Compare its characteristics with a plastic or stuffed toy ball and let them enumerate the differences. Even this simple basketball-for-children activity can make them aware of the things around them.

Handling the Ball

Teachkidshow.com suggests the following basketball drills:

At first, let them toss and catch a small softball at a close distance. If they’re able to manage it successfully, increase the distance and eventually, replace the ball with a plastic or a rubber ball that bounces.

Buy a kiddie hoop and backboard for shooting practice. Start at close distance again and gradually raise the hoop and increase the distance according to their capability and interest.

Dribbling Games

Games can serve as springboard for acquiring a new skill. Ehow.com states that you may use them to teach the kids how to dribble. Below is their suggested game description:

Mark an X for each child on the floor
with tape, and give each child a ball. Ask each child to dribble the
ball one time on their X, then hold the ball. Anyone whose ball bounces
away is out of the game. The next round, ask them to dribble the ball
twice on the X. Continue until there is one child left, then start
again.

You may also do stretching and other warm-up exercises before any physical activity to prepare their bodies and to set the mood for basketball drills.

By the way, here’s a note for basketball enthusiasts: Ticketamerica.com has a large selection of college basketball tickets for Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oaklahoma and Oaklahoma State NCAA Basketball seating, maps, directions and more.

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