Crestwood School – Education and Science

Obstacle #1: Spanish classes are limited to an hour each week.

With the current focus on “core” subjects and standardized test preparation, foreign languages are often left with minimal classroom time. How can you teach Spanish in such a small window?

Solution: Use a multisensory curriculum to increase retention.

Teachers can increase students’ retention by using a curriculum that includes visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic elements. While we’d love to teach Spanish to kids every day, it is possible to make significant progress with this kind of curriculum, even in a half hour each week.

Obstacle #2: Students are bored or disengaged in class.

While some teachers dread a misbehaving class, a roomful of bored students might be worse. It’s important that every student be excited and engaged, especially in the foreign language classroom, where participation is vital to learning.

Solution: Introduce multimedia tools to keep classes stimulating.

A multimedia program that engages the senses and addresses students’ different learning styles will ensure that everyone stays involved. Music, games, videos, art, play, reading, listening, dancing, singing and imagining can all become part of the class. Spanish will be the class your students can’t wait to do again next week.

Obstacle #3: Instructors lack specific training to teach elementary Spanish.

Finding a native Spanish speaker who knows how to work with elementary grade children and has experience teaching a second language is not an easy prospect. Lacking such candidates, teachers are often brought in without the requisite experience or knowledge of the established scientific research behind effective language teaching.

Solution: Invest in a proven curriculum that provides teacher guidance.

Not everyone has the background to effectively teach children Spanish from day one. But a teaching program that compensates for this reality makes it much easier. By investing in a field-tested curriculum that uses proven teaching techniques and strategies [http://www.sube.com/home/sube-community/product-support/research--standards], even the greenest teacher can provide a fun, high quality Spanish education.

Obstacle #4: Teachers have few materials and have to spend many hours on class prep time.

Elementary Spanish programs often lack a comprehensive language curriculum, leaving teachers to piece one together from scratch. Schools often don’t realize how time consuming this is. The extensive prep time is rarely compensated or taken into consideration when evaluating curriculum costs.

Solution: Find a complete Spanish program with all the materials teachers need for a full school year.

Ideally, your school should find a complete Spanish program with all the materials that teachers need to get started straight out of the box. Of course, teachers will want to add their own creative twist to the program. But that’s much different and less stressful than cobbling something together from various websites. By using a well-designed, sequential Spanish curriculum, you’re setting up teachers and students to succeed.

Obstacle #5: Teacher turnover gives students an inconsistent learning experience.

High teacher turnover can be a cause for failure of elementary Spanish programs. When a teacher walks out the door, they often take their curriculum and classroom continuity with them. Meanwhile, the new teacher is left scrambling for materials and the students are back to square one.

Solution: Get a program with scope and sequence that stays with the school.

If a school is serious about teaching Spanish, it is imperative that they choose a curriculum that has the scope and sequence to stay with the school year after year. It should provide tools for accountability, with testing and evaluation to allow new teachers to pick up where the last one left off. 

Dentists are profoundly some of the most intelligent and well sought after people you’ll meet in your lifetime. Because of their love for their patients’ health and productivity, dentists strive to put their luxuries aside and opt for continuing education to better serve their patients and to instill unto themselves better knowledge of practice and expanded knowledge about new dental procedures and methodologies.

Enrolling in continuing education courses will not only help the dentist grasp new information, but also new patients as well. When a dentist passes the board exam, he/she is still considered a hatchling in the field. Only in practice can a dentist hone his/her skills in general dentistry. A dentist will also be more eligible in becoming in non-practice areas like policy-making and health research.

Dentists also cannot practice other specialized branches of dentistry like orthodontics, periodontal dentistry, TMJ dentistry and restorative dentistry without undergoing additional years of training via full-time post-graduate studies. This is the reason why a lot of seasoned dentists have only set up clinic in their late twenties or early thirties.

There are a lot of universities around the world that admit dentists, oral hygienists and dental technicians who wish to pursue post-graduate and doctorate studies. It is imperative to verify the authenticity of a dental school by verifying its course offerings with its purported affiliates. The usual cost per credit hour ranges from $30-$40, but may still go higher, especially if the course-offer comes from a reputable or Ivy League university.

As an alternative, the dental practitioner may also opt to read medical journals or join non-profit organizations that offer free-but-exclusive articles on specialized dental practice. The internet has been a goldmine for information on specialized areas dentistry. Be warned though, that some sites offer uncited information that may detriment the preferred types of operations and may ruin your credits if you subscribe to the wrong information database.

Yes, the Obama administration is doing what they said they would. They are giving away free cash to help students return to college. Many different types of student grants and scholarship programs are making it possible for many people to be able to afford college, no matter what their financial status currently is. Online resources are available to help these students apply for and then claim the money they need to achieve their educational goals.

A quick online application can let you know right away if you qualify for any of the available grants and/or scholarships. Even if you are not sure what you want to do, you need to take advantage of this opportunity by finding out what is available to you. It is important to remember that this money is not a loan, but does not have to paid back.

If you are approved for any of these funds, they money may be sent right to your home or it may be deposited right into your account. If it comes directly to your home, you can use it for any educational expenses you may have – a computer, gas money, books, tuition, housing, etc. The possibilities of how you decide to use this money are left up to you.

It’s quite simple to find out which funds are available, as many of these resources are right online, where one can get information and apply for the scholarships and grants. Working online will enable you to get answers and money quicker. This new Obama plan is working with all students – working moms, single moms, minorities, handicapped people – to help them get the money they need to get the college degree they want and need.

From the early years of childhood, children are growing up in environments where they are subjected to the beliefs and ideologies of whatever surrounding they happen to live in. As we are experiencing a series of wars and conflicts one after the other, it is obvious that there is a profound problem in the way we are bringing up children. The conditioning of children takes place in two significant mode of control, which is in the home and the school or religious institutes. It is through these modes, that children are moulded into persons’ who they are truly not, contributing to the perpetuation of the present world crisis into the future. The present world crisis affects us all and can be seen in the wars, conflicts and divisions of our time, which have all been the result of the lack of individual awareness and integrated thinking.

Self-awareness and integrated thinking can only come about, when there is a fundamental understanding of the self as well as life as a whole, which comes into being through self-knowledge. Therefore education in its true sense is a way for individuals to understand themselves, for it is from within, that the whole of existence is gathered. Present day education however, has placed emphasize on technique through the accumulation of information from books, which is done so in the pursuit of a future profession, in order to acquire social and economic security within society. This kind of education also imposes a form of escapism as it teaches individuals to become occupied with facts, and placing importance upon technique which inevitably brings dullness and passiveness of the mind; however, like all escapes, this inevitably brings about confusion and misery. In the present day systems of education, the teacher and authority figures ingrain into child’s mentality, the importance of practicing technique whether it is in the school where they are taught to acquire facts and information, or the religious institutes where people habitually follow principles and beliefs. However, the acquiring of various skills, rules and facts can only engulf us in chaos and suffering. Learning to read and write are necessary, as well as learning a profession, but can technique give us the ability to understand life and its problems? Surely it is secondary, and when we are taught to strive for technique we are obviously denying a far greater and significant part of life.

The school institutes condition children with information so that they can grow up into professionals, in whatever field. Therefore the individual becomes occupied with a particular area of knowledge and therefore a portion of life, as he or she becomes a specialist; the problem with this though, is how this is achieved and the intentions involved. The over emphasis of technique has given capacity, but without an understanding of life, these skills can only make a person ruthless. Technique has also provided us with a form of emotional and physical security, giving us a sense of vitality and aggressive independence. The teachers and institutes therefore strive to mould individuals into these kinds of people to fit into their perceptions and desires of what ‘should be’ instead of realizing the reality of ‘what is’; therefore, the end result becomes more important than the means. However, what people fail to realize is that, the means determines the final outcome. So, now we begin to see how the past projects itself into the future and how children are becoming the continuation of the past and present. Thus, the present world crisis continues to exist because of this.

The teachers and authority figures are maintaining these systems of control through the means of discipline that ensures a result, which is more important to them than the means. However, the fundamental problem with discipline is that it is becoming a substitute for love, and is utilized continuously as a consequence of fear and personal projections. It is commonly used in the name of a just purpose, yet it is a hindrance to freedom, and freedom in the sense of the state of mind, can never be achieved through discipline, through resistance. Also, discipline is enforced by authority figures through ‘reward and punishment’, which instills further fear. The teachers subtly condition children with this concept, encouraging them through this fear to fight for the sake of the country, harvesting nationalism and patriotism which divides people, to fight in the name of God or to fight in the name of their family. The school, parents and religious institutes do this in many ways, encouraging children to get good grades and be ‘the best’, which breeds envy and competitiveness, to be patriotic, which breeds animosity and divisions, and to be a moral person, which breeds superficiality and greed – all in the desire of a reward. Now, the fears of the consequential punishments of not following these ideals are harsh enough for individuals to not even question why they follow them in the first place, but then again, the person would not know any better, due to the extent of their own conditioning and their ultimate submission to these beliefs as ‘reality’.

Could it be possible for parents and teachers to demonstrate to the child how to be considerate of others without the use of a reward or love as a bribe? For it is in this self-centred seeking that superficiality is also born , and there can be no respect for one another when there is a reward for it, because the fear of punishment and bribe then become more important that respect itself. How can a parent or teacher have respect or even love a child when they bribe the individual with a reward, and threaten them with a punishment? Surely, this is only encouraging fear and covetousness. Again, these teachers and authority figures therefore do not know any better themselves because they too have been brought up this in this way to act for the sake of a result; and until we truly realize that there can be action free of the desire to gain, the continuation of our fears, greed and envy, which form the ego, will persist to remain a part of our reality.

All this begins to contribute to the desire of escape from ‘what is’ or the ‘present’, whether it be through the superficial modes of media, eating, religion, drugs or sex, which all provide a form of temporary self-gratification for the ego. In religion, individuals claim to love their God and may follow the beliefs and principles in order to be a ‘good’ person, however, the motives of this process are all self-centred and self-seeking for personal gratification. When the individual preys to God in a time of strife, what they are doing is projecting their fears and hopes in their ego where they can satisfy their sorrow. God or Truth, is far beyond thought and emotional demands, it is a space where the mind is still and self-aware, and a still mind is not a disciplined mind, but a mind that understands the workings of the self.

Therefore, it has been established how children are being conditioned by systems of authority and how this breeds a lack of self-awareness, the ego and desires for escapism, so now, one may ask ‘what is the right kind of education?’. The right kind of education would help children understand life as a whole and not through the tunnel-vision perspective of ‘profession’; it would help individuals become integrated beings with an understanding of the full scope of the problems and miseries of the world in an unbiased and intelligent approach. The young would have the spirit of inquiry, seeking out truth from the bigger picture – political, religious, personal and environmental, which would bring a greater significance upon the young, thus bringing forth the hope for a better world. For this to ever take place, the parents and teachers themselves, must first tear down the beliefs and ideologies they hold and cultivate an integrated understanding of themselves and life; therefore the right kind of education is not only concerned with the young, but with the older generation as well, who must not be too absorbed in their own ways. The fundamental point is that if the individual truly loves the child, for love is essential to the process of integration; they would see to it that they have the right kind of educators, who could provide the child with an integrated understanding of the world we live in, for it is only until individuals possessing this awareness, that the possibility of manifesting a better world can come into being.

A good online education institute should have several qualities that make them a top-notch school. Among them are accreditation, flexibility, and student support systems. The following schools have all of these. While these schools have good reputations as online college institutions, there are many more just as good. The most important factor for selecting the college or university is that it is right for you.

University of Phoenix.

Founded in 1976 the Uof P is the largest private college in the US. with more than 150,000 students. The North Central Association of Schools and Colleges and the Higher Learning Commission accredit Uof P. Its Masters in nursing school is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing, and it’s counseling tract by the Council for Accreditation in Counseling and Related Educational Programs. Uof P is an entirely online learning institute. New classes start each week, so it is very flexible. The counselors will help you with registration, answer questions about financial aid or other questions. The University of Phoenix has a large selection of degrees and classes you can attend. Doctoral students are required to have 19 days of residential instruction.

Capella University

Located in Minneapolis, MN, Capella is accredited by the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges, and the Higher Learning Commission. It currently has approximately 19,000 online students. Classes start continuously, so you can enter a program at anytime. Materials are available 24/7 on the Internet. You can receive credit from previous experience through a DANTES exam or from previous classes through a CLEP exam. Capella University has five schools: Business and Technology, Education, Human Services, and Psychology.

Aspen

Aspen was the first University to offer a 100% online masters degree in business (MBA). Twenty-five years later the school still offers accredited online college degree programs. The Distance Education and Training Council Accrediting Commission accredit Aspen. Internet classes last eight weeks and start five times a year. You can earn credit by exam through DANTES and CLEP examinations. Aspen is an adult-focused college, with course work entirely online. Programs in business, technology, education, nursing and criminal justice are offered. Aspen offers a decrease in tuition if paid up front: a bachelor’s degree will only cost 4,500 plus the cost of books.

Westwood

The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology accredit Westwood. Online courses are offered for seventeen degrees. This includes computer science, criminal justice, graphic design, and fashion merchandising. With accelerated programs you can finish an associates degree in 17 months and a bachelors degree in 3 years. Westwood utilizes modern computer technology to provide an interactive, hands-on approach to education. Westwood also offers employment assistance.

Walden University

North Central Association of Schools and Colleges and the Higher Learning Commission accredits Walden University, founded in Baltimore, MD. Walden’s online courses have frequent start dates. Degrees in education, health and human services, management, psychology, nursing, engineering and public policy administration are available. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing accredits the masters in science of nursing program and the education tract is accredited by CCNE. Advisors will help you decide on the program for you.

There are literally hundreds of campus based colleges and universities as well as online colleges and universities that offer a multitude of degrees online. There is absolutely a school and program that will meet your needs. The flexibility of an online degree education program will allow you to complete a degree and still meet your other obligations, such as work and family. Take the time to go get on the Internet and go to an online college website and get the information you need to make an informed choice.

Special education refers to the education of children with physical disorders or disabilities, psychiatric disorders, emotional distress, behavioral disorders, and learning disorders. Traditional educational techniques or school programs do not sufficiently meet the requirements of these children. Children with special education needs are guaranteed rights to services in schools under federal and state laws. These laws include Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA 1997), and No Child Left Behind (NCLB). These laws guarantee special education programs and financial assistance for disabled children and youth in the United States.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1997 is a federal law that governs all special education services for children in the United States. The major objective of IDEA is to provide free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. The IDEA 2004 is a revision or reauthorization of IDEA 1997, which preserves the civil rights guarantees of IDEA 1997, but makes substantial changes regarding how schools determine whether a child has learning disability and needs special education services. Services to very young children, i.e., infants and toddlers, are also covered under the IDEA. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a civil rights legislative act, which proscribes discrimination against children with disabilities and provides them with reasonable accommodations. Under section 504, any person who has an impairment that substantially limits a major life activity is considered disabled.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) commands all educational institutions to meet the needs of children with psychiatric problems. In the United States, procedures for the implementation of the Federal laws and procedural safeguards are different in different states and therefore parents should have a good knowledge of the rules and regulations in their particular area. For any assistance, parents can always contact the regional office of the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

Whether you’re starting a new business, or your business has been around for years, getting back to the basics will help you pinpoint areas you have overlooked in the past, and help you build a stronger business for the future.

The four keys to your business success are:

Mindset
Focus
Education
Action

In this series of four articles, we’ll explore each area see how it fits into your business.

Education
Now that you have the proper mindset and you are focused, let’s move into training mode. This is the third key to unlocking your business success.

Educating yourself to start, run and profit from your online business is key to your success. With a proper education, you can cut your learning curve in half, and get to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow much, much faster.

You need to learn the basic fundamentals of running a business, so you can profit from your activities. Learn to write a basic plan, as outlined in the article, Business Pitfall #2: No Plan. And learn the basic skills you need to run a business online or offline.

As you take your business to new levels of profitability, you need to keep learning and advancing. It’s beneficial to read a business publication or listen to a business audio for at least half an hour each day. This way, you are continuing your education daily, but also working on your business. Educate yourself every day, but make sure you put your education into action. Don’t get stuck in education mode and forget to act on your new knowledge.

In the nursing profession, more now than ever, the ability to think critically is essential. The responsibilities of a Registered Nurse have increased over the years. In correlation with this increase in responsibility comes the additional increase in educational prerequisites and core requisites required to achieve a degree in Nursing. The ANA (American Nursing Association) Standards has set forth the framework necessary for critical thinking in the application of the “nursing process”. The nursing process is the tool by which all nurses can equally become proficient at critical thinking. The nursing process contains the following criteria:

1. Assessment
2. Diagnosis
3. Planning
4. Implementation
5. Evaluation

It is in the application of each of these processes that the nurse may become proficient at critical thinking. It is important to look at the components that describe critical thinking in nursing, The table below lists components that define the critical thinking process. There is much more that goes into critical thinking than what is listed in the table. The table is a rough draft of the process.

CRITICAL THINKING COMPONENTS

Entails purposeful, informed, outcome focused thinking, that requires careful identification of specific problems and other physiological and psychological factors that affect the clients position on the health and wellness continuum.

The process is driven by the client, the client’s family and other health team members who are also collaborating in ensuring essential client care.

Specific educational knowledge base and level of experience in applying that knowledge in client care. (Nursing School to graduate nurse to experienced nurse) As the level of experience of the nurse increases so will the scientific knowledge base that the nurse applies.

Proficiency in the application of the institutions standards, policies and procedures.

Application of the humanistic standards of caring in conjunction with the nursing process, to holistically treat the clients response to an actual or perceived illness.

Constant evaluation and re-evaluation of the nursing process to determine the clients level of wellness

Nurses learn critical thinking via application with experience. Experience is the best teacher. But it is equally important to know that the process is being applied correctly. Many institutions will ensure that this pathway is followed by enlisting new nurses in a eight to ten week orientation program. During this time the new nurse will learn about the polices and procedures of that institution and what type of documentation is used for charting purposes. Also, the new nurse will have an experienced mentor who they will follow and who will evaluate their performance as well.

Documentation is an essential part of the critical thinking process for the nurse. Every institution places emphasis on documentation. It is said, “that if it is not documented, then it was not done”. Since the nursing process is a scientific process. In scientific research, all things are documented. In this documentation, researches can look back to see if the results were due to interventions and whether or not the interventions were successful or have to be altered. The documentation process helps the nurse accomplish the same goals. Many times procedures are used that have unproven efficacy.

In it is this framework of critical thinking and documentation that such procedures can be either continued or eliminated, depending on the efficacy of the research. In other words, does the procedure actually improve, help or otherwise jeopardize the client’s health. An example of the critical thinking process and scientific reasoning is in the efficacy of taking a rectal temperature of new born infants. Currently, this procedure is still widely accepted. However the scientific approach is to ask the following, is the procedure safe, is it necessary, and can an axillary temp be used in place of the rectal temp? In answering these questions, the nurse can better evaluate whether the efficacy of taking a rectal temp on a infant should be continued.

This is just one example of how the critical thinking process is used within the nursing profession. The scientific approach using critical thinking helps the nurse develop evidence based practice. It is through “evidence based practice” that the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) rates the performance of hospitals. Further research is still continuing in delineating the intricacies of the nursing process and the integration of critical thinking. All health care professionals are encouraged to pursue this type of research in their practice to ensure the quality of client care and enhance the validity of their profession.

Learn more about nursing education at The NET Study Guide.

The advancement of science and technological development has greatly revolutionized communication. This has facilitated the growth and development of online education by means of which various online educational institutions provide virtual learning environments for the students to study and also offer online degrees. In this case it is necessary to remember that one must be wary of the innumerable fake degrees that are in abundance over the internet and thus always ensure the accreditation of the relevant authorities while checking the credentials of the online educational institute. In recent times, there has been an upsurge in the number of students who have engaged in various online degree courses. The most significant role in case of imparting knowledge through online education is played by the tutors. The online tutors are the main source of communication and it is the tutor who interacts with the students and sets them tasks to increase their skills. Initially, email was the most important tool for communication between the online tutor and the student and all the relevant materials for study or even tasks were sent via email. However, now, it is possible for ht student to engage in live chats with the tutor thanks to the development of technology. Instant messaging and online chats have immensely facilitated the growth of e-learning.

For online tutoring, there are certain requirements which need to be fulfilled. The most important factor here is the presence of broadband internet connection and a microphone and speaker or a headset. The use of the digital pen mouse is considered to be extremely helpful in case of learning the basics of mathematics and other language groups apart from English as it would enable the student to write comfortably without having to use the mouse constantly. The ‘white board’ software is very useful in providing the option of a shared screen between the student and the tutor to aid the imparting of knowledge. In cases, webcams are also beneficial but are not mandatory in case of online tutoring, it should be noted that like classroom teaching. Here the teachers do not have blackboards to write down the necessary details. In online tutoring, there are two options for the tutor. What is prevalent is that the tutor usually prepared slide presentations to aid the student in understanding. Moreover, they can also make use of the ‘white board’ software tool for having a shared screen with the student where he can write. With the increase of online educational institutes, the demand for trained tutors is on the rise.

With so many people today turning to online colleges and universities to get an advanced degree, a mad rush is on to fill the needs of these education consumers. And it’s no wonder that online degree programs are so popular because they allow the student to work at their own pace, set their own flexible schedule for study and homework, and save money by eliminating all the costs associated with staying on campus.

However, the popularity of these online education programs has produced a new internet scam, the diploma mill. By posing as a legitimate school some web sites are able to cheat consumers out of their hard earned money instead by providing essentially worthless online degrees at an apparent bargain. And unfortunately, many have been very successful at this, deceiving many smart and intelligent online consumers. So how do you protect yourself against this kind of online education fraud?

Well the best way is to be sure that any school or distance-learning program that you choose is fully accredited. This means that the school or program has been reviewed by its peers in the education field and validated or verified as providing a high quality education according to excepted educational standards. This assures you then that the education you will receive at this particular online college or university is worth investing in because it is generally recognized for its educational value.It also means that a degree in this program will be valuable as you attempt to find employment later on.

Although being sure that a distance learning program is fully accredited is important, these days is becoming necessary to take it even a step further. It seems that some of these diploma mills had even gone so far as to set up their own accreditation agencies so that it will appear that they are an accredited school when in reality they are only accrediting themselves through another agency that they also own.

So how can you make sure that a school is legitimately accredited then? Perhaps the best way to do that is to visit the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or CHEA website. This is a nongovernmental agency that does research on accreditation issues in the education field. Basically they maintain a list of accrediting agencies that are up to proper standards. So all you have to do to be sure that a particular distance learning school is legitimately accredited is to visit their web site, enter the name of the educational institution, and conduct research to see if it’s accreditation is indeed by legitimately recognized agency.

Essentially this means that you not only have to check that an online college or university is accredited, but also that the accrediting agency is reputable as well. This may seem to be a lot of extra steps to have to go through, but doing so will help assure you that whatever distance learning degree program that you choose will be a wise investment for your future education and employment.