Author Archives: schatzi

Online College Courses – Why Are Online College Courses So Popular?

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Have you ever taken an online college course? Are you thinking about going back to college or going to college for the first time, but are stressed about working your classes around your job? Online college courses are great for students that want to go to college, but need to work a full time job as well. Here are some of the benefits of online college courses.

1. You will save a ton on gas because you will not have to drive to school ever. With the way gas prices are going you will probably be able to save a couple hundred dollars a month compared to having to drive to your local campus to take classes. This is a big deal because the gas prices are probably not coming down anytime soon.

2. You can schedule your classes however you please. Since you are considering online college courses you will be able to schedule your homework, participation, and test times around all your other obligations. This is a great benefit for those that have to work a full time job, have children to raise, or have other obligations. You can use your free time to take classes no matter if it is in the morning, afternoon, or evening.

3. Most online courses are faster than traditional college courses. There is actually a few online colleges that have accelerated programs. These are usually 6 week classes and you can finish a 2 year degree in about 18 months or a 4 year degree in about 3 years. This will save you a ton of money in the long run because you will not be paying for all that time you don’t need to be in class.

Low Public School Rankings and Teacher Attrition

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At Many Public Schools, Rankings Contribute to Flight of Teachers

Teacher attrition is attributed to two major reasons – the retirement of baby-boomers from the teaching force and the departures of teachers from schools that fare low on the public schools rankings. Many education experts feel that schools can handle the number of vacancies generated by retirement. It’s the exodus of qualified teachers from schools that perform badly on public school rankings that’s seen as a worrisome phenomenon. While having qualified teachers in every classroom is one of the tenets of the No Child Left Behind Act, finding these teachers and holding on to them is proving to be a challenge.

This is especially true for schools that place low in public schools rankings. Faced with the continuation of NCLB and the prospect of having to earmark considerable sums of money just to be able to keep a teacher in every classroom – whether qualified or not – states have been scrambling to devise ingenious new ways of attracting and retaining the best talents. While finding teachers for all subjects can be tough when you are the principal of a school that’s placed low on public school rankings, the problem becomes even more of a challenge when it comes to finding qualified teachers for math and science. In recant years, thousands of schools placed low in public school rankings have opened without teachers qualified to teach these subjects. With the importance of math and science in the new global economy taken as an accepted fact , and concerns that American students without access to the most proficient science and math training will miss out on economic opportunities, school districts have turned to new ways of sourcing talent.

It’s no Secret that Qualified Teachers Boost Public School Rankings

In states like North Carolina, high poverty area schools at the bottom of the public school rankings ladder had such a difficult time retaining skilled teachers they were forced to hire new ones every term. The situation was so bad that there were many classes without a single certified math teacher. Desperate for a more lasting solution to the teacher crisis, the school district has announced 10,000 dollars in retirement bonus, one of the nations’ largest to math teachers. New York State dangles a teaching fellows program before prospective applicants. The program helps mid career professionals from law and finance defer the cost of a master’s degree. Los Angeles has offered teachers who sign up at high poverty areas that have low public schools rankings a $5,000 bonus.

Retaining teachers in a global world where the corporate arena offers young men and women better career opportunities can be hard. As the demand supply ratio gets skewered, schools that are low on public school rankings will need to make a sustained effort to retain teaching talent.

Strategic Planning and Preparation for the PMP Exam

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It is important in preparing for the PMP exam to discuss the inputs, tools, methods and outputs of estimating activity resources and associated durations, including:

– Staffing policies and procedures: For example, how much time an operational manager can spend doing project work, etc
– Policies and procedures related to equipment/supply rental and purchasing. For example, an organization may use a particular vendor for their supplies and equipment
– Information on types of resources used in similar projects in the past. For example, a lesson learned that a particular resource was not adequate.

Tools & Resources for Estimating Activity Resources

At this point, the project manager should have a high-level list of the resources needed for the project and the related activities. The following tools and techniques are ways to validate the chosen resources and estimate their cost.

Expert judgment

– Experts on the related resources could give insight that will help the project manager make a better estimation. For example, getting a licensed plumber to estimate how much material is needed for a construction job. The PMP exam may ask questions regarding expert judgment.

Alternatives analysis

– Comparing different methods and characteristics to accomplishing a particular activity helps to determine the best method and resources to use. Items to consider are the type of machinery to use, the level of skill required and tools to use. For example, using a prefabricated fence may not be an option when installing on a plot of land with varying terrain characteristics. Perhaps it is better to build the fence piece by piece. However, this option requires more skilled labor and different tools.

Published Estimating Data

– Industry publications and reports could help to determine the cost of resources from a generic point of view. This is helpful when managing a project located at different regions as well as foreign locations. PMP preparation should include familiarization with this type of data.

Bottom-up estimating

– This method is used to estimate activities that present challenges related to product uniqueness or never-done-before projects. The technique involves decomposing the activity into more detail so that specific components may be estimated. Once this is done, the individual estimates are summed up from the bottom. The PMP exam may have questions related to bottom-up estimating.

Project management software

– Software could help facilitate estimating because of its capability to apply cost rates and other project data with ease. PMP preparation should include understanding types of software.

Is Writing Enough?

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Have you ever reached a point where you felt like you couldn’t write another word? That’s where I’ve been for about 2-3 weeks now. I’ve barely written at all. Every word I do write is painstakingly squeaked out, after which I almost run away and hide from the laptop.

As a writer, this isn’t good. Writing is my life. And yet, I feel like it’s eluding me at this very moment.

I network and chat with enough writers to know that I’m not alone in this. Some writers call this writer’s block. I’ve always preferred not to call it a “block” because that seems so cold and bleak. But that’s precisely how I feel right now, so perhaps “block” is the best word after all.

So what is a writer to do at this point? Some writers really do run away from writing altogether. They throw away their notebooks and pens and swear off writing forever. This isn’t the answer.

Is writing enough? Only you can answer that question. Maybe you’ve reached a pivotal point in your life where writing isn’t enough. Maybe it’s time to step up and reach out for another life dream. But if writing is enough for you, and you just need a break, then take one.

I just had a thought. If you know writing is enough for you, but you feel drained and can’t write, romance the writing again. Here are some ideas for you to try:

Read a book in a genre you wouldn’t normally choose. I love self-help books. If you see me in the library or a bookstore, you’ll most likely find me perusing the self-help section. When I was younger, I read contemporary Christian romance books. I would devour a book in as little as two hours, uninterrupted.

Reading from the same genre all the time almost makes you zone out until every book begins to read the same to you. Pick up a book in a genre totally opposite of what you’d normally read. If you like mysteries, try a book on self-improvement. If you enjoy motivational books, read a historical fiction.

Only write in your journal. If you don’t already keep a journal by hand, you don’t know what you’re missing. Writing on the computer makes writing fast, which is why you should keep an offline journal. Writing by hands slows you down. It slows down your hand, but it also slows down your mind and thought process. Try writing just three pages a day, by hand.

Ask yourself this question: Why do I write? Sometimes you get lost in the words until you lose sight of the core reason for the writing. What was it that drew you to writing in the beginning? Why did you enjoy writing? How did it make you feel? Why was it so meaningful? Get back to the basics and remember how you used to feel about writing.

Ask yourself this question: What will happen if I don’t write anymore. Close your eyes and imagine your world a place where writing is no more. Maybe you’d pursue another dream career. Perhaps you’d spend more time with your family. Maybe the stress that constantly nags at you would suddenly be removed. Imagine your life without writing. If you imagine it to be a better place, then maybe you should listen to your heart and say good-bye to writing. But if you feel a deep, empty spot where the writing once was, you probably just need a break for a bit.

Is Writing Enough?

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Have you ever reached a point where you felt like you couldn’t write another word? That’s where I’ve been for about 2-3 weeks now. I’ve barely written at all. Every word I do write is painstakingly squeaked out, after which I almost run away and hide from the laptop.

As a writer, this isn’t good. Writing is my life. And yet, I feel like it’s eluding me at this very moment.

I network and chat with enough writers to know that I’m not alone in this. Some writers call this writer’s block. I’ve always preferred not to call it a “block” because that seems so cold and bleak. But that’s precisely how I feel right now, so perhaps “block” is the best word after all.

So what is a writer to do at this point? Some writers really do run away from writing altogether. They throw away their notebooks and pens and swear off writing forever. This isn’t the answer.

Is writing enough? Only you can answer that question. Maybe you’ve reached a pivotal point in your life where writing isn’t enough. Maybe it’s time to step up and reach out for another life dream. But if writing is enough for you, and you just need a break, then take one.

I just had a thought. If you know writing is enough for you, but you feel drained and can’t write, romance the writing again. Here are some ideas for you to try:

Read a book in a genre you wouldn’t normally choose. I love self-help books. If you see me in the library or a bookstore, you’ll most likely find me perusing the self-help section. When I was younger, I read contemporary Christian romance books. I would devour a book in as little as two hours, uninterrupted.

Reading from the same genre all the time almost makes you zone out until every book begins to read the same to you. Pick up a book in a genre totally opposite of what you’d normally read. If you like mysteries, try a book on self-improvement. If you enjoy motivational books, read a historical fiction.

Only write in your journal. If you don’t already keep a journal by hand, you don’t know what you’re missing. Writing on the computer makes writing fast, which is why you should keep an offline journal. Writing by hands slows you down. It slows down your hand, but it also slows down your mind and thought process. Try writing just three pages a day, by hand.

Ask yourself this question: Why do I write? Sometimes you get lost in the words until you lose sight of the core reason for the writing. What was it that drew you to writing in the beginning? Why did you enjoy writing? How did it make you feel? Why was it so meaningful? Get back to the basics and remember how you used to feel about writing.

Ask yourself this question: What will happen if I don’t write anymore. Close your eyes and imagine your world a place where writing is no more. Maybe you’d pursue another dream career. Perhaps you’d spend more time with your family. Maybe the stress that constantly nags at you would suddenly be removed. Imagine your life without writing. If you imagine it to be a better place, then maybe you should listen to your heart and say good-bye to writing. But if you feel a deep, empty spot where the writing once was, you probably just need a break for a bit.

Increasing the Return on Your Training Investment

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Insightful leaders and organizations recognize that training is a valuable tool for personal and professional development and therefore set some sort of an annual training budget.

Most everyone I’ve ever talked to has been to both excellent training (hopefully ours!) and training that was, well, not so good. In a perfect world we could connect the best training experiences with the best application back in the workplace. This would make the equation easy – pick great training, insuring that people would apply what they have learned, and the result would be a tremendous return on the investment for those funds spent on training.

As a deliverer of training and as one who has helped hundreds of people become better trainers through train the trainer programs, I wish the equation were that easy.

Unfortunately, it isn’t. It takes more than good training to ensure a good return on the money (and time) invested.

What organizations and individual leaders need to do then is look beyond the training event alone to find ways to increase the return on investment. They need to take some responsibility themselves.

Here are 6 ways to increase your return on this investment:

Align training investments with business needs. Some organizations use training as a perk for good performers. This approach of “training as a reward” can motivate some people (especially if the training takes place in someplace desirable) but in the big picture this usually isn’t the best way to invest these dollars. Have a plan that ties the skills that are needed to be developed to the strategic plan for the group. Make sure the participant knows why the skills being learned matter to the group and the organization at large. With this context, the participant has the chance to be more focused and will treat the training as a serious business activity and not a vacation from work.

Invest in good training. Once you have decided to spend money on training, spend it on the good stuff. While this isn’t the only success factor, look at testimonials and materials to determine that the training focuses on important skills and delivers those skills in an effective way. Usually this means training in smaller groups with more interaction and practice time, and therefore higher cost. In training like many other things in life, you get what you pay for. The cost increment is typically not significant when compared to the possible improvement available from the experience.

Facilitate pre-training conversations and set expectations. As a supervisor or manager your job doesn’t end when the training is identified or scheduled, it has actually just begun. Sit down with the employee that is going to training. Have a discussion about why this training can be valuable to them and to the business. Have them think about their goals for the training. Recognize that the first few times you do this people are going to look at you like you are crazy. They may not have an answer and that is ok. Be patient and help them identify a goal or goals for their attendance and have them write it down and take it with them to the training. Then schedule a meeting for after the training event to review what they learned and how you can support them in reaching their goal(s).

Encourage partnerships. If you have more than one person attending the workshop, encourage them to partner up upon their return. A “learning partner” gives people support and some peer coaching and support when they are back at work. It helps people hold themselves accountable for doing something with what they learned. If you are sending just one individual, encourage them to “make a friend” in the training and form this partnership with that person.

Have a follow-up meeting. People should return from the training prepared for their follow-up meeting with you. Sit down and go over what they learned. If they haven’t yet come up with a specific action plan for trying and/or using what they learned, help them build this plan in the meeting. Make sure this conversation ends with a defined action plan with a timeline.

Expect (and inspect for) results. People now have a plan, and it is your job as a leader to help them hold themselves accountable for that plan. Schedule follow-up meetings, check in or do what ever you can to support and encourage them to follow through on their plan.

Notice that five of these steps require no additional monetary investment. The investment they require is time, thought and energy. These additional investments are the activities that will transform the dollars spent into real organizational improvement.

All of this is true because training is an event, but learning is a process. To maximize the return on your investment you must invest in more than the activity or event, you must invest in the learning process.

Learn To Speak Chinese Fast Using These 4 Tips For Musical Learners

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When learning a difficult language like Mandarin Chinese it is important to create a good learning strategy. One great way to do this is to reference what is called the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, published by Harvard’s Howard Gardner. This theory declares that there are seven unique types of learners, visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, and logical-mathematical. This article is going to offer language learning strategies for musical learners, as defined by the theory.

What is a Musical Learner?

Musical learners are very sensitive to rhythm and sound. They are music lovers, yes, but they are more than that. They are very aware of and sensitive to all sounds in their environment. They learn well if using tools such as musical instruments, radio, music, and various multimedia devices.

Learning Strategy 1

If you are one of those people who are always tapping their toes to the beat of their favorite songs, then, by all means, incorporate that enthusiasm into your language learning. The best way to do that is by turning your vocabulary words into lyrics. For example, if you are learning how to discuss feelings and emotions in your target language, write a song about how you’re feeling. Then sing it back in your target language. You’ll have fun and cement the meanings of your vocabulary words in your head at the same time.

Learning Strategy 2

The minds of musical learners have an amazing ability to recall words and phrases that are spoken rhythmically. If you are one of these people, take advantage of this gift. For example, if you are trying to memorize greetings and introductions in your target language, make your task easier by speaking them rhythmically. If you do, you’ll find that you remember much more using far less effort.

Learning Strategy 3

Modern pop songs are full of simple words and ideas, and they cover a wide range of topics, from love to politics. Since you are naturally inclined to enjoy and remember things presented in a musical context, use popular songs to help learn your target language. First download the lyrics to songs sung in your target language. Next, memorize the lyrics. Finally, listen to the songs and sing along, remaining conscious of each word being sung.

Learning strategy 4

Musical learners show a great affinity for using multimedia devices. Take advantage of this by searching out software and Internet-based programs that use multimedia extensively in their programs. You will find these far more interesting than sitting down with a book or reading and box of flash cards. Use multimedia and you will remain motivated and improve your language acquisition abilities.

Summary

Musical learners are sensitive to the sounds present in their environments, and they learn best by incorporating music into their learning strategies. If you are one of these people, use rhythm, sound, and multimedia devices as learning tools, and you will make great progress.

Real Personal and Business Coaches Don’t Do A Whole Lot Of Selling – It’s Referral Based

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The other day, I was reading through a Kindle book, an e-book, on how to become a coach. There are hundreds of books telling you exactly how to do it with step-by-step instructions some as low as 99 cents in fact. It’s quite simple, or least all of these manuscripts, e-books, or even sometimes free online PDFs would have you believe. There are always chapters on how to sell your coaching services, whether for business coaching or if you are running an online personal coaching business. I find that rather unfortunate because as a retired entrepreneur I do a little bit of business consulting myself, I call it consulting because I’ve never really liked the new age term; coaching.

You see, before I started out in my main business career, I was a high-performance athlete so when someone says the word coach I think of coach in athletic terms, not in the terms of a personal coach, or a business coach, because it insinuates that the individual getting the coaching is somehow similar to a high-performance athlete. I don’t find most people out there to be anything similar to our top-notch athletes, especially after watching the Olympic Games 2012 London. Furthermore, most entrepreneurs don’t make the grade, and pumping them full of optimism, and selling them back their own dream isn’t really coaching, that’s more like self-help guru-ism.

In any case, this is why the whole concept of selling when it comes to coaching services bothers me somewhat. If you are a good business consultant, or you are good at motivating individuals in a self-help setting to do their best, achieve their goals, and win in life regardless of the area or category of human endeavor, then you don’t need to sell very much because your current clientele will refer you to endless new customers. If you have to sell your coaching services, maybe you need a coach yourself. Maybe we need to get help to those who wish to become a better coach before they go out and solicit and sell trying to pick up new clientele.

Indeed, all I’m saying is that if you have to use tricky sales tactics to get people to pay you for your coaching services, then maybe you are doing something wrong, maybe you are listening to the wrong people, reading the wrong books, and not understanding the coaching process. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this before you use any of these high-pressure tactics, or emotional manipulation strategies that are recommended in much of the coaching material we read these days. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Could ‘Hands On’ Certification Be The Education Route For Many?

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It has been one of the biggest debates for awhile. Is certification a good alternative to a University education? And can it indeed be just as worthy and valued? A few Harvard scholars of education believe that alternative education to University could be the path to prosperity.

Outlined in their booklet ‘Path to Prosperity’ is the undoubting fact that with so many young people going to University, the University education system has been somewhat devalued compared to prior decades. With so many young people swarming about on campus, it has also meant that the education system has had to adapt to numbers, which has meant for most graduates a massive skills gap between them and an employed individual. This for many has meant that they have been unable to find work or have settled for minimum wage white-collar posts.

Besides these problems, the Harvard scholars bring up the matter that simply University education does not suit everyone, nor can it serve all in the long term. We can then see from this opinion that a more varied education system is needed with training that fits to everyone’s needs, including academic and practical training.

Although we do have vocational training in the UK, it is still rather limited and has been cut since the recession. In the US, vocational training does not currently exist, but the Harvard scholars are suggesting the vocational approach which was adopted by Europe originally. If America is to expand vocational training, enabling many young people to get appropriate posts, it may be time for us in Europe to think about how we can improve and expand our vocational education system, so that more young people can get the skills necessary to start in employment.

It would offer many benefits, including a more fitting and practical education for many, where they can learn skills that can help them compete on the competitive job market. Although it would mean a decrease in University applicants, it would lower the number of young people in debt who simply cannot afford to pay their debt off. It would also open up different and more varied routes to jobs, proving perhaps an education that is more wholesome.

Providing a more varied education could help solve ‘skill gap’ issues, but nevertheless there is still the issue of rising unemployment, particularly between the ages of 16-25. It will not solve the problems of the recession, but it could help many young people gain employment as well as fill up that skills gap in the future.

Why Invest in a Good SEO Training Course?

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Being in the world of internet marketing is a challenging job. In my career of ten years, I have seen various developments in the field of online marketing. Therefore, the marketing professional must stay updated with the ongoing marketing trends in the modern business world. In fact, the key to surviving in the world of online business is to keep up with the pace of competition and only a marketer with desired marketing skills can succeed.

SEO is one of the most important aspects of online marketing. In fact, the internet and the modern business goes hand in hand. Therefore, the need to understand the intricacies of the Search Engine Optimization for an SEO professional gets intense. Especially, for the beginners in the industry, understanding SEO may be full of challenges and considering a good SEO training course will undoubtedly prove to be a right deal to make.

There are several reasons for the marketing professionals to enroll in optimization courses. Considering its benefits, a lot of people join SEO training courses every year. The main advantages of joining these courses are:

  • It provides a deeper knowledge of the subject area as these courses are usually conducted under the guidance of trained professionals.
  • These are specially designed for polishing the amateur practitioners. Hence, it helps them to uncover every area of the subject that is not known to them.
  • By enrolling in these classes, it becomes easier for the professionals to interact directly with the industry experts and get answers to their queries.
  • Lack of appropriate knowledge on the subject may lead a professional to make mistakes. Sometimes mistakes are severe that may provoke Google to ban a website. A good SEO course focuses on teaching white hat techniques that are a slow yet sure shot way to help the site flourish.
  • Again, a reliable training course explains about the right and honest methods to apply SEO techniques. The main aim of these courses is to inform the candidates about the importance of original and high-quality content and the necessity of back links in SEO.
  • One of the greatest benefits of enrolling in an SEO training course is that a person can apply these techniques for enhancing the online presence of his personal website as hiring a professional may prove to be an expensive affair.

SEO is a boon to the digital marketing world and helps the business communities cope with the fierce competition in the world of marketing. So, why not invest in a good Search Engine Optimization course and uncover the secret of generating long-term profits.