An Eye Opening View Of How At-Risk Children Learn

How can we understand how children of At-risk communities learn if we do not understand the child? The child is the community and the community the child, just the way their environment and parents are. This may mean a little more time, effort and plenty of dedication; but show me one child who is not worth it.

In order to understand how children of At-risk communities learn, we must define the social term: At-risk. This could be a lesson in itself. Scholars have given many definitions for the term. Some say it describes children and youth living in poverty-stricken neighborhoods. Some define At-risk as the absence of either one or both parents. Still there are those who say the term has no definition and are simply used to place labels on certain groups.

My definition of At-risk is any person, place or thing that impedes the progress, growth or development of a child. This may be the absence of a parent, the lack of wealth or simply the dedication of an educator for teaching a child.

If you hear a child use the word "ain't", do you stop and correct that child by using and teaching the words "are not" or "isn't?" Do you continue doing what you are doing? In an article by Prevette Research, two-thirds of the estimated one-hundred and thirty million children in the world have no access to primary education.

Environment and economics have considerable influence in society. Rigorous wealth and severe poverty are some of the issues society face today. I would place the lack of education high on the list of social issues.

Ninety-five percent of children of At-risk communities, including infants, toddlers and children of pre - school age are on a Government- subsidized program. There are those who suggest that there should be more teachers of color in At-risk communities. I think this is a cop-out for the lack of dedication. It does not matter if you are a person of color or not, there is no excuse for lack of dedication. Whether you are a neighbor, a relative, a school teacher, clergy or parent, we are all educators. Remember: Parents are the first educators.

The children of At-risk communities also communicate differently. They lack the benefits of social graces and etiquette. Fortunately, there are children who are privileged not to have seen this side of life.

Let's do a comparison:

Example 1: 

Children who are taught social graces and etiquette may greet you by saying, "Good morning, how are you?" A child coming up from an At-risk community might say "What's up?" and they are okay with this because this is what they hear daily.

Example 2: 

Demonstrate by placing a cup and saucer combination in front of a child who has been taught social etiquette and he or she will be able to tell you the correct names of each item and their usage. Place the same cup and saucer in front of a child from an At-risk community and he or she may ask, "What is this for?" and label the saucer as a plate. This is because they have never used nor seen it used before.

Example 3: 

The children of At-risk communities learn their alphabets and numbers around the ages of three and four, but learn to appreciate music around the age of nine months; simply because they live this daily. While they are learning to appreciate Rap and Hip Hop, the children of higher social standards are learning to appreciate Beethoven and Mozart. Social graces and etiquette should be a pre- requisite for elementary education. Social graces and etiquette empowers children to know how to behave properly in society. It demonstrates a level of respect, not only for others but for themselves. The children also learn to be considerate of others. It helps them understand that others have feelings. They learn how to greet and be gracious using words like, please, thank you and excuse me.

Social graces and etiquette enhance their desire to learn and feel better about themselves. Unless these children of At-risk communities have parents who practice social graces and etiquette or a teacher who is instilling these valuable lessons in them, they will never understand, know of, or experience this valued knowledge. This would be a major injustice to them as well as to society.

I personally know environment and economics play an enormous part in the lives of At-risk children in how they live and learn. I must say experience is the best teacher. I have lived in At-risk communities all my life and have taught children of At-risk communities for thirty-two years. There is one thing I have learned and experienced in those thirty-two years of teaching- What you give to them, they will give back.

Education is more than just the ABC's of learning or reading, writing and arithmetic, it is knowing who you are teaching and exemplifying knowledge to those you serve.

Author Sheila M. Frances founded FranJeff Publishing with the mission to educate society on child behavior by providing a platform for the awareness of impacts of communities on child growth and development.

College - Tips For Choosing a Course of Study in College

Getting accepted into college can be a very confusing time. That is if you're not certain what to pursue. With so many courses and specialties to choose from, how do you know which is best for you?

Choosing a course of study should be carefully measured to avoid wasting four years on academics that will be useless once you graduate. Numerous studies conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics point to 60% of graduates working outside their majors. What does this figure signify? It either means low employment rates in the field, or students pursuing another field of passion.

Here are tips for choosing a course of study in college:

Income - Research what's the average income in the field. Many students do not think about how lucrative a degree will be. However, the bottom line of getting a degree is to earn financial security.

The Job Market - The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides in-depth insight into job prospects for different fields of study. It usually includes a ten year forecast, and as an example, specific technology jobs like Network And Computer Systems Administrators can anticipate a median salary of $69,160, with a 28% growth between 2010-2020.

Student's Interest - What did you want to become when you were growing up? Do you still have that dream? Chances are, students will be much happier working in a field they're passionate about. Aside from financial benefits, the student's core values, interests and beliefs will translate directly into the field of work. Confucius was right when he said "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."

Take a Personality Quiz - Experts recommend this test to determine if students are better suited working as a blue or white collar worker, based on his or her personality and interests.

The Factor of Time - Some courses require a greater timeframe for completion. Examples include degrees related to medicine and law. As a new student, it's important to figure out if an extended course length will be an issue, and whether dedication is key.

Talk to a Pro - Who will better advise all the necessary procedures to take, in order to select the best course for students' careers. Each online college should house a counselor for this purpose.

Rather than having a change of heart half-way through the online university program, students can begin by weighing these options to make the most practical choice.

How Hard Is It to Achieve the NEBOSH Diploma Qualification?

It is fair to say that the NEBOSH Diploma is one of the most prestigious qualifications for a health and safety practitioner to hold. It has long been established as an internationally recognised standard of knowledge and expertise, with more than 10,000 students now having achieved the qualification since its inception in 1988. Often it is considered a very hard health and safety qualification to achieve, but is that an accurate assessment?

The current NEBOSH Diploma syllabus broadly equates to a Bachelors Degree. The health and safety awarding body IOSH recognise this qualification as meeting the requirements for Graduate Membership, whilst IIRSM recognise it as meeting the requirements for full membership. Any qualification at this level is inevitably going to be hard to achieve, so supposedly the answer to the question is: yes. But is that the end of the story?

For a qualification to really mean something it has to be hard to achieve, whether it's in health and safety or any other industry for that matter. This shows that those who hold the qualification have really achieved something. Every person who has achieved the NEBOSH Diploma can certainly stand proud and say they have achieved a high standard of knowledge and expertise in health and safety.

So we have said the qualification is hard to achieve, but is it too hard to achieve? The answer to that question is very much down to each individual student who takes the qualification. There is no clear answer to this, as it is firmly a case of you getting out what you put in. Achieving the NEBOSH Diploma does require active involvement in the course, a significant degree of self studying, and good exam preparation. It is a different type of qualification entirely to a health and safety NVQ for instance, which involves evidence-gathering from those already in a health and safety role.

Any good health and safety training centre will also provide ongoing help and support throughout the study period to support your learning. This is a key question to ask of any potential provider you look at, as it is a crucial component in the achievement (or not) of the qualification.

So anyone considering going in for the NEBOSH Diploma will need to do some research beforehand, and before parting with any money! Look at what is involved, the support from the provider, the benefits when you achieve it etc. If you can commit to the hard work needed then go for it. There is no doubt that when it pays off, and you pass the NEBOSH Diploma, you will have achieved something to be very proud of.

Ocean - The Body of Water That Makes Land Inhabitable

Ocean is the body of saline water that occupies the large majority of earth's hydrosphere. It is divided in to five areas, namely Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Antarctic. The word sea is also used in place of ocean but predominantly, the seas are inland saline bodies of water. 71% of the earth is covered with this vast body of saline water.

The average depth of this massive body of water is 12430 ft and the volume of water you find there is 1.3 billion cubic kilometers. There are 230,000 species of marine life living in the ocean. Since some of the deepest areas of the ocean are not completely explored, the number of species could go up to two million in case these areas also explored properly.

The total mass of water on earth is 1.4X10²¹Kg. This is only 0.023% of the total mass of earth. Out of all the water present on earth, only 3% is fresh water. The rest is ocean. The bluish color of sea water is due to several contributory factors but the presence of dissolved organic matter and chlorophyll are the main contributors.

Travelling on the surface of oceans dates back to prehistoric times but travel under sea was only possible after the development of modern technology. The deepest spot of the ocean is found close to Marina Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is estimated to be 10,971 meters deep.

Ocean currents are responsible for climate changes on earth. It also regulates the carbon dioxide content in the atmospheric air. Heat from the tropics to the Polar Regions is transferred through the ocean. While the cold and warm air is transferred to coastal areas from the ocean even the precipitation is brought to coastal areas from the sea.

It is believed that life in this vast body of water started 3 billion years prior to the start of life on land. Fresh water needed for this inland life is supplied through evaporation of water from the sea. The cycle continues in order to sustain life on land.

Ocean is even important for economy. Most of the transportation of goods is done by ships with the use of sea routes. There are ports all over the world to facilitate this process. Even food is supplied by sea by way of fish, crabs, shrimps and lobsters. Catching them and processing has become an important industry for some countries in the world.

Vice President Kills Former US Secretary of the Treasury

"Sir, I challenge you to a duel!" While these words today are a joke, and at most would give you the opportunity to slap someone with a glove, not so long ago these words meant serious business. Since the dawn of time, men have always had the urge to show their male dominance. And what better way to accomplish this than by a potential deadly duel? But dueling could not be over a quibbling matter, no, dueling was reserved as a way to restore honor to one's name.

I just started reading Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, by Joseph E. Ellis, and the first chapter tells of the most famous duel in American history. In reading, I ran across a passage which informed the reader of the probability of injury. "But the inherent inaccuracy of a projectile emerging from a smoothbore barrel, plus the potent jerk required to release the cocked hammer, ignite the powder, and then send the ball toward its target, meant that in this duel, as in most duels of that time, neither party was likely to be hurt badly, if at all." (1) I also found numerous other sources that indicated the same notion. "The chance of dying in a pistol duel was relatively slim. Flintlocks often misfired. And even in the hands of an experienced shooter, accuracy was difficult." (2)

If this was such an ineffective way to duel, why even take part? I realize that the chance of dying is possible, but like all sources state, not likely. It almost amounts to dueling with billiard balls, which two Frenchmen did in 1843. (3) I am guessing that neither of these gentlemen died-well, not from billiards dueling anyway.

The Burr-Hamilton duel, which would become the most famous duel in America's history, took place on July 11, 1804. This duel, which took the life of Alexander Hamilton, would forever change the country's opinion on dueling. Dueling, just as slavery, was a nasty, customary element of the era. The custom of dueling started in medieval times and came to America, with the Pilgrims, on the Mayflower. Only one year after establishing a colony in Massachusetts, in 1621, Edward Doty and Edward Lester had a sword duel. The punishment for this "crime"?-the two men spent one hour with their ankles tied to their necks. I would say the punishment hardly fits the severity of the crime.

In researching this topic, I ran across several stories about the duel between Andrew Jackson and Charles Dickinson. This 1806 duel led to the death of Charles Dickinson and an injury resulting in a lifetime of pain for Andrew Jackson. Andrew Jackson-yes, Old Hickory himself-fought in many a duel, and was known to leave a few lifeless bodies in his wake. In the earlier referenced PBS.org source (2), there was a quote, "In the eyes of many, Jackson's behavior amounted to little more than murder." Not only had he killed a man in this duel but he also broke a rule, which by today's definition would label him as a cheater. This leads me to a question. Let's say that Republican Nominee for President, Mitt Romney, participated in a duel in his younger years. Would he be elected president? Would the press not make this issue the issue? I think so!

Interestingly enough, somehow this history of dueling turned into a political survey and not so much a history lesson. But I digress. As America became a civilized country dueling, like slavery, would be seen for what it truly was and like slavery be abolished