Beginner Piano Sheet Music - Man Vs Machine

Learning how to play the piano is often a challenge especially with people who have no prior experience.

The problem with piano playing lies on managing and understanding the concepts behind notes as well as on how a piano player would react to such notes.
Usually, most beginners would need to know how each key works, the use of sharps as well as the slur.
On top of that, there is also the problem regarding tempo or speed of the song. In order to learn the concepts and theories in music there are actually two ways, one of which is through the aid of a professional teacher.
There are millions of piano playing professionals out there and they are more than happy to teach students about the idea of playing a piano.

The only problem is that you pay each and every time you see them.

Though they can be expensive, they are effective nonetheless.
Your other option is through the use of beginner piano sheet music modules found on the web.
If a beginner has no prior experience in piano then they will have a hard time deciphering the notes and lines in a standard piano sheet.

There are schools that offer piano sheet training, but believe it or not, it takes longer to learn than with the programs that are out there today.
There are also special books that consist of some simple notes and letters, which are incorporated in each key.
This is also an option but the student would then need to invest even more time in order to learn anything. If the student has the capability to learn quickly then the easiest and fastest way to learn is from the piano sheet trainer found on the net.

Studying with a teacher is effective but it takes a long time to learn, and since schools require students to pay for sessions, this can be an expensive option.

For students with a small budget and no time to waste, the use of beginner piano sheet music training videos are the best alternatives.

Where Modern Mathematics and Academia Fails the Forward Progress of Mankind

There are many areas where academia fails us in the real world, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that. In fact, not long ago, I had contacted a mathematician PhD specializing in astronomy and cosmology equations.

We got to talking about Lagrange Points and how these important points might help humans in their future space explorations, and indeed, my interests are using these points for Space Stations, Space Hotels, Scientific Research, Refueling Depots, Asteroid Mining, etc.
My academic acquaintance told me that Lagrange Points don't have areas or shapes, because they are a point, and the definition of a point is not a shape or area.
Sure, that's true, but pretty irrelevant as to the question of how big are Lagrange Equilibrium areas, especially if we wish to put something there. Okay but, if the present day physics cannot explain the 'Fuzzy Boundaries' of a Lagrange equilibrium areas based on the gravity distribution, motion, and spin of the planetary bodies creating them, then the mathematics used in this area of science are inadequate. In which case, maybe we need to dump the 18th century concept of a "Lagrange Point" being a point, because that definition and description is inaccurate.

Even if the mathematic point happens to be the center of the equilibrium area, it's an inaccurate description because it would be bouncing around and moving constantly.

What is that motion, is it predictable, does it have a harmonic, does it repeat, and who knows what other questions we might come up with if and when we find out those answers? You see, if we do not ask such questions because of pompous academic adherence to an irrelevant use of terminology of days gone by, then we fail to push forward.

If we in this case refuse to consider such questions, due to such nonsense, then indeed, we too are irrelevant to the forward progression of mankind. See that point? I think we can do better than this - seriously, I think we are beyond such meaningless dribble and denial over definitions. Luckily, I am not an academic nor do I understand the vernacular, but I get the concept. Besides, I am not asking to change standard physics, rather I am looking for an upgrade - new thinking on the topic, with new mathematical equations.
Perhaps, my mistake was in thinking that academia really had all the answers, or might be able to come up with such.

If academia fails to accept the challenge, or care not to consider these questions - then maybe humans are wasting our time in trusting their knowledge.

There is no need to play a definitional war of terms, as an excuse not to answer such questions.
It's time to push forward, and if the current leadership of academia won't - we need to get new blood into the system.

Perhaps, why more of our top students should consider such a career, please think on this.

Love For Youth - Spending Time With Youth

Love = Time Sometimes we as youth leaders in our quest to "Save the World's Youth" may think that having fun and hanging out with youth may seem like a waste of time in the light of all the issues our youth have are dealing with: teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, smoking, poor academic performance, and the like. We forget that unless we spend time with youth, we will never get to really deal with the core issues at stake.

We may not understand what our youth might be going through at home or in school. Life is tough nowadays.
He or she might be experiencing a tense home situation or a stressful time with studies.
It is important to remember that fun, despite the connotation, is not trivial--for youth, having fun and sharing it with an adult carry great weight and a meaning.

It is more than a recreational outlet, a chance to "blow off steam," or an opportunity to play. Spending time having fun and hanging out is the best and simplest way to express your love and concern for them. And if you don't spend time with your youth, it won't matter how many times you tell them you care, they're not going to believe it--youth spell L-O-V-E as T-I-M-E.

Trust Takes Time They need to feel that they trust you and feel safe around you and building that kind of trust takes time.

One youth leader says it best, "To get kids to where they know that you really care and can be trusted, you just have to spend time with them and do things that they like to do.

" For the analytical among us, studies have shown that youth experience a growing sense of self-worth when an adult not only pays persistent, positive attention to them, but also willingly joins them in activities the youth describe as fun (parents among us, time to take notes).

As your youth come to see you as a friend, he or she is likely to be far more receptive to spending some of your time together in activities that are less obviously fun, such as working on school-related assignments or dealing with issues.

We encourage you to always, at every opportunity, to weave educational moments into the most "fun" activities.
This is the kind of learning that youth tend to enjoy and they often don't even realize that they are learning! Youth learn best when they aren't in class.

You will remember we said last time that more is caught than taught. For example, working out the amount for a tip together, bowling to teach addition (counting the pins and adding the scores), or talking about issues that come up while watching the news or a movie together.
Things to Do The particular activities can be almost anything. Here are a few suggestions: · Play games · Go to the movies and discuss what you see · Play catch · Hang out and talk · Find interesting information on the Internet · Watch TV and talk about what you see · Eat at a restaurant · Go bowling · Shoot some hoops · Go to a baseball or basketball game · Go to a museum · Read a book together · Get involved in a community service project · Write a story together · Create artwork together · Have a picnic · Fly a kite · Listen to music each of you enjoys · Shop for food and cook a meal · Walk around the mall · Play chess · Take photographs together · Spend time together "doing nothing" · Do homework (although only occasionally) · Go to a concert · Go to the library · Do gardening together · Do woodworking together · Talk about your first job · Give a tour of your current job · Take a walk in the park · Go bargain hunting · Play miniature golf · Talk about the future Voice and Choice Be sure that your youth play a part in deciding what activities you will do together. Giving them a voice and choice about activities will help to build your friendship.

Nothing builds a relationship like showing that your youth's ideas and opinions matter; it shows that you care about and respect them. It's going to also help your youth develop decision-making and negotiation skills. Youth don't ever want to feel like they're forced into doing something (look at how they view most teachers and parents for a clue). When you give them a choice, you come off more as a friend. Also, if you don't give them the choice, look at it this way, they might go along with it for a while but it'll get to a point when it's easier to get a rope through the eye of a needle than getting them to participate.
Although youth want to have freedom of choice, often times, they will agree to anything you suggest simply because (1) they don't want to impose - they're used to going along with what other adults tell them to do anyway; (2) decision-making is tough - part of decision making is taking responsibility for that decision and most youth don't want to deal with that; or (3) it's not easy to come up with ideas of things to do.

(Isn't leading youth filled with exciting challenges like that? We love it!) Here's what you can do: (i) Give them a range of choices; (ii) Brainstorm with your youth a list of activities that they want to do in the future and compile that into a list; (iii) Show them that their enjoyment is important to you - doesn't hurt to tell them that too; and (iv) Listen and observe - you can pick up much from the conversations with your youth about what they really enjoy doing. This is key. Key Learning Points: · Youth spell L-O-V-E as T-I-M-E · Give youth a voice and a choice · Listen and Observe

Bring Out The Wizard In Kids With A Harry Potter Quiz

Q. I think that Harry Potter provides an excellent learning opportunity for my kids.
How can I take advantage of his popularity to teach my children something? A.

You're on the right track here I think.
A Harry Potter quiz would be an outstanding vehicle to teach your children logic.
You don't necessarily have to focus on particular scenes from any of the books or movies, you can use a Harry Potter quiz as a foothold into a wider learning experience.
For example, you could devise a Harry Potter quiz that sets up a scenario where Harry Potter is faced with a problem that needs to be solved.

He can use 1/3 magic, 1/3 math, and 1/3 logic to solve the problem.
For example: You could create a Harry Potter quiz question that says: "Harry Potter is lost in the Forbidden Forrest. He has forgotten his magic wand and his spell book.

All he has is his watch, a telescope, and one spell that lets him understand what animals are saying but doesn't let them understand him.
Help Harry Potter get back to Hogwarts." Let me just say that I'm not sure that this particular Harry potter quiz question can even be answered.

It's your job to write the quiz, I'm only here to give you ideas. What you want to make sure is that you don't just go for the easy answer and create a Harry Potter trivia quiz.

That won't do anything for your goal of creating a Harry Potter quiz that will teach your children something.
Be creative and imaginative. The results of a well-crafted Harry Potter quiz will be magical if you do it right.

Proms and Graduation Celebrations Highlight the Dangers of Teens Drinking and Driving

With prom and graduation celebrations around the corner, now is the time to talk to and take action with teens about the dangers of drinking and driving.

These celebrations invariably involve drinking, increasing dramatically the likelihood of teen drivers behind the wheel. Adding fuel to the fire is the growing group of students with concerns about their next steps and their future in today's economy.

The combination of this transitional period in their lives along with the celebration of what they've accomplished likely will leave many teens in a careless mood and potentially in harms way. So what's a parent to do to navigate this slippery slope of a topic with their teen? Employ a two-step approach to prevent accidental death.

The first step is to use support materials followed by a "straight talk" discussion so the seeds are firmly planted in the teen's mind before tragedy strikes.
There are a few good films on the subject of teen drinking and many high schools stage a simulated accident around prom night to drive home the potentially horrific consequences to drinking and driving to their students. Parents should contact their school to find out what their child's school is doing, if anything on the subject.

If nothing, there are organizations parents can contact for support materials to show their teen, like MADD or SADD.

Parents can also form together with parents of their children's friends to put into place a plan to ensure none of the kids will be drinking and driving on prom or graduation night.
Parents can offer to car pool the kids to the events, hire a driver, chip in for a limo or cab or put into place another plan for transportation on these key nights.
Remember, teens feel invincible and very possibly will find themselves in a situation where either they will want to drive or their friends will, while drinking.

Head it off now but discussing it and putting a plan into place so they likely won't be in that situation.

Review contingencies like, for example if a friend that is drinking just wants to jump in the car for a quick trip to the store for more beer or cigarettes and what their teen should do in that situation.

Medical Billing Training - How Do I Know If Medical Billing is Right For Me?

If you've been thinking about getting medical billing training to become a medical billing specialist or enter the billing and/or coding field, you may be wondering if it's right for you. Here are a few tips on what you should think about before you get any training.
First of all you may not be familiar with what billers or specialists do.
The best way to find out what they do and if you would like the work is to visit a medical billing company or large medical clinic that keep the work in-house, and talk to the specialists there.
Find out if you can observe one of their workdays, even an hour would help. If not, talk to a specialist and find out what they like about their job and what are the pluses and minuses. What do they like most and least about their job.

This may not sound like the usual Internet advice but it's the best way to find out if you would like the work.

You don't want to spend your hard-earned money on training for a job or career you won't like. So make sure to find this out first.

Secondly, find out all you can about the training that's involved.
How long it will take, how much it will cost and can you actually afford to get the training needed, although you may be able to get financial assistance.
Medical billing training is offered in many colleges, vocational colleges and universities.

You can also get training online.
What you need to know first is what courses you need to take to fulfill the requirements. Some schools encourage you to sign up for more courses than you need, raising the cost of your training. So make sure to eliminate those courses that aren't absolutely necessary to bring your costs down.

Secondly, you may be able to get financing if you need it. Some federal government money is available for online courses.

If you take your courses through a community or vocational college, check with the financial aid counselor to see what funds are available.

Now while you're doing this checking you want to get ahold of the textbooks used and look them over to get an idea what you'll be learning to know if medical billing is right for you.
Or ask to take a look at the course material if it's online instead.

Find out all you can through the billing companies in your area and from looking through the text material in order to make a decision on whether it's right for you.
Specialists also take a national exam to get certification.

Just make sure you would be happy working in a medical biller job or a career before you go ahead. Doing so will save you a lot of time and money.
Medical billing training can be inexpensive or expensive depending on how you approach it.

Do plenty of research to make sure you're making the right decision.

Pull Don't Push: How NFC Smart Posters Will Affect Marketing

Good Poster Proximity Marketing: Adding value to Manufacturers by connecting with consumers wherever they are and whenever they want. NFC Smart Telephones and NFC Smart Posters are being launched into the modern technological world rapidly. Which means the way in which customers and advertisers work together with each other by means of advertising and marketing is taking a leap forward into the interactivity arena.

It is an thrilling growth that will supersede any previous challenges or limits with delivering loyalty schemes. The Clever "Pull" Versus the Submissive "Push" The idea behind the Sensible Poster initiative stems from the assumption that corporations and their Manufacturers are usually not fully utilising advertising ploys.

Enabling corporations with the expertise to have a client interactive promoting campaign will enable loyalty programmes that can immediately reward customers wherever they're located.
The buyer will have the capacity to "pull" information, giving the consumer more than a passive role as seen throughout the more conventional "pushing" advertising and marketing schemes. Seth Godin's Permission Primarily based Marketing deploys the "pull" scheme as part of his overall initiative.

By offering the buyer the chance to work together with the Brand of choice by using a NFC Sensible Phone near the NFC Tag embedded within an NFC Sensible Poster gives the consumer a more worth added experience with marketing. NFC Good Cellphone loyalty schemes are an exciting innovation.
Think about hundreds of thousands of customers having the capacity to obtain promotional advertising corresponding to discounts with out the need for hardcopy coupons discovered within magazines.

This may be achieved by having their NFC Sensible Telephone open an NFC coupon utilizing an NFC app which is then displayed on their NFC Smart Telephone screen.

With the coupon already downloaded into their NFC Good Telephone, customers then have the opportunity to visit the particular firm or website and profit instantly by utilizing their NFC Coupon utilizing the Near Field Communication app on their Sensible Phone. This distant know-how will permit the buyer and company to exchange info utilizing the NFC Smart Phone and the company's NFC Reader.

An NFC Sensible Telephone has the sensible utility of containing all of the consumer's coupons inside their phone. Which means the buyer can neglect about onerous copy vouchers, that are simply misplaced, and tap into the facility of electronic and efficient interaction. The NFC software additionally has the smart capability to tell the buyer that an offer is due to end.
As soon as the Proximity Marketing increases in availability, Smart Posters could have the facility to tell shoppers of offers as soon as a client walks previous one in all these Smart Posters or even remind shoppers ought to they be in close to proximity to the related store.

Traditional RFID Proximity Marketing utilizing Bluetooth Know-how is now taking a back seat to NFC because of the idea that "pushing" promoting campaigns were too intrusive on the general consumer.
Marketing pilots have proven the intrinsic worth to firms and is additional exemplified by a Harris Interactive survey. This survey has discovered that one-third of People who use these mobile marketing alerts are professional actively attuned to utilizing the stores that use these alerts. Moreover, 27 % of customers have acknowledged that these companies have helped to make their buying decisions.
As can be seen, NFC Sensible Phones have the capacity to affect shopper buying, sustaining loyalty schemes and enhancing Model recognition exponentially. It has also been established that communication between customers and Manufacturers will develop into extra efficient.
The Smart Poster Value Predictions Through the use of NFC Smart Phones, consumers are then open for retailers to improve communication by integrating Good Poster Web Primarily based Administration Software.
That is what one would call, Good Poster Value Adding.
Retailers have the opportunity to fully understand shopper wants and preferences by monitoring client "pulls". This knowledge will permit retailers to develop an extra natural supply of marketing by understanding the where, when and how of a consumer and its relationship with a specific Model with out being tied to geography.

The intelligence gathered by retailers will help mass marketing and shift the trend away from intrusive marketing ploys, leaving the consumer with emotions that they're those in control.
Retailers can use this intelligence in ways that had been by no means seen earlier than, they will be able to analyse and predict consumer developments which will in flip improve purchasing from their stores.

Proximity Marketing: social media and Smart Poster partners Incorporating social media with the revolutionary Smart Poster Proximity Marketing system is another helpful aspect of this advertising tool.

The "social listening tool" is an effective way to scan websites and perceive what customers are saying about specific Brands.
This data is then partnered with generalised consumer data in order to gauge shifting tendencies regarding products and services.

Leaping on board the social media area will enable companies the chance to make use of the data to their benefit.

With the ability to follow promotions, Sensible Poster Internet primarily based Management Software gives the retailer energy to attract up statistics that may present the retailer the 'where and when' of consumer downloading.

With the explosive recognition of networking sites, reminiscent of Fb, retailers can use these to watch how usually their products are mentioned.

With the ability to track and source, retailers will be capable of develop their products and Manufacturers extra effectively. (NFC) Near Field Communication apps NFC functions have the capability to deliver more than improved product marketing. They can help folks construct up a long-lasting relationship with retailers.

An example of this may be the Greatest Purchase app for the iPhone. This app helps consumers view consumer opinions on merchandise that they are interested in.

There are innovations available for Google's Android OS Gingerbread that powers NFC Good Phones, just like the NFC Samsung Nexus S.

The Android 2.

3.

3 has put in the new function of NFC (Near Field Communication) to success.
Google agreed that the Android 2.

three, launched in December, did not have the related technological capacity to accommodate NFC but with the latest model developers have a brand new set of API's which permit for a higher level of NFC standards.

What is a Tween?

One of the new phrases that is used to describe kids is "tweens".

The media and popular culture are starting to cater to this age range.

So, what is a tween? Here is the answer: It is an age range: A tween, also known as a tweenager, preteen, tweenie, and more is a person who is between the ages of 8 and 12. Those are the awkward years when they are still not a teenager, but are not a little kid either.

It is a stage:Being a tween is more than fitting into a specific age range, it is more about the awkward pre-puberty stage. It is a stage in life where they will be forming social bonds with friends, and starting to care more about what their peers think.

The Tween stage is the stage when independence from family starts to come out full force.
Kids in this stage usually want to grow up faster, and make their own decisions.
It is the stage where kids don't want to be "kids" they do not want to have to have an adult with them when they go out, and they want all of the privileges of being a teen, without any of the responsibility.
It is a desire: The tween stage is when the child wants to be more than a kid, and feels that they are ready to be "grown up". It is often when their basic adolescent identities are formed.
It is when they start to realize that the world is not all fun and games as they had suspected, and that they need to grow up a little to survive the cruel realities of life.
It is when they start to want things for themselves that extend beyond food and sleep, and basics.

It is a consumerism:Most tween age kids are suddenly more aware of appearances, and because of this, they tend to be more into brand consumption.
When they were a kid, they wanted clothes on because that was a requirement to go outside and play with their friends.
When they hit the tween stage, they tend to want brand named clothes and to fit in with their peers.
The main way to do this is through brands and music.
If you have a tween, know who they are, and the messages that the media are sending to them about who they should be, and what kind of actions are acceptable.

You may be surprised by the messages sent about relationships, how to treat parents, and the like.

Help your tween find their place in life so that they do not rebel or make poor decisions that will affect the rest of their life. Having a tween can be a lot of fun, and being a tween can be even more fun.
Just remember not to be in too big of a hurry to grow up, as being a kid has a lot of advantages.

A Look Into Best Buddies International and Audi of America

Best Buddies International is dedicated to helping people with intellectual disabilities through connecting them with employment opportunities and helping to establish one-to-one friendships. It's involvement includes more than 1,400 schools and college campuses worldwide.

Participants are also represented from all 50 United States.

Audi of America, a dealer of German-made luxury vehicles, has been a long supporter of the Best Buddies program. Together, they have put on charity events that help benefit many individuals.
One event was the charity bike ride that took in Hyannis Port in 2009. This event was called the Audi Best Buddies Challenge: Hyannis Port.
It is a bicycle ride that begins in Boston, Massachusetts and ends at Hyannis Port. The distance was roughly 100 miles.

For those who chose not to participate in the ride, they had the option to ride for 20 miles.

A third option was to participate in a 5k run or 3k walk. The event was a great success and the proceeds went to the Best Buddies International program.

Audi has made it their social responsibility to contribute to a philanthropic cause, which is why they decided to partner with Best Buddies. Audi believes that it is necessary to have a responsibility towards society as well as the environment and the world's natural resources. For this reason, the car manufacturer plans to reduce CO2 emissions by twenty percent by the end of 2012. Together, Best Buddies International and Audi of America have raised over 21 million US dollars.

100 percent of the funds went directly to the programs since Audi provided free underwriting services.

Lastly, Audi has implemented a job program that would allow people with intellectual disabilities to develop and grow in their career paths.

Train Online For an Education in the Government

Government employees bring to mind certain qualities and attributes which gain respect and admiration.

The sphere of government is wide with many different areas to think about all involving a career in public service.
Accredited online colleges offer numerous degrees involving government.

A prospective student will be able to choose from respected degrees in the many different avenues that will enable them to enter a career in federal, state, or local government. No matter what an individual's career goals are there will be some form of schooling for them. Government can be defined as a system that has authority over a political unit or community. Online education will prepare individuals for this type of work in a variety of ways.
With the occupational options for government being so vast a prospective student will have many career options.

A student will be able to choose a specific path of education that will prepare them for their selected career. Within this definition lie many options for schooling including: public administration military service non-profit management and more. Online training will make earning a degree in government faster and will put the learning process in the student's hands. Online training can focus on various aspects of government depending on the field of study.
Areas of study include: public policy political communication diplomacy and more.
Earning a political communication degree will have students learning about media and public relations. These subjects will be applied to teach students about creating and implementing laws.

Online degree programs and courses will give students a well-rounded education in the history of government and politics to adequately prepare them for governmental work. Many online schools offer programs for students to gain a bachelor's degree or master's degree. Students can further their education by obtaining a PhD in government that will allow them to become politicians, diplomats, and more. A bachelor of arts in political science is an option for students interested in government.

A degree program like this will teach students about politics and how they pertain to real world situations.

Many questions will be explored through the program. Questions like, is a democracy lead by a president through the legislative branch more effective than a prime minister leading the legislature? Is a multi-party system more practical than a two-party system? How can the government represent all groups of the population and push the phrase common citizenship? Students will learn the answers to these questions and more through the degree objectives while focusing on: political theory political parties political systems and interest groups.

A bachelor's degree like this will typically require a student to complete around 120 credit hours. The cost for a program like this could be approximately $250 per credit hour. Government training online is extremely beneficial for individuals who want to work with the public through some form of government.
Turn your goal of working within the government realm into a possibility.
Search online accredited schools that fit your passion and schedule.

Accreditation is proof that a quality education will be received.

Schools acquire full accreditation from agencies like the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (www.
acics.

org).

Online Education - Is it For You?

The type of classes you are looking at and the type of student you are has a great deal do with if an online college course will be hard for you.

These are important factors to remember when you are deciding if you will take an online course.

You must be are if you are prone to studying hard or are prone to slacking.

Self awareness is important in this decision.
Do not try and fool yourself.

There are other things to consider in deciding if a course you are considering would be difficult. Take a hard look at the area you are considering. Some areas of study are going to be harder than others. However, of you are motivated and focused you can weather just about any challenge.

You might choose something that seems above you like law or the medicine if you feel a great desire to succeed at these more challenging subjects. Anyone who has taken some courses in college knows that not all classes are equal in difficulty. Classes in one's major area of study are usually full of detailed instruction on techniques. They also entail learning essential formulas and facts.
Other have been termed fillers. Other courses are more for personal general interest and are sometimes called fillers. They may be interesting but are not as challenging.

Filler courses will be the easier of the two types to take online.
Traditional college courses include interaction with a professor that is just not part of the design of online courses. Some students just have a difficulty grasping this concept and can't handle it, while others excel in this setting.
If you feel you need in person instruction, then online courses probably are not for you.
They do not have traditional office hours and time after class to work with you.
In considering taking an online course, make sure you have done some research before taking the plunge.

Using Digital Cameras to Reinforce the Learning of Concepts Through Scavenger Hunts

Sending children out with digital cameras to find specific examples of a concept is an excellent way for the children to demonstrate understanding of a concept.
You might consider sending children out to photograph objects that are living and nonliving.

Be sure to give the students a paper for keeping track of what they've photographed.
When they are all finished, upload the photos to the computer.

Either print the photos and let each pair of students write an explanation for each photo, or just show them on a large screen and let each child or pair of students explain to the class how their photo illustrates living or non living.
You might also specify geometry concepts you want your students to find.
For younger students they may be looking for particular shapes such as circles, squares, rectangles and triangles.

Older students will be looking for geometric concepts such as intersecting lines, parallel lines, specific types of triangles, tessellations, congruent and similar shapes, etc. All of these items can be found around the school and schoolyard. Once the photos are taken, you may want the children to create a mini book with a photo and explanation of each geometric concept. Or maybe you'd like to create a class collage and so you would put the titles of the types of geometric concepts on a bulletin board and children sort and hang their photograph in the proper location. Another scavenger hunt idea is to have each child choose a letter from the alphabet (or a number) and then search around school or home for an object that begins with that letter or illustrates that number.
Take a picture of the object(s). As an addition, or a getting to know you idea, include the child in the photo so when it is labeled the child's name is included! Compile into a class book that can take turns going home with the students. The same type of scavenger hunt can be done for colors and shapes and compiled into a collage of your choice (whether electronic or paper.) Try a digital scavenger hunt for rhyming words. Put the two objects together and take one photograph, or take a photograph of each object and put the photos side by side.
Be sure to add the words! If you need more cameras for your class to use, try asking parents to donate their old cameras.
People are updating and getting new cameras much more often these days.

Just be sure to ask for them to donate the cord along with the camera! All of these activities are ways to engage children in their learning by using technology in a way that gets their attention and creates learners that are eager to start each school day.

Achievements in M-Learning

Among the most famous sorts of feedback are badges and accomplishments. These started out life within the Microsoft Xbox 360 through the 'Gamer Score', when gamers enhance their ranking by earning 'achievements' (so-called) for performing certain actions in videogames. Basically, you'd earn achievements for completing a level, or something similar.

Quite often, they have some numerical worth according to the perceived difficulty of performing the duty (100 points to save the world, 10 points for saving your puppy), nevertheless they may be as obscure or fanciful as game developers' chooses - in the videogame 'Saints Row 2', individuals get an achievement when their in-game avatar sings with the radio. Achievements are appealing since they have no normal value: they don't allow access to added content, or capabilities, or skills.

The truth is, they don't offer any solid benefit at all.

They're simply goals which arise to congratulate the player for something.
But far from being a straightforward record of feats reached, achievements influence how individuals play games, having the capacity to offer different and unusual objectives from that of the game. Consequently it's no surprise that achievements are now being implemented in the e-learning market, as part of the 'gamification' of learning. A paper from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute found that "by including game-like aspects just like the understanding of achievements into learning, students are more inclined to find learning to be a fun endeavor.
" On a basic level, successes can be in essence to any sort of graphical responses induced by fulfilling requirements: it can be a progress bar that fills up, or badges that show up on your account, in relation to targeted exercises or general advancement.

The one criterion is that there's some illustration of advancement - the users are able to see, by some arbitrary measure, they've made some type of progress.
In addition to being excellent for user determination, achievements can really help retain users.
Codecademy does something to this effect with the streak: users are encouraged to continue their streak, which includes a history of their greatest streak conspicuously shown on their profile, providing them encouragement to return to the content. These benefits of motivation and retention shouldn't be unnoticed when devising your mobile learning content: the growing capacities of mobile devices mean increasingly rich distractions a little finger tap away.
Retain individuals with achievements, and help keep them motivated when they feel they may be distracted.

Developing Third World Countries Through Science and Technology

Third world countries are considered to be the poorest countries on the globe.

They are the countries that rely mostly on international aid to meet with most of their needs for the sake of keeping the economies of the countries running.
The countries are faced with plenty of challenges as far as keeping up with the needs of their populations is concerned.

Without aid, it would be practically impossible for the countries to rise from their troubles and to make strides towards being developed and out of the third world country category.
When a country suffers, lots of its sectors suffer too and education is one of the sectors that suffer.
In the poor countries, it is a challenge for some children to go to school for lack of basic needs including food and school fees.
Even in areas that the education is offered for free, some of the locals will still be ignorant of the importance of getting their children educated.
The free education is a relief, but then for some it might lack the quality that it deserves to transform the children into meaningful individuals in the future. Remote areas in poor countries tend to suffer the most since even the funding extended does not reach them. You will therefore find that such areas remain poor and anguished for years on end.

Science and Technology solution A country can rise from the ashes of poverty through science and technology.

This is because the field leads to innovations and inventions as well as basic solutions to most issues faced by the countries.
A country that has well grounded education in science and technology can find solutions and make changes in terms of developments. This is a field that can change the status of a country from a country that once relied on aid and relief funds to a country that is independent and one that can actually contribute to the development of the world in general.
This makes it important for science and technology to be handled with the seriousness it deserves even in the remotest of areas on third world countries.

Considering that the countries might not be in a position to make it happen for the little growing minds in the remote schools, science and technology equipment donations can make a difference.
The equipment improves on the quality of education on a sector that can propel a country into success and growth.
Anybody and everybody offer a helping hand to the third world countries through non-profit organizations.
The organizations accept all kinds of donations from monetary to the equipment donations to deliver to the remote poor schools needing them the most.

The equipment vary from science, physics, chemistry to biology to improve on the education quality.
Computers and laptops also make to the list of most needed equipment for science and technology improvements.
You can choose to buy new equipment, donate your old equipment or give money to make it possible for the organizations buy what is needed.

Tutu Costumes

Do you have a daughter or loved one that enjoys being girly? If your loved one has a special day coming up that requires a beautiful outfit, a tutu is a wonderful, beautiful thing to wear for the event.

Tutu costumes are the ultimate way to make a girl feel beautiful inside and out.
Tutu's can be worn for Halloween, Parties or any other special activity that may arise.
If you have a special occasion coming up for your loved one, a tutu could be the key to making them feel like they are on top of the world for the entire night.
Halloween is a wonderful time for children to express themselves.

If a girl loves to dress up and wear their mommy's high heels around the house, they are sure to love Tutu Halloween Costumes.
These costumes can be found in virtually any color you may want and will look dazzling on any girl. When shopping online for a gorgeous tutu, you will also find many other accessories that can be worn with it. These added extras play up the look all the while brightening the face and heart of the special child who gets to wear it. Tutu's are the ultimate girly accessory that any young girl is guaranteed to fall in love with.
When you are young you have no worries, heartache or pain.

You play with your friends and enjoy the beauty in the simplest of things. Your parent's and friends are there to help you up when you get knocked down, and you go from day to day with a certain sense of carelessness.
Girl tutu's give many young ladies that same carefree feeling.

To some people dressing up for a special occasion is not just about looking beautiful or spending time with loved ones.

It is about actually feeling special. Sometimes something as simple as a beautiful outfit can a make a girl feel completely confident in herself. That is exactly what a tutu can do for a girl's ego.
Giving the gift of a tutu to your child can do more good then you truly know.

When you decide to purchase a tutu costume putting a little extra thought in the process can go such a long way.

Matching accessories will make any girl feel like a true princess and buying it in colors that you know your loved one adores will defiantly make them happy that you cared.

You are sure to be reminded by your child of the day that nothing could bring them down.
If you want to surprise someone with a tutu but you do not know what size to get you can always check online for size charts. This will help you to ensure that perfect fit, all the while making someone's dreams come true. Now that is really worth feeling good about!

Online Degree Costs - When Paying High Costs Can Make More Sense

Despite the advantages, many people still shy away from online degrees because of the supposed high cost, especially from certain colleges or universities. Yes, there are certain colleges and universities that charge far more for their online degrees than others.
But can the high cost be justified? This article looks closely at when paying a high cost for an online degree might make more sense than paying less. You see, it might be a fact that you will be able to get a college or university that charges far less for that online degree you have always wanted, but that shouldn't be the only consideration when looking for the right college or university.

What might be more important is to ask yourself - what's the degree-to-career ratio of this seemingly low-cost college or university as compared to another that might be much more expensive?! Many people just don't consider this but it can go a very long way in how determining much benefit you get from your online degree.
The degree-to-career ratio I am talking about here is how easy it is for graduates of certain colleges and universities to move quickly from degree to actually getting jobs in the career of their choice.
There are certain reputable colleges and universities that employers have come to trust over the years and always frequent them looking for the graduates to hire.
Lots of the graduates of these types of colleges and universities get jobs with very reputable companies immediately upon graduating.
This saves them the time and stress that other graduates spend looking for jobs after their degrees.
So, if you end up spending far more money getting your online degree from such reputable colleges or universities, it's eventually going to be "money well spent".
You are far more likely to get a better "return on your investment" than if you spent far less with a college or university with a low "degree-to-career" ratio. For those that got financial assistance for their online degrees, in terms of loans, it's easier to repay these loans if you get your degree from such colleges and universities with high degree-to-career ratio.

I know people who even had their loans repaid outright by the companies they ended up working with right after graduation.

This just might happen for you too if you get your online-degree from a college or university with very high degree-to-career ratio, than one with a low ratio.

Computer Animation Career Training Options Online

Completing an accredited educational training program for a career in computer animation can be done through an online school or college. You can prepare for the career of a lifetime by completing all required courses and studies in this exciting field.

Online training is available at various levels of education and can prepare you for to enter into the workforce. You can begin the path to a successful career in computer animation by completing all requirements for gaining an accredited degree. Associate Degree - Pursuing an accredited online associate level degree in computer animation can require you to complete two years of training.

Studies will help to prepare you for a variety of career by offering coursework that focuses on your desired career.

Training may include: Design Basics Creative Writing Marketing Raster Graphics Typography Web Design Drawing And much more.

Training in these areas will give you the skills to seek employment as a web designer, animator, and other professions. Accredited online associate degree programs will prepare you to seek employment or further your education.

Bachelor Degree - Obtaining an accredited online bachelor degree in computer animation can be done by completing four years of training. Coursework will cover a variety of subject to help you gain the skills you need.

Studies can include: Animation Theory 3D Animation Production Graphic Design Graphics Production Computer Animation Drawing and Rendering Computer Programming And many other related subjects.
Obtaining an accredited online education in these areas will prepare you for careers as multimedia specialists, storyboard animators, and more.
With a bachelor degree in this exciting field you can seek the employment you desire. Master Degree - When choosing to obtain a master level degree in computer animation, you can do so through online schools and colleges.

Studies will typically require an additional two years of training to complete.
You can learn a number of subjects that may include: Art Design Business Management Color Theory Film Editing Illustration Photography Sound Design and Editing And many other relevant topics of study.

Gaining knowledge in these subjects will help to prepare you for work in a variety of professions including layout artist, 2D animator, storyboard artist, and other computer animation related professions.
You can seek the employment you long for with an education in this exciting field.

Accredited educational career training can be obtained at various levels, allowing you to seek out the career of your dreams.
Online schools and colleges that carry full accreditation are able to provide the quality education you need and deserve.
Agencies like the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation (nasad.

arts-accredit.org) are approved to fully accredit programs that meet all requirements.

You can begin by researching programs of interest and requesting more information about the computer animation career training programs of your choice. Begin your desired career path by enrolling online today.
DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.
org.

Copyright 2010 - All rights reserved by PETAP.
org.

Online College Degree Real Estate Management Options

Need to get an online college degree in real estate? Chances are you've looked online, which is the obvious place to start.
However, finding good online college degree real estate management courses can be a bit tougher than expected, at least if you want to get good quality courses.

That said, there's no better time to invest in these programs because of the volatile economic conditions faced by people all over the world, and especially in the US. To find good management programs, you should start by setting aside some time to do thorough research. Start with the basics; look for programs by price, reputation, and of course actual class offerings. Look for user reviews and testimonials about the college programs.
Online course research isn't that different from comparison shopping for a particular item; you need to know what people think about it, and just how much value it's going to deliver.

In this day and age, it's easier than ever to get qualified for your field of choice, and many people are opting for more practical degrees such as the real estate and law fields because they provide real, lucrative careers. Vocational degrees are also quite popular because of the economic crisis faced by many countries.
Consider real estate courses an investment in your future and your career, rather than simply a self enrichment program.

Finally when you do your research, you should look for a phone number or email address of your decided online program. By talking to a live representative of the institution, you will get a better idea of exactly what kind of offerings are available and how much time you have to complete them. You can ask questions like how long the college has been around, what to do if you need help, the qualifications held by the instructors, etc.
It is always a good idea to talk to a live individual from the college to make sure they are legitimate and that you can get fast help whenever you have questions or problems. These are definitely some of the main considerations to think about when looking for online real estate programs.
You should think about the time allowed by each institution, how good their customer service is, and what type of reviews they have. If the reviews are mostly positive, you can sign up for courses from that university and feel good about your selection - especially if they have some sort of money back guarantee or refund policy if you aren't satisfied with the courses themselves.

Learning Management System Basics

A Learning Management System (LMS) can provide tremendous benefits both for the training department and for the organization in general.
There are numerous choices for LMS providers, as well as functionalities, so an LMS implementation project can become quite confusing. Just what are the LMS basics and how can a system help your organization? To start with, let's discuss what an LMS really is.
In basic terms, the LMS is a system that helps you deliver and manage training in numerous formats.

One of the first misconceptions about an LMS is that it is used solely for the delivery of online courses.
While this is an important component, it is not the only reason to use an LMS.
The LMS consists of a few separate parts.
First, the management system consists of the tracking and reporting of the organization and individual learning activities.

Second, the content authoring system (or LCMS) allows the training department to create and or upload its own in-house or purchased learning content and courses, and the third part is the content and courses themselves.
Why would an organization need an LMS? The tracking feature of most LMS systems is worthwhile in itself.

Individuals, their managers, and organizational management can track who has completed what courses for advancement, certifications, compliance, and even human resources concerns.

Plus, the record, if backed up properly, will always exist. The LMS tracking can also assist in measurement of training effectiveness by managing evaluations, course completions, and course attendance - this is a tremendous benefit that renders manual tracking obsolete.
The LMS content delivery system can deliver training to diverse populations in any Inter- or Intranet accessible location and can even serve as a knowledge repository for policies, procedures, and quick reference guides.
The LMS can serve as an "educational counselor" for individual associates, keeping track of their career path and showing them what courses they need to complete in order to move to the next career level. Along those lines, managers can coach employee development using the information from the LMS.
For example, if an employee wants to advance or has specific issues in specific subject areas, the manager can locate appropriate training courses or content and put them in the employee's learning plan. The manager can also pull transcripts to make sure that learning has been a part of the employee's development, especially when performance evaluation time arrives.
The easiest functions for employees include looking up classroom courses, registering for them, and setting reminders to attend. Training content is also not limited to employees.
Some organizations use their LMS to deliver content to multiple locations as well as partners, clients, and vendors. Access to content is dependent on a pre-assigned security level, so keeping people in the correct subject areas is relatively simple.

There are some potential opportunities to be found with an LMS. Some "vanilla" systems may require extensive customization to suit each organization.
When choosing an LMS, it is absolutely necessary to analyze your organization's business and determine what functions you really need. Customizations can become quite expensive. In addition, choosing a course library is also a potential opportunity.

There are many choices out there, from general to specific, so it's again important to determine what types of content your organization needs before purchasing a library.

Along with course libraries comes the ability to create or upload in-house content.

Be sure to look at the options for this before selecting a system.

Some LMS providers have highly functional content management systems that would allow content designers, instructors, or even subject matter experts to create content that is branded and suitable for immediate delivery. Other systems may require that a graphics designer create the course in a format that is compatible to the LMS and upload it, which creates an extra step between content design and deployment.
But along with potential opportunity comes tremendous benefit to the organization.

First, automated tracking and delivery creates efficiency, cost savings, and better reporting.
This tracking also makes it easy to cover compliance related bases or to prove that employees received a certain type of training.
The self-management features of the LMS, such as career paths and transcripts, can create upward mobility for the employee population as well as higher retention for the organization. Many LMS providers offer a "testing engine" which allows for all testing to occur online, whether the employee attended class online or in a classroom.

And some LMS providers even offer the ability for online course participants to collaborate virtually, another great way to engage learners and encourage them to network with their peers across the organization.

Now that you have an idea of the Learning Management System basics, you can select providers that best suit your organization's needs - and lessen the fear of ultimately making a choice.

Teaching Teens the Value of Money

It isn't easy raising teens in today's materialistic society. The older they get, the more expensive the things they want or think they need.
If they don't learn how to manage their money at a young age, they won't be able to make it in the real world. We've tried to teach our teenage daughter from a young age that money and the things that money can buy can't bring you happiness, but that is no easy task.

Especially when her parents aren't perfect role models.
We have picked up some tips along the way, however, that have given our daughter a better appreciation for money and how to manage her own spending habits.
* We gave her a small allowance until she was old enough to get a part time job, and then the allowance went away. When she was getting an allowance, it wasn't enough to buy most things she wanted.

She had to decide what she wanted to spend her money on and save to get it.

* I helped her open her own checking account when she turned 16, and taught her how to balance her checkbook every month. * We encourage her to think of others, and not only herself.
She decided on her own to set aside a portion of her income (tithe) to sponsor a child from the Dominican Republic. That experience has been very rewarding for her and she enjoys writing her own check out for it every month and receiving letters from her child.
* I buy our daughter several outfits when school starts, and then a few things here and there throughout the school year. Anything extra or too expensive she buys herself if she really wants it.

* Our daughter has learned to love a great bargain. She often shops at yard sales and thrift stores to save money.

* We told our daughter we would buy her an inexpensive car for her 16th birthday, but she would have to pay for gas and insurance.

This was a difficult adjustment at first, but has taught her to budget her monthly income.

* She provides her own entertainment.

I'll take her out to the movies or out to lunch, but if she wants to go with her friends, she pays.

It's surprising how often she decides not to spend the money.
We don't expect our daughter to pay for all of her own expenses.
We pay for a cell phone for her in case her car breaks down or she needs to let us know where she is.
The point is not to make your teen 100% independent quite yet, but they should be close to being able to take care of themselves at this age and manage their own money.

Our daughter has been learning how to manage her finances from a young age and I feel confident she will successfully manage her money on her own.

How to Prepare Yourself For the AP Calculus Test

The AP test season is a very strenuous time in a high school student's life.
Taking the AP test will get students out of having to take GE (general education) classes in college, but it requires much time and effort to be able to take the AP test, let alone pass the class for it.

So to aid you in passing the AP test, here are some methods you can use while taking the AP test to at least improve your score to some degree. 1) Just like the SAT's, start studying to take the test from the beginning of the year. Whatever you learn in class that day, make sure to master that skill within that week so that you can keep up with the continuous barrage of information that the teachers give you.

2) Buy books for the subjects you are going to take.

If you think that the teacher's methods just aren't working for you, go out and buy study books so that you can self study at your home.
For example, i personally used Barron's simply because it had the most similar questions compared to the AP test.
3) Time yourself with practice tests so that you are accustomed to the AP test. For the multiple choice sections, practice dividing the questions to which is the easiest to which is the hardest.

The main problem with the free response sections are that kids run out of time, so practice that.
Give yourself an average of 15 minutes for each problem. If you follow these steps, I can not guarantee that it will improve your grade, but it will improve the success rate of you achieving either a 3, 4, or a 5 to pass the AP test.

Animal Adoption For Kids

Animal adoption for kids is an important topic and this article focuses on what to expect when you plan to adopt a pet for your kids.

Many pets especially dogs and cats are being abandoned for a number of reasons that may include: inability to afford pet care costs; allergies; inadequate facilities; landlord issues and lack of time to care for the pet(s).
When you are considering animal adoption for kids you need to be aware that it is a very serious matter.

You are taking an animal out of the shelter to provide a stable home and lots of love to that animal, and it is important that your kids have time for their new pet.
Read on to find out what will be expected of you when you approach the pet shelter or rescue group to adopt a pet. The shelter or rescue agency will ask you several questions to ensure that you can provide a long term, stable home for the animal, and to ensure the right match between pet and adopted family.

You will in all probability be required to fill out an application form and provide information that includes, complete contact information; type of housing you inhabit, rental or ownership; number and ages of children in your family; number and type of existing pets if any; previous experience with pets and lifestyle and expectations from the pet.
Be prepared to answer all of the questions asked in a frank manner because every agency has its own rules and regulations.

When planning on animal adoption for kids it is well worth the time you invest in considering your family size and the home size; facilities for housing a pet; the kind of pet you would like to home - big or small, hyper active or regular level of activity; what sort of pet - dog, cat, rabbit, etc.

It is a good idea for the entire family to sit down and discuss the adoption process; you can always get a wealth of information of the internet.
As a family decide on the type of pet and the handling of responsibilities of looking after the animal. You children need to clearly understand that you are adopting a pet for them and looking after the animal will be their responsibility. Do not hesitate to ask questions, the usual tendency is to go with the cute factor and adopt a puppy; now bear in mind that a puppy will need to be house trained and can be very chewy indeed. Furthermore, you will need to consider your preparedness in terms of handling an overgrown mutt when the cute puppy grows.

The above is just an example but it is well worth the effort of doing your research thoroughly when considering animal adoption for kids.

Learning and Enjoying Online Education

Going back to college and convincing yourself to pursue a college degree or master's degree is very complicated.
It is time-consuming and somehow an impossible plan to achieve.

However with the help of the technology and internet, top universities and schools have accredited programs offering online degree courses whether bachelor's degree, master's degree or doctorate degree. It gives you the possibilities and convenient ways of learning. These programs are open to those professionals and the aspiring professionals to enhance and pursue their dreams and goals to their chosen careers or fields of expertise.

Studies and surveys conducted to high learning universities and professional organizations revealed that education offered by the online degree schools give wide benefits, opportunities and challenges to their students considering its high technology environment.
These schools and universities make sure that they give quality education, develop their students in to competent professionals as well as maintaining the high performance of their reputation.
Internet has been contributing a significant new functionality in learning and in transmitting information to the learners or students with a clear mode of information exchange.
Online degree schools offering online education has the information and opportunities that will give you a better future and career that will really change your life and your desires.

In this modern generation, where online education is continuing to grow, it gives you an easier view and mode in giving the quality of education that you deserve.

You are also given the chance to specialize in your own field without putting yourself into problems. With these online degree schools posted on the internet, you can now select and the level that you want so that you can start fulfilling your dreams or enhancing your profession.
You do not have to wait any longer and weighing up the hindrances to your wants. All you need is to browse and click on the internet and then the best will be offered to you at ease and at your convenience. The benefits and opportunities given by online learning are in several ways and modes with guaranteed satisfaction and comfort. It enhances your student-teacher and student-student relationship with regards to communication and assessment schemes.
Students are trained well on how to manage their time and priorities because of their scheduled classes and sessions.

These will get you very independent on how to make strategies to accomplish your tasks and requirements through different personal learning and working styles. It will not be difficult on your part with regards to requirements and researches since you have an unlimited time, scope and access for your needed course materials and files. Through these programs, you can now search for information that you need and at the same time it will minimize much of your time and money.
You should be wise enough in choosing your online degree schools.
You should first conduct a massive research on different universities and schools before making any decisions. You should be very particular in terms of their scholastic backgrounds. You should only choose the schools that are already accredited by several organizations.

What Is a Deep Cycle Battery?

We are living in a day and age where some people have still never heard the term, deep cycle battery, despite the increasing awareness on working towards an eco friendly world.
If you own or operate a golf cart or a boat however, you likely have at least heard the term before.
They are commonly used in a wide range of devices today, however they are being used more and more often as the world becomes more eco friendly.
trojan batteries are perhaps among the most common brand of them, so if you hear the term trojan battery or Trojan batteries, know they are often the same thing. There are many different Trojan battery types however, some of them are deep cycle batteries.

But what is a deep cycle battery? If you are a new RV owner or boat owner you will definitely want to learn more about these.

These are commonly used on larger vehicles as they allow for the operation of heavy machinery that would need an extended load period.
A Trojan battery that is a deep cycle battery would be a lead acid battery that offers a time release nature in its energy release, which contrasts significantly from a standard battery that offers a quick burst or energy discharge in a kick start way. To understand deep cycle Trojan batteries you also need to know that there are different kinds of batteries, in much the same way you have different types of batteries for smaller electronic devices.
A camera battery will be one kind of battery for example, while a remote control may require a smaller sized battery. The same concept applies to the Trojan battery lineup, as each different deep cycle battery will have a different application for it to be used.
Deep cycle batteries are meant to last a long time, because their very function is extended load use.
Each battery type will last a different length of time.
An RV deep cycle battery might last as long as 8 years or more, and a boat battery may only last 5 or 6 years.

Although with good maintenance, deep cycle batteries can last a very long time.

If you are buying that for a boat or RV, or something you wish to travel great distances in, you may also want to buy a Trojan battery that is a backup energy source. The last thing you need is to be stranded somewhere with no battery power, and a backup power source is always good to have, even though you hope to never have to use it. Today, they are being used more and more frequently to operate solar powered devices.
They are used in windmills and a wide range of solar powered devices as the world becomes more eco friendly.
If you are looking at installing solar powered devices at your home or business, you may also need them and backup power supplies. As they are expected to become used more and more frequently in the future, you will find that buying your batteries online will save you a lot of money over paying retail price in a brick and mortar equipment and parts store.

Getting Good Kids Party Ideas

Everyone knows that kids and parties are like ice cream and cake.
They go together well! Kids, especially younger munchkins, love the idea of a bunch of their friends, kid-friendly food, games, movies, candy, cake and ice cream.
If it's a birthday party, so much the better. It can be challenging to organize a really fun time.
To get you going on some good kids party ideas, just step into your child's shoes and see the world they way they do. Children can stare at a flower for the longest time without becoming bored. Nature is new and fascinating. Watching a butterfly or inspecting a caterpillar is magical and humorous by turn.

No wonder Disneyland is so popular! To a child, it's like having their favorite cartoons suddenly come to life.
Fantasy sparks the imagination, leaving that boring plate of liver and vegetables followed by some homework far, far away. Here are some kids party ideas, some old, some new, but all sure to be a hit.

Party days call for party food, with kids favorites aplenty.
Indulging them with their favorites won't hurt for just one day. Your grocery list might shock a nutritionist, but lighten up for today. You know what they like.
Chips, hot dogs, pizza, soda, cake and ice cream.
Most of these are preferred finger foods for kids, although a colorful plastic fork might be offered for the cake. Cones turn ice cream into finger food. For some, it's the entertainment portion of kids party ideas that leave them stumped.
Some parents panic at the thought of a houseful of kids left to their own devices.

What's needed are some games and activities to keep them happily occupied with what they think of as fun. If your party will be held indoors, offer a choice of things to do. Have one adult in charge of balloons, (get the animal-shaped ones).

Kids will flock to this like the Pied Piper had showed up.
In a separate area, set up pillow seating in front of a VCR with a Disney favorite.
Card games like Fish and Old Maid have been around forever, but haven't lost their appeal, and are new to them.

A game of darts can be another entertainment center.

Face painting is another kids party ideas [sure to garner eager participants.

Kids party ideas for outdoor parties might include ping pong, trampoline jumping or wading pools.
Pinatas are another hit.
Having a number of activities allows kids to pick their fun.
If you really want to create a sensation, consider organizing a trip to a theme park.

This is the Big Mama of kids party ideas! At the end of the day, the kids will be just as exhausted as you. As you fall asleep on the couch, know that you'll be the favorite party host on the block, and in their dreams.

A Trick You Can Do If You Keep Forgetting Your Computer Password

Like many things in life, a little thinking ahead goes a long way. Have you arranged a spare key for your house with someone you trust, who lives nearby? The day you go out to get the mail or put the trash out - and hear that totally wrong sound. The front door drifting shut behind you. Right about the same time your brain is screaming at you that your keys are inside the house. That door has such a smug way of clicking shut.
It's like it's looking at you with raised eyebrows as if to say "So what are you going to do now?" That's the day you catch your heart beat, stop a moment and say - Its OK! I'll just pop round and pick up the spare key and let myself back in. Then you can feel very smug at your genius foresight for thinking ahead and arranging that spare key for yourself.

Didn't need to pay for a locksmith.
Why not the same for your computer? Your password is like your front door key. Ever had one of those "off" days when your password just dissolves into the ether in your head? You think you know it but it just isn't working and the more you try the more panicky you get - the worse it gets.

It doesn't have to be that way. A little planning and all the stress of the moment never need happen.
In any of Windows Vista, XP or Windows 7 you can create a password reset disk. If your computer still has a floppy disk drive, you can use that if you want.

Otherwise, you can use a USB flash drive or even an SD memory card (if your computer has a port for those cards). It doesn't need to be big. It could be a really old one that you don't use any more because it is only - say - 4M capacity.

You don't even need one that big.
Here's the genius trick to it.

Do this ahead of time when you have a working password - preferably for an administrator account: Plug in your usb flash drive or SD memory card etc.

Go to Control Panel > User Accounts and Family Safety > User Accounts > Create a password reset disk (in left hand side navigation bar) Follow the instructions to create the disk.

Remove the disk and store it in a safe place (perhaps a combination safe or sealed envelope in the bottom of a filing cabinet etc.).

Perhaps if you're having a bad memory day the combination safe might not be such a good idea - as you need to remember the combination.

Job done - and you didn't need to buy anything or download anything (assuming you didn't pay for a new flash drive).

It will probably take about 5 minutes (max) to do this.

Probably less. Time well spent when you need that disk.

The disk will work as long as it is used on the computer it was created on for the account it was created for. If you have more than one computer you will need as many disks as you have computers. Anyone can use it so keep it secure.

The day you need it you can get it out and plug it into your machine.
When your manual password attempt has failed simply: Plug the reset disk into the same port as was used to create it.
Click on the "Reset Password" link below the login password field. Select the correct location for the disk.

Follow the instructions to create a new password. Pat yourself on the back and credit yourself with having the genius to have made that reset disk beforehand and saved yourself loads of grief and stress - for free.

Perfect Hints In Buying Electronic Sudoku Games

Sudoku now is very popular among a lot of people, especially gamers.

This game is very interesting related with the great challenge in using your logic in filling numbers into the correct orders.
Usually, a lot of people buy books of Sudoku games collection to play it.

Nowadays, you can also find game collection in electronic version that is offered in hand held design. Therefore, you will not bother to bring your pen and book anywhere to play this game. In order to get the most appropriate electronic Sudoku game for you, it will be better for you to consider these several important things.
Those things will be very useful to help you get higher pleasure and fun in playing the game.

Are you ready? Here they are.

First, you need to determine the type of batteries that you need to play this game. Choosing electronic game with batteries will be much recommended since you can find the replacements anywhere.
Simply visit some convenience stores and you will get a lot of types of battery that matches your device well. Second, you need to consider the size of the game.

If you plan to bring this game during your mobile activity, choosing a product in smaller size will be recommended.

However, products in smaller model might come in smaller monitor, buttons, or touch pads.

It means, you might find some difficulty in seeing the image or pressing the button. Third, you have to decide whether you are going to choose a product that should be operated with its pen-like tool or simply choose a product that could be operated though its touch pad.
You can also choose a product with button to choose and place the number into it right grid.
You may take longer time to finish a game when you are using a product with buttons, However, products with pen-like tool also has great risk of misplaced.

Now you are ready to choose your most appropriate electronic Sudoku game. Get a certain product that matches your considerations well so you can enjoy your time to play this interesting game.

Tips in Finding Affordable Online Education

Virtual universities are comparable with the normal colleges and universities in all aspects, including the fact that there are some that offer affordable online education rates while some have very expensive fees.
Thus, one has to be equipped with the proper resources and knowledge in order to find the most affordable online education that one can avail of.

This may take some time to figure out, and several search results to study and deal with, but once you have identified the best choice, all the effort you have put into the search will definitely be well worth it. The field of study or course that one wants to take is one of the major considerations in looking for an affordable online education program.

Courses that are in demand will have a tendency to charge higher rates compared to other courses. However, there is also a possibility that people are not choosing the low demand courses because it is difficult to find a job that is related to that particular course.
Thus, in searching for affordable online education programs, one needs to have a list of possible courses to choose from, and identify which among the list can present higher chances of getting a better job in the future.
Once the specific course or field of study is identified, the next thing that one should consider is the rates that each university or college charges. One can refer to the rates being offered by community colleges in order to find affordable online education schools and universities.
There are several websites that compile a list of the rates of different schools based on a specific course or degree.

It is also important to note that the price per unit is not enough to say that a university is offering affordable online education.

One also has to take the time to look at miscellaneous or other fees that need to be paid in order to enroll for a specific course. Finding affordable online education programs may seem to be an endless process, but one needs to have enough patience and determination in order to get not just the cheapest rates, but also be able to get the most value out of his money.
It can be easy to find an affordable online education program, but without adequate knowledge and research, one may end up paying for something that will not be useful in the future, or something that just looks affordable, but turns out to be very expensive because of the hidden charges. Thus, one has to be able to pick the best and most affordable deal out of hundreds of schools and courses to choose from.

Top Benefits of Hiring a Nanny

Finding a responsible person to take proper care of your children is an important task.
Throughout history those with wealth and influence had others to nurse and take care of their kids.
Working outside of the house or at home sometimes requires dependable childcare.
It is common to feel that more loving care is required above what the neighborhood daycare has to offer.

Here are some benefits of hiring a nanny.

Back Ground Screening Employers of all sizes take a serious look at whom they are hiring.
Employees often have access to millions of dollars of merchandise or information.
The application and screening process does take up some company resources and a small time investment. Paying for back ground screening helps to weed out individuals that may have specific types of criminal background history or questionable red flags in their history.

Nanny Services Many nannies have several talents to add more to the development of your children.

Some nannies are multilingual and can give short lessons on language.

Homework help can be done by those who are educated at the university, or those whom have a natural gift in specific areas. Many parents want time spent away from family members to be spent being productive or having scheduled activities and planned fun.

Nanny Housekeeper Light housekeeping duties can be done by a nanny.
Washing and folding a load of clothes, doing the dishes, vacuuming, taking out the trash, and cleansing the restrooms can take up several hours of time each week. Having the nanny help with these tasks can free up hours of time to earn more income or get other tasks done.

Examples of tasks that are completed faster when there are no children around include; grocery purchases, meetings, physicians appointments, exercising, and even an occasional day at the health spa.
Obtaining help with taking care of the children can help give you peace of mind while working.

Using nanny services is a great way to leverage time and keep the children in a familiar safe environment.

Jigsaw Puzzle - For Kids Only?

Jigsaw puzzles are problems in tiles that require assembling several small pieces into unusual shapes.
This specifically involves putting the pieces together to form a picture.

Each small part has a part of a picture that forms the puzzle to form a picture. These images portray scenes of buildings, animals, nature and others. These puzzles that are made primarily on cardboard become more advanced nowadays.

They show optical illustrations.
These puzzles were made to enhance the brain capacity for thinking and memory. It has increasing levels of difficulty that gives a child confidence to solve more challenging ones.
However, these puzzles are not only available for kids. Considering the levels of difficulty that is made available, these can be also for teen and adult.
The numbers of pieces that are present varied depending on the cluster of ages.

The most typical number of puzzles is from 300 pieces, 750 pieces, and 1000 pieces.
However, commercial puzzles have 24000 pieces.
There are also puzzles that are double sided.

This means that they can also be solved in dual sides.

Therefore, it adds complexity to the puzzle because it sometimes gives confusion to the player to which side is which. Nowadays, there are also computer versions of jigsaw puzzles as there are also two dimensional and three dimensional puzzles such as a puzzle globe. This computer jigsaw puzzle has the advantages of no risk of losing any pieces.
Considerably, it is easier than a physical jigsaw puzzle with the same number of pieces available.

In solving the puzzles, there are also some tactics that can be performed.
The most common approach is to start building a puzzle by separating the inside pieces from the edges.
This makes it easier to move inward.

Some people also use the picture pattern in solving the puzzle.

Another thing that could be possible done is to sort out the pieces by color and work on each at a time.
However, the large puzzles have a symmetrical and repetitive pattern. It is possible to identify the presence of these symmetries by the process of completing the edge frame.

When it is identified, it will be possible to use already solved parts of the puzzle to identify the exact shapes of pieces required to complete other sections.

There are puzzles also that can be played online for past time.
Also, playing puzzles can be a source of early education for kids.
It is a substitute for some toys that can be possibly made as a hobby. It will provide not just the kids some entertainment but also to teens and adults some mental exercise.

3 Tips on How to Earn High School Diploma From Top Online Schools

Nowadays, there are many online education providers who offer online high school diploma programs for working adults in United States.

Some schools are accredited by the United States Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and they are genuine. However, some are not recognized at all by the employers in the job market. Hence, choosing the right online school is important because you need to make sure that you are able to obtain a recognized diploma from the particular school.
Being the high school dropout, it is actually important for you to consider taking up a diploma course to upgrade yourself. Without a diploma qualification, you will have lesser job options and it is hard for you to obtain a well-paying job.

On the other hand, being a diploma holder, your employability in the job market will be increased.

When you are in the midst of searching for an online school, you are advised to be smart.

You need to be careful in your selection. You must make sure that you really can acquire new knowledge and skills from the school.

If not, it is just wasting your time and money to enroll in a diploma program.

Let me share with you some useful tips on how to obtain your high school diploma from the top online schools.
First thing first, you are advised to short list a few regionally accredited online colleges.

If you have no idea which to choose, you are recommended to look for the United States Department of Education for help.
Go to the official website to get the database of the colleges and universities.
Check the detailed information related to the education providers by browsing through their websites one by one. After you have chosen your school, you should then proceed to find out the entry requirements set by the school.
Some schools are very lenient.

They only need the applicants to write an essay about themselves and the main reason to pursue a diploma program. Some online schools require their applicants to go through an entrance assessment. There are also schools which require the applicants to provide their SAT/AP scores.

Seriously speaking, in order to enter into the reputable schools, it will be good if you can get your current employer to write a letter of recommendation for you. It will increase your chances to graduate from a famous school.
It is important for you to make sure that you fulfill the requirements set before you proceed to apply for admission.
Besides that, you need to find out whether you can afford to pay for the course fees as well as the tutorial fees. If your budget is limited, you are advised to find out whether the school offers any financial aid or scholarship for students in need.

If you don't fulfill the requirements set for financial assistance, you should take fast action to apply for study loan.

Looking forward to becoming the graduate from a reputable online school? You are advised to follow the tips stated above.
Wish you all the best!

Tips to Teach Your Teens About Budgeting and Survival

Bad credit and bills can come upon you quickly.
As a teen just entering the "Real World," they can get behind quickly if not given the proper tools.

They will spend years of their life behind before they ever got started.

This type of tragedy can be prevented early.
With some simple steps you can help your young teen prepare them for the "Real World," and be on their way to success.
Now is the time to teach budgeting to your teens. When I was in school I was given a course on budgeting, shopping, and tricks to survival.
My father used to rave about how this course changed my perspective on money and life.

With budgets of schools decreasing this type of class was no longer offered, but in today's society it is so incredibly important for our teens to not fall victim to poor spending habits. Teaching our kids now will make them independent and less likely to have to rely on others for money in later years. It is these lessons that have kept my credit good over the years and the honor of buying my own home at 22 years old.

It doesn't take much to show them and to give them the direction they need to succeed.
With these tips you are sure to aid your teens in becoming successful adults. Some things to work on are: Grocery shopping and how to shop for food the right way. This will prevent them from needing fast food and eating out a lot.

Cooking simple and easy meals they can freeze or reheat later on.

This will keep their foods stocked and they can learn to stretch food out over many meals.
Simple budgeting and checkbook balancing.

You can get a teen a checking account and work with them on keeping this balanced and teaching them good habits from the beginning. Organization of their bills, needs, wants, and money coming in.

Something as simple as writing out a plan they can follow can go a long way.

As a parent this accomplishes a few things in my life. I am teaching my child to be responsible with her money and situation, as well as by her taking on some of these rolls to learn I am free to do a few other items.

This saves me time as they are learning to contribute to society. Give your teens the best gift you can give by teaching them simple budgeting skills, money savings tips, and cooking tips.

Allowing Children to Take Risks = Resilient, Confident Kids

Allow and support your child to take reasonable risks. Keeping your child safe is one of the most important parts of being a parent.

We are compelled, and rightly so, to stop or prevent situations that threaten our child's safety and well-being. But when we do intervene on behalf of children's safety, we can do it with the understanding that life has many challenges and risks, and children deserve experiences and tools to learn to assess the risk and negotiate on their own.
The saying, 'with few risks there are few rewards' is true for children as well. Learning involves risk. Relationships involve risk. Feeling competent and confident in the world requires meeting a challenge and working to overcome it. When children are involved in a situation we think is too risky or dangerous, rather than just stopping them we can offer alternatives that keep them safe while preserving opportunities for them to develop to their fullest potential.

This requires that we pay attention to the children's perspectives, use our power thoughtfully, and act responsibly.

We can ensure that children have a childhood where they feel exhilaration, while still being protected and supported by adults and their friends.
The more we understand our children the more we can help and support them. Think from your child's perspective. One of the ways we can do this is to think about memories of our own childhood and imagine the world from a child's point of view.

Remember what it was like to be a child and the challenges and joys of achievement when overcoming them.
As adults, it is our responsibility to respect and appreciate children.
Children need us to help them develop and grow.
The following are some ways you can support your child to be happy, confident and resilient. • consult children about things that affect their lives.

As adults we must try to balance a child's own wishes and views with what is safe and reasonable.

• help children take on responsibilities.
• understand that children may think and feel differently to the way you do.

• make sure that children feel listened to.

Children need to feel you respect them in order to feel good about themselves.
• appreciate and celebrate their individuality • allow children to be challenged but ensure they are reasonably safe and protected from serious harm We can support them in learning that determination pays off, and they can become competent decision makers, able to assess risks, contribute to the well-being of others, and reap the rewards of their efforts.

Business Analysts in Agile Software Development

The job of the Business Analyst is changing as the field of software development changes. As software development companies move toward agile methodologies, the role is changing to fit the new methodology.
They still have a place in agile software development although their roles may be slightly different than in more traditional software development.
Agile development is a strategy of software development in which the process occurs though short increments. The phases of the development process occur continuously in iterative cycles, developing the "features" with the most business value first. Stakeholders and the development team meet after each increment to discuss what has occurred, re-evaluate requirements and determine priorities. This allows for greater transparency between clients and programmers and clients have greater influence in what is being designed to ensure the product is what they want.
Business analysts fit into this model in a number of ways: 1.
In the traditional "waterfall" style of development, the business analyst would gather all the requirements for the product upfront and produce a document detailing all the work that will happen through the development phase. However, in agile development, the requirements are defined throughout the development cycle. After each increment of work, the agile team meets to discuss the work that was done and the work that needs to happen next.
The analyst attends all meetings and helps the product owner and the development team decide what user story should come next. 2.

They facilitates discussion between the product owner and the development team and often acts as a proxy for the Product Owner.

While the development team and the product owner meet and discuss the requirements, an analyst can really help to put the business requirements into technical terms that the development team can work with when performing the estimation.

3.

The business analyst can stand in place of the product owner. The product owner and the development team meet often to discuss requirements, but when the product owner is not available, the analyst can stand in his place. The product owner can delegate some of their duties to the analyst.
The business analyst understands the business of the product owner and therefore can understand their priorities when he or she is not available to meet.
The analyst can decide what comes next in the product backlog and describe those requirements to the development team. 4.

The business analyst sees the big picture. While the development team is focused on completing each increment in the development cycle, the analyst watches the bigger picture to keep the development team on track of completing the project as a whole.

5. The business analyst can provide feedback on the end product.

The analyst understands what the end user of the product is expecting and can provide feedback on to the development team and product owner as to how the user is going to approve of the product.

Some agile teams do not use a dedicated business analyst but instead spread the tasks out among the members of the team.

While some teams find this can work, the analyst still has an important role in software development.

He or she can make it easier for the team to get the work done and ensure the smooth flow of work for an agile development team.

The business analyst fills a rather large gap between business needs and the group that delivers the solution.
There are hundreds of development decisions to be made on each screen of an application. The road to great software is much smoother when there is a "bridge" between development and users that understands the business and how software works.