Why do American schools all too often fail to provide students with a quality education, the kind that broadens their minds, makes them think analytically, and be enthusiastic about learning, and which prepares them for the demands of the job market? Whose fault is it that this sad state of affairs has come about–is it that of our teachers, the society we live in, that of the parents of our nation’s students, the media’s, a sense of apathy among today’s youth, or some combination of these potential factors? Also, how do teachers deal with the pressures inherent in their jobs, and still find within themselves the strength to come to work day after day, intent on trying to make a difference for the better in the lives of their students? These are some of the questions raised and topics explored in author Hank Warren’s stimulating and thought-provoking book, It Simply Must Be Said.

There’s definitely more to teaching than teaching. That may sound strange to anyone who has never been a teacher, but I was one, like Hank Warren. The author’s wife is still a high school teacher, also. For instance, in the chapter with the very apt title “Learning to Swim by Drowning,” the author mentions one of the most important factors one needs to succeed as a teacher in an anecdote he relates about a discussion his wife had with a new teacher “who had completed a brief alternative certification program,”– that is, the ability to motivate the students to participate in the learning process. The new teacher complains: “These kids are completely unmotivated! They don’t want to do a thing!”

What is a teacher to do in a situation like this? Warren’s wife points out “that this is our job as teachers; the daily challenge to get students motivated to want to do something, anything, that will vaguely resemble active participation in the educational process.” What was the fate of the new teacher? The author writes that: “By the middle of the next week, he was gone.”

One of the many other points Hank Warren eloquently makes is that of the general public’s misconception of the difficulty of being a teacher. Actors might be asked what profession they might have landed in if they hadn’t become actors, and some say that of teaching. It would be a tremendous reduction in salary, for certain, and the hours a teacher works aren’t just those hours that school is in session, contrary to the views of people who believe teachers have it easy. There’s the long hours after school spent grading papers, making up quizzes and tests, rereading and reviewing the material you’re going to teach the kids the next day, writing up lesson plans, keeping your grade book current, and sometimes being on the phone talking to parents. There are in-service hours you have to log, refresher teacher training classes like PET (Program for Effective Teaching), seminars, and some principals require or strongly advise teachers to show up at school events, like football and basketball games.

Before I possibly give anyone the wrong impression, I want to make it clear that the author has much more to say in his book than I can mention in a review, and I plan on doing an interview with him in which I can get a little more in-depth with some of the topics he writes about and is passionate about. He has ideas for solutions, or ways to at least improve certain aspects of America’s educational system, so the book is not just about complaining about how the system sucks, but tells how to make it better.

One of my favorite chapters of It Simply Must Be Said is the one called NCLB. The initials stand for, if you haven’t already guessed it, “No Child Left Behind.” There are so many things just flat out wrong about this entire plan, that it’s a mystery to me how any sane individuals would want it to have been made the law of the land in the first place. One of the more glaring problems with it is that it’s a misnomer, and in reality causes children to be left behind. This is due to several factors and facets of the act, like that a school having problems with, for example, trying to educate a large number of non-English speaking children, might very well have its funding slashed, when it would really make more sense to provide the school with enough funding to make sure that the children there got every chance possible to succeed despite the language barrier and to not be left behind. There’s nothing wrong about setting high expectations for a school and a district, but in my opinion it would be much better to help schools and districts that are having problems rather than to cut or stop funding and let the schools, the districts, the children, perish as a result.

It Simply Must Be Said should be required reading for anyone concerned with the state of our educational system, and who desperately would like to see it improved. Sadly, almost anything would be an improvement over the way it’s being currently ran. There are plenty of dedicated, hard-working teachers who got in the job desiring to motivate kids and excite them to the possibilities of learning and the doors that can be opened for them by the knowledge they learn. Unfortunately, there are also many in this same group who are tired of what often amounts to banging their heads on a wall, in that though they try their hardest, that alone is sometimes not good enough, or they get so tired of dealing with the everyday reality of making the best of an inherently flawed system that they get burned out and want to quit teaching.

Check out It simply Must Be Said today! It is definitely an eye-opening read that will stay with you a long time. Hopefully, it will also help plant the seeds of positive change in the hearts of its readers, and result in one day us having an educational system we can be proud of, and which will make sure that no child will truly be left behind, by giving our schools, our teachers, and our school districts the help they need instead of the threats and cut funding that is destroying them.

By Douglas Cobb

“Dianetics: The Original Thesis” is the first book of Dianetics. It was originally written for the medical community, on whose patients L.R Hubbard had developed and tested his discoveries, it was titled Abnormal Dianetics for the fact that it revealed the single source of all abnormal and irrational behaviour. The book was not offered for official publication. It was originally circulated to a few friends of limited number in a manuscript form. It was soon copied and passed from friend to friend, before the ensuing demand from word of mouth concluded in the only way to answer the enormous number of inquiries. That answer was “Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health”.

“Dianetics: The Original Thesis” is a manuscript that pulled no punches and made the professors blush with its definitive and well weighted balance of scientifically clinical demarcation and intentionally educational commentary so even a layman could understand and apply it. It delineated and explained in plain gallant english the fundamentals of life. When I say life I mean 1. The condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally.

This newly restored and republished book covers the primary axioms, explanations and descriptions of the parts of the mind, capabilities of, how it functions and how further developments led to an easily workable technique.

These results are covered in the explanation given for a stable human state called Clear – the intelligence, abilities, aptitude, non-susceptibility to illness and injury are raised well above normal into a whole new state of being called the state of Clear.

The nomenclature is common, apt and supported by a full glossary, even when detailed whys within fields like nuclear physics require clarification. Subjects include; the common denominator of all life, the principles of survival, the anatomy of the mind and it’s functional parts, the source of all irrational behaviour, how and why the developed counseling technique works and the laws and use for one’s native ability of Returning.

This is a small teaser from the subject of the discoveries and principles of the mind:

“Unconsciousness” is a condition wherein the organism is dis-coordinated only in its analytical process and motor control direction. In the physio-animal section of the mind a complete time track and a complete memory record of all perceptions for all moments of the organism’s existence is available.”…

“But as the complexity of the order is increased into the animal kingdom, the physio-animal mind attains more and more command of the entire organism until itself begins to possess the second section of the mind.

All animals possess, in some slight degree, an analyzer. This, which we designate the analytical mind, is present even in lower orders, since it is that section of the mind which possess the self-deterministic coordinative command of the physio-animal mind and thus of the body. In a rat for instance, it is no more than its “conscious” awareness of now applying to lessons of then, without rationality, but with instinct and painful experience. This is the analytical section of the mind in a lower animal, but it is the reactive mind in a man, whose analytical mind is so highly attuned and intricate that it can command entirely both the physio-animal mind and thus the body.” -By L.R Hubbard “Dianetics: The Original Thesis”.

The primary axioms of Dianetics and the fundamental discoveries of life force contained in the book give any student a bright torch to illuminate the dark and hidden corners in all fields of study.
This text is recommended for those learning tertiary subjects such as cytology, chemistry and physics.

By Clive Ettia

In his e-book Sayers examines the beliefs and prophecies of many different profits including the Celts, Merlin, Indigenous Americans, Hindus, Nostradamus, the Bible, the Web Bot Project, and of course, the Mayas. Sayers book is very well researched and his explanations are very comprehensive. Whether you are a believer, doubter, or skeptic this book is a fantastic read. You will become informed from this book.

He also covers possible changes in the natural world such as polar shift changes, the importance of sound waves and crop circles.

Here is just a sample of what you will learn in this fantastic book.

1) Will the United States survive December 21, 2012? Can we expect a financial system collapse?

2) Find out the place you do not want to be on that prophetic day.

3) Find out how the things we take for granted, like going to the bathroom, breathing air, and even drinking water may change forever.

4) Will martial law be forced upon us?

5) What you can do now to put together a survival plan.

It is commonly believed something important, and hopefully not devastating, will occur on December 21, 2012. The question is if it does are you ready? If you are a skeptic now you may become a believer. If you are a believer, you will want to get prepared. At the very least you will have a better understanding of what could possibly occur on this day.

This book is not entertainment. It is informative, well-written, easy to read and understand and most of all, the most comprehensive book about December 21, 2012. This day is less than 2 1/2 years from now and approaching fast. I recommend reading this book before it is too late. It may scare you, but it should prepare you.

By Mike A C

Firstly, let’s think about it. There are no “difficult” subjects pertaining any type of science. The problem however is, that it might be difficult to learn and study them. That is the difficult part – not understanding the topics. Thus, we might have a rather simple but truthful conclusion that “for goofs” books are for people that either do not have the time to learn something properly, or that they are just genuinely lazy. You decide which one is more viable.

Another thing is, that apart from the already established fact that people are reading these types of books, is the fact that the book writers oversimplify the text books as well. Thus, we can also conclude the fact that they have the approach that the reader is a rather unintelligent person. I mean, why would anyone want to write a super simple book? I am sure not for a person that has some intelligence! And obviously, this is a very bad signal for us.

Generally speaking, in my opinion, things that are difficult should be written as scientifically logically as it is possible – and not as “simple” as possible and with the approach in the regards that the reader is an imbecile. Through doing this, we make the people unsure of their values and of their knowledge – thus, we actually get the opposite effect that some intended in obtaining. Think about it: Is it not better to actually learn something really difficult and then be proud of yourself of achieving a difficult task? Rather than “learning” something simple, and then still be in the mental state as you have not achieved anything extraordinary. Decide for yourself, but give it a deeper thought.

John R. Edwards is a photographer. He has been one for 15 years and is known for pictures of Swedish wildlife. You can find out more about camera lens filters and about canon wide angle lenses since he has been using them extensively.

By John R Edwards

Boteach stresses the importance of interaction with your children. He says that everything that happens in life provides an opportunity for conversation, and you shouldn’t overlook those opportunities; rather, you should train yourselves to see them.

All parents can learn from Boteach’s book that making the investment in children by conversing with them and teaching them their uniqueness will reap rewards. Work on motivating your children to hear their inner voices, and it will inspire them to become better people. Boteach says, “Success is never immediate, and sometimes it’s nowhere in evidence, but talking to your kids really works.”

Boteach’s book also has four great lessons for improving communication skills with everyone you live with or work with. These are Boteach’s four lessons:

1. You can control your emotions by controlling your actions. When you force yourself to behave in a certain way, even if you don’t feel it, the action creates the emotion.

2. The foundation of every relationship and interaction you have is the “desire to know”. Much of Boteach’s advice is based on the premise that you have to find ways to be stimulated every day, and your relationships and interactions are a source of stimulation.

3. The world will be a kinder, gentler place if we each honor and exhibit what Boteach identifies as the “feminine qualities” we all have within ourselves, such as peacefulness, tenderness, nurturing, and relationship-building.

4. Show the people around you that you know you make mistakes and that you are seeking forgiveness. Furthermore, you should be willing to forgive those people who are seeking forgiveness from you. Boteach says, “An unforgiving heart is a heavy heart. When you don’t forgive someone, you become bitter, and that feeling festers, affecting you more than it affects them. When you forgive, the one you are truly freeing is yourself.”

The book has great lessons on parenting skills as well as general communication skills.

By Keith Grossman

Ian Stewart is the author of over sixty books. In a very lucid style he explains the complicated mathematics that is found in nature to a layman.

He writes the well-known ‘Mathematical Recreations’ column in the famous magazine ‘Scientific American’.

To the non-mathematical readers the book is a boon.

The book has nine chapters namely, The natural order, What mathematics is for, What mathematics is about, The constants of change, From violins to videos, Broken Symmetry, The rhythm of life, Do dice play God, Drops, Dynamics, and Daisies. All the chapters are with very interesting examples.

In chapter one titled, Natural Order, the author explains the amazing facts of patterns that are found in the nature! In nearly all flowers, the number of petals is one of the numbers that occur in the strange sequence 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89!

The great scientist Kepler found that if you take the cube of the distance of any planet from the Sun and divide it by the square of its orbital period, you always get the same number. It was the same for all the six planets!

Io, Europa, and Ganymede are three of Jupiter’s larger satellites. They orbit the planet in, respectively, 1.77. 3.55, and 7.16 days. Each of these numbers is almost exactly twice the previous one. There is a significant pattern.

It is interesting to note about the Ship/Dock theorem. That is, if you want to change the word ship into the word dock by changing one letter at a time and getting a valid word at every stage, you will find that all solutions have one thing at common: at least one of the intermediate words must contain two vowels. Readers will be motivated to do this puzzle on their own to find out the result.

The rhythm of life is wonderful. In nature everything is rhythmic! There are numerous examples given in the chapter ‘The rhythm of life’. The author analyses the chaos theory in the chapter ‘Do dice play God’.

There is a list of books for further reading to those who are interested to know more about natures’ secrets.

It is highly recommended that all should read this book to understand natures’ secrets or rather secrets of God!

S. Nagarajan is a vehicle body engineer by profession. He has written more than 1300 articles in 16 magazines and published 18 books. He is revealing Eastern Secret Wisdom through T.V. Programmes, magazine articles, seminars, courses. His email address is: snagarajans@gmail.com. His articles on Yoga, laughter, efficacy of mantras and sound, Hypnotism, Tele Kinesis, Power of Prayer, Vastu and Feng Shui, Auto suggestion, Success Formula, Out of Body Experience etc are regularly appearing in EzineArticles.com. So far seventynine articles have been published in EzineArticles.com.

By Santhanam Nagarajan

Black powder, the key component in all fireworks, consisting of potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur. All put together in the proper percentages will produce the desired effect. There are different grades of black powder, all used for specific applications. For example the two types are sporting, which consist of your FG, FFG, FFFG, FFFFG Grades and so on. Then there’s blasting, which are your “A” grade powders, most frequently used in fireworks. 2FA, 4FA and Meal-D, these are the grades that make it all happen. So you see, the proper black powder is needed as per your project.

Making Quality Black Powder At Home

Being that you need a BATFE license to buy commercial 2FA black powder in bulk {50 or 100 lbs at a time}at the current price of $7-8 per pound, you can see how the costs can add up. So making your own is the most cost effective way to go and the good news is that it is federally legal to make your own without an ATF license. But check your state and local laws first to make sure you comply.

Many would argue the very first most important step to learning the art of fireworking is tackling the skill of making high-quality black powder. Once this is achieved, the sky is the limit. You’ll be able to go in any direction you want, experimenting in ground effects, sound effects and most important sky effects at next to no cost… You can also accomplish all of this with store bought powder but then your money would be going up in smoke, {literally} because of the cost involved. There are four simple steps in making black powder, once you master these, it will all be second nature allowing you to concentrate on manufacturing your product.

Setting Up Your Fireworks Display

You should set up a small pre-show, nothing to spectacular leading up to the main display. This is usually done a half hour before the show. Kinda wetting the audiences appetite for whats to come down the road, it will also build anticipation for the main display.

You can set off some smoke cakes, they look pretty good against the twilight sky and a couple of parachute cakes which will give the children something to chase and collect. But make sure these parachutes do not come back to earth with anything hot attached to them as to not injure the kids. Then we can launch some sky lanterns at dusk. They only take a few minutes to launch and fly away. The crowd always gets quite as they watch them disappear.

You will save time, money and effort by doing all these steps yourself. Making your own materials to make your own fireworks can also be a lot of fun. You’ll have control over the quality of the product so that will never be an issue, and the ability to set up your own pyro display with confidence.

This of course are just a few things covered in making fireworks. Every aspect of the process is covered from different types of fireworks to the steps used to make them to the materials used in the process.

By Mark Szypulski

The environmental movement was born with the release of Silent Spring. Rachel Carson made us to look at ourselves, and forced us to think about the results of our actions. Chemicals that were once touted as our saviours, were looked down upon with disdain as Rachel Carson detailed the horrific consequences of their flagrant use.

But Rachel Carson, not only detailed the atrocities, she also gives us some examples of how we could achieve pest control without resulting to the extensive use of pesticides. In a number of examples she details the need to increase the use of predatory species or the use of natural biological diseases specific to the pest in question to control their spread.

But the most staggering aspect of Silent Spring is its prophetic message. The power of the book comes from the fact that it seems to talk about an integral aspect of our modern day world. Everything that it discusses back in 1962, seems to be even more relevant and crucial to the world of today. In Silent Spring, Rachel Carson states;

…the central problem of our age has therefore become the contamination of man’s total environment with such substances of incredible potential harm. Substances that accumulate in the tissues of plants and animals and even penetrate the germ cells to shatter or alter the very material of heredity upon which the shape of the future depends.

In many ways it seems that she was not only describing DDT, but was also talking about PCB’s, Dioxin and even endocrine disruptors like Bisphenol A. She was talking about all the toxic chemicals of the future.

The legacy of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring remains to this day. Her message is as strong as ever. The environment is still under threat and we have yet to reach a balance between our growth and development and the needs of Nature. Silent Spring will continue to shine as long as its message remains true to our condition and our environment remains threatened as a result of our activities.

Reas Johnson is a microbiology student, who loves writing about popular social and health related issues. Environmental topics are becoming more popular due to current situation regarding global warming. But the chemical contamination of the environment continues and we need to be aware of the dangers of the local damage that we are causing.

By Reas Johnson

1. BONES:

Bones give support to the framework around which the body is constructed, protect, and support internal organs. They also assist the body in movement because they are attached with muscles. The hematopoietic tissue, which is also called red bone marrow that manufactures blood cells. But the other parts of bone are very useful to minerals necessary for growth, such as calcium and phosphorous. The skeletal portion of the system serves as the main storage system.

2. MUSCLES:

Muscles are attached to bones or to internal organs and blood vessels, and are responsible for motion or movement. These muscle cells contain contractile filaments, which change the size of the cell. These mucles are varied as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. The main function is to produce force and cause motion. These muscles can affect locomotion of the organism itself or movement of internal organs. The contraction of cardiac and smooth muscle occurs without conscious thought and is necessary for survival. Internal movement involves the contraction and relaxation of muscles that are a part of viscera, and external movement is accomplished by the contraction and relaxation of muscles which are attached to the bones.

3. JOINTS:

Joints are the places where bones come together. Joints are mainly classified as structurally and functionally. So many types of joints are found within the body. They are build to allow movement and provide mechanical support. For greater or lesser flexibility of movement, the type of joint found in any specific location is determined.

Orthopedists are the doctors who treat bones and bone diseases. Orthopedics was a branch of medicine, which deals with correcting deformities in children. Where in which ortho means straight, and pedo means child. Doctors who treat joint diseases are known as Rheumatologists. Where in which Rheumato/ means watery flow and relates to joint diseases because several forms of arthritis are marked by collection of fluid in the joint spaces.

By Sasi Krishna

Let’s face it, it’s not easy to writing a term paper, and if you are writing a research report; it’s even tougher. Perhaps, that’s why I’d like to recommend a very good book to you, one that I actually own, and one which can help you along in the process. The name of the book is;

“How to Write Term Papers and Reports – Eight Keys to a Successful Paper” by L Sue Baugh

Anybody who spends a lot of time in college knows that writing a good term paper will make or break your grades. Of course, once you get out into the real world if you are going to do any type of scientific research writing or are required to write any reports, you’ll note that it’s just as important to your reputation, future career, and upward advancement. In other words, there’s money at stake which is even more important than grades.

In this book, the author explains why it’s important to focus on your topic, and why you must organize and be disciplined in preparing your document. She suggests a preliminary statement, or a first rough draft abstract, which you will most likely (99% of the time) change later. And you can tell that the author is highly passionate and ethical as she is gives advice to concentrate on in-depth research, and to keep meticulous notes.

She goes heavy into the planning process of writing a paper or report, including the use of outlines. And she states that just because you are done with the first draft does not mean you are anywhere near completed, as she says or suggests that editing can often be 80 to 90% of the work. She also spends a whole chapter on how to select topics in various research strategies to use once you do. The author also explains how to evaluate information using statistics, and research with a critical eye.

There are also chapters on how to document references, logical developments, writing style, mechanics, grammar tips, and how to prepare illustrations, along with the graphs, charts, and pictures you use. Lastly, the author goes into how to give oral presentations about your work, rounding out the perfect research project. Indeed, I highly recommend that you have this book in your writing library, if you are going to create term papers or reports for school or business. Please consider all this.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow