Date of Education

If you're looking for some ideas to raise some money for a school trip, you are reading the right article. I have got lots of money making idea to help you in your quest, whether you are a school looking to raise cash or a individual struggling with the cost of organised school trip.

Garage Sale

Garage sales are more popular in USA compared to the UK but they are a great way of having a clear out as well as raising cash. You could go through your old clothes and if you haven't worn them for at least a year then you are not likely to wear then again. Be ruthless and have a good clear out. To advertise your sale you could post some leaflets through your neighbours doors or sick some posters up around your area. You should also use the power of social networking sites like Facebook to advertise your sale. You could also offer tea/coffee and cakes for those that show up. If you don't fancy a garage sale, what about using eBay to get rid of unwanted clothes or items.

Gardening

Offering yourself to your neighbours to help with maintaining their gardens could be a good little money spinner. Many old people struggle to keep their gardens tidy and their lawns short and would be welcome of some helpers.

Talent Shows - Fashion Shows

With the success of hit TV shows such as Britain's got Talent and the X factor, you could arrange a school talent show. This could be just a bit of fun and not taken too seriously. You could even get some of the teachers to dress up as the judges, if one dresses up as the famous Mr Cowell, remember to wear the trousers high! You could charge a small fee for entrance and have tea/coffee and cakes on sale as refreshments.

Mini Olympics

Schools could hold a mini Olympics and invite parents to watch. Children could be put into teams and compete against each other. Again refreshments could be on sale and a small entrance fee will help with raising cash.

Get Crafty

Have a go at making things which you can sell. You could make some unique birthday cards to sell on or have a go at salt dough. Salt dough is very easy and cheap to make and you can use it like clay. You can find sites on the internet which will give you the recipe. Once you have your dough, what you make is up to you. You could make some pictures frames or wall plaques. These are very easy to make once cooked in the microwave or oven can be painted. Paper flowers are another idea which are cheap to make. Use YouTube and the internet to find how to videos to make unique sellable items.

Raban's special interest was the prairie. His book 'bad land' is beautifully crafted, and completely unputdownable.

Jonathan Raban recaptures and tries to recreate the unique ninety-year history of the Montana plains. 'bad land' is part history and part memoir. He reconstructs the whole scene so vividly - people who had read the propaganda, believed it, uprooted themselves from their villages and towns, and came to eastern Montana was with a dream, determined to put down their roots. They learnt how to farm the unforgiving land, deal with inclement weather, and create a society. After a few successful years, though, life became near nigh impossible with conditions becoming harsh and raw, forcing them to move again...

Describing life on the prairie, he talks about education, for all children must go to school....As soon as the homesteaders got their homes going, they would put up the school house, and their place of worship. The schoolhouse was actually at the center of their lives, and in a way it took on the importance of the seat of government - all important topics that related to their life on the prairie, were talked about, discussed, and debated here. The schoolhouse also knitted the group that came from widely different backgrounds into a community.

This is what Raban found:

With schools going up all over the prairie, and there being no qualified teachers, teenage sons and daughters of the homesteaders pitched in, for as long as their labor was not required on the farms. The child-teachers were as much in need of instruction as the children they taught. State-approved textbook were detailed, laying out lessons complete with stage-directions and props for the novice teacher. Educating the educators, thus, was an important part of textbook writing. Randall J. Condon, Superintendent of the Cincinnati Schools and general editor of the Atlantic Readers series, deals with this issue. Talking about the criteria for textbooks, he says: "Are these books intended as 'basal texts'? By all means, for they deal with the most fundamental things in life: character, courage, service. These books teach peace founded on justice, but they teach also the beauty of a willingness to die if need be for the sake of truth and honor, for freedom, conscience and of country."

Since the first homesteaders were an intrepid lot, and came from diverse backgrounds, and a variety of ways of living from great cities to tiny villages, the classrooms were full of kids with foreign accents. They were perfect strangers to the kind of 'strong, self-reliant nationalism' that was required.

Condon continues: The aim of education was to achieve the shining paradox of American nationalism - that it must be multicultural, a nationalism of all-the-nations. Textbooks had selections that would help deepen a sense of good will and fellowship and kindly consideration for others by emphasizing the fine qualities of all mankind. Education endeavored to teach that our pledge to the flag, 'one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all,' means a national unity of spirit that cannot be divided into groups or sects or races - into rich and poor, into weak and strong, into those who weak on farms, in factories, forests, and mines, and those who do not have to toil - this nation to include all with liberty of conscience and conduct for each; and that full justice must be done to all if America were to realize the great dream that great dream that our fathers dreamed, of social amity, with religious and racial equality for all the people.

The nationalism that Cordon talks about is a simple pride in America for having gathered so many traditions under one flag and for incorporating so many beautiful landscapes in one political geography. Cordon's thoughts reaching out to include Germans, Norwegians, and Irish, among the eclectic group, showed as much sensitivity to the complex fate of being an American as to the traumatic process of becoming one.

Thus it was through secular, progressive, rational, scientific, and can-do practical textbooks that the idea of America was ingrained in every child in the belief that as adults groomed in the tradition of faith in the flag and the land, they would contribute their bit to making America a great country.

So how were you educated? Did you endure tests? Grades? Lessons? For shame! Those backwards concepts are catamount to child abuse! It never ceases to amaze me that Alfie Kohn's writings still get attention, years after No Child Left Behind's implementation. Often his writings show up in college education programs as if they are the gospel. Kohn is known for taking extreme stances on education issues and he's well known for arguing the very purposes of schooling, grading, and merit pay. Kohn has a way of making talked-about issues even more talked about. For example, lots of experts banter on about the issues of standardized testing in schools. Kohn turns the issue on its side by questioning the presence of grading systems at all. He relentlessly shapes issues in a way that causes experts to pause from the normal course of intellectual deb to look at educational issues in ways they have not been looked at before.

Myth: Vocational education is a waste. 

Kohn maintains that it isn't the school's place to train students for their future jobs. The reality is that many students stay in school because they see a connection between their futures and their educations. Two-thirds of all high school students attempt college or university, but only one-fifth of students end up with a four-year degree. Nowadays, a university education is a huge financial burden to take on without knowing what the return on one's investment is going to be.

Myth: Schools are too much like businesses. 

Kohn finds fault with the accountability movement's premises that competition among schools will lead to eventually better quality education for young people. Kohn argues that schools lack a worthy purpose. He lashes out against the memorization of facts. His solution? "To be well educated, then, is to have the desire as well as the means to make sure that learning never ends." Ok, I get that Mr. Kohn, I really do. He calls for universities to get more involved in education reform. Good stuff.

Myth: Schools overemphasize achievement. 

This is Kohn's pill that I can't swallow. Kohn writes that authentic learning is stifled by pushing students to excel according to grades, especially standardized testing. He doesn't agree with the SAT. He attacks grade inflation and even teacher praise of students in general.

Kohn is to educational reform what Malcolm X was for the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. That is, as far as reform goes, they both were important propelling sources who affected the mainstream way of thinking but were not always accepted by the mainstream. I appreciate Kohn's brilliance, but only in a wow-that-makes-you-think kind of way. Yes, too much of our financial and human resources seem to be devoted to educational reform policies that blow with the political winds, seemingly in a different direction each election. Kohn may be the Gargamel of public education, but his arguments are important because us educational smurfs come up with the best potions under pressure.

Jane Thursday is a freelance writer, a mother of two young children, and an elementary school principal. She holds a doctorate in educational leadership, a master's degree in school administration, and 6-12 English Language Arts teaching licensure. She has studied public education in the United States, South Africa, the Philippines, and England.

If you are thinking about pursuing a career as a dental hygienist, you should enroll at one of the top dental hygienist schools in the United States. Here's a list of the Top 10 Dental Hygienist Schools according to student enrollment.

10. Riverside Community College

Located in Moreno Valley, California, Riverside Community College has more than 36,000 students in various programs of study. It offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Dental Hygiene, which is a 2-year program.

9. Tarrant County College

Located in Hurst, Texas, Tarrant County College has more than 39,000 students in various programs of study. It offers an Associate of Applied Science program, which is a 2-year program. This is a great entry-level educational program with clinical rotations.

8. College of Southern Nevada

Located in Charleston or Cheyenne, Nevada, the College of Southern Nevada has more than 40,000 students in various programs of study. The college's Ralph & Betty Engelstad School of Health Sciences offers a comprehensive 4-year degree program in dental hygiene.

7. University of Michigan

Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the University of Michigan has more than 41,000 students, and it's one of the top public universities in the US. The university's School of Dentistry offers a 4-year degree program, and the classes are taught by some of the top professionals in the field.

6. Lone Star College System

The Lone Star College System is located in The Woodlands, Texas. It has more than 41,000 students in various academic programs. It offers a 2-year Associate Degree program where students get a taste of hands-on experience in a clinical setting.

5. New York University

Located in New York City, New York University is one of the most famous universities in the world. It has more than 42,000 students in various programs of study. Students can opt for the 4-year Bachelor of Science or the 2-year Associate in Applied Science Degree Program in Dental Hygiene.

4. Northern Virginia Community College

Located in Annandale, Virginia, the Northern Virginia Community College has more than 42,000 students in various academic programs. It offers a 2-year Associate Degree program in Dental Hygiene.

3. University of Minnesota

Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities has more than 51,000 students in various programs of study. It offers a 4-year Bachelor of Science program which prepares the students for all the challenges of modern dental hygiene.

2. Ohio State University

Located in Columbus, Ohio, Ohio State University has more than 53,000 students in various programs of study. One of the more famous American universities, Ohio State University has the largest dental hygiene program in Ohio. It offers a 4-year Bachelor of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene.

1. Miami Dade College

Located in Miami, Florida, Miami Dade College has more than 57,000 students in various academic programs. This makes it the top dental hygienist school in the United States in terms of student enrollment. It offers a 4-year dental hygiene program.

Smooth deliverance of knowledge is the most crucial function of an Academic institute - It forms the nucleus of a school or college. However, at present we would see that a majority of schools and colleges are not been able to give maximum outputs as far as effective education is concerned. Past few decades have been very dynamic for educational sector; it has seen tremendous growth in terms of its conceptions and functions, thus giving rise to a number of intricacies which adversely affect its core operation.

But, as it said that "necessity is the mother of all inventions"; the obligation to produce extraordinary consequence, resulted into Online learning management system. Primarily developed for large scale corporation houses, it is now customized to suit the demands of an educational sector, i.e., effective deliverance of education.

It is hard to believe and digest that an ERP system can meet the rising scholastic demands in an educational institute. Schools and colleges have grown in terms of its core pursuit, founding as well as operations. A robust learning management system can not only assist the teachers but also the academic coordinators to deal with the day to day tasks which in way drain them of their energy and affect their productivity.

If we take a look at the jobs a teacher has to do; we will find that majority of them has to look after a series of mundane or say non-academic tasks, apart from concentrating on her actual job; i.e., teaching. They have to divide their time between like taking lessons and creating a detailed student portfolio containing their progress reports, assignments, personal details, submissions, timetables, exam schedules etc. One can't accept them to give 100% performance after applying most of their energy left in doing such tedious jobs.

Being comprehensive software, learning management system assimilates some of the non-teaching functions. It helps the teacher to focus her time and energy on the area of their core competence - Education. It creates maintains as well as stores a complete database containing customized reports related to student's progress, comparative analysis based on each terms, assignments submission, other personal records, etc.

ERP system saves the valuable time and energy of the faculties who can direct in trying to improve and take up an innovative approach towards teaching. It also makes a teacher pay some attention to the queries of the students, to connect with their students, helping them to solve queries related to academic queries as well as other out of class room queries.

Academic advantages of Learning management software is not only limited for the teachers, every person handling the scholastic functions right from the principal to faculty coordinators can reap the benefits from it.

Class scheduling and management needs accuracy and great deal of management on the part of an academic coordinator. A well developed educational ERP assist the coordinator and principal to keep a track of the class and subject allocated to the teachers. It makes it easy for them to allocate the subjects, once the class scheduling is done perfectly.

For a faculty to prepare customized annual analytical reports of the students, they have to keep a database and evaluate the progress manually. However, many learning management software offers a special wherein the progress report of the student can be prepared. The teacher only has to enter the data (marks or grades); it aids the faculty to make a customized presentation (in form of bar charts). Moreover, the students can download their results online and save it as PDF in their PCs. In this way, the students can also preserve their results.

Collecting, whether it be dolls, coins, or figurines, can be a rewarding hobby. Beginning a collection is easy if you have a good understanding of the psychology of it. Figurines have always been a passion of mine. Collecting can be highly stimulating and rewarding. So here are some motivators and tips to help understand the psychology of collecting.

1. Find what is personal to you, something that holds a special meaning. My latest project has been dragon figurines. I first reflected on what those creatures meant for me, how they stood as giant mythic figures from my childhood. How they represented both monsters and champions. Once I realized what a strong presence they had in my subconscious approach to the world, I was able to get excited about taking these creatures from conception and giving them substance.

2. Consider what place they have in the world, what they really mean to people. Going with the same example, dragons can be found in almost every world culture. From Ancient Gaelic, to China, to Gothic England, they appear throughout ages and cultures. These creatures clearly represent something essential to human experience. Whether or not people know how much certain ideas mean to them, nevertheless, many things hold a mysterious attraction and power to people, and you, as a collector can be an expert when it comes to such things.

3. Consider the rarity and the quality of the item of your choice. Possessing something well crafted and rare is an end in itself. There is a certain power and joy that objects of fine craft possess, and a collection can be a fantasy world unto itself. A collection can be a constant source of inspiration to the imagination.

4. Find what aspect of an item is most important to you. Is it the artistry, is it the uniqueness of a piece? Is it the accumulated value? Once you have a vision of what aspects of your collectible is most important, your collection will grow organically, and thus will have more emotional and conceptual meaning. The more personal a collection is to you, the more psychologically beneficial it is.

In closing, I would add that when you have your heart set on a collection, begin slowly. Start with a few choice items and see how they make you feel. You'll know when its time to grow your collection. It is a source of inspiration, spiritual and psychological. I started with dragon figurines and collectibles, but there are many treasures out there. Whatever you choose, don't forget that your collection is meant to enhance your life. Happy collecting!

Finding cheap textbooks is a big challenge to many students. With the price of textbooks rising every year, it's rather difficult to find books that helps students save on their book allowances. What's worse is reselling your originally $100 worth textbook could only get you $10-$15 or even less. Call it your yearly devotion to college exploitation.

The fact still remains that textbooks prices rises around 6% every year which obviously is twice as high as the rate of the inflation recorded from the year 1998 to 2004.

But just like the rest of us, we do not need to spend much on textbooks. There are many resources out there that will help you get through college without shelling out too much from your pocket.

The recent move by the Federal Government in July 2010 has made it easier for school teachers and students to save money on textbooks. The students are no longer required to buy bundled books and should be given the option to buy them separately. Also, schools are now required by law to give students the information on the kind of textbooks required for the school year and give them time to shop for books before the classes start.

Some of the really useful places to visit on the web is Google Books. The site holds a large database of free books, scanned and stored in there. There are some books that will only allow you to view around 10-20 pages and purchase it as a reasonable price should you wish to get access to the entire book. Still other authors took copyright out of their works and include it to the open source textbooks list.

FlatWorld Knowledge, a company dedicated to offering open source textbooks online, has made it possible to drive the prices of some textbooks. Most of resources they have on the site are free and are accessible using a desktop or mobile computer such as tablets and smartphones. Others are downloadable, like eTextbooks, at a cheap price of $20 to $40 or request for the printed version for the same price.

CourseSmart.com is another site you can use for downloadable textbooks. You can access them using your computer tablets or smartphones and read them anywhere.

There are still many sites out there that supports open source textbooks and this post will be updated as we find interesting sources out there that are worth mentioning.