Educational Software for Kids Learning

Among the most important skills for a child to develop early on is familiarity with computers. No matter what vocation they choose in life, they will need to be comfortable with the basics of navigating on a computer and using a keyboard and mouse. All educational software helps to teach these skills even if the software was designed to teach them something else, like history or math. Kids will gain a comfort with reading and understanding menus, which will be necessary in most of the programs they will encounter later on in life. They will also gain the critical thinking abilities needed to use the software properly. Many types of educational software are similar to games, with the benefit being that they strengthen problem-solving abilities and hold the child's interest in a way that complements other teaching tools like books and videos. They provide all the entertainment benefits of a computer game (immediate feedback, scoring as a reward and to motivate the student) while providing lessons.

The various challenges contained in an education program, serve to reinforce lessons learned by standard methods, and also to introduce new areas of learning.

Math Software
There are programs available that teach a number of areas of math, ranging from the basics like addition and subtraction for pre-school students, to more advanced subjects like calculus. One of the things to look for with math software is that it offers lessons a variety of skill-levels so that as a child's ability grows, the lessons will become more difficult. Many programs will automatically adjust to the child's abilities based on their performance.

Exponential Education Uses the Principles of How Kids Learn

Today more than three million children are successfully taught at home, by parents just like you. Making the decision to take control of your child's education with home schooling can be an overwhelming endeavor. It is important to have a support system of resources, and be able to use all your resources successfully.

Once you assume full responsibility for your child's education, it is important to realize that there is not a strict set of teaching rules to follow. The idea of an exponential education opens up a whole new world for the entrepreneurial parent who wants their child to learn quickly and effortlessly, while still having fun.

The exponential education model is rapidly growing as research shows how kids really learn. The way kids assimilate information is key to how they learn and remember. Kids learn and recall information by incorporating a combination of reasoning, intuition and perception of multiple learning resources. Utilizing these concepts in the teaching environment helps make home school education quite effective and rewarding for both parent and child.

Understanding the Principles of How We Learn

Every child learns in his or her own way. The trick is to find the most constructive way to interact proactively with a child and impress upon him the relevance of the subject matter, while simultaneously keeping him interested and engaged.

"One size fits all" does not work effectively in a homeschool environment. Having the ability to customize an exponential home school education, allows your child to learn about one subject by its close association with other subjects. Learning by association helps your child easily make cognitive connections utilizing his study materials.

Customizing teaching techniques and subject matter to the child's likes, dislikes and personality, aids in making the home schooling experience a joy for both student and teacher, while encouraging the child to explore his unique talents.

Kids assimilate information in different ways according to their learning style. There are a variety of learning styles such as:

· Excitable and movable types are often labeled hyperactive. They like hands-on activities and are often active in sports.

· The explorer and discoverer in a child is sometimes referred to as the highly imaginative daydreamer. This child enjoys asking questions and solving problems.

· The creator or thinker requires time to be left alone to figure it out for herself.

· The child that relates to others needs to talk and interact in order to learn.

Knowing your child's learning style permits you to implement the perfect curriculum and study practices to aid him in making important cognitive connections while learning. It will be easier for your child to recall and remember assimilated knowledge, as he associates it with other subjects, information and activities regarding that subject matter. When your child can effectively process, retrieve and remember gathered facts, the home-school experience is positive and fulfilling.

The key to success in exponential education is locating and interfacing with a learning system and a curriculum that will foster the process of assimilation for your child, while offering relevant guidance along the way.

How To Educate Your Child to Succeed

There are many simple ways that parents can help encourage their child's developments from an early age. Many basic tasks that we do with our children can help to build up their confidence and ensure that they are happy children who will go on to succeed in their lives.

Fuel their imagination by reading bedtime stories

Research has shown that children, who are regularly told stories have a better vocabulary, have more ides of sentence structure and sense of stories, are keener readers, enjoy more cognitive skills and have higher self confidence. They are also more likely to remember details better from a story than on television hence helping to create magnificent memories.

As well as reading a story if is also beneficial to make up your own story for children. Children enjoy adding their own characters to a story which can help to stimulate their imaginations.

Stories can be good to introduce changes and can be a great way to bet a message across as the child is relaxed and their brain waves are slow and ready to absorb information.

By reading to your children you are helping to grow their imagination and creating a fantasy life that they can disappear into which is really important.

Nurture their creative skills through play

Enjoying creative time with your child is important as it helps to teach them another skill. Not all children will be great academics at school but many may go on to succeed using their creative skills. Simple activities like building with plastic bricks, painting or simply creating items can help a child's coordination and can help to build up their confidence. Many successful entrepreneurs have built up a thriving business despite not obtaining any qualifications at school simply by using their creative skills and by their determination to succeed.

Playing board games can also help to educate your children. The child not only learns how to count but also how to take turns and follow rules. This in turn will teach them socially acceptable behaviour which is a very important lesson.

You will not have to spend a great deal of money on such activities as you can even create items such as wind chimes,mobiles or necklaces using items like leaves and twigs. Children delight in seeing their own unique creation.

Teaching through role play

Another great way to teach children about everyday life is by playing games with them using role play. You can vary the themes which can include playing shops, libraries, and doctor's surgeries. Such games help to fuel their imagination but can also help them to consider which occupation they might like to take up when they are older.

The Benefits of Educational Software Games For Children

Recently, a select number of games have generated a great deal of good press with regards to helping children learn fundamental skills. Though conventional wisdom has demanded limiting the time children spend interfacing with television or computer screens, and indeed there are some issues involving eye strain that should be heeded, it could behoove a child to engage in some amount of interactive, computer-based learning. The tools parents and teacher have at their disposal have multiplied exponentially.

There are a number of educational games that can help children develop important skills that are necessary to bloom. An important example includes programs that are geared towards developing reading skills. These games combine the use of phonics with word families, while using colors and music to enhance children's retention. Reading is one of the most important skills a child develops and more and more educational companies are starting to realize this. As a result, there are a slew of games available for young children who are looking forward to read.

Another class of educational games parents and educators can explore involves building fundamental math concepts. Children are given insights into basic addition and subtraction, as well as basic geometry, especially with regards to shapes and their names. As children age and their skills and understanding broaden, these educational games can provide an exciting means of learning about multiplication, division, time, and more.

While academics alone are an important section of every child's educational experience, there are other concepts that are relevant to a child's emotional and mental development. Emotional intellect is important to understanding a child's emotional response to people and situations. The key concepts to be aware of are sharing, honesty, and compassion. Some exceptional software programs and games help reinforced these traits.

Benefits of Music Education For Children

Do you ever wonder what advantages are achieved through learning music? Read on to discover the many benefits of music education.

Self-Esteem

Learning music is hard work, but also very rewarding, which can lead to a genuine increase in self-esteem. This can happen when a student masters the many steps along the way to becoming proficient, as well as when they have a successful recital or concert.

Increased Memory

One of the many benefits of music education is that it is a great workout for increasing memory as the student learns to recognize the different notes.

Self Expression

Music can be a creative outlet for self expression. This may take the form of learning music that mimics experienced emotions. Or it may be expressed in creating music and lyrics, which can then be presented to family and friends.

Bringing People Together

Music can be a great catalyst for uniting people in a common experience, where friends can be made, and a sense of belonging can be available.

Increased Academic Performance

When talking about the benefits of music education it is often well believed that learning music can boost academic achievement. Although the exact mechanics of this is often not understood, the belief is that learning music stimulates parts of the brain that then have a carry-over impact on all academic areas. It also provides structure and focus which may benefit other areas of learning.

Teamwork

Learning to work well with others is one of those things that when present is often overlooked, but when absent is often painfully obvious. Performing music requires the skills associated with teamwork that are valuable throughout life. In order to play an instrument successfully students need to be tuned in to what those around them are doing so that the various instruments form a cohesive unit.

Structure, Organization, and Discipline

When talking about the benefits of music education it is important to acknowledge the value that can be found in the structure, organization, and discipline that it offers. Structure and organization are important skills to be learned. They can carry a child forward in many areas of life, not just music education. When talking about discipline here we are discussing the discipline it takes for the child to set aside time each week to practice. Learning to discipline themselves can eliminate procrastination, and like structure and organization, can be valuable in all areas of life.

Enjoyment

Enjoyment may not be the top priority for many when considering the benefits of music education, but can be a great asset to consider. If playing an instrument is considered enjoyable it may take time away from less desirable things, such as watching television or playing video games. In addition to this, any activity that is enjoyable can be a great stress reliever, which may be especially important for our kids right now since they are living in a world of ever increasing stress.

Peace Education for Kids

One of the most important parents' responsibilities is thinking about their kids' education. Education is not just about taking them to the best school or college, but also teaching them how to behave and to think logically. Parents have the biggest role in influencing their kids' behavior. Therefore, parents need to know about peace education so they can introduce it to their kids to minimized kids violence behavior and can give a better future to their kids as world peace generation. The important of peace education for creating a peaceful world from the smallest environment we known as family, need a bigger concern from anyone who want a better future for human being in this world.

Parents can introduce peace to their kids by telling them the bed time stories about peace, giving them the proper toys to play (avoiding to give them toys related to violence, such as plastic guns), guiding them to watch the suitable TV programs for kids, and so on. By doing such things, we can make our kids have better understanding about peace culture so they can minimized their violence behavior in their daily lives.

This peace education maybe sounds so unimportant, but if we want to look forward by introducing this peace education to our kids we can participate to create a better world to live. Kids with peace education basic will grow up as peace generation who can create a peaceful world to live for everyone. There will be no more discrimination in this peaceful world, so anyone can live happily without any afraid.

The Moral Education of Children

Many parents are concerned about laying a good foundation for their children that they might grow to become moral, responsible adults. In part, parents often rely on Sunday school or other types of religious education to help convey the message of morality. In raising moral children, there are a few points that bear remembering.

First, child rearing is a developmental endeavor. That implies that children progress through moral stages and understandings at a certain (variable) pace. There is little evidence that children can be hurried along the developmental journey. There is a developmental track for moral development, social development, and cognitive development. All areas of development come into play in our efforts to raise moral children. Jean Piaget, the famous developmentalist, reminds us that young children have not yet arrived at the stage of formal, symbolic thought.

Many parents will attempt to moralize with children in abstract, moral discussions-suitably "watered-down," or so they think, to meet their kids where they are. However, if research on cognitive development is at all correct, it is unlikely that children are being "converted" to a moral or religious stance. They may say "yes" and seem to get the point, but it is unlikely that they do.

A much better approach is to work on actions involving simple reciprocity, things like sharing of toys and friends. Young children are naturally egocentric. By involving them in such simple understandings as "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours," children come to see simple morality as pragmatic, paving the way for the later stages when formal reasoning makes children receptive to more abstract appeals.

In terms of social development, Erik Erikson would no doubt point us to those natural conflicts that occur at each advancing stage of development. In the early stages when a child struggles between trust and mistrust, and shame and guilt vs. autonomy, children need reassurance. If they are subjected to constant moralizing and put-downs, they will likely adopt an outlook of inferiority. In addition, they will become increasing likely to look to an outside locus of control. The best way to raise autonomous, responsible adults is by acceptance as opposed to constant correction. Erikson's theory predicts that someone might "get stuck" at an early stage if that stage is not successfully navigated.

Furthermore, problems may appear during the adolescent identity crisis of even later in adulthood. Lawrence Kohlberg was a theorist of moral development. His theory reminds us that young children do not see the world in such philosophical categories as moral or immoral. Here the focus is on reward and punishment. What is good is what brings a reward. They also develop a sense of parity; one hand washes the other. "If you are nice to me, I'll be nice to you," is one of the earliest orientations. In late childhood, children reach a stage of wanting things to be fair and law-driven. Here they are concerned about following the rules. It is not until adolescence or later that kids begin to see right and wrong in truly moral terms. From this perspective, the best we can do is "play along" with development. We must never expect young children to have a truly moral view of things. This is something they are "nurtured into."

If caregivers follow the rule of gentle persuasion and fairness, children will naturally move into an understanding of morality. What about religious instruction? James Fowler has spoken to this at length. Combining theories of earlier theorists, he has noted that the earliest claim to faith is affiliative. Children make "professions of faith" to please their parents and feel a sense of unity with them. It is very doubtful that children really understand the notion of freely chosen conversion before early adolescence. How do we put all of this together to get some direction?

Follow the developmental curve. Meet children where they are. Do not moralize with them, and do not expect more than they are able to deliver. Keep discipline mild, and aim it towards learning such socialization skills as sharing in a polite and caring way. Do not expect little ones to be too selfless. Remember that childhood is not a race; the stages cannot be bypassed. Accept children where they are developmentally, and provide a warm nurturing environment. If we "teach from behind," letting the child's natural developmental stages take the lead, we will be doing the best we can to raise moral, responsible children who grow into moral, responsible adults.

Safety Education For Kids and Teens

I thought I was knowledgeable about the dangers our children face in our crazy mixed up world. After all I raised five special needs children as a single parent after my wife passed away. It was not until I read some articles about the dangers facing our children on the internet that I realized I was only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

Safety education for kids and teens is critical and should be on the top of every parent to do list. Parents must take action immediately to assure the safety of our kids not only on the internet but in other life events as well.

Here are some really frightening statistics from law enforcement agencies:

*When your child enters a chat room and engages in conversation with someone there is a 50% probability that the stranger they are talking to is a pedophile pretending to be a child.

*At any time you are on the internet there are over 5 million pedophiles online with you.

*Your child can gain instant access to 1.8 billion pornographic websites.

*Even if your child has no interest in porn sites there is a 25% chance your child will still be exposed to pornographic images without warning while surfing the net.

*Around 75% of our kids will share personal information over the internet that could cause them or their family to be at risk.

*33% of our children will be subjected to cyber bullying, a serious danger on the internet.

*41% of cyber bullying victims will not tell friends, family, or teachers about the incidents and will keep the pain and depression they are experiencing to themselves, sometimes resulting in suicide (Bullycide is the new term).

*Online predators target kids 14 and older 77% of the time. 22% are between 10 and 13 years of age.

So we take a sigh of relief when they shut off the computer and go outside to socialize.

Then I see that according to statistics from another source violent crime statistics:

*47 murders as a daily average are committed!

*257 reported forced rapes as a daily average are committed!

*1142 reported robberies as a daily average are committed!

*2364 reported aggravated assaults as a daily average are committed!

Like most statistical data found in research the stats above are a few years old. Ask yourself if you think things have gotten better or worse over the past few years? I thought you would say that and I agree that things have gotten worse.

With all of this in mind we must figure out a way to provide safety education for kids and teens. It is not an easy task.

A parent must judge at what stage of development each child they have is in and tailor the education towards that level of understanding. There is a fine line as to how much information to give a child who is functioning on the level of an 8 year old and the information you would give a child operating at a level of a 15 year old.

Financial Education For Kids

One of the differences between rich families and poor families is that rich families teach their children about how to be rich. However, there are ways to teach any child how to be better with a checkbook. There are, of course, books and sites to help your child create a business and succeed at it. One that comes to mind is "Rich Kid Smart Kid", by Robert Kiyosaki. Also the famous cashflow 101 for kids board game by the same author is definitely a great start.

Peak the kid interest in making money

Kids can generate their own cash flow. It's just a matter of teaching them the basics, and then encouraging them to try things. Before you let them loose, remember to show them a few things. The most obvious thing to show them is the advantages of having their own income. For example, they can buy their own clothes and toys, as well as food. Once they realize that they can pay for things themselves, their interest in making money will be peaked.

Show them where your money goes. Specifically, show them bills, and what each bill buys the household. Also, go over the food bill, and show how much food the family eats on a monthly basis. Although there will be some dispute whether some items (such as Brussels sprouts) should be on the list, and questions as to why others (such as pizza) aren't on the menu more often, you can show them why pizza and other fast food items aren't bought as often because of their cost compared to normal food.

Let them experiment business

Once you've shown them what money can buy them, and where money goes, give them a chance to experiment. There are several ways you can do this, depending on how old the children are and what you have available. There are a lot of options to lemonade and lawn-mowing, even though they aren't that bad to start with. They'll probably be more able to do service-oriented businesses, especially those that don't require a lot of skill, such as carrying small loads, baby-sitting, running errands, weeding, some farm chores, and, yes, lawn-mowing. Some kids even do well with a rent-a-kid service, where older adults just want someone to listen to them, or help them with basic chores.

Once they get their business off the floor, you can introduce the concept of advertising to them, to help expand their business, getting them new customers, to whatever limit you think they can handle. Also, don't be afraid about calling their customers to se how they are doing, just don't get obsessive about it or you may cost the kid customers. The input helps, especially if they have a product that they are selling.

And don't forget to set up a banking account specifically for the child's business. This allows you to show him how banking works, and gets him used to how a balance sheet works; both of these are obviously useful skills later on. The account will also teach the child about interest, and possibly fees, which can be frustrating, especially if the account is usually below the minimum balance. Also, when the business is shelved, the account can continue, allowing it to garner interest; enough interest and the account can help towards college.

Computer Education For Kids

Computers have become a common and needed part of life in today's society, making computer education imperative for children. Young children will typically begin to show an interest in the home PC by their toddler years. While it is may be a good idea to begin introducing your toddler to the computer in very short sessions, most children can began to learn and understand a computer's functionality by preschool age.

Preschool age children can learn to turn the computer on by themselves and will quickly learn to operate the mouse. Simple games that teach and reinforce basic school readiness skills are great for this age. Computer education for preschool age children should be limited to short sessions of about 30 minutes a few times a week.

Many childcare facilities offer computer time as part of their weekly curriculum for preschoolers. Structured games and activities give young children an opportunity to explore the way a computer works. Games that require dragging objects across the screen are excellent for building mouse skills in beginner users. Chose age-appropriate software and websites that involve alphabet and color recognition, shapes, counting, or short stories that are read aloud. Activities that feature music are also enjoyable for a preschooler's computer time.

Kindergartners are normally still exploring the basics of computer use and will probably do best with activities that reinforce simple skills. As children become more comfortable with the computer, more complex games and activities can be introduced. Computer education for kindergartners typically consists of short sessions of no more than an hour, playing games that correlate with their classroom learning material.

By first grade, children have usually gained a good understanding of how to use a mouse and they are learning to use keyboard letters to type. Games like Typing Instructor for Kids can help young children become fast and efficient computer users. Early elementary age children are ready to move beyond simple reinforcement and skill drill activities to the many different functions of a computer.

First through third graders should use the computer as a supplement for their classroom work. A student studying about stars and planets can use the internet to search for pictures and information about constellations. An assignment about Africa can include a search for videos of African animals. Allow your child to work on his own, but stay close by to prevent access to inappropriate content and to answer any questions.

Software programs that allow children to create, like an art or publishing suite designed specifically for kids, can boost creativity along with providing exposure to technology. Grade level skills can also be practiced and enhanced with math, reading, and spelling computer games. There are a number of kid-friendly websites that provide search engines, games, and interaction opportunities.

Nursing with Care

It wasn’t until some years ago that the nursing field took up drastic measures and involved a lot more technology than has ever been seen in a decade. This is so to response the immense critical situations where a life and death situation is determined by the tiniest of elements. The nursing masters degree is where an accomplished nurse is needed to continue and bring about better nursing service and techniques into the field. Back then decision making was in the hands of a certain number of people now everyone has a different task thanks to technology and its development.

With an rn to msn online you are looking at a chance to enhance what you have and further your career in the long run. No working man wants to stay stuck in a certain position for too many years; hence a degree in RN to MSN online will help you and assure you that you are in for a better future. The classes are online allowing you to take them after working hours. These classes suffice with deep, rooted and thorough curriculums to enhance understanding of the field in all aspects and in many ways.

They say there are many ways to reach Rome. But if you want to become a senior leading the nursing field then a degree is needed for that. This is so as even more important decisions are to be made and a greater responsibility is required in attach to that. So now that you have a bigger idea of what they have in mind for you. Don’t hesitate to see how and where you can apply. If you wish to think it through, be sure that you are assisted so that you don’t miss out on important details. Your future is gleaming ahead of you.

Online Master Degree in Technology for Better Changes in the Future

Learning is a lifetime process that involves every person on earth. It means that not only students who are responsible to change their behavior, attitude, and emotion during the learning process as learning process is the process that makes people change the way of their life to the positive directions. It makes sense, then, if many people who have already graduated from high educational level such as undergraduate degree want to continue their study to the higher level. However, attending the regular class for higher level of education could be very difficult especially if they have tight activities related to their professions. Online education or online degree programs could be the best solution for them.

Let’s assume that you are a teacher in education technology, you may choose to enroll the higher education level for masters in education technology or educational technology degree. It will be very easy for you because you may attend the classes virtually without attending the classes physically. The master online program, you have enrolled, allow you to study while you are doing your activities. In short, you will be able to develop yourself and be responsible to your company of institution at the same time.

It is important for you to remember that online master programs are different from the regular master programs. You have to make sure that you enroll the program from the best and trusted university so that the certificate you get after you have finished the education will be considerable. Only the best university with the best programs such as the curriculum for the online degree programs provides you the best educational activities and materials. For example, if you are about to enroll for instructional technology degree online, you have to make sure that the university provides you the latest materials and updated curriculum that are relevant to this modern era of technology.

Professionals’ Helps in Finishing Essays Tasks

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Why Music Education Is Changing

I believe that music education as we know it is changing profoundly. The change has already begun, and it is already causing bewilderment and frustration for a great many music teachers. But it is also creating tremendous new opportunities for thousands of music teachers and students who are enjoying their work more than ever. In this article I will try to explain what I think is happening, and give you some ideas about how to position yourself to enjoy these changes rather than become a victim of them.

You might wonder if I am talking about changes related to the Internet, computers or music software. But this change has nothing to do with technology. It has to do with the needs and desires of today's music student, which are almost entirely different from the needs that our music education system was designed to satisfy. To understand what I mean by this, we need to go all the way back to the European origins of our most basic ideas about what it means to "teach music."

For centuries the primary goal of classical music education was to produce orchestra performers capable of reading a piece of sheet music and correctly playing the composer's ideas. This is no small task. It requires both a formidable control over one's instrument and also a very high level of skill at reading complicated musical phrases on a written page. It also requires great sensitivity and expressive power, since without these the music would sound dull and lifeless.

This curious breed of musician unites several personality traits that are highly contradictory. He must have the precision control of a world-class athlete in order to execute the very fine motor skills involved in playing his instrument. But he must also have the extreme mental agility required to read and instantly decipher impossibly complex rhythms coded into symbols on a page. He must be sensitive enough to feel and express the beauty in every line that he plays, but he must be detached enough to play whatever music is handed to him without complaining.

This is the context in which our music education system evolved. The goal was to produce a kind of super-performing robot-person that could play any piece of music on demand and make it sound heavenly. The "customer" of this process was what we might generalize as the "wealthy audience" who wanted to be entertained. Music conservatories prepared young music students to entertain and delight wealthy audiences with their skills, so that they might earn a professional salary.

This "old paradigm" of music study is defined by a very clear set of attitudes. Musicians play for others. A musician's purpose is to delight audiences and impress other musicians. His success can be measured by the number of gigs he gets, the salary he earns and also the respect and fame he enjoys among other musicians. And every one of these attitudes is so thoroughly ingrained in our culture that we continue to teach music this way today even though it no longer makes any sense whatsoever.

The new paradigm: musician as person

Our entire world has changed. For the vast majority of young music students, earning a salary is the farthest thing from their minds. Today's music student is not a humble employee hoping to sell his services to wealthy audiences for money. People study music today because they want to fill a void in their lives. They are drawn to music by its beauty and by its promise of self-discovery through creative expression.

In other words, the "wealthy audience" is no longer the customer of our music education system. There is a new customer in town, and that customer is the student himself (and, wonderfully, more and more often it is the student herself.) Today's music students are thinking, feeling human beings who want to grow, to create and to experience life for themselves. To put it simply, we are moving away from the old paradigm of "musician as performer" toward a new paradigm of "musician as person."

In the old paradigm of musician as performer, the dominant theme was competition. People made a great deal of fuss over which children seemed to show "musical talent" and which ones didn't. If music didn't come especially easy to a child, then there was no point in making the investment in music lessons. And if a child did show potential, he would immediately begin a military-style course of study to develop this ability into something that society would value. Musical ability, in this paradigm, is essentially a commodity to be sold on the open market. If there were no audience, there would be no reason to study music at all.

And to be sure, there are still people today living in the old paradigm. They live in a world of perfectionism, competition and hostility. When they play music, they are incapable of noticing anything but their own technical defects. When they listen to the music of others, they are busy evaluating the technical performance instead of receiving the beauty. They are generally angry people. Angry that there are not enough gigs, not enough students, not enough love and respect for all their hard work.

But there is a new generation of young people who are discovering the thrill of playing music for themselves. They are discovering that there is a paradise to which music can transport them. They don't particularly care whether they play well or badly, because they have found something more interesting than their ego. They have found the bliss of being lost in a moment, meditating on a sound, a note, a musical phrase, a gesture of the hands. It is this experience that has captivated them, and what they want from music education is to deepen this experience. These are the students of the new paradigm.

It's easy to tell whether a person's thinking is rooted in the old paradigm or the new one. Take a look at some "old paradigm" questions. Have you heard any of these lately?

- Does my child have "musical talent?"
- Are my students playing at the appropriate level?
- Can I still learn music at my age?
- How can I get my students to practice more?
- Am I a good violinist?

Now look at these "new paradigm" questions, and notice how the person asking the question is coming from a completely different place:

- Would practicing music enrich my child's life?
- Are my students growing and becoming stronger people?
- Would I like to discover music at my age?
- How can I help my students to make the most of their lives?
- Am I allowing myself to enjoy the violin fully?

For the uninitiated, this new paradigm thinking seems to turn music into a self-indulgent hobby. If there is no spirit of competition or comparison with others, then how will we preserve values like discipline, hard work and the quest for excellence?

But that is a question that we will have to leave for another article, because I think there are many interesting things that we could say about it. For now, just let me assure you that this new paradigm has nothing to do with laziness or lack of seriousness on the part of the student. When young people discover the magic of music, they can easily practice so many hours that they run the risk of injury. What we need to understand and embrace is what motivates today's music student.

How you can thrive in the new paradigm

Right now, millions of young people are genuinely excited about learning music as an opportunity for enjoyment and personal growth. They see music as a way to "develop their creative side" and to connect with a part of themselves that they can only access through the arts. They expect their music teachers to empower them to write their own songs, to improvise freely and to express their musical imagination.

For many music teachers, this itself can be a cause for worry because many times we haven't the slightest idea how to help our students achieve these goals. For most of us, our own musical training was rooted in the old paradigm of reading sheet music, mastering our instrument and occasionally memorizing some abstract rules about music theory. So how are we supposed to help our students achieve a creative freedom that we ourselves have never tasted?

But don't worry. There's no reason to panic. Your students don't expect you to be perfect or to know everything. It's perfectly fine for both teacher and student to have a question about something, and to seek the answer together. Most students just want to feel that their teacher listens to them, respects them and sincerely wants to help them achieve their goals. You have many, many gifts that are tremendously valuable to your students. You just need to think about how to reframe your wisdom in terms that relate to the student's enrichment as a person, rather than trying to simply teach musical ability for its own sake, detached from any spiritual relevance.

And you can also take advantage of this moment to expand your own horizons, both as a music teacher and as a person. There are many excellent resources available today that make it easier than ever to deepen your own understanding of music. My own course in musical improvisation is open to absolutely everyone and you can find it at But there are plenty of other books, videos, online courses and private instructors out there that can help you to discover and enjoy the creative arts of composition and improvisation. These experiences can be fun, thrilling and deeply satisfying. And they will also help you as a teacher, because they will give you the resources to help your students to realize their own dreams.

I personally believe that we are witnessing all around us the birth of a new musical culture that is here to stay, perhaps for centuries. Musical ability for its own sake is losing its power to attract and motivate students. More and more, we will see music students interested primarily in their own liberation as human beings. In my opinion this is a beautiful evolution, and it is a very exciting time to be a music teacher.

Business Financing during the Hard Time

There is no business that runs without having even a loan from an institution. Even the biggest and the most successful company get loans to run the business and keep it operate. Hence, it is common for small businesses to apply for small business loans. The loans that companies received directly or indirectly save the continuity of the companies especially if they face financial difficulties.

Nowadays, Business Loans for small companies can be found easily since many people think to be entrepreneurs and start their business. Hence, lenders want to accommodate these entrepreneurs. They provide many kinds of Business Lines of Credit to adjust with the need of each entrepreneur. Those who are lack of fund to start their business are able to get small business start up loans. Being approved for a loan helps businessmen in handle the Business Financing since sometimes the fund the company has to finance their operational is not enough.

If their business has run for several years and they need fund for other purposes besides starting up a business, they can choose other types of business loans. They may apply forunsecured business loans if the company does not have property used as the guarantee. Additionally, business loans for women may be the right choice for businesswomen.

What do Students Need to Know about Writing?

Students are never free from assignments and homework. Usually, after students complete studying a chapter in the class, the teachers or lecturers give them assignments in the form of projects or essays. A project usually becomes an interesting assignment for students but students see writing essay in different view. In their opinion, writing essay is uninteresting, tiring and confusing. Do your teachers or lecturers often give you such an assignment?

Once you are in college, you have more assignment to write essay. Why do the lecturers ask us to write essay? They want to know our logical thinking and how we defend our ideas. It seems scary since our lecturer may think that our idea is not good and worth to write since it does not enlighten the readers. However, if we know the tips of how to write a college essay, such assignment won’t confuse us anymore.

It is true that the ability of writing a good essay is a matter of process and practice. To develop our writing essay skills, it is better if we know how to write simpler essay. In high school, students are often to be asked to write a 5-paragraph essay. If these students know how to write a good 5-paragraph essay, they usually do not find many difficulties in writing a college essay. Additionally, knowing how to write a good classification essay will be beneficial for students.

Objective Vs Subjective Music Education

The goal of this piece is not to tout the correctness or incorrectness of either objective or subjective music education teaching styles. Rather, its attempt is to clearly depict their differences and the situations in which each, individually or in conjunction, may be beneficial for the education of students with autism. Music is, of course ultimately, an art form which is driven by a performer's ability to emote and interpret a piece of music. Assessing an artist's performance is, perhaps, the definition of a subjective judgment, but we are not dealing with artists...yet. We are dealing with students of an art form. A student's performance needs to be shaped and more clearly defined, eventually allowing them to relate to the instrument as a conduit for his expression and exploration. To a certain extent this is an ever continuing process since we are all growing and changing as human beings. In respect to the early education of students, though, each response can be objectively measured and analyzed. "But, why do you need to objectively measure their performance?" you may ask. First, let's define what objective and subjective measurements are and how they are used.

An objective measurement is one which is independent of the teacher's individual perception of what the answer is. For instance, two separate piano instructors may listen critically to a student's performance and ultimately come to two, very different conclusions in respect to the student's interpretation and adherence to the fundamentals of piano performance. This is not so much a misunderstanding or radical divergence in the teachers' knowledge of core piano education principles; rather a personal and subjective assessment of the student and what constitutes a correct response. To be clear, all teaching is based on shaping and having teachers accept approximations made by a student. Teaching is very subjective in nature, while assessing the results of these teaching efforts should be objective in nature. The question then arises, "How can teachers objectively assess a student's performance if art is fundamentally a subjective form of expression?" The answer, of course, is that the focus of early music education is much more associated with execution as opposed to interpretation. Therefore, it can be clearly and objectively measured whether or not a student independently depressed a particular key of the piano or identified a musical note correctly.

The reason that objectively measuring and analyzing a student's early performance is so vital is twofold. By not initially being objective, teachers may be inclined to 1) assign unrealistic goals and objectives for a student or 2) create an unchallenging and stagnating teaching environment by withholding more difficult material. In this discussion, concerning students with autism, both situations are possible but the latter is much more of a likely phenomenon. For many teachers, without prior special education experiences to draw on, it is quite understandably common to base a student's future curriculum on certain challenges that the student has currently. For instance, if a student has not yet learned how to read, exploring the skill of reading musical notation may seem out of reach for them and is then withdrawn. Alternatively, another student may display fine-motor challenges which could inhibit his dexterity at the piano. In both of these scenarios the student very well might not be able to execute the skill in question at first, but this should not effect the teacher's decision to begin instruction on that skill and measure the response.

As previously mentioned, when teaching (as opposed to assessing progress), instructors correctly use a subjective analysis of factors to help the student succeed. This practice is often based on a teacher's intimate knowledge of the student, his environment, his behavioral and comprehension challenges and previously successful teaching methodologies. For instance, after objectively determining that a student has met the criteria for the current phase of instruction, a teacher decides that the next and more difficult phase of instruction should commence. Ten minutes into the lesson, the student presents behavioral challenges and the teacher subjectively determines that this more difficult phase would increase the student's frustration level at this point and delays the introduction until tomorrow. In respect to another student, this inappropriate behavior may be related to task avoidance and the determination to continue with the more difficult phase of instruction would be made. Both decisions may be appropriate, it simply depends on the student and the situation.

Objectively measuring the early performances of a student at the piano is very plausible; it can be clearly determined whether or not the student depressed a certain key of the piano or played a particular note with his left hand for example. As the material systematically becomes more difficult, though and variables such as dynamics, tempo and artistry become more of a factor, it is more and more challenging to objectively assign a numerical value to the performance - which is based on the execution of each variable. This should not be surprising since the student's performance is now (at least in part) approaching an artistic expression. At this point, a teacher should use their experience and knowledge of the instrument to make a subjective analysis of the performance. Here, the student is guided by the teacher's individual perception of what constitutes a correct response. This determination is not only made based on the factors above, but also on the current skill level of the student, the difficulty of the piece and the environment (is this a music recital or a practice session?). An expectation of absolute perfection from a relative beginner at the piano would, of course, be counterproductive. Therefore, as the pieces increase in difficulty the subjective criteria relaxes. In early piano instruction students are being taught core concepts which are mutually exclusive. For example, the skill of identifying a note on the piano is required before teachers can begin instructing the student to play a song with correct fingering. Because these skills are mandatory and used in every piece they will learn in the future, the criteria can (and should) be set as high as possible. Later, typical music instruction involves the introduction of multiple trials of similar pieces of music. The goal is not, necessarily, to perform each one perfectly; rather to present similar pieces and develop the student's ability to generalize the concepts which are presented in each song. By initially using the objective performance measuring techniques described above and transitioning to a more subjective analysis at the appropriate point, instructors can effectively introduce the piano to individuals from across the spectrum of autism.